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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The importance of teaching social-emotional skills to preschoolers |
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Preschoolers will be facing a variety of changes in September. They will be meeting new teachers, going to new classrooms, singing new songs, and learning how to count. This year, more than any other, children will have a lot on their plates when they begin their next ventures. While curriculum development is important, teachers should also think about how to best foster social-emotional skills for preschoolers. According to an article published by Point University, developing these skills early will help children be successful.
Emotional intelligence consists of five main components: self-awareness, emotional control, self-motivation, empathy and relationship construction. It often predicts children’s success moving from their younger years to adulthood. According to an article in Pyschology Today, “young people with high EQ earn higher grades, stay in school, and make healthier choices.” Dr. Travis Bradberry wrote, in Business Insider, that emotional intelligence “affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions to achieve positive results.” Bradberry also wrote of its connection to “patient, empathetic, and effective problem solving.”
How can you support social and emotional development in preschoolers? Point University suggests that you give children the tools and language necessary to understand their emotions. Perhaps you can create vocabulary games that center on the communication of feelings. Other ideas include pictures, video materials, songs and activities that include partners, all of which help them express themselves. Additionally, you can read books that build empathy, as story time helps all children think beyond their own perspectives and experiences. The article recommends that you “select books that let preschoolers connect with characters offering new points of view.”
Additionally, you should consider fostering an environment that embraces the open communication of feelings. After all, when children feel comfortable expressing themselves in any environment, they often develop a deeper sense of self-awareness. This especially helps preschoolers learn and engage with other children while turning them into lifelong learners.
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Tree activities for children: free handouts and resources to help students branch out! |
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Children often engage in fun tree activities, such as creating leaf rubbings, enjoying leaf hunts and watching the leaves change color. In KC Edventures, Jacquie Fisher encourages you to look deeper and help children think about how trees “play a crucial role to many of our neighborhood animal friends.” Here are some ways to play detective and branch out by looking at trees from a different angle:
Go on a tree hunt by heading to a local park and looking at a variety of trees. Invite children to help play detective in discerning how the trees played a part in the local habitat and/or ecosystem for animals. Discuss the difference between coniferous and deciduous trees in advance; then, use these free printable Tree Identification cards for a fun scavenger hunt!
Speaking of scavenger hunts, children will enjoy searching for animals as well. Fisher recalls finding a woodpecker with a bright red tuft on its head. She was able to speak with children about how it was using the trees to find food. Students can also look for and identify nests, whether they be made by birds or squirrels.
Read great books about trees and their importance to animals. Fisher suggests “A Tree is Nice” by Janice May Udry, “I Can Name 50 Trees Today!: All About Trees” by Bonnie Worth, and “Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids” by Gail Gibbons.
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How to use creative, visual journals to inspire Pre-K readers |
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Journals spark creativity and develop self-awareness in children. Many journals include easily understandable prompts for writing and drawing for the youngest readers. Some even include popular book characters! In an article in Brightly, Melissa Taylor suggests that journals will motivate children and “capture their dreams, secrets, memories and personality on paper.” The informative list includes the following:
Me: A Compendium, by Wee Society. The journal features drawing and fill-in writing prompts for “even the youngest of writers” to use illustrations and letters to record their favorite dreams and personal details. It can also serve as a keepsake for parents!
My Magic Tree House Journal, by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce. This colorful science journal is from the creators of The Magic Tree House series. Following a story in which Jack and Annie observe their own environment, students are asked to use illustrations or words to document what is going on in their own worlds. It provides the perfect opportunity for tree scavenger hunts!
Oh, the Places I’ve Been! Journal, by Dr. Seuss. The journal features Seussian illustrations and colors, as well as inspirational quotes. Blank and lined pages give writers and visually expressive individuals space for their thoughts about life. “What places have they been and where are they going?," asks Taylor.
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Funding Opportunity! 2021-2022 Universal Prekindergarten Expansion Grant for new full-day placements for four-year-old students
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) #21-014.
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RFP #21-014 is posted to the NYSED Grant RFP Web page.
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Questions related to this RFP must be sent to prekrfp@nysed.gov no later than close of business on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. A question and answer summary will be posted here by Wednesday, August 25, 2021.
- All bids are due by 5:00pm EST on Thursday, September 9, 2021.
- For additional information, please review the full RFP document.
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Here's this week's Help Wanted in
Early Education
Group Family Daycare Teacher
NYS Certified UPK Teacher
Elite Scholars Christian Academy, Valley Stream
Email: elitescholarsacademy52@gmail.com
Fax: 516-753-9381
Teacher
Assistant Teacher
A Work of Heart, Huntington Station
Email: missjillian@workofheartchildcare.com
Phone: 631-673-7373
The Long Island Regional Early Childhood Career Development Center offers resources for both employers and job seekers. Click here to learn more.
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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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