ELLCO was developed through work and research at the Education Development Center, Inc., and has been verified through research conducted in more than 150 classrooms by the New England Quality Research Center (NEQRC) and more than 60 classrooms by the Literacy Environment Enrichment Project (LEEP).

In the User’s Guide to the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation Toolkit, Research Edition, the authors include a resource section summarizing key research articles and books. The following is a sampling of some of the material that focuses on early childhood classrooms and environments conducive to early literacy development.

Annotated Research Bibliography

Bryant, D. M., Burchinal, M., Lau, L. B., & Sparling, J. J. (1994). Family and classroom correlates of Head Start children’s developmental outcomes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 9, 289–310.

This article is an important demonstration of the impact of early childhood classrooms on children’s development.

Dickinson, D. K., & Digisi, L. (1998).  The many rewards of a literacy-rich classroom. Educational Leadership, 55(6), 23–26.

In this brief article the authors describe findings of the impact of children’s writing experiences on their reading development in first grade. The article is written for teachers and has clear implications for classroom practice.

Dickinson, D. K., & Tabors, P. O. (Eds.). (2001). Beginning literacy with language: Young children learning at home and in school. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

This book reports the impact of the home and classroom experiences on the early language and literacy development of children from low-income homes. It draws on extensive language data from homes and classrooms. It is written for the informed practitioner and includes portraits of four children, yet it also provides sufficient data to satisfy researchers.

International Reading Association (IRA) & National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (1998, July). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Young Children, 53(4), 30–46.

In an effort to bring notions of developmental appropriateness into line with current research on reading, IRA and NAEYC came together to issue this important joint position statement about the nature of early literacy and the appropriate ways that classroom teachers can support its development.

Jordan, G. E., Snow, C. E., & Porche, M. V. (2000). Project EASE: The effect of a family literacy project on kindergarten students’ early literacy skills. Reading Research Quarterly, 35, 524–547.

The place of the family in supporting children’s language and literacy development is widely acknowledged, but few family-directed interventions have been found to have sizable effects on children’s development. This article is therefore of special importance because it reports such results; the approach described is available for use by other schools and programs.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: an evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Retrieved October 27, 2005 from http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/nrp/ smallbook.htm.

The U.S. Congress commissioned a review of the scientifically solid research on early literacy. This 35-page summary report describes the research methodology used and the findings of five subgroups of the National Reading Panel that conducted the study: (1) alphabetics, (2) fluency, (3) comprehension, (4) teacher education and reading instruction, and (5) computer technology and reading instruction. This report is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, administrators, or anyone interested in learning about reading instruction research.

Neuman, S. B., Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2000). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

An expanded version of the IRA/NAEYC joint position statement on early literacy, this book provides a clear set of guidelines for appropriate practices to foster early literacy development.

Snow, C. E. (1983). Literacy and language: Relationships during the preschool years. Harvard Educational Review, 53, 165–189.

This article about the relationship between language and literacy was an early and still important and clear description of the links between language and literacy.

Snow, C. E., Barnes, W. S., Chandler, J., Goodman, I. F., & Hemmphill, L. (1991). Unfulfilled expectations: Home and school influences on literacy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

This book reports results from an early and important longitudinal study that examined the mutual contributions of home and classrooms to children’s development. It revealed the importance of early home experiences as well as the enduring importance of the home and the beneficial effects of strong classroom instruction.