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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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From a teacher parade to virtual Pre-K classrooms to keeping up the morning announcements, schools are keeping kids connected
Relationships are critical in early education--the relationships with teachers and other school staff and the friendships with other youngsters. Our Long Island educators understand this well; here are some reports collected from social media showing how you are rising to the challenge of school buildings closed because of COVID-19.
Keeping up school rituals. We know how important routines are to young children, and one of those time-honored routines is morning announcements. In Riverhead, Phillips Avenue Elementary Principal Debra Rogers has been posting daily videos, including the Pledge of Allegiance and recognition of students' birthdays.
Adapting studies to the new reality. Pre-K students in Mineola have been learning about buildings, and a couple of weeks ago even took a bus ride together around their community to
look at different kinds of structures. Now staff are maintaining continuity by finding ways to continue this unit at home. For example, on Friday, March 20, Miss Lund posted a short video about arches and asked children to search for them in their neighborhoods and yards. She included photos of arches she found on a doorway, on her mailbox and even a hose holder--plus, her turtle Shelley made a guest appearance. Best of all: She ended with a cheery "See you on Monday!"
Helping children stay connected with their teachers--and each other. If you live in Bellmore, last Sunday you may have heard a lot of honking
and seen a parade of cars driving slowly through your neighborhood. It was teachers from the elementary school district, honking and waving to their pupils. (Photo at right of a family greeting their passing teachers.) You can see video on the
CBS news Facebook page.
And these are only a small sampling....Mineola teachers have created a collection of read-alouds (
Click here for
Ada Twist Scientist for Pre-K to Grade 2)....Hampton St. School in West Hempstead is sending out birthday greetings (on Twitter
@Hampton_Street)...teachers are sharing photos and videos on Twitter of students learning at home--and even created slide shows (@Limo28Lisa and @Tobin4Pam, for example).
For daily updates, links to resources and images from Long Island teachers (like this shot of a Kindergartener working at home in basic black and "pearls"):
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YOUR (VIRTUAL) CLASSROOM
"Let go of being perfect" and other expert advice making the transition to on-line early education
Are you thinking "I don't feel like I look good on video" or "I don't want to share my home environment?" Mary Ehrenworth from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project reassures teachers that it's time to let go of being perfect and just be there for kids.
Her down-to-earth 15-minute video for teachers includes advice on how to approach quick videos, how to adapt to flexible scheduling--and how to be available to parents without over-extending yourself (hint: office hours).
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Tips for making videos at home from NAEYC
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) seems to think of everything. So they've just posted a rundown on how to create videos at home. Their practical suggestions include:
- If you're reading aloud, hold the illustration steady a few seconds longer than you might need to when engaging a child face-to-face.
- Write out what you want to say--then recall it from memory to make the video more natural
- Don't worry about mistakes. A few "um's" and "ahs" help the video seem more authentic.
Click here for the full list, including tips about lighting.
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GO OUTDOORS
When playdates aren't possible; these activities make it fun to be outside
For example, he suggests you pick a "sit spot" in nature, which could just be under a tree in your back yard. Then visit it daily, and even at different times of the day. You can learn the birds that live there, and watch the plants grow and change. "Get to know these things as if they were your relatives." Doing so can reduce isolation, says Louv. Even better: build a fort, den or tree house there with your children.
Everyone's got dirt, Louv reminds us. So set aside an area of the backyard for the kids to dig in. (A possible side benefit to the fun: some research indicates playing in the dirt can strengthen immune systems.)
"Go for a nature scavenger hunt" is one of 10 ideas for exploring outdoors from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Parents (or teachers, for that matter) can ask children to find something shiny, something of a particular color, something tiny, etc. Or adults and children can team up to be scientists, observing different leaves--or on Long Island right now, observing what plants are beginning to come up and then drawing them.
Read more.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Workshops scheduled for April and May are now cancelled
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative has cancelled the four professional development events scheduled for April and May, because of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. If you registered for one of these workshops, you should have already received an email from My Learning Plan. If you have questions, you can email us at
prek@nasboces.org
These cancelled workshops are:
March 30, 2020:
Training in Using the ECERS
Wednesday, April 22, 2020:
Bodies, Curiosity and Touching
Thursday, April 30, 2020:
Training in Using the ECERS
Thursday, May 7, 2020:
Best Practices for Family Engagement
Tuesday, May 12, 2020:
What's the Story? Diversity and Inclusivity in Children's Books
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About Us
The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Regional Technical Assistance Center, which supports Pre-K and early childhood education on Long Island. The other collaborating partners are the three Long Island BOCES, the Child Care Council of Nassau, Inc., the Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc. and the Family Leadership Network.
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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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