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Large group of happy kids, boys and girls playing with blocks in kindergarten class constructing simple houses
PRE-K UPDATE
MAY 8, 2019
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

Study of students in Wyandanch: "considerably" higher rate of school readiness for those who attended Pre-K
When Wyandanch Kindergarten teachers administered the Early Development Instrument (EDI), the results were clear cut: "...the difference in scoring as 'On Track-Ready for School' was greater than 19 percentage points if the child attended the district's Pre-Kindergarten."

This finding and other highlights from the EDI were shared at a community meeting on April 16. The instrument was brought to Wyandanch by Smart Start Suffolk, the Wyandanch School District, and the Early Childhood Working Group of the Wyandanch Leadership Committee. The goal is to understand how the community can support the development of its young children and address their needs as they move through school.

Among the other results: 
  • For Multilingual Learners who attended Pre-K, the rate of readiness in three domains was more than twice that for those who did not attend. (Physical Health and Well-being; Emotional Maturity; Language and Cognitive Development)
  • The highest rates of vulnerability and risk were in the domains of Social Competence (38.9%) and Communications and General Knowledge (38.8%).
To learn more about the EDI study in Wyandanch, 
contact vanessa-baird-streeter@suffolkcountyny.gov or smartstartSuffolk@suffolkcountyny.gov

What we learned from Twitter this week: Pre-K & K teachers can do anything if they have hula hoops 

You can use a hula hoop to create a "privacy zone" during reading time, so kindergarten classmates don't disturb focused young readers.









Or you can create  "basketball" games when the hoops on the elementary school playground are too high for four-year-olds.







Or you can use a hula hoop for a math game. Children toss bean bags and count: "How many landed inside the hula hoop?"  Read more from Erikson Early Math

Want to see images like these for yourselves?
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Long Island weather report: rain, followed by rain, and then...rain. Luckily there are benefits for kids
We're getting tired of drizzle and showers on Long Island, but maybe it's time to think about the upside: there are benefits for young children to playing outside in the rain, says Kim Hart, writing for the AAA State of Play* blog. She lists eight of them, including these three:
Children in rubber boots and rain clothes jumping in puddle. Water is splashing from girls feet as she is jumping and playing in the rain. Protective rubber pants and jacket for playing in the mud.

Developing gross motor skills. Slightly slippery surfaces can be a plus, helping children learn to balance and be aware of their bodies. And if they're wearing those clumsy rain boots? That can boost coordination, too.

Learning about STEM. What are the effects of rain on different materials, such as paper, chalk--or a golf ball? How deep is that puddle? 

Enjoying a unique sensory experience. Children can identify the different sounds of hard and soft rain, taste raindrops, smell wet grass...and possibly touch an earthworm that's wiggling on wet pavement.

Click here for all eight benefits of rainy day play.

*AAA State of Play is a commercial playground equipment company. 

Are you ready to "Play All May"?
The first-ever month-long celebration of play has been launched by The Genius of
Prescription for Play - PSA :60 | The Genius of Play
Prescription for Play - PSA :60 | The Genius of Play
Play, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness of play's vital role in child development. 

The organization developed a public service announcement (right) featuring a young boy driven from one activity to the next until his pediatrician writes a prescription for play. It's website features daily ideas for fun activities from age 2 on up. And there's a daily toy giveaway.

"The benefits of play are proven by decades of research...[but] play deficit is a real issue,  which is why The Genius of Play is dedicating an entire month to encouraging families to make time for play."

This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island

Director of Coaching
Full-Time Coach
Part-Time Coach
Soccer Shots Long Island West, Nassau County
Apply online or send email to agallego@soccershots.org

Here's how to add your school's staffing needs to this list:
 
Send an e-mail to prek@nasboces.org with the subject line "List our position."
 
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.
 

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.







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