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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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What if you could see into students' minds as they think about math? These videos show you how
A 4-year-old, Jennifer, is asked to solve a story problem: the rabbit has three carrots and the squirrel has four carrots. How many carrots do they have all together? Her answer: six. Would you say, "No that's wrong, the answer is seven?" Or would you
ask: "How did you figure that out?"
"Focusing on Jennifer's thinking, not on her mistake, opens a window into her mind," writes Colleen Oppenzato from Columbia University who is a member of the DREME* Teacher Educator project. "The goal is to learn as much as possible about the child's thinking by asking questions and responding flexibly to the child's answers. These kinds of conversations can play an important role in children's early math development."
You can see the conversation with Jennifer for yourself in a short video on "Addition and Operations" produced by DREME. In another video,"Measurement", three 4-year-olds are asked to name something big--but it turns out "big" means something different to each of them. "Patterns" shows a 4-year-old English Language Learner and his teacher looking at patterns in a picture book. When he isn't able to correctly answer a question about extending the pattern, is it because he doesn't know how, or because he didn't understand the question?
"Sometimes to figure out what a child knows, we have to keep asking questions and vary the way we ask them," says Oppenzato. Click here to read more and to find links to the "Magic Math Minute" videos.
*DREME stands for Development and Research in Early Math Education, headquartered at Stanford University.
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"Early Math Counts" offers 98 math lessons for Pre-K, free online professional development and a lively blog
Based at the University of Illinois, Early Math Counts was founded in 2012 to give early childhood educators the knowledge and skills to teach math. Since then, the resources available online have continued to add up. Specifically:
There are almost 100 detailed math lessons that can be accessed on its website, ranging from "Apple Counting Fun" to "Wonderful Worms" (not real ones, but plastic worms that can be used to measure objects around the classroom). Each outlines learning goals, materials to gather, the step-by-step lesson and vocabulary needed.
A blog series is a window to what practitioners are doing right now. The most recent post, "Frosty the STEM Snowman," illustrates how one early educator took advantage of a snowfall in Illinois earlier this month. Making snowmen offered opportunities to discuss concepts such as big (and bigger), heavy and tall.
A "flurry" of ideas for winter math
With the dropping temperatures this December come opportunities to have wintry discussions, according to Erikson Early Math. For example, you can talk about whether more students wear gloves or mittens--or see who is wearing boots or shoes. If it starts to snow, you might ask children how much snow would need to fall to be as tall as a house or a school bus. Click here to read more and to watch video demonstrations.
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BOOKSHELF
These titles win the prize for being "mathical"
Did you know that every year there's a contest for the most "mathical" children's
books? It's sponsored by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) in partnership with the National Councils of Teachers of English and Mathematics. This year's winner for Pre-K is One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read. "Children love seeing the big surprise that awaits the hungry, sneaky fox. Opportunities to count are on every page."
For Grades K-2, the top honor goes to Pigeon Math by Asia Citro. "Readers are able to see and solve math story problems involving addition and subtraction as the pigeons fly in and out of the pages." Read more about the 2020 winners and honor titles. For a rundown of every winner since 2015 and a "mathical" hall of fame, click here
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
A special series on anti-bias: four free webinars with experts explore different topics
We're offering a new series of webinars on this timely topic, all facilitated by Jacob
Dixon, CEO of Choice for All. At each session, he's joined by a different expert from the professional development nonprofit, Co-Plan It. You can participate in this series if you want to begin your exploration of anti-bias--or if you want to extend or deepen your understanding of this critical topic. You're encouraged to register for all four sessions, but that's not required. Note: For this series, enrollment will be limited to promote dialogue.
Part One: Selecting and Discussing Texts With Young Children
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Part Two: Engaging Families and the Community
Date: Thursday, January 28, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Part Three: Training for Educators; Support for Families
Date: Thursday, February 4, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Part Four: Developmentally Appropriate Protocols and Resources for Pre-K Students
Date: Thursday, February 11, 2021
Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Virtual panel discussion--"Remote Learning for Young Children: Best Practice Considerations for Leaders"
Sponsored by: The Long Island Regional Leadership Initiative
Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Panelists:
Robert Fiersen, Assistant Professor and Chair of Education Department, New York Institute of Technology
Cesar Navarette, Assistant Professor, New York Institute of Technology
Pamela Renneisen, Director, St. Joseph's Universal Prekindergarten
Carol Weintraub, STEM Trainer and R&D Specialist, New York Institute of Technology
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HELP WANTED
This week's job listings for early ed on Long Island
Full-Time Teacher Assistants (NYS Certified)
Part-Time Teacher Aides
Kramer Learning Center, Bay Shore
Email resume to azicv@acld.org or apply online at acld.org
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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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