The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of Long Island's Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Education. Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer:  www.nassauboces.org/rtac

One downloadable tip sheet is a how-to on collecting information from the families of young DLLs. Suggested questions include "Did your child grow up learning two languages from birth?" "Who are the people who speak your home language to your child?" and "What are your child's favorite activities?" According to the ECLKC, the more adults understand children's past experiences, the more they are able to build upon them and support their progress.

Another handout covers helping DLLs with classroom schedules and transitions since they may not be able to understand enough English to follow your directions. Success begins with following a consistent and predictable schedule every day, but also includes using pictures (e.g., holding up a picture of the behavior you want to see) and learning some basic words in the children's home language ("bathroom" is high on the list). "Understand that your expectations will be new and unfamiliar to many children; for example, some of them may never have needed to stand in a line, take turns, sit in a circle or be quiet."

Click here to access the complete collection of free resources.

Every teacher knows that children who are unwell or traumatized have difficulty learning. The experts at Harvard's Center for the Developing Child have thought deeply about this topic--and about how to support children and parents to promote health.

"The conditions we create and the experiences we provide for young children affect not just the developing brain, but also other systems in the body, including immune responses and metabolic regulation," they remind us. So it is essential to support families and strengthen what they call "responsive relationships," since this builds the foundation for social-emotional development, school readiness and future learning--as well as physical and mental health.

One of the Center's key recommendations is to strengthen community-based networks among services for families, health care for children and their caregivers, and early care and education programs in a "seamless ecosystem."' Read more.

The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is proud to be part of a regional effort to do just that. As part of the Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Childhood Education (RTAC), we have supported the efforts of Docs for Tots and Help Me Grow--Long Island, networks that provide resources for healthy child development. And we have collaborated with the Child Care Councils of Nassau and Suffolk to establish more effective cooperation and communication between our area's 1,770 licensed child care providers, 124 school districts and 3 BOCES.

Many popular curriculums and other early childhood materials lack diversity in their representation of students, families and communities, according to a new article from the education news site Edutopia. This means they may be out of sync with the children we are teaching. And research tells us " students are more engaged academically and have improved social and emotional outcomes when they see and hear themselves reflected in the classroom's environment and instruction."

Chicago Public Schools educator Roisleen Todd suggests three questions to ask as the basis for creating more culturally relevant environments. They start with the fundamental "Who are our students?" and then challenge educators to think about "Who do our students see in our classrooms?" The third question: "How can we move further toward culturally responsive teaching?" To explore each of these questions in depth, read more.

Todd encourages this inquiry: "We must engage in the process of constant reflection, of constant learning, in order to ensure that every child, in every classroom, feels seen, heard and valued for being exactly who they are."

Here's how Read Brightly introduces a list of 12 biographies for children: "Picture this: a girl, not unlike someone you might know, who took what could have been an ordinary life and turned it into something extraordinary. These 12 women changed the world in a way that only they could."

And who are they? The list is quite varied, ranging from Turning Pages by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to a biography of Mary Shelley, the originator of Frankenstein. Animal-loving youngsters might enjoy The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps or Joan Proctor, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles. Click here for the complete list.

The Long Island Leadership Initiative has announced a new event in its 2021 speaker series. This webinar features Grace Reef, President of Early Learning Policy, LLC, who will explore and help attendees consider what is on the horizon for early childhood education with the new federal administration. Questions to be considered will include: How will priorities shift with this administration and in response to COVID? What can leaders in early childhood education do?

Date: Thursday, March 25, 2021

Time: 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Note: This event is being co-hosted virtually by the New York City, Western New York and Long Island regional Leadership Initiatives.

The Long Island Pre-K Initiative is a collaborating partner in the state-funded Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Childhood Education.