Early Reading First (ERF)

Abstract

With the collaborative partners

Juniper Gardens Children's Project, University of Kansas
Mary Abbott, PhD, Project Director/Principal Investigator
Jane Atwater, PhD, Director of Evaluation
Juin Lui, PhD, Parent and Intervention Coordinator
Judy Carta, PhD, Early Childhood Research Advisor

Project EAGLE, University of Kansas Medical Center
Martha Staker, Co-Principal Investigator
Amy Herring, Project coordinator

Economic Opportunity Foundation Head Start
Dorothy Harvey - EOF Executive Director

El Centro Center for Children
Della Muzquiz - El Centro Vice President of Family Services

This ERF project will build upon an existing collaboration among two local urban preschool programs, early childhood support programs within Project EAGLE of the University of Kansas Medical Center, and early literacy researchers at Juniper Gardens Children's Project of the University of Kansas. The purpose of the Wyandotte County ERF (Wy-ERF) is to substantially increase the intensity of language and literacy instruction so that children from high-risk Kansas City, Kansas families improve academically. Nine classrooms, 27 teachers, and 180 children from local Head Start and El Centro preschools will participate. The project will integrate the intensity-rich tiered model of implementation, research-based literacy materials, summer and monthly on-going professional development, and data-driven instructional decision-making. Each classroom will have three teachers (2 AA + 1 CDA). There will be a mentor coach for every three classrooms and sufficient assistance from an intervention coach to ensure criterion-level implementation of tier-two intervention.

The Wy-ERF tiered model of leveled instruction that focuses on differentiated instruction through data-driven decision-making will substantially increase instructional intensity and help to prevent later reading difficulties among our young high-risk/disadvantaged children. Our Wy-ERF project will implement these five goals: (1) To integrate research-based instructional materials and literacy activities, (2) To increase the use of evidence-based instructional strategies and activities, (3) To raise the level of environmental support, (4) To provide and support professional development based on scientifically-based reading research that will enhance preschoolers' language, literacy and pre-reading development, and (5) To increase the use of screening and progress monitoring reading assessments that will effectively identify children at-risk for reading failure and lead to improved instruction for individual children.

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