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PRE-K UPDATE
NOVEMBER 20, 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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"Seeing is believing"-- new State Ed videos show what play-based instruction looks like in Pre-K through second grade
It was extremely hard to choose still images from videos
newly released by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to use as illustrations for this article. The reason: they were so full of appealing scenes of young children interacting at sand tables, using magnifying glasses as they play paleontologist, building with blocks--and so much more. And, of course, that's the point: the recently published state standards for Pre-K and Kindergarten stress that it is "purposeful, play-based instructional strategies" that help young children develop critical foundational skills.
"Play gets children to take on roles, to listen and to learn the important social skills they have to know," says one Pre-K teacher in the introductory video to the series. And a Kindergarten teacher makes this observation: "This is when children figure out who they are in the world on their own, what it means to problem solve, what it means to communicate, what it means to have feelings." And a superintendent of schools supports this approach as well, saying "This is when kids need to be active, need to move around."
NYSED has the final word: "It is critical that teachers and administrators acknowledge that learning in Pre-K to second grade is playful, interdisciplinary and connected to standards."
Click here for the Office of Early Learning website, where all seven videos are available to view. The series includes a six-minute introductory video, three 20-minute videos illustrating quality learning environments in Pre-K, Kindergarten and in first and second grade, and three 20-minute videos on curriculum, instruction and assessment at each level.
Click here
to download pdf's of the new Pre-K and Kindergarten standards.
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A teacher warns that overemphasis on academics in Kindergarten is discouraging young learners
Writing for weareteachers.com, Elizabeth Mulvahill runs down five reasons to rethink the pressure many Kindergarteners are under. For one thing, "Academic rigor is just not developmentally appropriate for 5-year-olds." Mulvahill cites research that shows that a full day of academics is just too much, sharing warnings that "just because a child can be trained in an academic pursuit doesn't mean it's what's best for them."
Secondly, she's concerned about the effect that pressure to perform academically has on children's attitudes toward school--especially if they're not developmentally ready to demonstrate certain skills . "The risk of labeling a child who is not ready for a full workload can adversely affect their enjoyment of, and success in, school."
Click here for the other three reasons to back off from making Kindergarten "the starting line for a marathon of academic drill and kill."
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Learning in the laundromat? Yes, if you're a Latino toddler in Southampton
Once a week children up to 3 years old are singing and enjoying read alouds at a
laundromat while instructors lead them in songs like "Wheels on the Bus" in Spanish and English.
It's a new outreach program from the Children's Museum of the East End, and it's free of charge. The program is partially funded by The Southampton Bath & Tennis Club Charitable Fund and, according to Newsday, the museum is raising additional money to expand the program. "Though some Latino immigrants on the South Fork work as landscapers or house cleaners at multi-million dollar Hamptons estate, they often struggle financially to provide enrichment programs for their children," says the program's founder, Leah Oppenheimer.
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"Champions of Children" luncheon: Child Care Council of Suffolk will honor it's nonprofit partners
Date: Thursday, December 5, 2019
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Place: Hamlet Gold and Country Club, Commack
To be honored: Child Care Council of Nassau, Docs for Tots, Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, Long Island Head Start
Click here for information about tickets and sponsorships
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Here are some new acronyms to remember; what they mean is more support for special education
The Center for Community Inclusion at Long Island University is now home to three new services, funded by the New York State Education Department's Office of Special Education.
The Early Childhood Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) will work to provide technical assistance and professional development. Most importantly, families of children from birth to age 5 can use the resource and referral services it now provides. For more information, you can contact the Center's Professional Development Specialist, Amy Plica, via email at amy.plica@liu.edu or via phone at 516-413-8229.
The other two services: a School-Aged FACE Center and The Long Island RPC--or Regional Partnership Center--whose work will focus on "improving the infrastructure of educational organizations, so they can successfully implement evidence-based practices and more meaningful engagement with their students and families."
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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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