Explaining Helps Young Children Learn

Hello Friends,

Check out this article about how letting children learn by explaining is a good strategy to use with preschoolers. Is this a strategy that you use? Let's talk!


Students Can Learn by Explaining, Studies Say

NBPTS-Certified Early Educators Say They Are Better Teachers

Hello Friends,

Are board certified early educators better teachers? They say they are! But let's look at the qualities necessary to be a good preschool teacher.

There are a variety of issues to consider when examining the skills of preschool teachers - from educational credentials to the relationship the teacher has with kids, parents and other teachers. Experts recommend that parents should look for preschool teachers with the following qualities:

•Educational credentials. Unlike teachers in kindergarten and beyond, it is more common to find preschool teachers without degrees. While many fabulous preschool teachers don't have degrees, child experts say finding a teacher with a degree in the field is a decided advantage. The degree indicates someone with expertise, as well as an interest in the field since college.

•Experience. A number of years as a preschool teacher, particularly if that experience is only at a couple of preschool programs, tells a parent a lot of about a teacher. First, it indicates that teaching is not just a way to earn some money, but a career. Second, a teacher with a number of years at a preschool is someone able to work with parents, teachers and administrators - as well as the kids - and do so well enough to be welcomed back again and again. That doesn't mean a teacher fresh out college can't be an excellent preschool teacher, only that he or she remains an unproven commodity.

•Good relationship with kids. How the teacher works in the classroom and relates to others is very important and can only be determined by observing the teacher in action. All preschools should allow parents to spend a few hours in a preschool class. It's a good idea to show up unannounced and pay particular attention to how the teacher and the kids interact. It won't take long to determine whether the kids respect and love the teacher, which obviously is a very good sign.

•Comfortable with adults. As good as the teacher may be with the kids, it's also important that he or she relates well to the other teachers, as well as parents. For example, a teacher who feels uncomfortable and can't communicate well during a parent-teacher conference probably is someone to be avoided even if that teacher has a good rapport with the kids.

•Loving, but in charge. How does the teacher handle moments where discipline is required? When things aren't going according to plan, how does the teacher react? Experts say a good preschool teacher takes unexpected difficulties in stride and disciplines kids when necessary, but is never mean or ugly with the children.

•Enjoys teaching. Another simple but important quality is a preschool teacher who obviously enjoys what he or she does. That should be obvious after watching the teacher for a couple of hours.   

The article below gives more information about the skills of board certified teachers.

NBPTS-Certified Early Educators Say They are Better Teachers

How best to teach English Language Learners

Hello Friends,


There's lots of current research about how to best teach young English Language Learners. I'm most taken with the recommendation to support their language learning in the home language.  In today’s preschool programs, teachers are working with an increasingly diverse population of young students, including many who come from homes where English is not spoken at all. Teachers in preschool  programs all over the country may have English Language Learners in their classrooms. The article below describes the results of a recent study on this topic.

How do you address the needs of English Language Learners in your classroom? Let's talk!

Dual Language in Early Education Best for Youngest ELLs, Report Says

Playing with Blocks Seen as Key to Math Learning

Hello Friends,

Research gives credence to playing with blocks as linked to an academic skill development. Spatial skills, the ability to envision what something will look like once it is arranged, are enhanced through block play. This is what artists, engineers, and architects do--see something in their mind and then reproduce it. Higher math achievement has its roots in the informal play of young children, and as children play with blocks they experience and learn many math skills, such as classification, measurement, order, patterning, counting, symmetry, balance, problem solving and planning.

Current research shows that young children’s strong math skills can predict later success in school. In addition to math skills, block play offers other learning opportunities. Through their play, children are developing language and literacy skills in addition to math skills. As children build, balance, correct, enlarge and refine their structures, they develop motor skills, using small and large muscles, and eye-hand coordination.

The EdWeek article below looks at spatial skills in young children and the relationship to mathematics skills.

Children's Spatial Skills Seen as Key to Math Learning

Tell us about block play in your classroom. Let's talk.

Benefits of Preschool

Hello Friends,

We frequently talk about the benefits of preschool programs. EducationNews has a wonderful graphic that shows the benefits in pictoral form. You can see the graphic here,

What do you think about our field in pictures? Let's talk. 

     

Teach for America Attracts Men to Early-Childhood Education

Hello Friends,

Traditionally, child-rearing has been the responsibility of mothers and, by extension, female caregivers. Our society has been mistakenly led to believe that mothers know best how to interact with children, but men/fathers do not. There isn’t very much data on informal babysitters, but it's likely that the overwhelming majority of them are female. Teach for America is trying to change this paradigm.

What do you think about men in early childhood settings? Let's talk!


Teach for America Attracts Men to Early-Childhood Education

Are The Children Ready for Kindergarten?

Hello Friends,

Birth to age five is the most important learning time in a child's life. Ninety percent of a child's brain growth occurs during these five years.  Children being "ready for school" when starting kindergarten really matters. Children who enter kindergarten "ready for school" are more likely to do well all the way through high school and beyond.

Both teachers and parents play a pivotal role in a child's readiness for school. Social emotional development is really an import key to school readiness. Social emotional development refers to the child's ability to get along with others; to handle emotions and strong feelings; to follow directions; and to stay involved with a task.

Here are some ways that teachers and parents cann build social emotional skills in young children.

• Praise positive behavior--Praise leads to healthy self-esteem and understanding how to behave. When children behave--use words of praise and admiration. Be sure to tell children what they can do; not just what is done wrong or what they cannot do. Every time children are praised; they feel terrific about behaving in that way.
• Keep rules simple and clear--Children are more confident about doing the right thing when they know the rules--simple and clear ones. Give young children  three to five simple rules to follow: "Hold my hand when we walk on the parking lot." "Say please and thank you." "Let me answer the door if the doorbell rings."
• Lead by example--Children watch adults closely and that is one way they learn how to behave. If you express anger or displeasure calmly, children learn to do the same. Positive role models in the early years provide guidance in kindergarten and throughout life.
• Be sure to give choices--Let children make choices--which books to read, which snack to pick, etc. Children learn to follow guidance and to make decisions when given choices between things. Making these choices builds strong social emotional skills in young children.

What do you think about building social emotional skills in young children? How do you encourage parents to build these skills? Let's talk!

     

Technology in Pre-K

Hello Friends,

As we know, young children perceive the importance of technology in our lives, and this is not a recent development. What is new is the the rate of change in our technlogical capabilities. Because computer technology has become ubiquitous in our society, it seems like a natural progression to introduce it at a very early age. Educators need to look at this impulse very carefully, though. Not every important development that society embraces can be accessible to the very young child.

There are few experiences a young child can have through a computer which would not be more meaningful in real life. Counting monkeys on a screen is not superior to actually counting a concrete set of objects the child can manipulate with his hands. The early childhood years are an important formative period and one of the greatest dangers is that tasks and ideas which are better suited to the elementary years may get pushed into the early childhood curriculum in the name of preparation.

Young child are having a real and very important life right now, they are not living in preparation for kindergarten. If teachers focus on tasks that are developmentally appropriate, there should be no need to concern ourselves with children's readiness, they will be ready for much more than just kindergarten, they will be on the road to becoming life-long learners.

But if we allow the tasks and tools of the elementary years to occupy the hands and minds of young children, they may fail to develop the abilities to interact with the environment (and the people in it)in meaningful ways. What are your thoughts about using technology with the youngest learners? We would not encourage families to plop their child in front of the TV. What's so different about an i-Pad? Here's an article in EdWeek--check out their thoughts on this topic.  Let's talk.

Proper Role of Ed-Tech in Pre-K a Rising Issue

How Can I Coach A Resistant Teacher? (Part 2)

Hello Friends,

Current research regarding professional development for preschool teachers indicates that coaches can have a positive impact on helping preschool teachers address the challenges they face. Specifically, coaches can provide timely and focused feedback, enable teachers to develop skills to self-regulate their learning, and support teachers to become more intentional practitioners. In these roles, coaches can facilitate a shift in teachers' practice to accommodate current accountability expectations. Here is the second part of the article on coaching folks who don't want to be coached. It is interesting!

How Can I Coach A Resistant Teacher? (Part 2)

What do you think about coaching in early childhood programs? Have you been a coach or have you been coached? Let's talk!

"How Can I Coach a Resistant Teacher?" (Part 1)

Hello Friends,

Coaching in education is a change from traditional roles. The primaryfocus of the coach is to ask questions that are open-ended and promote thinking. Listening, probing for deeper meaning, and being non-judgmental are critical skills. Good coaching is built on a foundation of trust. It occurs when the coach creates a open, respectful and inviting setting. Coaching cannot be forced.

This two part article addresesses how to work with a resistent teacher. Part 2 will come tomorrow.

What are your thoughts about coaching in education? Can it help teachers? Let's talk.

"How Can I Coach a Resistant Teacher?" (Part 1)

To Close the Opportunity Gap, We Need to Close the Vocabulary Gap - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Hello Friends,

What is the achievement gap? It has been defined as the gap  in achievement that separates poor children and students of color from their more affluent peers. The achievement gap has been the focus of discussion, research and controversy for nearly 40 years. The good news is that the gap narrowed considerably through the late 1980s, particularly between blacks and whites; however, progress since then has been marginal — and the lack of achievement of minority students remains one of the most pressing problems in education.

Today, the average black or Hispanic high school student currently achieves at about the same level as the average white student in the lowest quartile of white achievement. Black and Hispanic students are much more likely than white students to fall behind in school and drop out, and much less likely to graduate from high school, acquire a college or advanced degree, or earn a middle-class living.

Are you asking the question "What does this have to do with preschool?" Well, studies report that three and four-year old children who are exposed to preschool have a greater chance of academic success throughout their schooling.
 Here are some interesting thoughts on the cause of the gap and how to close it.


To Close the 'Opportunity Gap,' We Need to Close the Vocabulary Gap - Bridging Differences - Education Week

Secretary Arne Duncan at the National Head Start Assoc. Conference

Hello Friends,

Secretary Arne Duncan gave remarks at the National Head Start Association conference held last week National Harbor, MD. This is evidence of the administration's interest in coordinated preschool programming. You can access the text of his remarks here:

Play Can Be an Effective Strategy for Assessment

Hello Friends,

There is an extensive body of research about play and the positive effects on early childhood learning and development. In general, research shows strong links between creative play and language, physical, cognitive, and social development. Play is a healthy, essential part of childhood. Infants explore their world through their senses while adults in their world foster their development and learning through playing games with them. Toddlers engage in pretend play when they imitate actions and events they have experienced in their family life. As they grow into four and five year olds, young children engage more and more in play activities that expand their knowledge of the world around them, develop their motor skills, and focus on their peers.

The link below connects you to some information on using play in observation and assessment. What do you think about play as an assessment measure? Do you use it for your observations?
Let's talk!

Play Can Be an Effective Strategy for Assessment

More Pre School? Yes! Let’s do it Right.

More Pre School? Yes! Let’s do it Right.

States Spending Less Money on Pre-K Education

Hello Friends,

State funding for pre-kindergarten programs had its largest drop ever last year and states are now spending less per child than they did a decade ago, according to the National Institute for released Monday. The State of Preschool 2012 report is compiled by  National Institute for Early Education Research. The  2012 State Preschool Yearbook is the newest edition of the annual report profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. The report also found that more than a half million of those preschool students are in programs that don't even meet standards suggested by industry experts that would qualify for federal dollars. Those findings — combined with Congress' reluctance to spend new dollars — may complicate President Barack Obama's effort to expand pre-K programs across the country. You can access the NIEER report below.

  The State of Preschool 2012 | nieer.org
 

After you read the report, let's talk! How is your state doing in regard to preschool spending?

 

Fixing the Opportunity Gap to Close the Achievement Gap

Hello Friends,

Here's an article from Education Week. It speaks to what it would take to close the achievement gap which the authors interpret as an opportunity gap. It encourages us to think more broadly about how poor children can be successful in school. It requires more than excellent teachers  for children to soar.

Fixing the 'Opportunity Gap' to Close the Achievement Gap

What are your thoughts about this article? Does it relate in any way to the children in your care? Let's talk!

 

America’s staggering education gap

Hello Friends,

Here's an interesting article in Salon about how better prepared kindergarteners, from higher income families, do once they enter K. The gap between lower income and middle income is growing at an alarming rate and the poorer/lower income children are paying the price for it.

America’s staggering education gap

Do you see any evidence of this gap in the children in your care? Let's talk!

More on Numbers and Operations

Hello Friends,

Counting

In order to count, young children will need to  learn: number sequence, one-to-one correspondence,  and that the last number called when counting objects (a set) tells how many are in the set.

Children usually learn the first numbers 1-20 by rote. Number names like eleven, twelve, and thirteen don't follow a typical pattern like twenty, twenty-one, etc--these can be hard for children to learn and remember.

One-to-one correspondence means that a number name is given to one and only one object in a set that is being counted. The cardinal number is the last number called when all the objects in a set have been counted. That last number tells HOW MANY. When a child counts 4 dinosaurs, she says, "I have 4 dinosaurs" and she doesn't start to count all over again.

Number Sense

One of the first number ideas that a child displays is the understanding of how many are in a set. Children eaasily develop a sense of number about objects in a small set. Children can look at a group of objects and know how many without even counting. This is called subitizing. Children usually develop their understanding of quantity by counting how many in a set or making a certain set of objects.

 

Comparisons 

When comparing two sets, children can tell by looking which one is bigger or smaller. At an early age, children can say "one or two more". Fewer or less is not usually in the young child's vocabulary so she will likely say "littler" or "not as much". These words mean the same as fewer or less.

I'm sure you are teaching all of these concepts in your classrooms. Tell us how you do it. Let's talk.

 

Recompetition and Head Start

Hello Friends,

The Office of Head Start has not come right out and identified the programs that will loose their grant. This has got to be a nervous time for employees and families waiting to hear what the end result will be. How do programs get into such a predicament? What do you think about recompetion?

Let's talk!


Head Start Tight-Lipped on Which Centers to Lose Aid

Young Children and Numbers and Operations

Hello Friends,

Number concepts are often highlighted in the early childhood classroom. Number concepts should be emphasized when teaching math concepts to young children. Numbers and operations involve nine different concepts:

• Counting
• Number Sense
• Comparisons (more or less)
• Order
• Numerals
• Combining operations (adding)
• Separating operations (subtracting)
• Sharing operations (dividing)
• Set Making (multiplying) 

In the next post, I will unpack each of these concepts and explain the teacher's role in developing the skills in these areas in young children. How do you teach counting to young children? Do you think it's necessary to teach these as isolated concepts? Let's talk!

How Do We Engage Parents?

Hello Friends,

Here's a terrific article from Education Week on how to engage parents where they are? Lots of good information here about how the needs of all families are not the same. So our approaches cannot be the same. What do you think about this article? Let's talk!
You can access the article here:

Parents Need Differentiated School Engagement, Study Finds

Secretary Duncan on Preschool Expansion

Hello Friends,

Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, wrote this great article about the value of preschool edcuation and how it can benefit our society.  The headline of the opinion post is: High Quality Preschool is a Sure Path to the Middle Class

   http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/arne-duncan-high-quality-preschool-is-a-sure-path-to-the-middle-class/2013/04/18/9fa194ee-a629-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story_1.html

 

I found this opinion piece very interesting! After you read it, let me know what you think. 

       

More on the President's Plan for Expansion of Preschool Education

 

Hello Friends,

 

Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education,talked quite a bit this past week about the President's plan for the expansion of preschool education. The information below is from the Department of Education Blog.

Obama Administration Budget Makes Major Investment in Early Learning

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Jonathan Schorr

Studies prove that children who have rich early learning experiences are better prepared to thrive in school. Yet the United States ranks 28^th in the world for the enrollment of 4-year-olds in early learning, and 25^th in public investment in preschool. Only 3 in 10 children attend a quality preschool program. Doing better is more than just a moral and educational imperative; it’s smart government: a public dollar spent on high-quality preschool returns $7 through increased productivity and savings on public assistance and criminal justice. From a growing number of voices, including from the recently concluded work of the Equity and Excellence Commission, the call has been clear to expand quality early learning in the United States.

To help all children begin school on a level playing field, the President has put forward in his 2014 budget request an historic new investment in early learning that would make preschool available to all 4-year olds from low-income families. The core elements of this proposal are:

• Preschool for All ($75 billion over 10 years). This investment would support grants to States for the implementation of high-quality preschool programs that are aligned with elementary and secondary education systems. The Department would share costs with States to provide universal access to high-quality preschool for children from low- and moderate-income families and provide incentives for States to serve additional middle-class families.

• Preschool Development Grants ($750 million). This program would provide grants to States to carry out activities that would build state capacity for implementing high-quality preschool programs, and expand model programs at the local level. The Department would provide competitive grants to States with preschool systems at various stages of development that are planning to provide universal access to high-quality preschool for four-year-old children from low-and moderate-income families to carry out the activities needed to successfully serve four-year-old children in high-quality programs.

The administration also requests funding to increase or maintain key investments in a number of programs that seek to improve outcomes for young children, especially for those with high needs:

• Early Intervention Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities ($463 million, $20 million more than the fiscal year 2013 amount). These formula grants help States implement statewide systems of early intervention services for all eligible children with disabilities and developmental delays from birth through age two and their families.

• Preschool Grants for Children with Disabilities ($373 million). These formula grants help States make a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment available to all children with disabilities ages three through five to help ensure that young children with disabilities succeed in school.

The Department of Health and Human Services is also investing in young children by requesting significant increases in funding for programs that include Head Start, Early Head Start and the Child Care and Development fund

How will these plans for preschool expansion fly--what do you think?

Developing Reading Skills in Young Children

"Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."

— Emilie Buchwald

Did you know that some researchers feel that there is a genetic basis for reading? In addition, the foundation for oral language skill development is laid during the infant and preschool years. Children should be able to accurately perceive and produce speech sounds as this is the basis for understanding the relationship between sounds and letters. Understanding oral language is directly related to written language comprehension and writing.

 

Emergent literacy skills and particularly phonological awareness skills form a bridge between the child's developing oral language and the acquisition of written language competence. Here's some information on emergent/early literacy skills:

• Phonological awareness-- awareness of the sounds of language. This is perhaps the best predictor of reading ability. Can children rhyme; determine the number of syllables in a word, etc.

• Letter identification--Children recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet
• Concepts about print-- Developed by New Zealand educator Marie Clay, concepts about print (CAP) refers to what emergent readers need to understand about how printed language works and how it represents language. Successful beginning readers develop concepts about print at an early age, building on emergent literacy that starts before formal schooling. (This is why talking to young children--oral language development is so important!)
• • Print carries a message. Even when a child "play reads" text using pictures and memory, the child demonstrates an understanding of this concept, even if she cannot read the words, or reads them backwards or front to back.
  • Books are organized, with a cover, title, and author, and reading in English flows in a particular and consistent direction, left to right and top to bottom. When young students successfully point to or otherwise track the print as someone reads aloud, they demonstrate their understanding of orientation and directionality.
  • Printed language consists of letters, words, and sentences. The emergent reader gradually learns to distinguish between these forms, learns the concepts of "beginning" and "end," and understands punctuation that marks text (e.g., period, comma, and question mark).
  • Recognition of matching or upper- and lower-case letters, as well as some common spelling sequences, are slightly more complex concepts of print mastered by more experienced beginning readers.

What are you doing to develop early literacy skills for the children in your care? How do you encourage parents in their role as their child's first teacher? Let's talk!

Talking to Young Children About the Boston Tragedy

   

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.” - Mr. Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

  Chances are that the children in your care may have heard something from the news, from classmates, or overheard adults talking about yesterday’s tragic events at the Boston marathon.  Overheard comments or conversations can cause a child to be in fear for his or her  safety. Yesterday's events highlight the importance of talking to children.  

Listen to your child: 

If your children are asking questions take the time to talk with them calmly and honestly.  Most importantly, do not force children to talk about things until they are ready.  If they ask you about the bombings, ask them what they think happened and what they heard.  This way you will be able to clarify any misleading information or confusion and reassure them that they are safe

.
Answer their questions: 

Be sure to keep your answers developmentally appropriate and limit how much information you share.  Younger children need brief and simple information but mostly need reassurance that they are safe.  Like Mr. Rogers’ mother, quoted above, focus on the positive.  Instead of concentrating on yesterday’s terrible events, mention how quickly the police responded or how Bostonians opened their homes to cold and hungry runners.  This will help reassure the children.

Recommend that parents monitor screen time:

Caregivers probably cannot control what children hear or see when they are not with you but parents can monitor at home.  Parents should use an online newsfeed to prevent children from seeing disturbing images on the TV.  Repetitive traumatic photographs may scare the child.  There are many online resources both parents and caregivers can use to help young children if they are asking about the Boston Marathon.  Here are a few:

• Child Care Aware of America 
• Washington Post’s The Answer Sheet
• Save the Children’s Tips for Talking to Your Child about a Crisis
• Talking to Children about Terrorism and War from The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Information on the President's Plan for Pre-K

Hello Friends,

Today I am sharing some information, from the National Women's Law Center in Washington, DC, that describes the new plans to enhance service for prekindergarten children from low and moderate incomes. In order for these plans to come to fruition, they will have to get through the Congress. How easy will that be?

These plans are exciting! What do you think will actually happen? Will the prekindergarten experience be made available for more children?

Will it be kindergarten watered down?

Let's talk!

Here's the fact sheet:

http://www.nwlc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/presidentsproposalfactsheet.pdf

Here are the plan's questions and answers:

http://www.nwlc.org/resource/president-obama%E2%80%99s-plan-early-education-questions-answers