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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Don't miss out! Sign up now for
"Best Practices for Teaching Pre-K & K"
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November 2, 2021
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Online via Zoom
A virtual conference for Pre-K and Kindergarten Educators - Teachers, Teacher Assistants, Administrators, Directors and Early Educational Practitioners.
Registration: $75 per person
Keynote Speakers:
- Bari Koral: Mindfulness, Toe-ga, Kids Yoga for
Social Distancing
- Todd Parr: Love and Tacos
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Meet speaker, author and literacy specialist, JoEllen McCarthy!
A lifelong learner, educator and literacy specialist, JoEllen McCarthy spends her days teaching and learning alongside students, teachers and administrators. As a literacy consultant and Book Ambassador for the Educator Collaborative, JoEllen connects her work to powerful picture books that honor the lived experiences of all children. In her Best Practices session, “Heart Starts: Read Alouds to Center Kids and C.A.R.E.,” she’ll be helping educators to connect academic and social/emotional needs, making for richer and more meaningful conversations. JoEllen will provide teachers with new must-have titles and resources to aid in selecting texts that reflect more inclusive libraries. She’ll champion the power of read alouds, just as she does in her book, “Layers of Learning: Using Read Alouds to Connect Literacy and Caring Conversations.”
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How to make play spaces function as areas for practicing reading and STEM skills |
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Why do park benches only have to serve as places to sit? Try to reimagine them; perhaps they can have puzzles built into them. According to researchers who study the connections between play and development, reimagining public play spaces can infuse playful learning opportunities into children’s time spent outside of school. An article in The Conversation demonstrates how play spaces should be designed, while keeping in line with the six principles of learning which help children absorb new information.
The principles state that activities should:
1. Be "minds-on," not passive;
2. Be meaningful, connecting to kids’ prior knowledge and experience;
3. Inspire social interaction with teachers, parents and peers;
4. Be iterative, not repetitive;
5. Be joyful;
6. Be engaging
The article illustrates the many creative methods by which teachers and communities can alter play spaces inside and outside of schools to bring these landscapes to life.
Play-and-Learn Spaces reimagined three children’s library spaces by creating climbing walls where children constructed words by climbing different paths up the walls' surfaces. They experimented by installing seating with large, movable puzzle pieces. The innovative organization even included a stage with magnetic letters and pictures where children could create stories on its walls. According to the article, researchers found that children who utilized these spaces had more “literacy-related conversations,” such as identifying letters and sounding out words. They also had spatial conversations about pieces being “over there” or “under here.”
Also in Philadelphia, an organization called Urban Landscape transformed a bus stop into a powerful place for learning. In an installation called “Stories,” they created a climbable wooden deck “with embedded images of familiar objects, like a book and the student.” This helped children create original stories. Other installations included “Puzzle Wall” and “Hidden Figures,” a metal structure that creates shadows on the ground, helping students with their spatial skills. According to the article, caregivers and children at the location interacted more than they had previously.
In Massachusetts, the nonprofit MathTalk designed play spaces on sidewalks, including a gigantic number line, which stimulated counting and measurement talk. “It encouraged children to hop, jump and skip to learn more about counting and patterns.” The ideas behind this project have expanded into libraries, health clinics and other spaces.
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Only have 5 minutes? Read a story on the go! |
Children are balls of ongoing energy, so sometimes it can be difficult to fit in reading time. Per an article in Brightly, the good news is that there are many “bite-sized stories tailor-made” for the seemingly non-existent moments of downtime. They are perfect for Pre-K teachers looking to squeeze in pockets of storytelling in-between mobile activities. Check out the list here, which includes books such as “Llama Llama 5-Minute Stories,” “Peter Rabbit 5-Minute Stories” and “Batman 5-Minute Stories.”
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CUNY/SUNY Early Childhood Workforce Scholarship |
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The NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute Career Development Center is offering information sessions on the CUNY/SUNY Early Childhood Workforce Scholarship. This needs-based scholarship is designed to support those individuals in the early childhood workforce working 20 hours or more in a licensed early childhood center. New, returning and current students are eligible to apply through the Institute's Career Development Center. Register for one of the information sessions below to learn more:
Wednesday, September 22, 6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Saturday, October 9, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Wednesday, October 20, 6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Saturday, November 6, 10:00 am-11:00 am
Wednesday, November 17, 6:00 pm-7:00 pm
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Professional Development Opportunity: Gender, Sexuality and the Family in Early Childhood Education Workshops |
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Understanding gender, sexuality and curiosity in the earliest years helps us be more effective. Supporting every child's healthy development is the work of all early childhood educators. Join the following virtual workshops for $35 each:
Session 1: Introduction to Gender in Early Childhood
Date: October 5, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
Learn about and discuss gender development in young children.
Session 2: Curiosity and Consent: Introduction to Early Childhood Sexuality
Date: October 12, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
Explore what it means to help children develop healthy relationships.
Session 3: Fabulous Families Engaging and Including LGBTQ+ Families
Date: October 19, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
Focusing specifically on LGBTQ+ families, consider messages about belonging contained in written material, environment, teaching and educational practices.
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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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