Students who participate in Words Work! outperform their national Head Start counterparts in alphabet knowledge and counting. Words Work! students also consistently outperform their peers in the Saint Paul Public schools on national standardized tests.
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Before Words Work!, children were academically challenged - 39% scored at or above average compared to the national distribution of 77%.*
*Boehm Test of Basic Concepts (for preschool children) |
Years after participating in Words Work!, children are academically successful - 86% scored at or above average in reading and 88% scored at or above average in math as compared to the national distribution of 77% for each subject.*
*Standard Achievement Test, 10th ed. (3rd, 4th and 5th grade scores) |
Words Work! focuses on four key principles:
A literacy-rich environment is reinforced through writing centers, labels, rhyming, books and writing materials throughout the classroom.
Even the simple task of signing their name each day leads children to the meaning and power of print.
"We don't have to drill them ... they pick it up from the exposure, just from being around," said Shannon Haugh, Head Start teacher at a Words Work! site.
Parents are the first and lifelong teachers of their children.
More than half of Words Work! students do not speak English at home. Respecting home language while helping children master English is key to ensuring they thrive in both languages.
Maria's Head Start classroom was one of the first to adopt the Words Work! approach in 1999.
The program helps families build their home libraries by providing books in English and other languages.
At home, Maria and Jesus now have armfuls of books. With big smiles, they go through their stacks.
This is my favorite!" Jesus exclaims, until he sees the next one in the stack. "No, this is my favorite!"
Their mom, also Maria, confirms that the program helped her kids get a good education and gave parents the tools they needed. "I learned from the program, too," she says. |
Historically there has been limited professional development and support for preschool teachers.
By contrast, Words Work! teachers are involved in ongoing learning groups with mentors, peers and project staff. They are trained to use a multitude of literacy strategies and bridge cultural gaps between home and school.
Words Work! helps keep teachers engaged, motivated and satisfied.
The Words Work! assessment process draws on a variety of proven tools and new ones to empower teachers to understand, plan and implement literacy strategies that meet student needs.
"At first I felt everyone was just collecting information, but why?" said Jeanne Dickhausen, a literacy mentor. "It changed when I saw the meaning of what we collected and how we could use the information to teach children."
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Words Work!
In the summer of 2007, Governor Pawlenty signed an education bill that included $1 million in funding for an early childhood literacy program, such as the Words Work! program.
The Minnesota Department of Education issued a request for proposals in October, inviting applications for the $1 million allocated by the Minnesota Legislature to expand Words Work! into more Head Start classrooms throughout the state.
Currently, Words Work! operates in 36 classrooms throughout Carver, Dakota, Ramsey and Scott counties. Our goals are to:
Surround children with literacy
