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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
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New study says Kindergarteners' math skills are on the downturn--but there's good news, too
Between 2010 and 2017 the math skills of incoming
Kindergarteners eroded, according to a new study from NWEA and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While the study sample was large--2 million--it wasn't random or necessarily representative, since it is made up of schools that use assessments from NWEA,
which sells data tools to states and school districts.
The study's authors suggest the "moderate" decline could be traced back to impacts of the Great Recession, which resulted in funding cuts for Pre-K programs.
"Students' levels of academic skills at school entry are a strong predictor of later academic success," say the researchers. "Evidence from two prior nationally representative studies indicated that incoming kindergarteners' math and literacy skills were higher in 2010 than in 1998, but no national studies have examined trends since 2010."
A report on the study from the news site Education Dive, speculates that this possible connection is worrisome, "at a time when states are heading into another economic crisis and some have already pulled back on plans to increase spending on early childhood education."
One bright spot: Black-White and Hispanic-White achievement gaps are smaller, even when taking school poverty into consideration.
Read more.
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YOUR CLASSROOM
New York AEYC shares tools for addressing racism
"All children have the right to equitable learning opportunities that help them achieve their full potential as engaged learners and valued members of society. Thus, all early childhood educators have a professional obligation to advance equity." This is how the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC) introduces a comprehensive collection of resources sent to members on June 3.
One topic: "Tools for Discussion." Here are a few of the materials recommended by NYAEYC:
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BOOKSHELF
Are you ready for Juneteenth? Here are some children's books that tell this story
This Friday, June 19, commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas, and--more generally--the emancipation of slaves throughout the Confederate South.
The New York Public Library suggests
six children's titles about this holiday, which has been celebrated since the mid-19th century. They range from poetry to fiction to a straightforward explanation of the celebration and its history. What's more, the library provides some useful
historical background, including newspaper reports of celebrations including "sumptuous repasts" in 1895 (the 30th anniversary), commemorations in the 1930's and rallies in the civil rights era of the 1960s.
The website Color of Us champions diverse books all year round. Its list of 10
children's books celebrating Juneteenth range from picture books (
Juneteenth for Maizie) to titles for teens (
Come Juneteenth).
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COVID-19
Nine out of ten parents are worried about their children falling behind academically during this pandemic, says survey
The Education Trust has polled parents in Texas, Washington, California and New York--and they're all feeling stressed and are worried about their children's learning during COVID-19. Overall, 90% are concerned kids are falling behind--and the majority report challenges with distance learning. (At the same time, most appreciate how their local schools are responding.)
The New York State poll was conducted first--in the early weeks of April. At that time, 95% of parents said it would be helpful to have regular contact with their child's teacher, but only half said this had been made available. And more than a third of non-English speaking parents say their child's school hadn't provided materials in their language.
Read more.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
In our summer series, teachers share their Distance Learning Success Stories (and their struggles)
We don't have a crystal ball, but we think it's likely that early educators will be expected to conduct classes remotely at some time in the coming school year. So we asked Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers to share their experiences with what has worked this spring. These six sessions will be on Thursday mornings starting July 9; details and registration will be announced later this week. Watch your email inbox!
And we're continuing our "Conversations with Experts":
Conversations about Choice Time and How to Support Play When Teaching Virtually
Presenter: Renee Dinnerstein, author of Choice Time: How to Deepen Learning Through Inquiry and Play
Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Registration: There is no fee for this workshop.
Click here for details and to register.
For the first time, this workshop on gender development is available online
For several years, the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute has been offering workshops on gender roles and child development. And you may recall we had scheduled a workshop series earlier this spring that was cut short by COVID-19. Now their introductory three-hour workshop has been redesigned as a shorter webinar:
Introduction to Gender Development in Early Childhood
Date: Monday, June 22, 2020
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Fee: The fee for this workshop is $20.
Want to talk about Preschoolers? Cornell Cooperative Extension is hosting conversations
These 45-minute Zoom talks are for parents and other caregivers of children between 3- and 5-years-old. All take place at 7:30 p.m. and they're free--you just have to contact Jane Juran to register at
jsj79@cornell.edu.
Topics include: Guiding Behavior (Tuesday, June 23), Strong Emotions (Thursday, June 25) and Picky Eaters (Monday, June 29.)
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HELP WANTED
This week's job listing for early ed on Long Island
Full-Time Infant/Toddler Teacher
Stony Brook Child Care Services, SUNY Stony Brook
Apply online; enter Req #2000997 in the keyword search bar
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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 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.
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NASSAU BOCES
71 Clinton Road, Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: (516) 396-2220 Fax: (516)-396-2355
www.nassauboces.org
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