McREL Researcher Trains Early Childhood Educators in Southwest Wisconsin
by April Schmidt, University of Wisconsin-Platteville Public Relations This press release was issued by the University of Wisconsin, Platteville. View the original press release at www.uwplatt.edu
February 19, 2007
Platteville, Wis.
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Gwendolyn Coe, an early childhood education professor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, recently received $262,455 in renewed funding for the early literacy and mathematics programs she has been directing since 2004. Because of this funding, 50 more teachers in Southwest Wisconsin will benefit from this training over the next three years. In addition, three school districts that participated in the previous three-year grant will receive on-site professional development for all interested teachers to sustain new practices and provide continuity across and within grade levels and to set up three model school districts in Southwest Wisconsin.
In 2004, Coe originally wrote and received a $150,000 grant to offer professional development opportunities to Southwest Wisconsin early childhood educators over a three-year span. She brought Elena Bodrova, principal researcher for Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) of Denver, Colo., to UWP to train the teachers in methods based on the ideas of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky. The University of Wisconsin System funded the program through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title II Higher Education Professional Development Program-Wisconsin Improving Teacher Quality (WITQ).
With the ultimate purpose of improving early literacy, Bodrova educated the teachers to implement strategies in their classrooms that instill in children, ages 2 to 6, the ability to self-regulate their behavior. She said that the best way to prepare children for more challenging academic learning is through dramatic play activities that encourage self-control (emotional and physical), patience and focusing attention for extended lengths of time. In the process of learning these essential skills, children excel in oral/written communication and math. Her goal was to help teachers better understand early learning at various developmental stages.
Participating teachers learned ways to support mature play that puts children in control of their own behavior. They learned that children need to develop their oral language skills before they can learn how to read, write and calculate. According to Bodrova, the best way to ensure children become familiar with their language — the power by which people control their behavior — is through play activities, structured to encourage language use while allowing children to take control over themselves, as opposed to being controlled by teachers or parents.
"I'm appreciative of the teachers' professional commitment that includes time and effort to rethink and change their teaching practices based on current research," Coe said.
In 2004, after only a month into the program, for example, children at the UWP Children's Center, typically under the age of 5, could be seen sitting attentively together, helping the teacher spell out words in the morning message and orally describing their goals for their time at the center. Children also planned an activity and followed through with it while adhering to the activity's rules with little guidance from the teacher.
Jamie Hartwig, a 4-year-old kindergarten teacher at the O.E. Gray Early Learning Center in Platteville, reported: "After completing Coe's early literacy class with Bodrova, I incorporated play plans and morning message as part of our morning activities in the classroom. The plans have helped in many areas of our room. All the children seem to have more of an interest in reading and writing. The children with behavior problems seem more focused and on task after completing their play plans. The children are more confident in their writing and are using it in all areas of the room – dramatic play, art and math. I have had parents comment on the improvement they are seeing at home with their children's reading, writing and self-control."
"Dr. Coe's hard work in early literacy is critical to Southwest Wisconsin schools. Teachers need professional development opportunities to build and refresh their skills. Most school districts cannot fully fund such opportunities and UW-Platteville faculty members are working hard to offer support," said Michael Anderson, director of UWP's School of Education.
"I believe a child's reading ability influences performance in almost every other area of study. Dr. Coe's work in addressing literacy in early childhood increases the chances that more children will develop the necessary skills to be successful students," commented Mittie Nimocks, the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education at UWP.
Twenty school districts and 55 teachers in those districts through 2007 benefited from Coe's opportunity. The first group of 30 teachers from 2004-05 mentored 25 more teachers in 2005-06, and these teachers will mentor another group of teachers in 2006-07. All the teachers who participated received 10 graduate credits toward the fulfillment of their professional development obligations.
Anyone interested in Coe's ESEA project may contact her at (608) 342‑1294 or coe@uwplatt.edu.
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McREL is a nationally recognized, private, nonprofit organization located in Denver, Colo., dedicated to improving education for all students through applied research, product development and service. In 2005, McREL provided research-based guidance to educators and policymakers in 45 states in the U.S. and three foreign countries.
