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PRE-K UPDATE
JUNE 6, 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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Remember that 30
million word gap? Well, it might not be 30 million after all and it's not helpful to call it a "gap"
Researchers and educators have been talking another look at the famous "30 million word gap," said to exist between children in low-income households and those raised in "the professional class." The study that found this difference in the amount of talking--and thus, language development--in different types of households was
published in 1992 and has stimulated many programs aimed at helping young learners.
According to an
NPR report last week, 30 million is probably way too big a number: newer studies have settled on a number closer to 4 million. And researchers found wide variations among households, refuting the notion "that income alone determines how many words children hear."
Some education experts, such as Sofia Bahena, a professor at the University of Texas quoted by NPR, say that using terms like "word gap" promotes what she calls deficit thinking. "We can shift the question from 'how can we fix these students?' to "how can we best serve them.' ...we try to ask more critical questions to have a deeper understanding of the issue."
Others point out that "word gap" has become a kind of code word. "We can say 'vocabulary'," says another UT professor, Jennifer Keys Adair. "We're not going to say 'poor' and we're not going to use 'race', but it's still a marker."
Click here to read or listen to the in-depth report, which also includes a discussion of why focusing on language is still vitally important.
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Nearsightedness is on the rise--some blame screens; others say it's lack of time outside
Nearly 42 percent of Americans are now categorized as "nearsighted" versus only 25 percent in the 1970s, according to a recent article in Education Week. What's the reason for the rise in vision problems? It depends who you ask: some experts say
it's the rise in technology use and others say it's lack of time outside.
Studies do support early use of electronic devices as a contributor to myopia--another word for nearsighted. But the increase in difficulty seeing things at a distance is also seen in low-income children who may not have as much access to technology as others.
That's why other eye experts point to a different factor. These researchers "have found what children do inside is less important a predictor of myopia than the time children spend outside." They say exposure to natural light in the early years is essential for eyes to develop properly.
Making the situation worse is that many children don't get regular vision checks--in some states, more than 40 percent of children under 18 have not had their eyes examined for at least two years.
Read more.
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How "educational" technology may cause young children to disengage with learning
Are those fun "educational" games on the iPad or computer actually devaluing learning? That's the question asked by Matthew Lynch in a recent opinion piece for The Tech Edvocate. The reason: they make the learning process too easy.
"If a two-year-old thinks the answer is always the touch of a screen away, he or she won't learn to search for answers or show his work. What parents today view as learning improvements from their own childhood are actually modern conveniences that devalue the pursuit of knowledge."
Lynch believes parents have good intentions when they use a tablet to, for example, teach the ABCs. But he is concerned about the long-term impact for the first generation exposed to mobile technology from infancy. "Dependency on technology, particularly when it pertains to educational goals, is an attitude planted by parents, often unknowingly, and contributes to academic disengagement by making learning too convenient and traditional learning pursuits too boring." Read more.
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Have a great idea for a project but need money? Apply for a mini-grant from the NYAEYC
The New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is once again offering grants to early childhood professionals. Each year the Association gives several small awards--maximum $500--to applicants who have
winning ideas for enhancing their programs for children. Last year's successful projects included "Literacy Backpacks" and "Combining Literacy and Math/Science in a Pre-K Setting."
Proposals are judged on criteria including rationale, objectives and developmental appropriateness. Deadline is July 20, 2018.
Click here for details. To enter, you need to be an NYAEYC member. (If you haven't joined yet, there
are different types of NYAEYC memberships available.
Click here
for information.)
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Professional learning opportunities we've designed just for Long island early educators
Two-Day Summer Institute
Wednesday, June 27 & Thursday, June 28
Western Suffolk BOCES Conference Center, Wyandanch
Day One; Full Day with Kristine Mraz
Day Two: Choice of Workshops
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury
Keynote:
"What if Everybody Understood Child Development?"
Presenter: Rae Pica
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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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