PRE-K UPDATE: Is it wrong to talk about bullying in Pre-K? Kids doing chores

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Large group of happy kids, boys and girls playing with blocks in kindergarten class constructing simple houses

PRE-K UPDATE

MARCH 6, 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

Talking about bullies in Pre-K? "The wrong message" says an experienced Long Island educator

Last week's e-newsletter (Feb. 27, 2019) included a report on a study of preschool bullying and related depression in 3-year-olds.* Less than two hours after it was sent, we received an emailed "letter to the editor" from Denise Ferrera, UPK Associate for the Middle Country Central School District. What follows is her reaction to the piece, slightly condensed for space.

"There are very, very few real preschool bullies. And toddler bullies--seriously? This article feeds people the wrong message. What four-year-old in a fit of anger has not said, "You can't come to my party"? Bullies target certain kids and are purposefully looking to mentally and physically harm them. Preschoolers usually will say something hurtful in response to a negative comment or someone who won't share, etc.--but then five minutes later they are friends.

I think in my 30 years in ECE I have seen one true preschool bully. Kids who say negative things about themselves at four most likely have learned it from adults-not from classmates. I've already had five official DASA** complaints this year and a lot more unofficial ones. It makes me upset that people don't understand child development and worse, we create victims by not teaching children how to respond appropriately to others who "hurt their feelings." You cannot believe how many calls I get claiming bullying."

Want to know more? Ferrera recommends the following two articles as an antidote to prematurely labeling preschoolers as bullies.

"What is NOT Bullying". This piece from author and parenting expert Ronit Baras is

designed to help parents and teachers differentiate aggressive or unpleasant behavior from perceptions of bullying. She includes a useful "not bullying" list; the eight incidents described include being excluded ("...although exclusion is unpleasant, it is not an act of bullying") and isolated acts of harassment or meaness ("The definition of bullying states that there is repetition...bullying is a conscious, repeated, hostile, aggressive behavior...").

"N ot all unkindness is bullying. Here's why we need to teach kids to differentiate." This is the title of an op-ed piece in the Washington Post by teacher

Father comforts a sad child. Problems in the family

and parenting writer Braden Bell. First, he defines bullying as repeated behavior in a context of an imbalance of power. And Bell is clear that real bullying should be addressed immediately. The problem: jumping to conclusions when a child complains that, for example, another child is being mean to them.

"I've seen parents unwittingly cultivate fragility by misusing the term bullying...The kids got more easily and deeply upset about perceived offenses, including situations that were unpleasant, but weren't really bullying." Instead, he says, parents need to help children learn to work through challenges.

*Click here to review last week's e-newsletter

** New York State's Dignity for All Students Act

If there's something you'd like to say about bullying in Pre-K or about anything in our weekly e-newsletters--or about another topic related to Pre-K on Long Island, email prek@nasboces.org or barbara.rplus@gmail.com

Is doing chores the key to happier kids?

Author KJ Dell'Antonia thinks so. A few months ago she got folks talking with a New York Times op-ed piece that didn't pull any punches--"Children should do chores" was

Happy family cleans the room. Mother and her child daughter do the cleaning in the house. A woman and a little kid girl wiped the dust and vacuumed the floor.

the first sentence. It's not always easy to make this happen; researchers have found that as many as 80% of middle-class kids "ignore or resist" parents' requests to help out around the house. On the other hand: "Being part of the routine work of running a household helps children develop an awareness of the needs of others, while at the same time contributing to their emotional well-being." Read more.

The nonprofit Let Grow Project agrees that children should help out at home as a way to build independence and resilience. In case you missed our earlier report, this initiative asks teachers to give a different kind of homework--to assign children to go home and do something they feel ready to do on their own (with parental permission, of course). This could be anything from walking the dog to setting the table to folding laundry. Read more.

In the headlines: push for Pre-K on Long Island; more recess

A push for universal Pre-K. Long Island Business News reported on the recent forum sponsored by the Long Island Association, giving the event--and the need for state-funded Pre-K--more visibility in the local business community. Here's how the article began:

"It can impact workforce development, with parents scaling back their career goals or struggling to earn enough income to afford childcare, experts said at a recent Long Island Association breakfast panel. Diminished access to quality programs puts the next generation of students in educational peril - a deficit that they may struggle with for years to come, experts in education and childhood development said. Meanwhile, strong early education is a good investment for the future workforce...."

States consider longer recess and the adults aren't complaining. New York Times coverage of proposals in CT and AZ to mandate more recess in elementary school--up to 50 minutes.

Only 2 weeks left to register for literacy workshop!

Literacy From the Start: Thinking, Talking and Learning Together

Literacy specialist and national consultant JoEllen McCarthy helps teachers to use read-alouds to not only promote literacy and a love of reading but to create a more caring classroom community. In this interactive workshop, she'll show you how to enhance your practice and will share a framework for choosing and selecting texts for both literacy and life lessons.

Date: Thursday, March 28, 2019

AM Session: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Patchogue

PM Session: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Western Suffolk BOCES, Wyandanch

Registration fee: $35 per person

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

Full-Time Infant/Toddler Teacher

Full-Time Preschool Teacher

Full-Time Home Based Educator

The Children's Community Head Start, Port Jefferson

Email resumes to cbeatty_hscpc@yahoo.com or call 631-476-9698

Infant/Toddler Teachers (Team Teaching)

Stony Brook Child Care, SUNY Stony Brook

Apply online (Req. #1802812 or enter "childcare" in keyword search bar)

For the EOC of Nassau County Head Start positions listed below

Email resume to mdenton@eoc-nassau.org

Early Childhood Education Administration/Professional Development Internship

Part-Time Professional Development Coordinator/Coach

Full-Time Early Childhood Specialist

Full-Time Family Community Coordinator

EOC of Nassau Head Start, Hempstead

Full-Time Teacher

EOC of Nassau Head Start, Westbury, Long Beach, Roosevelt, Freeport, Hempstead

Full-Time Teacher Assistant

EOC of Nassau Head Start, Westbury

Full-Time Teacher Aide

EOC of Nassau Head Start, Hempstead, Roosevelt, Westbury

For the Long Island Head Start positions listed below

Email resumes to humanresources@liheadstart.org or fax to 631-758-2953

Full-Time Teacher

Full-Time Temporary Cook

Long Island Head Start, Bridgehampton

Full-Time Teacher Assistant

Full-Time Teacher Aide

Full-Time Family Advocate-Bilingual

Full-Time Family Advocate

Substitute Teacher Aide

Long Island Head Start, Various

Full-Time Teacher II (Infant/Toddler)

Long Island Early Head Start, Huntington, Islip

Full-Time Family Educator/Home Visitor-Bilingual

Long Island Early Head Start, Patchogue, Islip

Part-Time Family Advocate-Bilingual

Long Island Head Start, North Fork

Full-Time Parent Involvement Secretary

Long Island Head Start, Central Administration, Patchogue

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

71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195

Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355

www.nassauboces.org