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Share Literacy's Early Learning Curriculum was specifically designed to help teachers meet and measure mandated instructional goals and objectives. Planning and assessment tools align with standards and objectives common to all early-childhood programs such as the Head Start Child Outcomes Framework, state and NAEYC guidelines, as well as to national and state guidelines for grades 1-8.
The Hoopoe Early Childhood Literacy Curriculum program and materials include:
- Beautifully illustrated books, audio CDs, parent DVD and Home Literacy Kits
(English-only and Bilingual Spanish-English Versions) ( Click here for more information.)
- Teacher Activity Guides for Grades PreK-1
- Teacher Lesson Plans for Grades 1-2, 3-5 and 6-8.
- Professional Development Workshops
Pilot Programs: Share Literacy’s Home Literacy Kits and Early Literacy Curriculum were tested in several pilot projects across the country, including Rosemount Center in Washington, DC, and Kno-Ho-Co-Ashland (OH) Head Start. These organizations collected qualitative and quantitative data on classroom and group use of the materials to establish the effectiveness of these partnerships. Completed questionnaires from both teachers and parents were analyzed by Learning Resource Alliance (LRA), an independent organization based in Chicago. A summary of their findings is available here (28 KB pdf).
INDEPENDENT PROGRAM EVALUATION
Overview of Evaluation
Evaluation is a critical component of successful educational programs. Evaluations help to determine whether a program has achieved its stated goals and objectives and provide feedback to program developers, leading to refinements and improvements in future programs.
The evaluation of our early childhood education programs are multifaceted and comprehensive, incorporating both process and outcome evaluation methods. All evaluations are assessed by an independent evaluator, and the strictest confidence is observed on all questionnaires.
Process Evaluation
Process evaluation data focus on program implementation – how many teachers are trained and ultimately, how many children are served. We will collect the following data as part of the process evaluation.
- Number of teachers participating
- Number of hours training per teacher
- Materials distributed to teachers
- Number of teachers implementing the curriculum
- Curriculum use (hours/days activities implemented in the classroom)
- Number of children/students served
- Number of Home Literacy Kits distributed to families
Outcome Evaluation
Outcome evaluation efforts will focus on assessing evidence of program impact. Do the teachers acquire new knowledge and skills? Are they able to engage parents? How do the children respond to the program? To this end, the evaluation will investigate the impact of the program on each group of stakeholders: teachers, children, and parents. The following evaluation methods are available.
- Informal Assessment
Each lesson in every activity guide contains standards and objectives based on the national education standards for PreK - 1st Grade. Informal assessments are conducted by teachers who are interested on whether the standards being addressed in each lesson are included with each activity.
- Teacher Questionnaires
Teachers questionnaires assess teachers’ perceptions of the materials, their own learning and skill development, and the impact of the program on their students. These anonymous questionnaires are completed after each curriculum module, and are returned to an independent evaluator for assessment.
- Parent Questionnaires
Anonymous parent questionnaires assess parents’ perceptions of the materials, and the impact the materials had on both themselves and their children with respect to a variety of learning and behavioral objectives. Completed questionnaires are returned to an independent evaluator for assessment.
- Workshop Evaluations
Teachers complete a workshop evaluation at the end of each training session. Evaluations are then returned to an independent evaluator for assessment.
National Education Standards for PreK - 1st Grade & Grades 2-8
Each lesson includes a summary of the standards and recommendations for teachers to conduct informal assessments of whether the standards are being addressed.
Teacher Perception
Teacher questionnaires after each curriculum module are used to assess teacher perception of the materials, their own learning and skill development, and the impact of the program on their students.
Parent/Caregiver Perception
Parent and/or student questionnaires are used to assess the impact of the materials on children and their caregiver on a variety of learning and behavioral objectives.
Workshop Evaluations
Teachers complete an evaluation at the end of each training session.
All questionnaires and evaluations are assessed by an independent evaluator.
About Our Material & Workshops
- Teaching-Storiestm (Books and CDs)
These Teaching-Stories come from the rich storytelling tradition of Afghanistan and have been told and retold for centuries throughout Central Asia and the Middle East. These universal stories combine colorful characters, vibrant imagery, and ingenious plots. They not only entertain but have been specifically designed to develop thinking and problem-solving skills by presenting a series of unexpected patterns and relationships. They build confidence and prepare the child for unexpected events.
The Teaching-Stories and this program are designed to:
- Develop children's oral language, questioning and higher-level thinking skills
- Address the whole child including developing empathy
- Encourage analogical thinking
- Present multicultural literature to help build tolerance and understanding
- Encourage parents and caregivers to become more involved in their children's school lives
- Improve parent knowledge and involvement in literacy activities
- Offer bilingual materials and activities to promote student success
- Identify the national standards and assessments through each activity
- Provide professional development
Audio CDs have been developed for each of the Teaching-Stories. The CDs are available in English-only and/or bilingual (English-Spanish) versions, and have tracks with and without page-turn signals to aid in independent reading.
- Home Literacy Kit
Home Literacy Kits (HLK) are available in bilingual Spanish-English and/or English-only or Spanish-only editions for seven titles. Each HLK contains a:
- Beautifully illustrated paperback book
- CD with and without page-turning prompts
- Read Together Newsletter with simple activities for reading aloud and encouraging literacy in the home
- Parent DVD
Teachers also receive guidance on encouraging parent participation which includes the DVD, The Magic of Reading, (in English only) a guide to promoting regular reading at home that can be shown as part of a parent/caregiver event. This is an engaging, informative presentation that helps parents understand how and why to read aloud to their children.
- DVD includes a read-aloud of one of the Teaching-Stories
- DVD can be shown during a parent meeting or event
- Professional Development Workshops
Hoopoe’s early education consultants will visit each agency for these workshops. The duration of each workshop is tailored to individual needs, but a 2- to 3-hour program is preferable. A minimum of two workshops are recommended, each one around a different Teaching-Story.
Each workshop will present best-practice teaching strategies to enhance:
- Read-aloud skills
- Teachers' ability to develop questions that encourage higher-level analogical thinking
Center-based activities
- Parent involvement
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