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PRE-K UPDATE
JULY 11, 2019
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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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"Friends can be mad at each other" and other lessons preschoolers need to learn
Preschool teacher Gerard Visco knows his students want to get along with their classmates, but sometimes they throw tantrums, say mean things or otherwise
behave in ways that hurt others' feelings. "As desperately as they want friends," Visco writes for edutopia.org, "sometimes preschoolers don't know how to treat them."
In his classroom, there are four main concepts he uses to help children build healthy friendships:
- Friends can be mad at each other.
- Friends don't always have to play together.
- Friends can have other friends.
- We care about everyone.
Visco recognizes that not all friendships will work--and outside
school,
some parents may even not want their child to play with certain other children. "But a teacher has to educate and care for all of their students, and that means fostering a positive classroom culture. Read more.
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A psychologist explains why sticker charts and reward systems can backfire
At first glance, using rewards to encourage good behavior seems like a good idea, according to child behavior expert Eileen Kennedy-Moore. And they're a lot better than losing your cool. However, there are some predictable ways that using reward systems are problematical.
For one thing, says Kennedy-Moore, "they assume that misbehavior stems from a lack of motivation to be good [her underscore]...However, there are many reasons why kids may not be doing what we want them to do." These range from being tired and hungry to feeling overwhelmed to being disorganized to just not having the skills to cope in a different way. "Rewards are irrelevant when the demands we make exceed a child's
current level of ability."
Other ways rewards can backfire:
- They can lead to bargaining.
- Some kids "won't play the game."
- They get in the way of internal motivation.
Fortunately, t
here are many other ways to encourage children's cooperation, says the psychologist.
Read her article
in Psychology Today to find out more about them.
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"Self-regulation" doesn't mean asking kids to sit still; in fact, you can start by asking them to move
We've been talking a lot about self-regulation lately, according to early childhood expert Rae Pica--the problem is we're not always sure what it means. "...many believe it's all about
self-control," she writes in a recent blog post. "And while self-control is indeed part of it, self regulation specifically refers to the ability to regulate oneself without
intervention from an outside source, such as another person."
However, learning to control one's own emotions or resist impulsive behavior is NOT the same as sitting still and being quiet on command, Pica says. For one thing, these are demands from a teacher or another adult. For another, "..such demands are typically met with resistance--i.e., challenging behavior--because developmentally speaking young children weren't created to sit still or stay quiet."
In fact, Pica recommends using movement games to help children to learn to regulate themselves--for example, asking them to move like an astronaut in outer space helps them learn to move slowly and when playing Statues they want to stay still.
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Join the other early educators who have already registered for "Best Practices in Teaching Pre-K & K"
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury
Keynote:
Early Childhood Expulsion & Bias--How We Can Do Better for Our Children
Walter Gilliam, Child Study Center, Yale University
Registration fee:
- $95 per person "early bird" until 4 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2019
- $125 per person after 4 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2019
- No online registration after 4 p.m. on Friday, November 1, 2019
- Group rate: 10% discount on groups of 20 or more
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This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
Job Fair/Full-Time Teacher positions
Thursday, July 25, 2019, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Stony Brook Child Care, SUNY Stony Brook
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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
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org
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