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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Why messy play? How to design it effectively for infants and toddlers
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According to Head Start, messy play builds foundational skills that are crucial for the development of children. “It is one of the most important kinds of early learning experiences we can offer to infants and toddlers,” says the organization. Children are naturally curious, and messy play, such as squishing clay, making slime and sorting stones, engages their senses at a developmental level. Children enjoy the opportunity to exercise motor, language and social skills through these activities.
Research shows that children who explore with their senses learn physical principles faster. Head Start recommends simple games and projects, like playing with playdough or shredding paper, as they help build fine motor skills. Additionally, open-ended activities like pouring sand or water, smearing foam, and making patterns with loose parts allow children to experiment at their own level and pace.
How should messy play look? It is best done in an organized space; this requires preparation, such as having tools laid out in an easily accessible fashion. It works best in a defined space to give children cues as to which behaviors are appropriate. Head Start recommends spreading a tarp before playing with sand indoors. When it is time to clean up and the tarp is taken away, it is a message that the messy activity has finished. Children are more engaged when they are in inviting, comfortable environments, so parents and teachers should not forget to consider the amount of space and the lights, sounds, colors and decorations in such spaces. Both children and adults benefit when play is done in an environment that is easily cleaned. It helps children learn responsibility and cleaning skills.
How can teachers encourage families to enjoy messy play? Help create sensory bins. “Start infants with dry materials, such as paper, balls or large pom poms,” says Head Start. “Older toddlers might enjoy beads or sand.” Teachers can also suggest that families set a regular time for messy play, and that they should not forget to use the entire body to enjoy the experience. Walking barefoot on grass, sand or paper can be very rewarding for the senses as well.
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Help children become smart and happy adults through play
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Any time someone has asked AAA State of Play’s Kim Hart what she wants for her daughters in life, she responds, “I just want them to be smart and happy.” To help them achieve this goal, she places high value on their playtime. Play helps children discover and develop the necessary skills to become smart and happy adults.
Hart posits that adults consider their first childhood best friends. Was the reason you became close because of similar political views or collaboration on a project? More than likely, not. You probably formed a friendship because you played together and had fun doing it. The time you spent playing together “was the introductory lesson to becoming a social human being.” Play invigorates us and encourages us to communicate and interact as effectively as we can. This is the point at which children begin to develop relationships apart from their own families. How about when difficult times in friendships occur? Play helps them learn how to maintain these friendships.
Play on a regular basis helps build confidence and creativity. Children take nothing and turn it into something. They develop skills that have numerous real-world applications. How often are you told that “thinking outside the box” is a sought after trait? Play helps children see obstacles in a different light and come to create conclusions about how to resolve them. Just imagine how much Steve Jobs and Elon Musk must have played!
According to Hart, play encourages us to take risks and accept the consequences. “I learned that all-important lesson: If you fail, dust yourself off and try again,” she says. “It encourages us not to lose hope when something goes wrong and to instead keep at it until we’ve mastered it.” Play shows us how to become happy and smart without giving up when life throws us a curve ball. Read the full article.
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10 non-fiction children's books that humanize mathematics
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You may have memorized formulas and theorems, but how much do you know about the mathematicians who developed them? Mindshift’s Rachel Eng realized that if math had a history, she never encountered it. During an independent study she was given a list of math fiction and nonfiction books to read, and through them she recalls that “math came alive.”
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Get ready for the new school year with engaging Professional Development opportunities
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This year our Summer Institute has scheduled weekly webinars on Wednesdays throughout the summer. Register now to avoid being closed out of sessions designed just for Pre-K & K. There are still seats left in:
Creating a PLC in Your School/Center: Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
What is a professional learning circle and how can educators build one? Learn how to celebrate culture and community with an intentional focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. Many strategies and books for young children will be shared.
Wednesday, July 28, 2021, 9:00am - 10:00am
Let's Share: Getting Ready for a New School Year
Participants will share and learn from one another about what they are doing to prepare their students, their families and themselves for the start of an exciting new school year!
Wednesday, August 4, 2021, 9:00am - 10:00am
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Would you like to earn a credential, certificate, two year, four year or graduate degree?
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New, returning and current students working in an early childhood center are eligible to apply for the Enhanced B5 SUNY-CUNY Early Childhood Workforce Scholarship. The scholarship is designed to support those individuals working 20 hours or more in a licensed early childhood center.
To learn more about the scholarship, please attend one of the upcoming information events.
Summer 2021 Sessions
Monday, August 2nd: 12:00pm to 1:00pm
Thursday, August 5th: 5:00pm to 6:00pm
All sessions will be held virtually using ZOOM.
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Eligibility Requirements:
- Working in a licensed Early Childhood Center 20 hours or more.
- Applying to or attending CUNY-SUNY school part-time.
- Commit to meeting with NY Early Childhood Professional Development Institute advisors to create and update a Study Plan twice per semester.
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For more information, contact:
Christina Medellin
Career Development Coordinator
cristina.medellin@cuny.edu / 718-254-7735
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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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