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PRE-K UPDATE
DECEMBER 16, 2020
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 (LI-RTAC). Visit its web page for links to all partner organizations. Many have important COVID-19-related resources to offer:  www.nassauboces.org/rtac 
Moving to remember, why we should teach handwriting and other research highlights from 2020

It's that time of year when "Best Of" lists are everywhere, and education is no exception. Staffers from the education news outlet edutopia reviewed hundreds of research studies and offer up their list of the 10 "most significant" findings of the past
a girl at home writes draws_ classes for a child at home
year--several of which are on topics related to early childhood. 

For example, they describe a study in which acting out words helped children remember them--in fact, after two months, students were 73% more likely to have retained vocabulary if they went through the motions.

And neuroscientists came to the defense of teaching handwriting "Typing just doesn't cut it" when it comes to activating crucial brain circuitry related to reading. "It appears that the movements related to keyboard typing do not activate these networks the same way that drawing and handwriting do."

Also of interest: "Researchers cast doubt on reading tasks like finding the main idea." According to the edutopia article, researchers looked at data from more than 18,000 K-5 students and found that "social studies is the only subject with a clear, positive and statistically significant effect on reading improvement." In other words, what mattered was exposing kids to interesting content. Click here to find out what the other seven significant studies are, and to read more.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
JUST ANNOUNCED! Line-up of free webinars for 2021 on topics requested by teachers

Full-day Virtual Pre-K and Finding the Silver Linings
This practical workshop is presented by an early educator who is succeeding in
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teaching Pre-K remotely this year. She will review the management of Pre-K in a virtual setting and the process of teaching young learners at a distance. Topics will include creating schedules, parent communication, incorporating technology and keeping students engaged. And she'll share "what works" when it comes to social-emotional support activities, providing authentic lessons and assessment strategies.
Presenter: Patricia Pearsall is a Pre-K teacher for the Mineola Public Schools, who has been an early childhood educator for her entire career.

Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Time: 4:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m.
Registration: There is no fee, but pre-registration is required.


And coming up in March and April: 

For details about the webinars listed below and to register, visit our web site.

Engaging Emergent Multilingual Learners in Literacy and Language Learning
Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Teaching Children Empathy, Kindness, Respect and Compassion from the Start
Date: Wednesday. March 10, 2021
Time: 4:00 p.m.to 5:00 p.m.

Bringing Nursery Rhymes to Life: Strategies to Spark Language Development for Emergent Multilingual Learners
Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2021
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

AND THE SURVEY SAYS
NAEYC just surveyed child care providers; the news isn't good
 "With 56% of child care centers saying they are losing money every day that they remain open, programs are confronting an unsustainable reality." That's the finding of a survey of 6,000 providers conducted less than a month ago by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Most respondents are paying more for pandemic-related supplies, such as cleaning materials and PPE, while at the same time having a harder time recruiting and retaining qualified staff--all in an environment where revenues are decreasing due to dwindling enrollments. And they don't know what the coming months will bring.

"This uncertainty is driving educators and programs out of the child care sector, and harming children, families and businesses," says the NAEYC report. "We continue to urge Congress to provide immediate, robust and targeted investments to stabilize and support child care and early learning."

Click here to download "Am I Next? Sacrificing to Stay Open, Child Care Providers Face a Bleak Future Without Relief."
OUR CLASSROOM
Bad weather got you stuck inside? Here are three STEM-inspired games
Have you ever walked like a winter animal? Tried "snowman bowling" or pretended
that balloons were molecules? Active for Life* runs down some fun--and educational--activities for those winter days when you're stuck indoors. 

For example, if you ask children to walk like a polar bear, they would go on all fours--and be careful not to slip on the ice. Penguins? Hold a soft ball between their knees to waddle around. And there's the walrus. Can they drag themselves around with their arms. "Snowman bowling" involves building a snowman from handy materials like boxes covered in white paper, and then use different items to try to knock the snowman down.

Balloon molecules involves playing with balloons indoors--and then sending the balloons outside in the cold to see how they change.  Read more.

*Active for Life is a Canadian nonprofit that promotes the development of physical literacy in children.
HELP WANTED
This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island

Part-time Early Learning Specialist to conduct virtual coaching
Nassau BOCES Family Child Care Providers (FCCP) Program
Email resume to elongo@nboces.net or call 929-404-1239

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 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. 




NASSAU BOCES 
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220  Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org