Promoting Early Learning and Literacy Through Mentoring and Coaching Strategies for Head Start Staff

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• Promoting Early Learning and Literacy Through
  Mentoring and Coaching Strategies for Head Start
  Staff

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• Why Mentor-coaching?
• Provides teachers with
• Knowledge about language and early literacy
• Effective ways to help children learn to read and
  write
• Emphasizes accountability for teachers and
  positive learning outcomes for children

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• What is a Mentor?
• An educational companion who works with
• teachers to
• Connect theory to practice
• Analyze practice
• Engage in self-reflection and experimentation

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• What is a Coach?
• Coaches assist teachers with
• Adopting new practices to encourage positive
  child learning outcomes
• Engaging in problem solving
• Examining when and how to use different learning
  strategies with children

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Mentor
Coach
Mentor-Coach
Mentor-coaching blends these two approaches to
create a powerful professional development model
to support literacy related practices.
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Steps to Success

• A comprehensive, multi-media professional
  development program for Head Starts Early
  Literacy Mentor-Coaches (ELMCs)

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• Steps to Success Instructional Design

• Knowledge and skills Mentor-Coaches need for
  productive relationships with protégés
• Literacy content related to the Head Start Child
  Outcomes

Unit 2
Unit 1
Unit 3
Unit 4
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Unit 1 Building Relationships to Enhance Child
Literacy Outcomes

• Mentor-coaching Processes
• Establishing trust
• Developing common goals and expectations
• Using positive reinforcement
• Appreciating diversity
• Understanding the process of change

• Literacy Content
• Book Knowledge and Appreciation

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Unit 2 Observation and Analysis

• Mentor-coaching Processes
• Conduct objective observations
• Assess the quality of language and literacy
  practices
• Examine classroom observation tools
• Reflect on observation techniques to improve
  practices
• Interpret data from formal observations

• Literacy Content
• Early Writing
• Alphabet Knowledge

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Unit 3 Reflective Practice

• Mentor-coaching Processes
• Plan, conduct and analyze reflective conferences
• Use dialogue journals and peer feedback journals

• Literacy Content
• Language

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Unit 4 Using Child Assessment Data

• Mentor-coaching Processes
• Assessment for instructional planning
• Developmentally appropriate assessment
• Addressing Observer bias
• Multiple strategies for collecting assessment
  data
• Sharing assessment results
• Video taping to analyze childrens learning

• Literacy Content
• Phonological Awareness

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• The Decision-Maker Guide
• Selecting a Model for Early Literacy Mentor
  Coaching
• Funding the Initiative
• Selecting and Matching ELMCs and Protégés
• Orienting and Training ELMCs
• Linking Mentor-coaching to Program Management

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• Each Unit Features
• Self assessment exercises
• Face-to-face facilitated sessions and tutored
  video instruction
• Structured activities for ELMCs to integrate
  their skills and knowledge into practice
• A protégé journal for teachers to record ideas
  and questions

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• Steps to Success reflects the Head Start Program
  Performance Standards every step of the way.

Head Start Program Performance Standards
Steps to Success
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• For more information, please attend the AI/AN
  Conference session
• Grantee Showcase Confederated Tribes of
  Umatilla
• Date September 24th
• 330-500