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
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We appreciate every educator of young children,
this week and every week!
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May the 4th be with you when you register for a workshop! |
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PLC: Sharing How We Promote Outdoor Learning
A professional learning circle - or PLC - is comprised of a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise and works collaboratively to learn from one another. With support from experienced moderators, this PLC will offer the opportunity for participants to share with one another some of their favorite practices for promoting outdoor learning in the Pre-K & Kindergarten classrooms.This is our final PLC Zoom session provided during the winter and spring that will serve as a platform to share and exchange ideas. Our PLCs are designed for teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, directors and other early educators.
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Time: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required
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Registration is Now Open
for the Summer Institute!
Inspire Children's Play with Loose Parts
We are thrilled to kickoff our Summer Institiute with Miriam Belogovsky, author of Loose Parts, who will be presenting an exciting new webinar.
Loose parts are natural or synthetic found, bought, or upcycled materials—acorns, hardware, stones, aluminum foil, fabric scraps, for example—that children can move, manipulate, control, and change within their play. Loose parts are alluring and beautiful. Loose Parts capture children's curiosity, give free reign to their imagination, and encourage creativity. Dr. Belogovsky will provide inspiration and information about the ways everyday materials can support open-ended learning, enhance play, and empower children. She will demonstrate the immense educational and developmental benefits afforded by loose parts, and provide a framework that will guide and inspire educators and parents.
The first twenty-five registrants will be entered in a raffle to win a copy of Loose Parts, Inspiring Play in Young Children. Two registrants will win this inspiring book. Register today for a chance to win!
Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Registration: $35
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Loose Parts at the Long Island Children's Museum
Join the staff at the Long Island Children’s Museum and learn to apply the principles of Loose Parts with some hands-on learning! This in-person program will take place at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City. Enrollment is limited. This session is only open to registered participants.
Date: Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Time: 9:00am – 11:00pm
Registration: $20
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Pyramid Model Training
Are you looking for new research-based ways to reduce challenging behaviors and promote social-emotional competence in your early childhood classroom? The Pyramid Model, developed by the Center for Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning at Vanderbilt University, is a framework for developing a positive classroom environment. Enrollment is limited. This in-person workshop will take place at the Child Care Council of Suffolk in two sessions. on July 20 and 27th from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Participants must attend both sessions.
Dates: Wednesdays, July 20 and July 27, 2022
Time: 9:30am – 1:00pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required. Please note that registration for both Pyramid sessions will close on July 7, 2022.
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How to help young children become writers before they can write |
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The first time Madeleine Rogin told her students that they were all writers, they shook their heads at her as though she were crazy. They didn’t realize that she had organized an activity that allows children to see themselves as storytellers through having their classmates act out their stories. In an article in Edutopia, Rogin describes her highly successful and fun process.
Rogin started by telling her class that some writers tell stories in pictures, some in words, and some in both words and pictures. She showed them examples of all three types of books. “I wanted my students to imagine themselves as authors and to bring a sense of confidence into the writing process-a process that can often be intimidating,” she said.
In the children’s first lesson, some immediately began drawing or writing imaginary letters, but others wore blank looks on their faces and constantly asked for help. Rogin writes of discovering the work of Vivian Paley, who thought to develop a storytelling curriculum for young children in which the instructor would take dictation about their drawings, and classmates would act out the stories. Rogin was drawn to Paley’s focus on dramatization because, as a child, she loved it when her own ideas would become plays and other people acted them out. “For a few moments, everyone became someone they weren’t,” she recalled.
Soon, Rogin told students they could draw anything, real or imaginary. They brainstormed aloud and helped the quieter, struggling students who had trouble getting started. She would circulate throughout the room and write whatever the students would share about their drawings. As they shared their fantastical, imaginative ideas, the rest of the class was visibly growing excited. She even observed the reluctant children drawing with more purpose and focus.
At the end of the activity, the children sat in a circle. The “playwright” would cast the characters in their stories, and the teacher would narrate. Rogin notes that when the playwrights become more comfortable, they could also be the narrators. Children learned about what it means to be respectful audiences and other important aspects of being in a theater.
She watched as a student became a bunny, another became a fairy, and others became rainbow clouds. After bowing, other playwrights were excited to share their stories next. Rogin stresses the fact that the goal of these lessons is not to “churn out fluent writers, but to allow students to become playwrights, to see themselves as storytellers, and to experience the magical feeling when their ideas come to life.”
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Why blocks are essential and deemed “true toys” |
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Blocks may seem like simple toys, but they actually provide children with a plethora of opportunities in the classroom. According to an article by Katrina Ferrara, Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek and Roberta M. Golinkoff in The Wisdom of Play, when children balance one block atop another, they are actually “registering principles of physics and support.”
Research shows that when children are given just 15 minutes of free play, they will spend at least one third of that time practicing with spatial, mathematical and architectural activities. Researchers feel that this play, especially with blocks, helps children to comprehend symmetry and geography, which leads to skills with more complex math and geography.
When children actually pick up and feel the shapes and angles of various squares, circles and triangles, they learn about shapes and proportions. When they comprehend how to distinguish the different colored blocks, they “refine their ability to note patterns and compare features.” Think about those magnificent towers that children build! They are registering principles of physics as they judge how to support their structures.
According to Ferrara, Hirsh-Pasek and Golinkoff, blocks offer means for creativity, a foundation for learning, and a basis for fun interaction between any adults and children playing. They are so incredibly rewarding that The American Academy of Pediatrics “recognized blocks as among the ‘true toys’ that should be valued in our homes and schools.”
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Celebrate mothers and caregivers with these loving books |
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Enjoy reading about quiet moments at home, exciting adventures outdoors, or quirky characters in imaginative play by checking out these books capturing special moments between children and their mothers and caregivers. An article by Rosemary D’Urso in Brightly showcases a sampling of great books for the holiday. Here are just a few:
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Love Makes a Family, by Sophie Beer. Love comes in many forms, and this book demonstrates that no matter what your family looks like, we all have love in common. This inclusive book doubles as a great gift.
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The Wonderful Things You Will Be, by Emily Winfield Martin. This picture book “expresses all the things parents hope for their little ones,” says D’Urso. It is a celebration of the dreams, acceptance, and love parents have for their children.
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Superhero Mom, by Timothy Knapman. A little girl thinks of her mother as a true superhero because she appears whenever there is trouble, she can carry a lot of items, and she can locate lost toys. The story and illustrations are action-packed!
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Plenty of Hugs, by Fran Manushkin. Two mommies have an adventure-filled day with their toddler. They take a family bike ride, visit a farm, and even just enjoy a calm night at home. Warning: You’ll want lots of hugs after reading this book!
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It's Children's Book Week!
Don't forget to celebrate with the Children's Book Council. Explore their free resources, check out events, and chime in online using #HowDoYouBook.
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Child Development Associate (CDA)
Information Session
Virtual
In partnership with the CUNY School for Professional Studies, the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute offers four courses and the support needed to earn the nationally recognized CDA credential. These courses lead to the NYS Teacher Assistant Certification Level II, the NYS Early Childhood Teacher Certification Extension, and CTLE hours. Thesy easily transfer to the early childhood education associate’s degree programs at BMCC, Hostos Community College, LaGuardia Community College, and Kingsborough Community College. Scholarships are available!
Date: Saturday, May 7, 2022
Time: 10:00am - 11:00am
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Trauma-attuned Practices Showcase
Webinar
Join the Office of Head Start for this webinar about how children and families may come to a program with a history of trauma. Trauma occurs when frightening events or situations overwhelm someone’s ability to cope or deal with what has happened. Nurturing and responsive relationships and safe and predictable environments buffer the effects of stress for those who have experienced trauma. With trauma-attuned care, services integrate an understanding of trauma with all aspects of a program’s organizational cultures, policies, and practices. The National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS) has supported programs in piloting the adoption of practices that reflect trauma-attuned care principles. This webinar features a showcase of Head Start and Early Head Start programs that have started implementing these innovative practices. Engage with experienced colleagues as they share successful strategies bringing these critical principles to life.
Date: Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Apply for the Enhanced NYS B5
CUNY‐SUNY Workforce Scholarship Today!
Do you work in an Early Childhood Center or in a
Family/Group Family Day Care Center?
Would you like to earn a Credit-bearing
Credential, Certificate, two-year, four-year or graduate degree?
This scholarship is needs-based and designed to support individuals working 20 hours or more in a licensed early childhood center or Family/Group Family Day Care Center. New, returning, and current students are eligible to apply for an initial screening for the scholarship, which is managed and administrated by The New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute’s Career Development Center in partnership with PDP, and funded by the federal Birth to 5 grant.
*The program will cover up to 9 credits or three courses.
Eligibility Requirements:
- You work in a licensed Early Childhood Center or Family/Group Family Day Care 20 hours or more.
- You intend to apply or already attend one of the CUNY or SUNY Schools on a part-time basis.
- Commit to meeting with Institute advisors to create and update a study plan three times per semester.
Sign up to attend an informational session HERE.
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71 Clinton Rd. Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: 516-396-2220
www.nassauboces.org/pre-k
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