W E L C O M E Florida Institute of Education

WELCOME to the Florida Institute of Education

CELL helps ensure that Jacksonville’s young children gain the early literacy and learning experiences they need to be prepared for kindergarten, become academically successful, more likely to graduate from high school, and enroll in a postsecondary education program.

The Center for Early Literacy and Learning (CELL) was established in 1999 with a generous gift from Betty and Tom Petway to the University of North Florida to improve the learning opportunities for young children. Hosted by the Florida Institute of Education (FIE) and the UNF College of Education and Human Services, funds are used to carry out research and develop activities associated with improving early literacy and learning for all children, regardless of the geographical location in which they live.

Vision

The CELL’s vision for Jacksonville is that all children will enter school with the skills, knowledge, and dispositions they need to become successful readers and learners.

Mission

The CELL’s mission is to help young children acquire and use the skills needed to become successful readers and learners by field-testing promising models; engaging in practice-focused research, building expertise among early care and learning teachers, directors, and families; and increasing access to new information, tools, and strategies.

CELL-affiliated faculty and staff work collaboratively with early care and learning agencies across the city toward realizing this vision and mission.

Current Initiatives

Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM) and ELLM/Plus

CELL’s first practice-focused and action-oriented research initiative led to the development of the Early Literacy and Learning Model (ELLM), a curriculum and instructional support system focused on providing children from low-income families the opportunity to regularly engage in purposeful literacy experiences during preschool – thereby preparing them to become successful readers. The second generation of that curriculum, ELLM/Plus, is a comprehensive, research-based curriculum for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds that builds on literacy knowledge across content areas. Through explicit instruction, ELLM/Plus builds children’s literacy skills, enhances conceptual knowledge, and creates a solid foundation for learning across all areas of the curriculum. ELLM/Plus is now being implemented in hundreds of preschool classrooms in Jacksonville and across the state of Florida. The Florida Department of Education/Office of Early Learning has approved ELLM/Plus as a VPK Curriculum for low-performing VPK Readiness Rate Providers has approved ELLM/Plus.

Results

The efficacy of ELLM/ELLM/Plus was evaluated as part of the national Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research program. Data from the complimentary study demonstrated prekindergarten children in ELLM/ELLM/Plus classrooms had higher literacy-related outcomes than children in prekindergarten classes that did not use ELLM/ELLM/Plus.

Outreach

To strengthen the quality of instruction taking place in Jacksonville preschool classrooms, enhance professional development opportunities, and disseminate effective practices, CELL-affiliated staff collaborate with agencies working to improve quality such as the Early Learning Coalition of Duval, the Jacksonville Children’s Commission, Jacksonville Urban League Head Start, Episcopal Children’s Services, and United Way. The FIE and CELL-affiliated curriculum specialist serves as a resource to promote fidelity of curriculum implementation and provide support to practitioners and those who support them, including preschool coaches.

To build expertise among early care and learning teachers, staff, and directors, CELL-affiliated staff regularly conduct workshops and seminars. Recent topics include: implementing effective rituals and routines; developing a systematic, data-driven approach to letter and sound knowledge instruction; and bringing learning to life through vocabulary and concept development.

To increase access to new information, tools, and strategies across the state, CELL-affiliated staff also present regularly at conferences such as the Florida Reading Association, the Early Childhood Association of Florida, and the One Goal Summer Conference.

A small number of diverse early care and learning centers, known as “core sites,” work with CELL-affiliated staff field-testing promising strategies and engaging in practice-focused research. Core sites have field-tested a print concept intervention and are currently working with CELL-affiliated staff in testing a strategy grounded on findings from cognitive science to enhance preschool children’s conceptual development.

To assist teachers in two of the core sites build expertise and enrich the quality of instruction provided to young children, CELL-affiliated staff provide an intensive 2-day training and ongoing support spending 4 hours bi-weekly in preschool classrooms working directly with teachers and children at The Don Brewer Early Learning, Research & Development Center and Saint Stephen Child Care & Learning Center.

For more information, please contact Dr. Cheryl Fountain

The Don Brewer Early Learning, Research & Development Center: http://www.coj.net/Departments/Childrens+Commission/About+Us/The+Brewer+Center.htm

St. Stephen Child Care & Learning Center:
http://ststephen.imagecaster.com/index.php?pr=Child_Care_&_Learning_Center

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