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PRE-K UPDATE
DECEMBER 19, 2018
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Here's the latest news from The Long Island Pre-K Initiative, your source for
expert training and useful resources:
www.nassauboces.org/pre-k
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Three weeks ago we shared with you a new publication by Nancy Carlsson-Paige, keynote speaker at our November 2016 conference. That got us wondering what's new from some of the other top presenters we've brought to Long Island. Read below for some recent contributions.
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From Kristi Mraz: the dynamics of language development
Last June, kindergarten teacher and author Kristi Mraz spent a day with teachers at our Summer Institute. Her intensive workshop drew from her recent book, Kids First From Day One (co-authored by Christine Hertz). In a recent blog post, Mraz zeroed in on a single aspect of early education: language and literacy development--specifically, on correctly diagnosing reading difficulties. She recalls students who might "read" a sentence without pronouncing articles, such as "the," or who might leave off the past tense ending "-ed."
"I set about teaching reading strategies, while ignoring the real dynamic in play. Reading, especially early pattern books, assumes children have spent many many many days and weeks and months and years being immersed in the same kind of English we use in school, and therefore can count on that innate knowledge to help them figure out the books in front of them. That is not the case for all children, including those who have English as a first language."
Click here to learn about the strategies Mraz came to employ in her classroom, including revisiting her "morning message" at the close of the day, changing the verbs to past tense. (For example: "Today we will paint" became "Today we painted.")
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From Karen Nemeth: Adapting the "Magic 8" for DLLs
Karen Nemeth was a featured speaker at our first "Best Practices" conference and also presented a day of workshops the following spring. Her Language Castle website offers many resources for working with Dual Language Learners (DLLs), including a periodic blog. A few months ago, Nemeth ran down the "Magic 8" preschool practices, plus her comments on how to expand on them for young children whose first language isn't English.
For example, Practice #4 is "increase time teachers listen to children." Writes Nemeth: "How can you 'listen' to children when you don't speak their language?" One suggestion is to invite bilingual volunteers or staff to interact with children. Another is to let the child tell you a story in a language you don't understand. "You don't have to be in control of every word," says Nemeth. "And you can try to record it and ask families or other staff to translate."
Read more.
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From Rae Pica: an urgent plea to spread the word about the dangers of screen time
Author and presenter Rae Pica offered the keynote at our third annual "Best Practices" conference last month. She spoke about the importance of understanding child development and resisting unrealistic academic expectations. Now she has published an urgent request: "Please Help Spread the Word About Screen Time."
Appalled by a photo of a crib equipped with a built-in electronic device (
below), Pica wonders "Why are people (parents, in particular) so misinformed? Why do they fail to
understand the importance of
language and the kind of interaction with
three-dimensional items that offer a child multiple possibilities...Why do they fail to understand the value of such tried-and-true activities as peekaboo?...And why is everyone so unaware of the research showing a correlation between screen time and widespread myopia (and other vision problems), depression, aggression, anxiety, and language delays.
Read more.
In case you missed it,
click here to download "Young Children in the Digital Age: A Parent's Guide" by Nancy Carlsson-Paige. Pica recommends this 16-page guide, which outlines six core ideas about how young children learn.
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A reminder that some children dread the holiday break
Teacher Trevor Muir wants us to remember that not every child is excited about the holidays and an extended school vacation. "While most kids (and teachers!) flee from school gleefully on the last day, many students...dread the break from school. They miss the structure of the school day, the stability of the classroom, the presence of friends, the food in the cafeteria, and the love their teachers give them."
He suggests some straightforward ways you can help. It starts with being sensitive about how you talk about the holidays, remembering that questions like "Who's excited for break?" don't apply to the whole class. Pay close attention to students who are more hyper than usual or acting out, and give those children a chance to talk. And if you're really concerned about a child's circumstances, connect the family with one of the many coat, toy or food drives that take place this time of year.
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Note: There will be no e-newsletter next Wednesday, December 26.
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This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below
Email resumes to humanresources@liheadstart.org
Full-Time Teacher Assistant
Full-Time Family Advocate--Bilingual
Full-Time Family Advocate
Substitute Teacher Aide
Long Island Head Start, various
Full-Time Teacher
Long Island Head Start, Huntington
Full-Time Teacher
Long Island Early Head Start, Patchogue
Full-Time Teacher II (Infant/Toddler)
Long Island Early Head Start, Huntington
Full-Time Family Educator/Home Visitor--Bilingual
Long Island Early Head Start, Islip, Patchogue
Full-Time Teacher Aide
Long Island Head Start, various, Islip Early Head Start
Part-Time Family Advocate--Bilingual
Long Island Head Start, North Fork
Full-Time Parent Involvement Specialist--Bilingual
Full-Time EHS-CCP Family Service Worker--Bilingual
Full-Time Early Childhood Mentor Coach
Full-Time Program Services Secretary
Long Island Head Start, Central Administration, Patchogue
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Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
In the body of the e-mail, include the following information:
For our records:
- Your name
- Your position
- Your e-mail and phone number
For the listing in our e-newsletter
- The name of your school and the town it's located in. You can include your web address, if you have one.
- A very brief description of the position or positions you want to fill. (For example: "Part-time Teacher Assistant" or "Full-time Pre-K Teacher."
- Information about how potential applicants should contact your for details or to apply. (For example: "Call Jane Smith at 631-xxx-xxxx" or "Send e-mail to jane.smith@schoolname.org")
It's important to understand that:
We will not include information about salary. We will not include any descriptions of your school or program, although we can include a link to your school's web site.
We will publish your information a single time. If you still have openings, you can e-mail us again with the details and we will run the information again.
Our e-newsletter is typically sent out on Wednesday mornings. However, it may be mailed on a different day, depending on content or technical considerations.
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative reserves the right to edit information; space in the e-newsletter is very limited.
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About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a grant-funded project that seeks to strengthen partnerships between school districts and community-based organizations and to share information about research, policy and best practices for early learning. Administered by Nassau BOCES, it is supported with expertise from The Early Years Institute and funds from the Rauch and Hagedorn Foundations. Our partners: Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Western Suffolk BOCES, and the Child Care Councils of Nassau and Suffolk.
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NASSAU BOCES DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org
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