ELLCO is a 3-part classroom observation that enables schools to assess and strengthen classroom quality, build better literacy programs, and give children the best possible start in language and literacy development.

The first to specifically address the role of environmental factors in early literacy and language development, this three-part toolkit and User’s Guide help administrators, principals, supervisors, and program directors gather crucial data schools need to strengthen classroom quality and build better literacy programs, both by improving teacher development and comparing their practices with others.

The complete assessment takes 1-1.5 hours and uses these three tools in sequential steps:

• The Literacy Environment Checklist allows users to prepare for the more detailed Classroom Observation by familiarizing themselves with the classroom environment. In just 15–20 minutes, trained observers examine the classroom’s layout and contents through 25 items that measure availability, content, and diversity of reading, writing, and listening materials.
  
  
• The Classroom Observation and Teacher Interview comes next. In 20–45 minutes, users observe teachers interacting with children and the classroom environment, have a brief conversation with the teacher, and rate the quality of classroom supports for literacy through 14 age-specific observation elements. These items cover two areas: general classroom environment (including organization, contents, technology, and classroom climate and management) and language, literacy, and curriculum (including reading and writing instruction, oral language use, cultural sensitivity, and assessment approaches). After the observation is complete, the brief Teacher Interview takes less than 10 minutes to help users clarify aspects of the observation.
  
  
• The Literacy Activities Rating Scale is a fast and easy instrument that asks observers to record how many times and for how long nine literacy behaviors occurred in two categories, Book Reading and Writing.