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PRE-K UPDATE
AUGUST 22, 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

On L.I., it can literally take winning the lottery to get a spot in state-funded Pre-K; Newsday profiles four families
Last week Newsday's online edition featured interviews with four families, each with a
preschooler, each with a very different experience when it came to Pre-K. For example, when Mizoti Castillo moved from the Bronx to the William Floyd district, her son lost access to 
state-funded full-day Pre-K and transitioned to a three-hour program. "If they're not learning at the pace that their counterparts in the city are, it's going to be a sad future for Long Island," his father said, according to Newsday.

Another family, in Hicksville, "won the lottery" and has a spot for their daughter in the district's half-day Pre-K program. "It would have been a huge expense to send her to preschool," says her mother

"Why aren't you teaching my kid to read?" NAEYC offers tips for explaining what's developmentally appropriate
Parents often worry about how their children are doing in school, points out the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). And this can translate into pressure for preschoolers to learn skills that usually come later.

Writing for NAEYC, Heather Biggar Tomlinson* shares some possible responses to parents who are pushing for academics. She suggests sharing some basic research
findings--e.g., that younger children have different learning processes than older children. And offers sample explanations, such as "I know the way we 
teach reading and writing is different from what you expected...but your child is on track to be a successful reader."

Click here  for the full article.
*Heather Biggar Tomlinson is a contributing author to
Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Preschoolers.

It's not too early to start thinking about improving the transition to Kindergarten for this year's Preschoolers
Thanks to a grant from the New York State Council on Children and Families, we're inviting teachers, administrators, families and community agencies to free Kindergarten Transition Summits this October. You'll hear early educators share successes--and lessons learned. You'll hear parents' perspective. And you'll have the chance to share your proven strategies with others. Just added to the program: a "carousel" of nonprofits with services to support young children and their families.

Kindergarten Transition Summits

Date: Monday, October 7, 2019
Place: Eastern Suffolk BOCES, Instructional Support Center at Sequoya, Holtsville
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (continental breakfast included)

Date: Friday, October 11, 2019
Place: Western Suffolk BOCES Conference Center, Wyandanch
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (continental breakfast included)

Click here to enroll. REGISTRATION IS FREE, but advance registration is required. 


Want to help children develop those all important relationship skills? Here are 19 strategies
Especially at the beginning of the school year, young children may not know the ins-and-outs of getting along with others, sharing or taking turns. Just in time, the
the conflict between a boy and a girl. the kids are fighting_ the boy takes the girls toy.
Brookes Publishing blog recently ran down 19 practical ways to help children learn such social-emotional skills.

For example, they suggest using role play to explicitly model words children should use to ask for materials ("Can I have some of the blocks?") as well as appropriate ways to refuse ("It's my turn on the computer now. You can have the next turn." ) Role play can also be used to help students learn to apologize--using real life situations you've observed in your classroom as the basis.

Young children may also need encouragement and modeling to learn how to give compliments, or to enter and exit play, says the blog post.

Be nice and "definitely don't bite." First graders offer advice for entering Kindergarteners
Adults don't really remember what the first days of Kindergarten were like, writes
thoughtful beautiful little girl with serious eyeglasses holding her head to imagine_ think_ hesitate or have an intelligent idea or solution_ grey background studio
Jamie Kenmey for the parenting website
romper.com . It's the entering first graders who can look back and offer practical advice for success, such as: "Keep your hands to yourself. When I was a little kid I used to hit, but when you get to school you're a big kid and you have to use your words. You definitely can't bite."

She interviewed a baker's dozen of them, and you can read their comments here.  (We like the little girl who revealed "It's OK if you don't know a word. Sometimes you can guess if you look at the pictures. That's what I did!")

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

Lead Teacher
YMCA of Long Island, Bay Shore, Huntington
Email to childcare@ymcali.org

Assistant Teacher
YMCA of Long Island, Bay Shore, Glen Cove, Huntington Patchogue
Email to childcare@ymcali.org

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 DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220  Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org