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
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Pre-K is all about the partnerships, says Long Island panel
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What works when it comes to Pre-K? It's collaborations with local community-based organizations (CBOs), said three school district leaders during a panel discussion last Thursday. The virtual event was sponsored by the Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K and Early Childhood Education (RTAC) and also featured speakers from the Island's two Child Care Councils and from Harbor Child Care. "In New York State, we have a mixed-delivery system when it comes to Pre-K," explained Jason Breslin from the New York State Education Department's Office of Early Learning. "It's very different from K-12--but brain science shows it is incredibly important."
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In the Middle Country School District, for example, there are Pre-K classes in district school buildings and also in four CBOs. They work closely together to make sure that instruction is consistent--and developmentally appropriate. "Some of the students are still three years old in September," said administrator Denise Ferrera. "You have to have realistic expectations."
Riverhead Public Schools have been experiencing enrollment growth for several years, according to Interim Superintendent Christine Tona. "Our problem is space," she said. "We partner with multiple CBOs for Pre-K, including Head Start and a private preschool that's next door to one of our elementary schools."
"You don't want to miss a beat between Pre-K and our Kindergarten," said Michael Nagler, Superintendent of the Mineola Public Schools. That's why district administrators meet regularly with the Executive Director of Harbor Child Care, Florence Barbour. "We bring to the table our understanding of our youngest learners," she said.
If you are interested in how the RTAC can support Pre-K programs, including help with curriculum and planning or on-site coaching, email prek@nasboces.org or call 516-396-2220.
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Gardening, glitter jars and girl vs squirrel: School librarians suggest summer books
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Is your program up and running all summer? Do you have preschoolers in your family? Are you thinking about adding to your classroom library in September? Those canny school librarians have curated many helpful lists of children's books you may want to consider.
13 Books About Gardening include the informational ( In A Garden) and the humorous ( Guinea Pigs Go Gardening). For the makers among us, there are 20 DIY and Crafts Books to Get Kids (And Grown Ups) Doing and Making. There are lists of mindfulness books, picture books to read and discuss ( Girl Versus Squirrel), and even books for young activists. Click here to start exploring the Summer Reading Lists collected by School Library Journal (SLJ).
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Decades later, brains show positive effects of active early learning
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A new study found that adults who participated in "cognitively and linguistically stimulating center-based care" in early childhood had larger brains than those in a comparison group. Specifically, researchers from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute conducted MRIs on men and women who had participated in a North Carolina project in the early 1970s. As young children, they had been identified as having multiple risk factors, including low-income and parental absence. From infancy, they were enrolled in high-quality educational programs and their families received support such as extra health care. As adults, "scientists determined that those in the early education treatment group had increased size of the whole brain, including the cortex."
A report on SciNews quotes one of the lead researchers: "The prefontal cortex and areas associated with language were definitely affected; and to our knowledge, this is the first experimental evidence on a link between known early education experiences and long-term changes in humans." Read more.
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Just announced! Two more webinars this summer
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If your school district is taking advantage of new state funding to launch or expand Pre-K, our "Summer Institute" offers free professional development for teachers, teacher assistants, administrators and directors from both school districts and community-based providers. Weekly webinars cover such topics as simple STEAM experiments, working with Emergent Multilingual Learners and developmentally appropriate technology. A three-part series introduces the New York State Revised Early Learning Guidelines.
And we've just added two new ones!
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Creating a PLC (Professional Learning Circle) in Your School/Center: Addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion While Looking Through an Early Childhood Lens
What is a professional learning circle and how can educators build one? Join Emily Torres as she shares how the Child Care Council of Suffolk embarked on a wondrous journey with educators. You'll learn about the process we created as we celebrated culture and community. Additionally, we discovered many professional resources, teaching strategies and books for young children that will be shared during this webinar.
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: Emily Torres, Child Care Council of Suffolk, Inc.
Registration: Registration is free, but pre-registration is required.
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Let's Share: Getting Ready for a New School Year in Pre-K and K
School starts in one month. During our PLC (Professional Learning Circle) 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 a new and exciting school year. For many of our preschool and Kindergarten children, this year will be the first in-school experience. Let's get off to a great start and learn from one another. Faciliators: Sheryl Haimovich, Adrienne Robb-Fund, The Long Island Pre-K Initiative
Date: Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Facilitators: Sheryl Haimovich and Adrienne Robb-Fund, The Long Island Pre-K Initiative
Registration: Registration is free, but pre-registration is required.
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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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