The Delaware Center for Teacher Education will receive more than $3.6 million in an Early Reading First grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help train teachers at three early-learning centers with high populations of low-income children. Unlocking Doors to Enhanced Language and Literacy, lead by Martha Buell and Myae Han from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, and Carol Vukelich from the Delaware Center for Teacher Education, is a partnership between the Delaware Center for Teacher Education and three community-based child care centers (Early Learning Center, Hilltop Lutheran Neighborhood Center, and St. Michael’s School and Nursery). The project aims to achieve excellence in (1) language- and literacy-richness of the classroom; (2) the knowledge the teachers and assistants possess about language and literacy development and instruction through the provision of a powerful professional development program with group sessions followed with classroom coaching to support the application of the newly-acquired knowledge; (3) teacher implementation of a standards and scientifically-based language and literacy program, delivered through explicit instruction methods, with additional supports provided to children not making adequate progress through the classroom intervention; and (4) child achievements in language expression and comprehension, and emergent literacy.  Read more….