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 resources to offer:  www.nassauboces.org/rtac

Key points highlighted by the authors include that "policymakers and international organizations need to start taking play seriously, as a way of helping children learn, supporting inclusion and reducing inequality." What's more, they say that play may help close achievement gaps and that it helps young children develop the range of skills they need to succeed in life--"not just ABCs and 123s, but also self-control, cooperation and creativity."

They also tackle a question that's less often discussed: how do you know it's play? The report runs down some characteristics of learning through play--no matter whether children are in Boston, Bangladesh or Brisbane. These elements include that play is:

Click here to download the 20-page report summary (photo above). Click here to access the full 48-page white paper.

Across the country, traditional summer learning programs are going to look more like summer camp this year. According to an article on the education news site EdSurge, "Many districts, for the first time in the history of their summer programming, are focused on fun and engagement as a number one priority."

The reason, of course, is the pandemic and kids who may have been learning remotely for extended periods of time, if not all year. This doesn't mean educators aren't concerned about some students who have fallen behind--it means they understand that re-connecting with children is a higher priority. "If we can help our students get back to feeling good about themselves, feeling good about school, feeling good about learning, that will probably be the most important support we can create for them in order to accelerate their academics," says the president of San Diego's school board. Read more.

Neuroscientist Judy Willis understands just how much children's brains grow between the ages of 2 and 5--and how important teachers can be in influencing that development in positive ways. In a new article for Edutopia, she offers suggestions for interventions that enhance social and emotional skills.

For one thing, she says, it's important to teach children about how their brains work. For example, you can "discuss what the students feel like when they're stressed and how their brains react quickly (rather than thoughtfully) when they're stressed." Once they recognize stress, they can learn strategies to calm themselves, according to Willis.

Other tips include using story characters to promote empathy, introducing guided play so children can take on the roles of people of different ages or backgrounds, and drawing on games to help focus on achieving specific goals--e.g. Follow the Leader, Red Light Green Light. "With any of these activities, it's very important to help students recognize their progress," she says. Read more.

Last year we described how young children were beginning to examine their dolls and announce they had "tested positive" (April 20, 2020 e-newsletter). Unsurprisingly, the phenomenon of "playing COVID'" has, if anything, become more pervasive--and that's a good thing, according to a recent report from NBC's TODAY Digital.

When kids "vaccinate" each other or their parents (see illustration) it's just one way they're playing their life experience. What's more, according to Tovah Klein, Director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development, "children tend to become fascinated by death at age 4 or 5 in normal circumstances," which is one reason they're so fascinated by the extinction of dinosaurs.

When should parents or teachers worry about COVID-related play? If a child seems to be fixated--that is, playing the same scenario over and over. "That would be a signal that the child is stuck, or working through something difficult." Read 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.