Leap Learning Systems

Pre-Literacy & Language Preschool Curriculum

Vocabulary Improvement Project

Language for Scholars

Parents Are Teachers

Lending Library

	Leap Learning Systems 8 South Michigan Suite 812 Chicago, IL 60603 312.578.1255 312.578.1280 fax


	Download PDF Brochure The Preschool Early Literacy Curriculum is a 42-week daily teacher’s guide offering theme-based learning through activities and books. First implemented in a preschool in the Cabrini-Green community, the program has produced exceptional results in pre-kindergarten children from low-resource backgrounds. Currently, it is used in several public and charter school classrooms in Chicago. The curriculum is designed to: Improve children’s vocabulary, listening, memory, sentence formation, grammar and social interaction skills Build literacy skills, encouraging children to be active listeners and increasing their interest in books Show teachers how to use language stimulation techniques effectively Train teachers in positive communication and interaction techniques that will benefit all aspects of their curriculum Prepare preschoolers for the challenges of kindergarten and beyond How it Works Using visual and oral learning techniques developed by speech pathologists and linguists, Leap's Preschool Curriculum helps children: Understand vocabulary and concepts Use words to problem solve and negotiate Listen to meaningful sounds around us Acquire new words independently (up to 8 new words/day) Display sound and letter awareness Engage in word play (rhymes, sound identification, songs, rhythmic jingles, call-answer sequences).

Case Study: Darren, 3 years old

Three-year-old Darren was destined to disadvantages shared by many of his peers who reside in low-resourced South Side Chicago communities. Like most of them, Darren is growing up in a household where the income is far below the poverty level. Initial academic assessments reveal that he is behind in terms of kindergarten readiness. Fortunately, Darren has landed in an academic safe haven that has tremendous potential to reverse his fortunes. He was selected via lottery to attend a preschool recently opened and run by Leap Learning Systems. Since Darren began school in the fall, he has shown remarkable growth from a shy and non-verbal youngster, to a more expressive and responsive student.

Words are Tools

Our Pre-Literacy and Language Preschool Program is founded on the principles that words are tools…

…to think.

…to speak.

…to read.

…to solve problems.

…to understand.

…to imagine.

…to build a future.

Without words we could not accomplish any of these tasks. Without words, we would lack the fundamental building blocks of success—both in academics and in life. Our Pre-Literacy and Language program helps children from low-resource backgrounds learn how to use words to think, speak, to imagine, and to creatively interact with others.

The Need is Real

Sound research has shown that children of low income backgrounds:

At the age of 4, have been exposed to one fifth of the words that children from high-resource backgrounds have been exposed to.
Hear only the most commonly occurring words in our vernacular.
Average 25 hours of reading experience prior to kindergarten as opposed to the 1000 hours children from high-resource backgrounds have experienced.
Because of a smaller vocabulary, have a greater chance for difficulty in reading and other subjects in kindergarten and beyond

Promoting pre-school language learning is crucial in order to overcome the lack of resources at an early age.

Did you know?

Children are primed to learn language from birth
Parents are children’s primary teachers.
Children learn only what they hear and experience.
Committed parents can overcome the lack of resources.
Parents help their children become school-ready.
Play and language are inextricably intertwined.
Learning to read depends on language preparation.
Talking builds social structures.

Our programs are based on these proven research findings, conducted in collaboration with the International Academy of Education and the International Bureau of Education.

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