Early Reading Products

Scientifically Based Early Literacy Assessment and Curriculum Materials

HighScope has contributed to the development of a range of literacy materials, based on the latest research information about how young children begin to read and write. Descriptions of two of HighScope's major early literacy products are provided below. For more information on each of these products and descriptions of other early literacy products,go to the Literacy section of our online store by using the Related Products link at right.

ELSA: Early Literacy Skills Assessment — Reading Assessment in an Authentic, Storybook Context
The Early Literacy Skills Assessment (ELSA) is a generic instrument designed to measure the emerging literacy skills of children attending early childhood programs. This unique assessment tool in storybook form can be used by teachers to assess young children's literacy skills in the areas of comprehension, alphabetic principle, phonological awareness, and concepts about print — the early literacy abilities emphasized in the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and in the 2000 report of the National Reading Panel. Two versions of the instrument are available, one featuring the storybook assessment Violet's Adventure and another featuring the storybook assessment Dante Grows Up. Spanish versions of both assessment kits are also available.See the product description in our online store for more information on the research validating this instrument.

GRC: Growing Readers Early Literacy Curriculum — Research-Based Small-Group Instructional Activities for Preschoolers
The Growing Readers Early Literacy Curriculum (GRC), Second Edition,is now available in kit form with an accompanying set of children's books. This is a developmentally sensitive curriculum that grows from reading research and the principles of active learning. The GRC takes place during small-group time and in teaching strategies and short activities that preschool and kindergarten teachers use throughout the day. Activities are presented on three developmental levels. The activities are designed to systematically support the growth of young children's early literacy skills in the areas of comprehension, alphabetic principle, phonological awareness, and concepts about print. See the product description in our online store for samples of the cards and a scope and sequence chart.