ExCELL – Exceptional Coaching for Early Language and Literacy

The Exceptional Coaching for Early Language and Literacy – enhanced (ExCELL) program is a year-long online professional development program for teachers of preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. ExCELL provides specific strategies to help teachers build the language and vocabulary skills of the children in their classrooms. These include asking open-ended questions, waiting for children to respond, providing feedback on what children have said, and teaching children new vocabulary words throughout the classroom. With support from an expert coach, teachers learn and refine new techniques that help students who are native speakers of English, as well as those who are dual language learners.