Community Issues

• Brain research has shown that the earliest years are those of greatest growth. By the age of five, children’s brains are at 90% of their potential, laying the foundation for academic and life success.
• According to the Economic Policy Institute, children who attended center-based preschool arrive at kindergarten with higher achievement, providing the potential to reduce inequality by the time students reach kindergarten.
• High quality learning experiences set children up for success in school, work and life.
• The 2006 LIFE Study reported that research has demonstrated a direct link between improved education of child care staff and long-term beneficial outcomes.
• Research shows that early childhood development and education are the best investment a community can make. For every $1 invested, the public return can be as high as $17. (SOURCE: Schweinhart, Lawrence)

Project Description

United Way Fox Cities’ Developing Children and Youth Impact Area completed a two-year study on a variety of issues affecting children and youth in the Fox Cities.  As a result, the impact area identified the importance of focusing on early childhood development and school readiness, specifically pertaining to language and literacy skills and emotional and social skills in children.

The Early Language and Literacy Initiative (ELLI), developed in partnership with Child Care Resource & Referral, addresses the need for improved language and literacy practices, high quality preschool literacy environments, qualified child care staff who understand and model best practices in early language and literacy, high quality oral language development, and the formation and development of early childhood leadership.

The key components of the initiative involve education and training of child care staff on the following:

• Room To Grow - develops high quality child care learning environments.
• Brain Development for Birth to Five - training and education on early childhood brain development.
• The Creative Curriculum® for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschool Children -Curriculum, literacy and child assessment focusing on cognitive and social skills.
• Conscious Discipline® - Classroom management and social emotional program.
• Musikgarten® - Music and movement curriculum promoting motor, language and literacy development.

Results to Date

• The first pilot was launched in 2007 at 3 local child care centers for a total of 18 rooms, completed during the first part of 2009.
• ELLI involved 50 child care staff who participated in 14 trainings and mentoring, impacting about 240 children enrolled at these centers.
• Overall, the three centers improved their environments by 57%, based on increasing average scores of 3.7 to 5.8 on a 7-point scale.
• Teacher interactions with children demonstrate a 40% improvement based on a change in the total average scores from 4.5 to 6.3 on a 7-point scale.
• All of the child care teachers reported improving their knowledge of early child brain development.
• 91% of infants and toddlers and 97% of preschool children demonstrated improvement in at least one developmental step on the child assessment.
• The centers’ language and literacy environment and activity scores improved 111% based on increased literacy scores from an average of 15.3 out of 36 to final average of 32.3 out of 36.

Testimonials

“The Salvation Army Children’s Learning Center has benefitted from the ELLI program in so many ways; our teachers have been given extra training and many different resources to meet the children’s developmental stages.  These literacy skills help children use different strategies to learn to read and write.”
Child Care Director, Salvation Army Children’s Learning Center

“I have noticed my classroom is calmer.  My children and I love the room.  It is cheery and quite functional.”
Staff Member, Community Child Care Center

“I love the new room layout and all of the different choices we have.”
Preschool Parent, Neenah/Menasha YMCA