Programs

A growing body of research indicates that positive emotional, physical, and intellectual experiences during a child's earliest years are necessary for the growth of a healthy brain. Positive early learning experiences are crucial for developing language and literacy skills. The goal of the professional development workshops is to bring this research to early care and education providers so it can inform what they do. Oral Language Development Workshop: Staff present information about brain development and help providers reflect on different communication styles. They also teach techniques for developing a child's vocabulary and oral language skills. Finally, they help providers better meet the needs of bilingual children. Reading to Mixed-Age Groups: Providers learn techniques to help children of various ages participate in reading time, use books to develop vocabulary and phonological awareness, and gain knowledge about how books work. Providers are also taught how to involve children in reading and comprehending books. Working with Young English Language Learners: Staff explain how children learn a second language, the best environments for supporting English language learners, and assessing children's language dominance using the Bilingual Early Language Assessment (BELA). In addition to workshops, the Literacy Initiative provides technical assistance to other literacy programs.