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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Have you signed up for the
Winter Seminars yet?
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Professional Learning Circle: Sharing Our Favorite Read Alouds for Social Emotional Learning, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the
Pre-K & Kindergarten Setting
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 first PLC will offer the opportunity to share favorite read alouds and exchange related activities that address the relevant topics of social emotional learning, diversity, equity and inclusion in the Pre-K and Kindergarten setting. This is the first of four PLC Zoom sessions provided during the winter and spring that will serve as a platform to exchange ideas. Our PLCs are designed for teachers, teacher assistants, administrators, directors and other early educators. You can register for one or more of our collaborative sessions.
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Time: 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required
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Using GOLD to Improve Outcomes for Children
Are you new to GOLD and interested in learning more? In this Curriculum Showcase session, provided by Teaching Strategies, LLC, you will get a guided tour of the MyTeachingStrategies platform; its features, functionality and how to navigate within it. Join Donna Fowler, subject matter specialist, who will demonstrate how curriculum and assessment work together to strengthen classroom practice and promote positive outcomes for all children, and support development and learning.
Date: Wednesday, February 2, 2022
Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required
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Connect4Learning a Pre-K Curriculum for Our 21st Century Learners
Provided by Kaplan Early Learning Company, this presentation covers the scope and sequence of the Connect4Learning Pre-K Curriculum.
Connie Gorius, a former teacher, supervisor and early childhood specialist, will present the features and benefits of using an interdisciplinary curriculum with 21st Century Pre-K learners.
Date: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Time: 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Registration: Free, but registration is required
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How to help children celebrate and learn about one another |
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It is imperative that every child feels safe and cared for in the Pre-K classroom. Because of the many different cultures, beliefs, traditions and family structures within classrooms, it can be difficult to determine how to share developmentally appropriate experiences that can be integrated into learning. According to an article by Megan King and Dana Pergola in Teaching Young Children, teachers sometimes struggle to find activities that are “inclusive and representative of each child and their family.” It’s important that they do this to help build self-confidence and an understanding of cultural and social identities.
King and Pergola point to the motto “we are all the same, we are different," which reminds us to think intentionally about things like holidays and the children who may not celebrate them. Ask yourself: What do we do for these children during the Halloween parade? How do we make them feel included during a Diwali celebration? How do we approach making gifts for Foster Parent Day?
Instead of focusing on what most children celebrate, rethink the way you bring children and families and their experiences into the classroom. King and Pergola describe an activity called “Star of the Day,” in which a child sits in a special chair and “beams with pride as the class learns about her family, roots, culture and traditions.” Her mother might distribute empanadas and talk about the child’s family. They might also share celebrations, family recipes and favorite activities to do together. In this scenario, they are both excited to share a part of their identity with the class. The authors say that this activity is “one way to engage families and to be respectful of cultures, beliefs, and family structures while also strengthening trust in your classroom.”
Every child must know that who they are is an important aspect of the classroom community; thus, every child must have the opportunity to shine and share. If family members can’t make it to the classroom, perhaps they can send in a photo book, work on a song and dance for their child to share, or even connect with the classroom virtually. "'Star of the Day' helps to create a bond among families, children and yourself,” say King and Pergola. “It is one way to build a community of reciprocal learners and create connections with the families of children you teach.”
When you know the children in your classroom and what is important to them, the environment is extraordinarily more meaningful for the children in your care.
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The difference between sound and noise can affect how we learn |
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In the book Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World, neuroscientist Nina Kraus offers insights for parents and educators as they consider children’s sonic environments; after all, everything from background noise to music lessons can have an impact on brain development.
According to an article in KQED by Deborah Farmer Kris, the effect of noise on children’s learning is a “factor that must be considered in the efforts to increase educational equity.” Studies have shown that children whose classrooms were near subway tracks (which led to higher decibel levels and more distractions) did poorly on exams when compared with peers in classrooms on other sides of the school.
Kraus feels that of the five senses, the “ability to sense sound is undervalued and underappreciated” because we live in a visually-dominant world. “Sound Is invisible but consists of so much information: pitch, timing, rhythm, timbre and phrase.”
There is a big difference between noise and sound. According to Farmer Kris, noise is unwanted sound. Loud noises can hurt our ears, but what Kraus calls “safe noise” affects children as well. We live in a really noisy world, and even these constant, small amounts of noise can hurt the way we think. Farmer Kris considers how we hear the moment when the dishwasher finishes its cycle, or when the neighbor turns off the lawnmower. The noises blend into the background, but it is satisfying when we hear them stop.
There are important things we can do to control and create our sonic environments. According to Kraus, we need to pay more attention to the noises that fill our classrooms and think about which of them are necessary. Do we need to hear pings every time we get notifications on our phones and computers? Does a child’s game have to have the sound on in order to function? “We are too cavalier about the sounds that we salt and pepper our lives with,” she says.
Instead, spend time in nature more often, as it offers children and adults an unaffected and “rejuvenating” auditory experience. Silence is also healthy. “Removing noisy distractions and stimuli allows our brains to relax and wander to new places,” says Kraus.
Farmer Kris notes that teachers can’t control all noise in their classroom’s environment, but they can make many auditory choices. Perhaps there can be collaborative learning spaces and quiet learning spaces, possibly even with access to noise-canceling headphones.
Kraus is a big proponent of music education, as she feels playing music will help reading, writing and arithmetic skills, in addition to other ways in which it strengthens the brain. Everything from beat-keeping to note-reading offers cognitive benefits to children. In the end, adults have a responsibility to “create nourishing sound experiences for children,” says Kraus.
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Educational pop-up books that will make any educator pop-ular |
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Pop-up books always elicit extra excitement during classroom read alouds. According to an article in We Are Teachers by
Lindsay Barrett, turning the page for a 3-D surprise is a universal joy. Here is just a sampling of her list of 16 fun pop-up books for children to check out:
The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings, by
Anna Llenas. These pop-up monsters help you teach children how to identify emotions. It may even inspire some student artwork!
Believe: A Pop-Up Book of Possibilities, by Robert Sabuda. Each page in this story features a “possibility” and the following pop-up shows the result. For example, an acorn grows into a tree and an egg becomes a flock of birds. Barrett suggests that this would be a great book to read as part of a celebration or a classroom goodbye.
Under the Ocean, by Anouck Boisrobert and Louis Rigaud. In this unique book the authors make what’s found beneath the ocean 3D.
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Kindergarten Transition Summit Orientation
Webinar
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The NYSB5 grant will offer the opportunity to host Kindergarten Transition Summits or Innovative Kindergarten Transition Activities. This orientation is for all those who might apply to host and implement a KT Summit in 2022 to increase the number of local transition teams statewide. (Maximum awards of $10,000 per local team or summit.)
Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Time: 10:00am - 1:30pm
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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. |
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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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