McKay School of Education > Project SEEL > Introduction > What is SEEL?

What is SEEL?

The SEEL Project: Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy

The Need

SEEL provides research-based instruction in early childhood literacy skills to contribute to overcoming the deficient progress that is currently documented by assessments of literacy acquisition. Children entering kindergarten or first grade with limited early literacy skills are at risk for continued academic difficulties (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998; Torgesen, 2001; Scarborough, 2002). The provisions of the  No Child Left Behind program have resulted in no change in the literacy rates of young children. SEEL was developed to reverse this unsettling  trend.

The Principal Investigators

SEEL is a research-based project undertaken by co-principal investigators Dr. Barbara Culatta and Dr. Kendra Hall of the David O. McKay School of Education at BYU. Dr. Culatta and Dr. Hall have been assisted in this work by a number of experts in the fields of early childhood education, literacy, and evaluation and research. Jolie Hill, director of Project SEEL, has provided practical leadership and guidance, as well as a plethora of  SEEL mini-units and activities. Dr. Gary Bingham provided research and writing support during two years of SEEL research in the public schools. Dr. Carol Westby made advisory contributions during her stay as a visiting professor at the McKay School of Education.During the 2008-2009 school year, Dr. Ann Sharp, a literacy expert, created and and field tested a word study/spelling intervention for kindergarten based on the SEEL curriculum and SEEL teaching principles. Ms. Hill, Dr. Sharp, and Dr. Barbara Lawrence have contributed to the design and production of SEEL materials which are now accessible through a teaching resources database on this Web site.

SEEL Development

Since 1999 the developers of SEEL have worked to validate the curriculum and develop an integrated model of implementation by which targeted skills are highlighted and practiced in varied meaningful activities and contexts. Field testing resulted in refined and adapted instructional procedures, a classroom implementation approach with differentiated instruction, hundreds of child-engaging activities, and data which have confirmed SEEL’s effectiveness in appealing to children and teachers and enhancing children’s learning. When SEEL was implemented as supplemental small group instruction, research demonstrated better performance of children in SEEL than in control classrooms. This project will train teachers to integrate SEEL activities across curricular content and contexts, as well as provide additional differentiated small group instruction for struggling early readers.

Web Site

Study of this Web site will provide early childhood teachers and parents with principles, methods, and teaching resources such as mini-units, graphics, mini-books, and additional activities for teaching according to the SEEL approach. Professional develoment options, answers to individual questions, and additional information on SEEL can be obtained by sending an email to info@education.byu.edu/projectseel.

SEEL Goals and Principles

Systematic: Research suggests that literacy curriculum targeted toward young learners should focus on both meaning (comprehension, vocabulary, print awareness) and skills (letter knowledge, letter-sound associations, phonological awareness). SEEL is first and foremost an early literacy framework that presents systematic, explicit instruction, with frequent opportunities for children to practice literacy skills. With the purposeful sequence of instruction in place, teachers are able to involve motivation and affective involvement through interactive participation in drama, art, and playful practice (Culatta & Hall, 2006; Culatta, Reese, & Setzer, 2006).

Engaging: Learning to read and write takes work. Since play is the “work” of young children, SEEL reading instruction succeeds because it turns learning into play.  Though explicit and purposeful, instruction is delivered through playful activities, conversations, and relationships. Playing to learn is the foundation of SEEL.

SEEL's program of playing to learn

• increases attention,
• increases the amount of time children will    practice,
• increases the amount children remember,
• involves all of the senses in learning, and
• motivates the children to look forward to the next “lesson.”

Themes or student interests can create a context of playful instruction in a range of skills from phonological awareness to writing and comprehension. So the children are  making meaning with language as well as learning its codes and characteristics.  SEEL draws heavily on dramatic elements from songs and story enactments and from physical activities such as rhythmic movement and dance.

Early: A child’s belief in his or her ability to learn has a significant impact on gaining literacy.  SEEL promotes the child’s confidence from the earliest moments of instruction, providing a strong foundation of confidence on which to build. Young children are not naturally anxious about their ability to play, so the playful and engaging nature of the instruction encourages and reassures. Research suggests that effective literacy instruction should engage children in a variety of tasks that are child centered and interesting (Verhooven, 2001).

The instructional activities and literacy targets that make up SEEL have been carefully created and selected to be developmentally (age) appropriate. Young children are not expected to "study" and learn as older children do. The frequent experiences with literacy targets/skills--though carefully and purposefully planned--are created and delivered on a level that attracts and  maintains young children’s attention and develops their memory skills (Justice & Kaderavek, 2004).

Literacy: Literacy refers to understanding and using the skills of reading and writing to express and comprehend. To prepare and begin development of these skills, children need to be aware of ways that letters represent sounds and sounds combine to make words (phonological awareness) and to be able to recognize letters (letter knowledge) and recall their sounds (letter-sound associations).

Children receiving SEEL instruction are taken beyond these mechanics to recognize the many roles of print in their lives (print awareness) and have a repertoire of words (vocabulary) and strategies for understanding them (comprehension).  The SEEL curriculum eables development of these capabilities in playful, social, and creative contexts. Teachers may apply SEEL principles and methods to their own curriculum. Those who implement SEEL fully, incorporate the SEEL Curriculum in which they find a fully developed scope and sequence with scaffolding from one skill level to the next.

Playful and Plan-ful Implementation

SEEL “playfully” and “plan-fully” engages children in literacy activities that build on their childlike curiosity and natural interests, yet purposefully develop important early literacy skills.

Playfully Engaging

Activities designed to capture children’s interest and give them plenty of practice with literacy target skills include

• telling and acting out stories,
• exploring student interests,
• making and doing things,
• playing physical and verbal games,
• engaging in scripted role-play,
• practicing targets as part of various classroom routines.

SEEL is a tricky mix of skills and meaning implemented through activity.

A kindergarten literacy specialist who has participated with SEEL exclaimed, “Children are already excited to learn. . . . SEEL provides a way to keep that excitement alive.”

Plan-fully Engaging

SEEL teachers plan instruction around daily classroom settings. Some are obvious instructional times, such as large or small group instruction. Others are less traditional for instruction, including transitions and snack time.

SEEL instruction is easy to plan and do.

Teachers apply SEEL principles and use suggested SEEL activities and lessons as approriate for their students' needs and their own teaching style.  SEEL allows teachers to build on their strengths as they learn new ways to use their talents and energy.

An online Planning Calendar and Teaching Resources database help teachers focus on the curriculum and plan daily activities for multiple classroom settings. A  SEEL day and a SEEL week can be planned using the SEEL Teaching Plan Calendar.