Purpose: In this project, the research team planned to evaluate the effects of a developmental model curriculum (Creative Curriculum 3rd ed.) and an educational model curriculum (Bright Beginnings) with children ages 4 and 5 who are predominately poor, rural, and Caucasian. Also, the researchers planned to complete complementary research focused on the level of children's engagement in literacy-based classroom activities, language development, self-regulation, narrative comprehension, and concepts about numeracy. The researchers expected that the educational model curriculum would lead to greater literacy outcomes and that the developmental model curriculum would lead to greater progress on measures of self-regulation and motivation.

Products and Publications

ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.

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Book chapters

Dickinson, D., Watson, B., and Farran, D. (2008). It's in the Details: Approaches to Describing and Improving Preschool Classrooms. In C. Vukelich, and L. Justice (Eds.), Achieving Excellence in Preschool Literacy Instruction (pp. 136–162). New York: Guilford Press.

Farran, D.C., Aydogan, K., and Lipsey, M.W. (2005). Preschool Classroom Environments and the Quantity and Quality of Children's Literacy and Language Behaviors. In D.K. Dickinson, and S.B. Neuman (Eds.), Handbook of Early Literacy Research (pp. 257–268). New York: Guilford Press.

Journal articles

Farran, D.C. (2007). Is Education the Way Out of Poverty? A Reflection on the 40th Anniversary of Head Start (With Commentaries by James King and Bernard L. Charles). Mongraphs of the Center for Research on Child Development and Learning, No. 3.

Varol, F., and Farran, D. (2006). Early Mathematical Growth: How to Support Young Children's Mathematical Development. Early Childhood Education Journal, 33(6): 381–387.

IES published report (GPO)

Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research Consortium (2008). Effects of Preschool Curriculum Programs on School Readiness (NCER 2008–2009). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Research. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.