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PRE-K UPDATE
AUGUST 8, 2018
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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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"If you mess something up, don't give up," and other advice
from
Long Island kindergarten graduates
There's no one better positioned to give advice to an entering kindergartener than 5 and 6-year-olds who've just completed their year of learning. That's why Jennifer
Berger of Newsday took the time to interview children from several Long Island school districts, and share their
"words of wisdom" online.
"Gym and playing fun games" was a typical answer to "what was your favorite thing?" But the children also reported on mastering their letters, learning math and enjoying hands-on science. For example, a Williston Park student told Newsday: "My favorite thing was learning about the skeleton. We got to touch pretend bones!"
And they had down-to-earth advice to share. For example:
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- "When you see someone new, say hi and tell them your name."
- "Be kind, always do what the principal says, and you're not allowed to stick up your middle finger."
- "You can talk to people, but you can't touch others."
- "[If I miss my parents], I use my imagination to think that my mom and dad are there."
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A library where children "climbing the walls" is a good thing
We know that the image of librarians shushing patrons who make noise is outdated--but it's still surprising to hear about a library in Philadelphia that is literally
encouraging young children to climb the walls.
"We used to ask families and children to sit quietly and read together--that is what people did at the library," according to library's director, quoted in a School Library Journal editorial. "We now know that children learn best through play, an understanding that has guided us to reenvision how our children's spaces could maximize children's learning."
Among the features of new children's rooms at the Free Library of Philadephia is a 12' high indoor climbing wall plus places to "perch or nest, clamber about and explore."
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Doctors are writing prescriptions for parks--here's why
Overweight children? Anxious teenagers? Washington, D.C. pediatrician Dr. Robert Zarr writes a specific prescription for activity at a convenient park. "I do at least one a day or more," says Dr. Zarr, according to a recent New York Times column by Dr. Perri Klass. And he's not the only one.
Dr. Zarr practices in an urban setting, but Dr. Maria Cristin Rueda-Gonzalez is in an affluent one, where kids don't lack for exercise through organized sports. However, she finds they're "nature deficient." "You don't get the exposure to nature and just being outside in nature which you would in a park or going hiking. It's very structured, you do get physical exercise, but you don't get much of a break...The children may be hurrying from one activity to another, they may be spending hours glued to screens, but either way they aren't experiencing nature like we all should be..."
A common barrier is the parents' fears about letting children explore the outdoors. "Clearly there are going to be risks, but the risks of not going outdoors and continuing the pattern of 90 percent indoors is going to kill us," according to the director of the office of public health for the national park service.
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Spinning, transporting, and transforming-- are you familiar with "behavioral schema?"
Educators in the UK use the term "behavioral schema" for sets of behaviors that
young children exhibit--no matter what culture or environment and without instruction, writes educator and blogger Meghan Fitzgerald, founder of Tinkergarten. For example, we've all see kids fill a container with small objects--rocks, Legos, you name it--and then, move, dump and repeat. that's "transporting."
"Spinning" is obvious when a boy or girl is twirling around and around, but it also includes things like rolling down a hill or enthusiastically stirring a pot of mud.
Why are these terms helpful? "Just learning that these patterns exist and have names and are universal helps any adult see young children's self-initiated play as learning," writes Fitzgerald. "Once parents and teachers know how to spot schema, we naturally become more curious." This, she says," leads to easing up on directing kids and giving them more space for their own learning through play.
Read more.
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We're excited to bring you national experts this November!
"Recycling with STEAM" is the fun, interactive workshop that will be offered by Patti Jo Wilson, Professional Development Specialist from Lakeshore Learning Materials.
"Words Matter: Great Ways to Build Oral Language and Vocabulary" is the topic to be covered by Cathy Yount, Director of Early Learning for Scholastic, Inc.
"Stress and Challenging Behaviors: What's the Connection? What's the Impact" will help you assess how adverse life experiences may be impacting your Pre-K & K students. Presenter: Steve Erwin, National Early Childhood Specialist, Kaplan Early Learning.
Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (breakfast and lunch included)
Location: Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury
Fee:
$95 per person "early bird"; $125 per person after 4 p.m. on Friday, September 28, 2018. No online registration after 4 p.m. Friday, November 2, 2018. On-site registration: $150 per person (cash or check only)
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This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
Lead Pre-K Teacher (8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.)
Peace Christian Preschool & Day Care, Bohemia
E-mail to cindy@peacechristian.com or fax resume to 631-589-7068
UPK Co-Teachers
St. Joseph's College UPK Programs, Freeport, Westbury, Wyandanch, Uniondale
E-mail resumes to prenneisen@sjcny.edu
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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 DEPARTMENT OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org
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