Literacy
for Little Ones: Working with Babies and Toddlers
Building Effective and Successful Teams (BEST) Project
The BEST Project’s
Literacy for Little Ones module establishes a shared foundation of
literacy knowledge and practice for staff members and collaborators involved in
literacy efforts for families with children birth to age three. Participants
develop a strengthened repertoire of strategies for helping families provide
young children with enriched language and literacy experiences that support
school success.
The module’s structure and
format is based on the University of Idaho’s Building Effective Successful Teams
(BEST) model for delivering in-service training, which emphasizes team learning
and direct application of knowledge. This model has been researched, refined
and used successfully with early childhood programs through a series of federal,
regional and state grants. The model is particularly appropriate for programs
in rural/remote locations where time and travel barriers may limit access to
professional development.
Programs participating in
Literacy for Little Ones training bring together groups of between
two to ten staff members and collaborators to form site-based study teams.
These teams meet on a regular basis to complete the four chapter module.
Program supervisors and BEST staff members introduce, monitor and support the
team’s work through e-mail, mail, telephone and/or on-site visits. Pre, post,
and follow-up literacy surveys evaluate growth.
The
module focuses on how to work with families to help young children develop
literacy skills. Content is based on research and best-practice that supports
the development of children’s reading and writing competency. The family’s role
in motivating children and providing critical literacy experiences is
emphasized. Chapters include:
