September 29, 2021
PRE-K UPDATE
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
Have you signed up yet? Don't miss it!
"Best Practices for Teaching Pre-K & K"
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
Meet professional development specialist and special education teacher, Jessie Olson!

Jessie has a passion for creating individualized educational experiences that maximize meaningful learning. Not only does she have experience as a special education teacher, she has also spent time overseeing Head Start and Early Head Start programming as a child welfare agency education manager. As a professional development specialist, Jessie builds a positive rapport with participants through genuine openness and interest in individual growth. She captivates audiences through her emphasis on hands-on experiences, real-world application, and a sprinkling of humor along the way.

As part of the "Best Practices for Teaching Pre-K and K" conference, Jessie will be leading the workshop "Marvelous Math: Enhancing Preschool Math." She asks participants to consider what math looks like throughout the learning environment, while she leads an in-depth exploration of math and how it can be highlighted in the preschool classroom. The workshop will explore effective instructional strategies to implement in your own classroom to support children in developing essential preschool math concepts with a focus on the areas of spatial relationships, shapes, patterns and counting.
Don’t let emotions run high! Follow these steps during the calmer moments
angry boy
Children are re-entering classrooms with a ton of emotions, and they are counting on adults to help them manage this unsure time in their lives. According to an article in KQED by Deborah Farmer Kris, it is in the early years that teachers and caregivers have the best opportunity to “focus on emotional skills that support students’ academic achievement, wellness and sense of connectedness.”

Kris recommends checking in with students’ emotions at the start of the day. Katie Hurley, a child psychotherapist, suggests doing a “feelings check” as you start the day going over the date and weather. How can you do this in a creative way? Make pockets that are labeled with different emotions and have the children put popsicle sticks in the pocket that matches their mood. This allows you the opportunity to see who needs a little extra attention.

Another good practice is to teach children to breathe in and out. Hurley says that “deep breathing is the single best thing you can do to calm down your central nervous system.” However, you should not just ask children to “take a deep breath,” as it is rarely helpful. Instead, use strategies such as pretending to blow out birthday candles or pretending to blow up a balloon. All of these activities must be practiced at a safe distance when children are calm, and not in the midst of anger.

Hurley emphasizes that “children need ten to twelve hours of sleep each night; they need to drink water; they need to move their bodies; and they need to eat healthy foods.” Without these basic needs being met, children’s coping skills may be compromised. Something small, like a timed math test, can become too much for them.

Children are often sent out of the room when they’re angry and acting out. Hurley notes that children actually want the opposite of that, and are in need of more connection in those moments. Instead, you should make statements such as, “This is really hard,” or “I can see that you are really upset/angry/scared.” Then follow it with, "I’m going to help you through it. Now sounds like a good time to take a nice deep breath,” says Hurley. Teachers can even create calm corners in the classroom where children can play with squeeze balls or coloring books to relieve tension.
“These small interventions not only support emotional health, but they also build adult-child relationships that will pay off over time,” says Kris. Practicing these methods will prepare parents, educators and coaches for the moments when emotions are tough to navigate.

We’re not stringing you along! Puppets can help with social and emotional learning
It’s true! According to an article in Edutopia by Olivia Karaolis, puppets can help early childhood teachers foster deeper, more meaningful relationships and aid their students with their confidence and communication skills. Plus, you don’t need the talent of a professional puppeteer to use them in a classroom.

Puppets can motivate children, especially those that are shy or unlikely to engage in conversation. They can act as role models and give children practice with speaking in front of other people. “It also offers protection, a buffer between children and their classmates,” says Karaolis. “Children are far more comfortable sharing their ideas with a puppet and may be excited about answering the puppet’s questions.”

Karaolis stresses the importance of choosing the correct puppets. They should be attractive to children, their interests, and you. “Your relationship with and handling of the puppet maintains its magic, so be sure that only you animate the puppet and that it occupies a special place in the classroom.”

Puppets help to ensure a better relationship between the teacher and students. Karaolis notes that her puppets encourage her to be more playful with her students, and disrupts the power dynamic that is always a part of schooling. She even recalls a student with mutism whispering in the ear of a puppet and shaking the puppet’s head in response to questions.
Additionally, puppets can “aid in the understanding of important concepts, such as emotions.” Try using puppets to help children understand emotions and feelings. They can even help children learn about conflict resolution. Puppets can offer prompts such as, “Tell me about what happened” and “How can we make things better?”

According to Karaolis, puppets have a calming influence and are less threatening than adults, especially when it comes to conflict resolution. They also help teachers to support students in learning from their mistakes. Karaolis’ class puppet, Biscuit, was even her co-teacher. He helped students create rules for the classroom!

CUNY/SUNY Early Childhood Workforce Scholarship
Volunteer teacher helping a class of preschool kids drawing
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:

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
Opportunities to Expand Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation through the America Rescue Plan Act
Learn about opportunities presented by the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to adopt or expand access to Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) in your state.

Date: Thursday, September 30
Time: 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

This webinar will include:
  • The value of IECMHC and why it is needed now more than ever
  • Promising ARPA investments to increase reach and quality of IECMHC
  • Key considerations for prioritizing IECMHC in ARPA funding
  • Opportunities for state early childhood leaders to receive technical assistance to help them navigate adoption/expansion of IECMHC with ARPA funding
Core Body of Knowledge (CBK):
New York State's Competencies for Early Childhood
The Long Island Leadership Initiative and QUALITYstarsNY Quality Improvement Specialists invite you to join a co-hosted leadership learning community to explore the CBK book.

Dates: October 13 & 27, November 17
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Note: Registration deadline is October 11.

The Core Body of Knowledge (CBK) is designed to help all early childhood professionals including students, directors, teachers, and providers. This program will explore how leaders can use the CBK as a foundational tool to guide their leadership knowledge, beliefs, and practices in their program. Leaders will be invited to explore the tool, reflect on areas of strength using the tool, share strategies for using the CBK as a leadership tool and discuss how leaders might use the CBK for professional goal setting and development with their staff. This Learning Community will be driven by discussions and reflections from participants, using the Core Body of Knowledge as a self-reflection tool and framework for guiding your professional growth as a leader.

Elijah's Law: Training Session
The Long Island Regional Office of Children and Family Services in partnership with the Child Care Council of Nassau and the Child Care Council of Suffolk’s Health Care Consultants are offering an informational session for directors and on-site providers discussing what your program needs to do to ensure that you are in compliance with Elijah’s Law, as well as how your program can receive a FREE Auvi-Q non-child specific auto injector for your program. This session, being offered for community-based programs, will be offered in English and Spanish.

Date: October 7, 2021
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom
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.

71 Clinton Rd. Garden City, NY 11530-9195
Phone: 516-396-2220
www.nassauboces.org/pre-k