McREL's early childhood team and partners win award for Early Reading First project

Denver —McREL’s early childhood team has been chosen, along with its collaborative partners, to receive a 2012 Children’s Week Community Innovation Award for Project LEER (Literacy Enhancement for Early Learners), an Early Reading First project in Miami.

The award, given by the United Way of Florida and Whole Child Florida, will be handed out on January 30 as part of Children’s Week in Tallahassee. Children’s Week is an annual celebration held at the Florida Capitol to celebrate children and highlight the critical issues they face. The event is expected to draw nearly 5,000 children, parents, advocates, teachers, and others.

The goal of the three-year project is to better prepare children to enter kindergarten by focusing on language, literacy, and self-regulation skills, which can help prevent reading difficulties and lead to later school success. Since 2009, McREL consultants Elena Bodrova, Cynthia Björk, and Deborah Mazzeo have provided professional development on Scaffolding Early Literacy and Dynamic Coaching to approximately 22 preschool teachers and assistant teachers in 11 classrooms, as well as limited training to kindergarten teachers.

McREL’s partners in Project LEER include evaluators from the University of Miami-Mailman Center for Child Development and the following organizations/sites: the United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and St. Albans Child Enrichment Center.

The project will continue through September 2012.