Tag Archives: Review

Five Year Grant Periods – Head Start

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8/2013

The Office of Head Start (OHS) is moving from indefinite project periods to five year project periods for all Head Start grantees. This requires changes in OHS funding practices and oversight of Head Start programs. The main purpose of improved oversight is to demonstrate the quality of program services, the effectiveness of management systems, and the achievement of outcomes for children, families, and communities.

Source: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center

Available at: https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/grants/5-yr-cycle?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Content%20E-blast%20for%20July&utm_content=New%20Content%20E-blast%20for%20July+CID_30ee5ad9937c9730611342af4be147d8&utm_source=CM%20Eblast&utm_term=Five-Year%20Grant%20Periods

Phonological Awareness Training: Review

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Report Summary

Effectiveness

Phonological awareness training was found to have potentially positive effects on communication/language competencies for children with learning disabilities in early education settings.

Program Description

Phonological awareness, or the ability to detect or manipulate the sounds in words independent of meaning, has been identified as a key early literacy skill and precursor to reading. For the purposes of this review, phonological awareness training refers to any practice targeting young children’s phonological awareness abilities.

Phonological awareness training can involve various activities that focus on teaching children to identify, detect, delete, segment, or blend segments of spoken words (i.e., words, syllables, onsets and rimes, phonemes) or to identify, detect, or produce rhyme or alliteration. Phonologic awareness training can occur in both regular and special education classrooms. Various curricula are available to support this training.

Research

Four studies of phonological awareness training that fall within the scope of the Early Childhood Education Interventions for Children with Disabilities review protocol meet What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards without reservations. The four studies included 78 children with disabilities or developmental delays attending preschool in four locations across the United States. Based on these four studies, the WWC considers the extent of evidence of phonological awareness training on children with learning disabilities in early education settings to be small for one domain: communication/language competencies. Six other domains are not reported in this intervention report.

Source: What Works Clearinghouse

Available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/interventionreport.aspx?sid=375

Hip-Hop to Health Jr.

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2/2012

Hip-Hop to Health Jr. was a community-based program that aimed to promote healthy eating and physical activity habits in young children ages 3-5 years. The 14-week intervention was implemented within existing Head Start programs in Chicago and included 45-minute instructional sessions three times each week. The sessions began with a five-minute transitional period, followed by a 20-minute hands-on activity related to healthy eating and exercise, and concluding with a 20-minute aerobic activity. Parents of the participating children were sent weekly newsletters related to the topic being reviewed in class, and they were also sent weekly homework assignments related to the newsletter content. Parents were compensated $5 for completing each homework assignment. The intervention also included free, voluntary, 30-minute low-impact aerobic sessions for the parents twice each week (Fitzgibbon et al., 2002).

Source: Promising Practices Network

Available at: http://www.promisingpractices.net/program.asp?programid=278#programinfo

The Incredible Years™

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The Incredible Years was found to have potentially positive effects on external behavior and potentially positive effects on social outcomes for children classified as having an emotional disturbance.

Program Information
The Incredible Years is composed of training programs for children, parents, and teachers. The child program is designed for children (ages 0–12) with challenging behaviors and focuses on building social and emotional skills. Lessons can be delivered to children referred for difficult behavior or to an entire classroom as a preventative measure. The program consists of 20- to 30-minute lessons two to three times a week; these lessons are reinforced by small-group activities, practicing skills throughout the day, and communicating with parents. Lessons cover recognizing and understanding feelings, getting along with friends, anger management, problem solving, and behavior at school. Parent training programs focus on positive discipline, promoting learning and development, and involvement in children’s life at school.

Source: What Works Clearinghouse

Available at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/interventionreport.aspx?sid=590