Research Tools:
ELM's trained literacy coaches assess each targeted child and their corresponding teachers.
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The HighScope Early Literacy Assessment (ELSA) is used for four year olds. The ELSA for pre-k children is an authentic (natural) assessment screening tool in the form of a children's book titled Violet's Adventure. The ELSA measures the four key principles of early literacy:
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Alphabetic Principle (recognizing letters and letter sounds)
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Comprehension (understanding content and significance)
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Phonological Awareness (rhyming, syllabication, phonemes and onset-rime)
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Print Concepts (left-right and up-down text flow and directionality)
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The Pearson Get Ready to Read! is used for three year olds. The Get Ready to Read! tool for three year olds is a traditional assessment in a flip book format; each child examines four pictures and responds to scripted questions related to the above mentioned principles of early literacy.
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Early Literacy Matters coaches employ and model research based, multi-year, developmentally appropriate teaching methods to preschool teachers. Through the course of the project year, teachers are expected to learn and demonstrate developmentally appropriate emergent literacy based teaching strategies and arrange their environments in support of literacy and early learning. These aspects are measured at the beginning of the year and at the year's end by the Early Language & Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO). The ELLCO is developed by Education Development Center, Inc. and published by Brookes Publishing.
