Friday, November 30, 2007

Finding Cultural Balance During the Holiday Season...

There is much talk about the multicultural aspect of celebrating holidays during this time of year. Here is some advice for celebrating holidays in early childhood programs...

When carefully planned and thought out as one part of a multicultural curriculum, holidays can be a vehicle for learning about the traditions and values of the families in our programs and exposing children to the traditions of others. When poorly planned, holiday celebrations might trivialize or provide incorrect information about cultural or religious celebrations, or encourage myths or stereotyping of groups of people. Think about your current holiday practices and reflect on what is meaningful and appropriate for the children you teach and their families.


Decisions about what holidays to celebrate are best made together by teachers, parents, and children. Families and scare providers are more comfortable when both have expressed their views and understand how a decision has been reached. The important thing for all to remember is that when planning holiday activities, the rules of good practice continue to apply: Are the activities meaningful to the children? Are their needs and interests being met? Is the activity a valuable use of children's time?

Holiday celebrations are just one way for programs and families to work together to create developmentally and culturally appropriate learning experience.

Here are some signs of good practice in celebrating holidays:

Children enjoy celebrating holidays. We need to make sure that all cultural holiday celebrations are recognized


Thursday, November 29, 2007

Young Children and Music

If you looking for a great gift idea for young children this Christmas, maybe you could consider the gift of music...

Just walk into a toy department you may notice all of the music-related toys, books, CDs, etc. for young children. You may have heard or read about what listening to music can do for your child and her development. Will your child be smarter if she listens to the classics? The debate is ongoing. But, despite whether or not music makes your child smarter, there are benefits for children who are able to explore musical interests.

Music is a part of life and can be found everywhere. Your child can hear music wherever she goes and young children seem to love music. Children can dance and sing to any song they hear, or make up one of their own about anything in life. Children have no qualms about dancing and enjoying the sounds they hear. They are very uninhibited and may be eager to learn more about music.
From infancy, music, tone, and rhythms are a part of your child’s life. Even the simplest things from soft breaths, a parent’s voice, or the beat of a heart offer rhythmic patterns appealing to children. Music can be soothing or it can pick you up and lighten your mood. But what is that children can learn from music?

Communication skills- singing songs and/or nursery rhymes will help your child grow their language and listening skills. The different sounds and patterns in songs will help your child understand different sound or letter combinations.

Coordination – music allows little ones the freedom to jump, hop, skip, and dance, all of which will help in the development of motor skills. Letting children play instruments will also help with this development.

Early math skills – music teaches your child about counting, sequences – or order, and tempo, which is the speed of the song.

Here are some fun tips on how your family can share the music:
A musical gift is great for children and one that they are sure to enjoy.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

School Readiness Curriculum in Family Child Care...

This is an interesting article in the Free Press. I would like to talk to a provider in the St Peter area to see how theis curriculm looks.

St. Peter eyes day cares to help prepare children
District looking for ways to help all children begin school on same level

Once upon a time, kindergarten readiness meant having a box of crayons and tied shoelaces.

Not any more.

Kindergarten readiness is one of the latest ideological innovations in education. The logic is that children who enter kindergarten with age-appropriate skills are more likely to experience continued success in the classroom. And if kids are more successful in school, they are less likely to drop out and/or commit crimes.

The St. Peter School District, along with the city’s Community and Family Education department and the St. Peter Early Childhood Coalition, have already devised and implemented several kindergarten readiness programs.

But St. Peter’s newest initiative takes kindergarten curriculum somewhere it doesn’t often go — into the living rooms of home day care providers.

“We found the curriculum and we thought it made sense to make it available,” said St. Peter Supt. Jeff Olson. “One of our long-term goals is having every student ready for kindergarten.”

According to community education director Nancy Penn, there are more than 30 home day care providers in the St. Peter area. With limited resources and materials — at least compared to center-based day care facilities — home providers have not typically had the opportunity to implement kindergarten curriculum.

Not any more.

“Home day cares are on their own,” Penn said. “They just don’t have everything that
centers do. This curriculum respects that and really reflects what home day cares are able to do. ... We are really depending on them to help get our kids ready.”

The curriculum, which is certified by the school district, emphasizes reading skills and, especially, comprehension skills. The reason, Penn said, is that the biggest challenge for young learners, regardless of background, is language.

Penn said children reach kindergarten at different reading, speaking and comprehension levels. Hopefully, she said, the curriculum will even the playing field and ensure all children have the necessary language skills when they show up for their first day of school.

“When they start school, all kids bring different language with them,” Penn said. “One child is from a farm, one child has parents that teach at Gustavus Adolphus. Those two kids will know different vocabulary and use language differently.”

Training for the curriculum begins Tuesday and continues once a month until March. The sessions begin at 6 p.m. and last less than two hours. The $30 registration fee is refunded upon completion of the training.

Anyone interested can contact St. Peter Community and Family Education at (507) 934-3048.



Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Hillary's Plan...

Yesterday I shared Obama's early education plan... Today we'll look at another candidate..

Part of the newly proposed plan by Hillary to improve the working families in our country is to provide better access to high quality child care.

Hillary has worked on expanding access and improving the quality of child care in our country for decades. The Bush Administration has essentially frozen the level of child care funding for the last eight years. As a result, the real purchasing power of child care subsidies has fallen significantly. According to the Bush Administration’s own estimates, 300,000 children will lose child care assistance by 2010, and 150,000 have already lost child care assistance since 2000.

Hillary believes we need to increase child care funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant and return the program to it’s original intent: to serve working families. She will also work with Congress to reform the Dependent Care Tax Credit to address its shortcomings. And she will improve the quality of child care by investing in:

  • Helping states improve and enforce licensing and safety standards;
  • Supporting innovative public-private partnerships that increase the supply
    of affordable, high quality child care for working families;
  • Promoting and supporting quality rating systems that help families evaluate
    programs; and
  • Supporting workforce initiatives that help child care providers get the
    right training.
My thought is that these are fine and worthy goals, but where is the benefit to child care providers? Providers who will be dealing with tighter licensing and safety standards and their enforcement. Providers who will take more training and work towards quality rating systems. It sounds like this proposal is geared more towards appeasing parents than the child care profession.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Obama's Education Rollout...

The latest article on Obama's education policy proposals...

Obama unveiled an ambitious $18 billion plan to expand public education frompre-school through 12th grade while at Central High School in Manchester, New Hampshire this morning.

Calling education "the currency of the Information Age," Obama stressed the need for expanding public programs to help American competitiveness with other nations. He said that a child in Boston now needs the training to compete with the kids getting an equal or better education in Bangalore or Beijing.

"In this kind of economy, countries who out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow,” Obama said. “Already, China is graduating eight times as many engineers as we are. By 12th grade, our children score lower on math and science tests than most other kids in the world."

Obama criticized No Child Left Behind, saying that educating America's children shouldn't involve teaching them how to "fill in bubbles." He also used the unpopular education bill to take a dig at the records of both Clinton and Edwards.

"It's pretty popular to bash No Child Left Behind on the campaign trail,” Obama said, “but when it was being debated four years ago, my colleague Dick Durbin offered everyone a chance to vote so the law couldn't be enforced until it was fully funded. Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton passed on that chance, and I believe it was a serious mistake.” Obama's education plan calls for: (1) full funding for educational programs from birth to 5 years old; (2) increasing the number of teachers through scholarships and incentive grants for taking challenging assignments; (3) prioritizing math and science education; and (4) focusing on parental responsibility in education.

The focus of Obama's education policy is on birth to 5, years Obama said were pivotal in children's development. The investment he added would be paid back to society 10-fold. His plan sets the goal for universal pre-school, but does not provide require parents to enroll their kids in it.

"And for every dollar we invest in early childhood education,” Obama said, “we get $10 back in reduced welfare rolls, lower healthcare costs and less crime.”

He cited his record in the Illinois Senate, where he said that he started the Early Learning Council, to point to how early education programs could be successfully implemented.

In order to address the current teacher shortage, Obama said that he would create a national teacher service corps, which would provide $25,000 scholarships to encourage undergraduates to become teachers. He also called for "professionalizing" teaching, creating a career ladder that would allow teachers to pass national assessment tests and reward teachers who perform well.

Aides to the senator, however, quickly disputed that this is “merit pay,” which they say simply ties compensation to how students perform on a standardized test. Obama has in the past called for performance-based pay -- most notably while at the National Education Association’s annual conference.

The Obama plan, though, does provide a "differentiated compensation system," which would reward teachers for undergoing additional training, for demonstrated learning gains by students, and for showing expertise and leadership. It would also allow teachers to take a role in deciding how to design their compensation at the local level.

Policy aides also disagreed with the idea that this plan was a significant expansion of the role of federal government in public education, saying the investment was in line with the current role that federal government plays in enhancing and supporting states' roles in providing public education. Instead, they pointed to Obama's call for parental involvement in education as a sign of his commitment that education must rely on partnership between parents and public educators.

Though Obama called for a renewed investment in math and science education, his plan would actually pull money from the federal government's greatest investments and achievements in math and science. Obama would delay funding for the NASA Constellation program for five years, though he would maintain the $500 million in funding the program would receive for its manufacturing and technology base, in order to help fund his education policy. The campaign did not say how much money delaying the program would provide.

The plan would also be paid for through the auctioning off of surplus public land, closing the CEO pay deductibility loophole, reduce costs of standardized procurement and through the some of the money that would be saved by ending the war in Iraq.

This is the third significant domestic policy Obama has unveiled in the past two weeks. Earlier this month, under the umbrella of a middle-class agenda, Obama unveiled tax-savings plans, day care and child care credits and the expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act. In Iowa yesterday, Obama touted his commitment to community colleges and called for grants to expand their reach.


I personally like the sound of this program. What are your thoughts?

Friday, November 23, 2007

Baby Videos - More Harm Than Good?

I hope that you had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Did you brave the crowds today and participate in the so-called "Black Friday" retail activities? I normally care for children on the day after Thanksgiving, but this year with only a few children coming, my daughter convinced me to go shopping at 4 am (much to my husband's amusement)... big mistake! I have now decided that is is much wiser to avoid the crowds and give up on the huge Christmas bargains...


And speaking of Christmas gift shopping... Before you rush out to buy the lastest "baby video" to promote early education you should read the following article...

Baby DVDs may slow early language acquisition
There appears to be no benefit whatsoever from having infants watch baby DVDs or videos, despite marketing claims to the contrary. In a study of infants age 8 to 16 months, researchers found that watching baby DVDs or videos may actually delay vocabulary development.

“The take-home message for parents,” said Dr Frederick J Zimmerman, “is that you can’t purchase healthy development — it comes from frequent conversations between parent and child starting at birth and continuing at least for the first 3 years of life.”

Zimmerman, from the Child Health Institute, Seattle, and associates interviewed 1,008 parents of children age 2 to 24 months about their children’s language development and how their youngsters spent their time, including the types of media they are exposed to.

“We found that among the babies 8 to 16 months old, the more time they spent watching baby videos, the worse was their language development,” Zimmerman told.

Some examples of baby DVDs/videos include Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby. Specifically, each hour per day of viewing baby DVDs/videos was associated with a 17-point decline in scores on an test that measures language development called the Communicative Development Inventory (DCI). This corresponds to a difference of about 6 to 8 words for a typical child out of the 90 included on the CDI, the researchers explain in a report in the journal Pediatrics this month.

The researchers also found that parents who read or told stories to their infants and toddlers at least once a day increased their child’s vocabulary scores on the CDI test.No other form of media categories that the researchers measured was associated with either better or worse language development in infants 8 to 16 months old. These categories were educational TV or DVDs like Sesame Street, Blue’s Clues; non-educational TV like Sponge Bob Squarepants and Bob the Builder; children’s movies like Toy Story and The Little Mermaid, and adult TV like The Simpsons, Oprah, and sports programming.

The apparent harmful impact of baby DVDs/videos on language development was specific to infants 8 to 16 months old, the researchers emphasize.Among toddlers 17 to 24 months old, there were no significant associations between any type of media and language development. Baby videos are now a $100-million business, “with a myriad of unsubstantiated claims being made about how they will improve intelligence and school readiness, writes Dr Victor C Strasburger in a commentary published with the study. Yet the current study, he points out, suggests ‘highly significant’ language delays in babies exposed to these videos.

“Both pediatricians and parents need to appreciate the power of the media — to educate, to entertain, and to harm,” concludes Strasburger, professor of pediatrics at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque.


As I have often said... media can be good, but must be used in moderation. It is much better for you to invest in some books and read to your child.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

Today's post is just for some fun, nothing to do with children or child care...

This is my favorite Thanksgiving commercial: My husband works for this company - Jennie-O Foods - and I love this...

Have a great holiday!


Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Exploring Books with Babies...


Reading to a squirmy infant or an active toddler can be challenging — but it's so important. Here, dos and don'ts for reading to the under-2 set.

Babies don't so much read books as explore them. It's not about the words, the story, or the sound of your voice. It's not about the pictures. It's not about the physical book itself. It's actually about all of the above, combined. Babies use all their senses to take in a book. Your job is to keep your mind open to the possibilities — a book can be just as satisfying as reading it — and have fun. It can take a lot of patience to get through even a short picture book with a baby, but you'll be rewarded with a child who's received an excellent start to literacy — and life. Here are some dos and don'ts for you and your budding reader:




Do:


Don't:


Tuesday, November 20, 2007

9 Ways to Integrate Reading into Everyday Life...


We've heard the talk about school readiness and how important reading and language skills are. But other than reading to children (which is vital), what can you do to integrate reading skills into everyday activities?

Here are nine ways to build a fun, language-rich atmosphere at home with these great tips and activities you can do in minutes.

These are just a few ideas. I'm sure that you can think of more ideas that are just as fun.


Monday, November 19, 2007

Thanksgiving Activities...



As I am sure you are all aware, Thanksgiving is on Thursday. Time to do some Thanksgivng crafts and fun with the children. Here are some for you to look over...

I hope that you enjoy your holiday. Have some fun!

Friday, November 16, 2007

Happy Birthday Mickey...

Mickey Mouse's birthday is November 18th. Though he is starting to age (since he was "born" in 1928), Mickey is still a favorite among kids of all ages.

What a great excuse to have a birthday party! I think we will celebrate with Mickey when the kids come on Monday. Here are some links for fun ideas, pictures to color, and more...
Have fun celebrating Mickey's birthday. And remember...

M-I-C (See ya real soon!)
K-E-Y (Why? Because we like you.)
M-O-U-S-E

Thursday, November 15, 2007

More than child's play...

Working with young children may seem like ... well, child's play. However, it's not all about drawing pictures, building block towers and dressing up. Skilled early childhood education professionals know how to present activities that help each child learn.

Knowing what skills are expected of early childhood education professionals can help parents choose wisely when placing their children in a day care or preschool.

Under state licensing requirements, a licensed child care provider is only required to take a minimum number of hours of training each year. But, an early childhood professional generally far exceeds these training requirements, taking training that includes topics related to health and safety, curriculum planning and childhood development.

I was recently asked at a parent workshop, "How do those adults keep the children busy for 2½ hours?" A skilled ECE professional does not use endless worksheets, television or computer games to hold the attention of a group of young children. Because children's brains thrive on novelty, skilled professionals have new experiences ready each day, whether it is on a given theme for the week or a certain topic the children choose to explore in more detail.

Materials such as musical instruments, puzzles, dress-up clothes and books in a quality early chilldhood educational environment reflect the children's diverse learning styles and experiences.

Perhaps most importantly, a skilled ECE professional is able to communicate with children in a way that fosters success in reading, writing, problem-solving and negotiating conflicts.

A skilled professional labels and describes objects and actions; asks open-ended questions that encourage children to describe causes and effects or apply their imagination to everyday occurrences ("What would happen if the sky were green?"), and helps children learn logical consequences for their behavior so they can make appropriate choices.


So are you an early childhood educational professional or a child care provider? Which do you think partents are looking for today? It's all about quality of care...

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Trends in Child Care...

Parents and policy makers are of the opinion that child care facilities have improved overtime, and claim that this significant change is for the better. Child care providers have in the past, generally been treated with great speculation and negligence. Recent times however, admire and appreciate the development strategies adopted and implemented by the caregivers. So what are the latest trends in child care today?

Child care today means early education: This works with the insistence of parents who encourage early learning for their child. Researches also contribute in stating that children have greater grasping capabilities when they are young. Child care providers target to equip children with various skill sets and academic learning. Teachers and staff are also given formal and extensive training for imparting knowledge and education to these tiny tots.

Drop-in Child care on the rise: A range of activities are provided for children in this case. The benefit of such an arrangement is that it comes with low fees and the best and safest quality. Activities include night out with parents, gym facilities, church and many more. The aim is to provide everything under one roof for the all round development of a child.

Corporate Child care is gaining great importance: This is due to the quality of child care provided by the centers. The policy is to attract and retain employees by providing in-house facilities for their children. Some companies are also focusing on providing for child care centers near the offices for greater assurance and security of their children.

Technology contributing to the effectiveness of Child care centers: Video streaming of classroom activities is giving the parents a sense of security for their children today. Some centers also take photographs of children and send them to parents through e-newsletters and weekly blogs.

Child care centers are safe today: Security is become a priority for child care providers today. For example, there has been a rising concern with regard to child pick ups, background checks, screening and monitoring of employees,etc.

Child care options available for children: Parents today have a wide variety of options to choose from. For example, a nanny for a new born baby, an in-home provider for a toddler and a child care center for preschoolers. Child care centers are growing in close proximity to homes so parents needn’t travel to and fro to look for them.

Internet is a great source to find Child care centers: Today parents have the option to look for child care centers through the internet. This has resulted in a great demand and focus on child care providers.

Child care providers take care of the health and fitness needs of children: Most working parents have less time to offer to their children. Various health needs or aspirations of their children may be ignored in that case. Child care providers fulfill these needs by encouraging their participation in sports and other extracurricular activities. An instructor comes personally to the center to train these young ones.

These positive indications confirm the safety and reliability of child care which make living easy and comfortable for both parents and children. What other trends do you see happening in the child care industry?

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Funding Increases for Children's Programs...

Did you know that Congress just passed major increases to Head Start, child care, child abuse prevention, Pell Grants, energy assistance for low-income families, and education for disadvantaged students?

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill to fund the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The vote was 274 to 141. After many years of stagnation and cuts, these important programs for children will receive significant increases to benefit the health, education, and safety of millions of America's children.

The Senate also approved the Labor-HHS-Education funding and sent it back to the House for final approval. Now that the House has acted, the bill is finally on its way to the President's desk. He's said he will veto it.

Rejecting the President's veto is within our grasp - but only if we shine a light on how our Representatives are voting. The House's Labor-HHS-Ed vote on Tuesday was just 3 votes shy of the two-thirds needed to override, with 17 not voting. In fact, Congress just overrode a veto for water projects. So they will do it if they think their constituents care.

Here's an easy way to hold your Rep. accountable:
1) Write a letter to the editor - click here for a very handy way to send a letter to the paper of your choice, with sample points either to thank Reps. who have voted in favor of investing in people or to express disappointment, and to urge all to meet their district's needs by voting to override the President's veto. (To send a letter to the editor, click here:)
2) Send a copy to your Representative - click here to send a copy. That way, whether or not the letter is printed, your Rep. will know his constituents care how he/she votes on vital human needs funding. It's easy. When you're finished writing your letter, highlight and copy it. Once the letter is sent, you'll get the chance to paste the text into an email to your Representative.

Please send the letters today! We don't know exactly when the override vote will come up, but it could happen within a week. Today's report from Captain Obvious: Send the letters when they will do the most good - before the override vote!

More information:


Monday, November 12, 2007

Holiday Stress Relief...

In just a few weeks we will be into the "holiday mode", which usually means that we will experience the stress of trying to buy more gifts than we can afford in less time than we really have. Stress is a way of life. We thought you might enjoy some stress relief points that we ran across. We are sorry to say, that we cannot find the source for these pointers but thought you would find them helpful.

Proven Stress Reducers
  1. Don't rely on your memory. Write down appointments, when to pick up the laundry, when library books are due, etc.
  2. Get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning so you don't start the day feeling frazzled.
  3. Keep a duplicate car key in your wallet.
  4. An instant cure for most stress: 30 minutes of brisk walking or other aerobic exercise.
  5. Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant with the weak and erring, for sometime in life you will have been all of these.
  6. Say "No, thank you" to extra projects you don't have the time or energy for.
  7. Set up contingency plans-just in case, "If either of us is delayed," "If we get separated in the Mall, here's what we'll do..."
  8. Put brain in gear before opening mouth. Before saying anything, ask yourself if what you are about to say is 1)True, 2) Kind, and 3) Necessary.
  9. Stop worrying, If something concerns you, do something about it. If you can't do anything about it, let it go.
  10. For every one thing that goes wrong, there are 50 to 100 blessings. Count them.
  11. Learn to live one day at a time.
  12. Every day, do at least one thing you really enjoy.
  13. Don't sweat the small stuff.
  14. Laugh!
  15. Remember that the best things in life aren't things.
  16. Add an ounce of love to everything you do.
  17. If an unpleasant task faces you, do it early in the day and get it over with.
  18. Do one thing at a time.
Try a few of these things and see if you start to feel less tense. I especially need to remind myself of number 9.

By the way, if the holiday meal has you worried don't try this or this to make your meal preparations go easier ;-)

Friday, November 09, 2007

TV Violence May Spur Aggression in Boys

Sorry, but I would have to file this article in the "Well, duh..." folder.


Preschoolers who watched such fare more likely to act out at 7, 10, study found

Preschool boys exposed to violent television -- even cartoons -- are more likely to become aggressive later in life, researchers warn.

Their findings don't definitively prove that TV makes children act up, and girls seemed entirely unaffected by violent fare, according to the researchers. But the link does appear solid in the case of boys, said study lead author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington, Seattle.

"If parents are really interested in their kids' behavior, they have to be very selective and thoughtful about what their children watch," Christakis said. "That requires a fair amount of education on their part. They can't think, 'It's a cartoon, and it's harmless.' They have to be more thoughtful."

A number of studies have linked violence on television to aggression among children, but the new research is unusual, because it looked at the effects of television watching on kids between the ages of 2 and 5, Christakis said.


Read the entire article...

Thursday, November 08, 2007

True Costs for Early Childhood Education...



Costs Per Child for Early Childhood Education and Care: Comparing Head Start, CCDF Child Care, and Pre-Kindergarten/Preschool Programs



Many U.S. politicians, academics, and policymakers are currently engaged in a nationwide debate about whether to expand child care, pre-kindergarten/preschool, or Head Start programs. Up to now, the deliberations have focused on which programs work best to close the achievement gap for disadvantaged children, and which programs better prepare all other children for school. Yet, as AEI scholar Douglas J. Besharov points out, the cost of these programs–an equally important factor–has been left out of the discussion.


In a just-released study, “Costs Per Child for Early Childhood Education and Care: Comparing Head Start, CCDF Child Care, and Pre-Kindergarten/Preschool Programs” (2003/2004), Besharov calculates the actual per-child costs of child care provided under the Child Care and Development Fund, pre-kindergarten/preschool programs, and Head Start (including Early Head Start).


The resulting cost estimates–based on all available government data–are dramatically different from most widely cited government and advocacy group estimates, which include neither the administrative and supplemental spending needed to raise care quality, nor the Child and Adult Care Food Program subsidy. Also ignored are the cost differences between part-time and full-time arrangements. Besharov estimates the full-time, full-year, costs per child to be:

Download the full report...


Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Children of the Code...

It sounds like a bad horror film or perhaps a new reality show, but Children of the Code is a massive project, consisting of interviews, articles, and videos on the subject of reading and literacy -- and how reading acquisition can break down, and be repaired.

Children of the Code is a public television, DVD & web documentary series Including over one hundred interviews with leading neuroscientists, psychologists, reading researchers, educators, historians, economists, technologists and policy leaders.

"The big step between us and animals is language. But the big step between civilization and more primitive forms of human society is written language.... it doesn't just enable it (civilization) in the sense of making it possible, but rather, it constitutes it. " - Dr. John Searle, Mills Professor of the Philosophy of Mind and Language at University of California- Berkeley (COTC interview)

The 'code', the technology of written language, is the most influential invention in the history of history. It is the "OS" (operating system) of civilization. Becoming code users literally changed how our minds think, self-reflect, remember, abstract, categorize, and codify. Today's social institutions; our science, law, politics, organizations and technologies are all outgrowths of what the code made and makes possible in our minds. We are all, in a very real sense, children of the code. For some of us the code is an invisible, taken-for-granted, mind-enabling platform, for others it is an ever-present mind-shaming barrier that all but determines what is possible in life.

The mission of Children of the Code Project is to help bring about a society wide transformation in our understanding of "The Code and the Challenge of Learning to Read It".

The main website is here, http://www.childrenofthecode.org/
Index of the video segments: http://www.childrenofthecode.org/Tour/index.htm

I'd urge anyone interested in early literacy, and especially parents of a child with language delays and/or learning disabilities to explore the
Children of the Code website.

Statistically, more American children suffer long-term life-harm from the process of learning to read than from parental abuse, accidents, and all other childhood diseases and disorders combined. In purely economic terms, reading related difficulties cost our nation more than the war on terrorism, crime, and drugs combined.

I would have to agree with the importance this organization places on literacy. This project (and the website) is simply huge. It is difficult to explain everything available for resources here. I urge you to visit the site and take a look around.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Early Childhood Today...

Actually saw some snow flurries yesterday... Don't know if I'm ready for winter yet, but the time change and the cooler weather sure makes it feel a lot closer. Today, I want to share a great online resource for both child care professionals and parents...

One of my favorite magazines was Early Childhood Today from Scholastic. Early Childhood Today has made the transition from print magazine to a more expansive presence online in order to better service early childhood professionals. Through their website, they can offer free access to an incredible archive filled with over 22 years of rich early childhood information from among the top experts in the field.

This site contains articles, activities, expert advice, hot topics, current child care news, and even an online store for early childhood products. There are excellent sections on behavior and development, activities, curriculum ideas, tips & strategies, and more.

Though I will miss the magazine arriving in the mail, this is definitely a gain for anyone who was not a subscriber. Check out this great online resource at http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/ect/index.htm. This is a website that you need to have saved in your favorites for future reference.
Look it over and let mw know what you think...

Monday, November 05, 2007

HaveYou Gotten Your Flu Shot?

It has been said that caregivers of kids, aged birth-5 years, should get the annual flu vaccine. Much has been written on the flu shot or flu vaccine sprayed into the nostrils and its benefits. (Check out the scoop on the flu from About Guide to Pediatrics Vince Iannelli, M.D.) But, if you don't fall into the higher risk categories of those recommended to get the vaccine, should you anyway? The answer is definitely yes if you are a child care provider or parent (or even sibling) of a young child.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease control and Prevention, all children from age 6 months up to 5 years of age and anyone 50 years of age or older should get an influenza vaccine. Beyond that, the vaccine is also recommended for anyone who lives with or cares for people at high risk for influenza-related complications.

And that specifically includes household contacts and caregivers of children from birth up to 5 years of age. Any family care provider or daycare worker knows that kids bring in a wide assortment of childhood ailments, exposing everyone around them to the bugs. In cold weather months, the risk of communicable diseases and ailments is even greater. Since flu can result in a loss of business by being unable to care for kids, or even worse, hospitalization, or in rare cases, death, sound advice seems to be to get that shot, preferably in October or November of each year, or even later if needed.

Time to get that flu shot. It's for your own safety.

Friday, November 02, 2007

What Every Child Needs...



An interesting article from the New York Times concerning preschool and school readiness...

In the early 1990s, I was taken aback to overhear my 3-year-old son insisting to his 6-year-old cousin that he went to “ABC school,” not to day care, as she condescendingly referred to it. (He was spending a few sociable hours a week at a children’s center chosen because it was around the corner.) I had no idea where he got that term, or when he decided his educational credentials needed upgrading. And, given that alphabet drills weren’t in fact part of the program, I wasn’t sure what he was really boasting about.

But with universal prekindergarten (UPK) emerging as a campaign issue, it’s now clear to me that he was a kid ahead of his time. Hillary Clinton and John Edwards have recently joined a chorus of early-childhood-education advocates, governors, foundations and social activists who have been promoting the cause in notably wonky, rather than warm and cuddly, terms. Calling for an overhaul of the current patchwork of uneven preschool programs, UPK proponents invoke neuroscientific evidence of brain growth rather than child-care needs. They cite the long-term economic benefits of an early investment in boosting “cognitive skills” and “school readiness,” especially for low-income children. There is little mention of, say, pretend play in the pitch for government-subsidized
pre-K, which supporters argue should be affordable and available (though not necessarily mandatory) for all.

The hardheaded rhetoric conveys an important message: expanding access to early education is serious business, not baby stuff. The universal-preschool mission, too often dismissed as nanny-state meddling, capitalizes on the inclusive No Child Left Behind drive to close the K-12 achievement gap: the moment is ripe to reach downward to the post-diaper and pre-backpack stage, where disparities between white and minority students start. Yet aligning with an ethos of no-nonsense academics inspires uneasiness among UPK crusaders themselves, as the Berkeley professor Bruce Fuller points out in “Standardized Childhood: The Political and Cultural Struggle Over Early Education.” After all, for your bouncy 4-year-old — “wild and wonderful” is the epithet one classic parenting book applies to the age — how much ABC school do you really want?

It is a vexed question for liberal universalists, since the answer tends to vary by, among other things, economic class. In families at the well-educated top of the heap, where books and big vocabularies abound, parents have long gravitated to the “whole child” end of the pedagogical spectrum, as David Kirp notes in his recent manifesto for the cause, “The Sandbox Investment: The Preschool Movement and Kids-First Politics.” For their offspring, already steeped in ABC stuff, they generally favor an emphasis on individualized exploration and creative classroom collaboration to promote social and emotional growth. That entails having well-trained teachers at hand to comment and facilitate, like attentive parents, rather than overtly direct.

Not cheap, it’s what many child experts consider developmentally correct.

Yet such solicitously child-centered expertise doesn’t always sit so comfortably with families on the lower end of the income ladder or from other cultures. There, child-rearing styles tend to be considerably less chatty than the middle-class norm, Fuller and others note, and parents often expect more work than play in school. Bolstering kids’ deference to adults, not just boosting kids’ confidence, is also valued in many families. Early reading and math readiness often counts most of all, and teachers hold the key. It’s an invitation to “direct instruction,” which appeals to school administrators eager for a cost-effective jump-start on “skilling” for the No Child Left Behind testing that starts in third grade.

Nobody wants a two-tiered system, which isn’t likely to narrow the achievement gap, or a rigid one-size-fits-all system, either. But the UPK mission is an impetus to notice that at each end of the spectrum there are pedagogical lessons the other end wouldn’t get otherwise and that everyone could benefit from. Kirp and others pragmatically hope that in a universal system that includes well-off families, there would be built-in demand
for a developmentally sensitive preschool, which is arguably icing on the cake for the affluent but especially beneficial for those who lag behind. Those parents’ political clout, moreover, would make budgets harder to cut.

But the ABC side of the preschool spectrum — a more didactic emphasis on school readiness — also deserves its due, and not just because government financing may not always match liberal dreams. It helps give poor kids a cognitive boost early on, some research suggests, and it’s what their parents generally look to the classroom to deliver. For progressive purists, the bossiness may be a turnoff. Yet just as exposure to whole-child solicitude can benefit everybody, not least low-income kids and their families, surely so can a dose of the get-with-the-program ethos, unfamiliar though it may feel to the more affluent. Lessons in listening up and following routines deliver their own dividends. They can help convey a sense of belonging and fairness — and patience — that all kids need, not least the luckiest among them.

In retrospect, that’s what I think my son meant by “ABC school”: the challenges that felt important to him were learning not to cry when he was dropped off, not to bite other children, to wait his turn and to endure terrifying fire drills. They aren’t ingredients of future brilliance but maybe of something more important — a spirit of resilience.

Ann Hulbert, a contributing writer, is the author of “Raising America: Experts, Parents and a Century of Advice About Children.”



Thursday, November 01, 2007

Children's Book Week is November 12 - 18, 2007...

November is here and the year is starting to wind down. This time of year always brings many holidays and reasons to celebrate. November also brings us Children's Book Week. A celebration of the written word, Children's Book Week introduces young people to new authors and ideas in schools, libraries, homes, and bookstores. Through Children's Book Week, the Children's Book Council encourages young people and their care givers to discover the complexity of the world beyond their own experience through books. Children's Book Week will be observed November 12-18, 2007.

Since 1919, educators, librarians, booksellers, and families have celebrated Children's Book Week during the week before Thanksgiving. Children's books and the love of reading are celebrated with storytelling, parties, author and illustrator appearances, and other book related events.

The need for Children's Book Week today is as essential as it was in 1919, and the task remains the realization of a crucial goal: "Book Week brings us together to talk about books and reading and, out of our knowledge and love of books, to put the cause of children's reading squarely before the whole community and, community by community, across the whole nation. For a great nation is a reading nation."

Check out the Children's Book Week website. Especially look at the "How to Celebrate" section and the "25 Ideas" page for some fun ways to promote Children's Book Week within your child care.

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