ExCELL Program Components

ExCELL promotes the development of preschoolers’ early language and literacy skills through four main program components:

1. Professional development (PD) and classroom-based coaching. Systematic, ongoing PD and coaching is provided to participating preschool educators. PD and coaching sessions focus on the latest research-based early literacy and family literacy approaches to enhance classroom and home literacy environments and teaching practices. Preschool educators attend a monthly PD workshop focused on enhancing early language and literacy instructional practices, improving the quality of teacher-child interactions and supporting families in helping their children develop critical early literacy skills. Additionally, ExCELL literacy coaches work with preschool educators in three individual coaching sessions each month. Using a combination of videotaping and reflection, co-teaching, co-planning, and modeling, coaches support teacher implementation of effective research-based early language and literacy strategies. PD session content and coaching are linked directly to ongoing classroom and child level assessments (PALS-PreK, CLASS, ELLCO) in order to target phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge and print awareness, early writing, and oral language/vocabulary skills.


2. High quality instructional materials and children’s books. Each ExCELL classroom receives a carefully selected assortment of commercially purchased instructional materials that promote early literacy and language skills for daily use in the classroom during large/small group instructional activities, teacher-directed and child-initiated activities. Teachers create additional materials to support and scaffold children’s ongoing learning of specific literacy skills during monthly PD workshops. Each classroom also receives a complete, high quality children’s classroom library that is linked to the implemented curriculum.


3. Family literacy events and home literacy materials. To establish a language-and literacy-rich home environment for every child, ExCELL literacy specialists provide training and support to preschool educators in implementing a Family Literacy Book Bag Program with families. This rotation book bag program provides families with high-quality children’s books and related literacy activities that are connected to the ongoing classroom curriculum. In addition, ExCELL conducts monthly family literacy events utilizing research-based family literacy models and linked to ExCELL professional development topics. Family literacy events connect families to current classroom learning activities and promote the use of local community libraries and other community resources. Family literacy events offer families valuable opportunities to learn and practice language and literacy-focused home learning activities and include topics such as: interactive storybook reading, oral language and vocabulary development, phonological awareness, alphabet and print knowledge, early writing development, understanding early reading assessments, and transitioning to kindergarten. At each of these monthly events families receive home literacy materials and a high-quality children’s book with an accompanying book guide.


4. Evaluation. ExCELL implements a comprehensive, multi-level evaluation model involving formative and summative data collection at the classroom/teacher, parent/family, and child levels. Specific training is provided to teachers in the administration, scoring, and use of early literacy child assessments. Evaluation results are used to assess progress toward project-specific goals and to inform project planning and modifications, professional development focus, and children’s individualized instruction.