Testing an Integrated Preschool Curriculum for English Language Learners
Project Description:
The number of English language learners (ELL) has grown considerably in recent years, and the number of children classified as limited English proficient rose 76 percent in a 10-year span. The ELL population is also impoverished: over three-quarters of Spanish-speaking ELL children in the United States come from low-income families. Many of these children are at risk for developing disabilities and special education referrals. Yet there is a lack of empirically validated instructional approaches and effective tools for helping teachers deliver individualized instruction to this population. The current study will evaluate the use of a Spanish adaptation of a comprehensive curriculum, Literacy Express, which focuses on cognitive instruction in small groups in preschool classrooms. It will be compared to a "business as usual" condition with teachers using the Scholastic Early Childhood Program (SECP) curriculum, developed for large group and center-based activities without attention to the use of small group instruction. Both conditions will receive paraprofessional support for 90 minutes, four days each week. In the treatment condition, paraprofessionals will be trained on the implementation of small group activities using Literacy Express. In the business as usual condition, teachers will use the paraprofessionals in any way they want in their classrooms.
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Urban
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
