April 10-16 marks the 50th anniversary celebration of the National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Week of the Young Child (WOYC). The purpose of the week is to bring attention to the importance of early childhood education and to support young children and their families. Each day of the week has a different theme including Music Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Work Together Wednesday, Arts Thursday and Family Friday. As part of the celebration, we will follow the daily themes to highlight the importance of play to a child's development and the different ways children learn through play in school each day. 

Over the course of the week, we  will be posting videos about play in the class, along with resources to help you engage in play with your child at home. We encourage you to participate in as many of the activities as you are able to and share with us on Instagram using the hashtag #WOYC21

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Activities to try:  
Create musical instruments-
 https://feltmagnet.com/crafts/Music-Instruments-for-Kids-to-Make
*Have your child repeat the beat- clap or stomp a beat and encourage them to mimic you
Some of our favorite music/youtube songs to use in the classroom (just go to youtube and search these names!):
Patty Shulka
GoNoodle
The Kiboomers
Koo Koo Kanga Roo
The Learning Station
For more information:
Support Math Readiness Through Music

#WOYC21
Recipe to try:
Play doh!! 
For more information and other activites:
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/i-helped-mama-too-cooking-tiny-helper

Activity to try:
Create a block maze or use other material as blocks (i.e plastic containers, tissue boxes, oatmeal canisters, etc. 

For more information:
https://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/Portals/56/docs/CDC/block-play-activities.pdf

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Activity to try:
Make your own puppets and put on a puppet show! Different skill level ideas are available here!

https://a2zhomeschooling.com/explore/fine_arts_kids/theatrics/making_puppets/

​For more information:
How Process Art Experiences Support Preschoolers

Supporting English Language Learners in the Classroom
By: Sanja Subasic, Discovery Child Development Center Pre-K Teacher

As a classroom pre-k teacher, I regularly teach students who speak a language other than English at home. Some of the students speak some English and others may little or no English. I have worked with many anxious parents who worry about their child transitioning to the classroom without knowing much English. Fortunately there are a number of teaching strategies that I have found to be successfully in supporting students who are  learning English. The strategies I utilize not only help students who are learning the language, but benefit all students in the classroom.

It is important to recognize that there is no single approach that will work for all bilingual children, or children learning a second language.That is why as teachers, it is important that we support children by finding out more about our students, their families, and their culture. We believe that it is important that child’s first language is acknowledged and valued, and it should be encouraged to be continued to be spoken at home. Also, it is important for us to observe what children are interested in and what motivates them, so we can include fun activities in our lesson. The more we understand and know about what to expect when children learn a second language, we can have appropriate expectations. By knowing, for example, that some children learning a new language will go through a silent period, we can recognize this stage and not pressure children to speak.

While supporting bilingual children at our school, there are many methods and strategies we use when teaching English (or Spanish) as a second language to ensure that the child grows up confident, and fluent in more languages. These are some of the methods that help all students (bilingual or monolingual) to succeed in communication.

1) Read Aloud - Reading aloud to students introduces new vocabulary and eposes them to new  words they may not otherwise hear.

2) Music - We play music and sing songs. This helps children with memorization and learn new phrases in a fun way.

3) Puppets - Puppets are a great motivational tool for students to practice the language and motivate them to start talking. We have found that some students who are reluctant to talk to teachers and adults, are happy to engage and interact with puppets.

4) Visuals - We post visuals all around our classroom. A student going through a "silent" period can always refer to picture to communicate.

5) Repetition - We repeat meaningful words and phrases, modify our speech, model, and use gestures.

6) Playing Games - Games are a great way for children who are reluctant to speak to participate in play. I use a lot of matching games in my classroom. 

Language is a big part of identity, and it is important that teachers work collaboratively with parents to support English Language Learners. Together we can positively help shape their sense of self as their understanding of the world around them.

The Benefits of Learning a Second Language 
By Sanja Subasic - Discovery Child Development Center Pre-K Teacher

Growing evidence suggests that giving young children an exposure to a second language, either at home or at school, provides cognitive benefits that can last a lifetime. Research suggests that early childhood is the best time to learn a new language.
 
I have the privilege of teaching children from families who come from a variety of countries and backgrounds. While learning a new language provides so many benefits, many parents have questions and concerns about what learning a second language will mean for their child’s development. Common questions include:
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• Will my child be confused learning two or more languages
• Could learning an additional language lead to delays?
• What is the best time to learn a second language?
• What are the benefits of learning a second language?

To address and answer frequently asked questions and avoid misinterpretations, our parents and teachers are encouraged to focus on research findings from a variety of scientific fields including developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, education and linguistics.

Will Bilingualism Lead to Confusion and/or Delays?
Many parents express fear that their child might have a language delay if they continue speaking their native language at home while learning English at school. The research in this field shows that being bilingual does not decrease or increase the chance of having a language delay. Just as there are children who speak one language and have a language delay, there are also bilingual children who have a delay. Even as early as infancy, children can differentiate multiple languages without confusion. Children will sometimes alternate between languages in what is known as code-switching, but that actually shows that they have understanding in both languages rather than confusion.
When is the best time to learn a second language?
While it is never too late to learn a new language, research has consistently shown that the early years are the ideal time for it. Young children are able to distinguish sounds and the brain is at its most flexible. A 2018 MIT study showed that it is best to start learning a new language by age 10 to achieve native-like fluency. Since children are well equipped to learn additional languages during the preschool years, it is a wonderful time for them to begin to learn an additional language. 

​What are the benefits of learning an additional language?
There are so many benefits to learning additional languages. Raising your child to be bilingual increases their understanding of the world from a new perspective and allows them to communicate with a broader range of people from different language and cultural backgrounds.
Studies have also found that bilingual children often perform better when asked to multi-task and it can also lead to increased ability to concentrate on a task. It has also been shown to benefit brain development and can improve communication skills in a child’s first language as well. 

While teaching a child a second language does take time and effort, the investment is well worth it.

Many preschools will advertise themselves as being the best preschool, daycare, or child care center, 5 stars, or award winning. How can you really determine which programs truly are high quality? How do you know if it will meet the needs of your child and  if it will be a worthwhile investment for your family? While there are a number of factors that go into this question, there are certain characteristics that differentiate high quality preschool and child care programs from the rest. When touring preschools, you will want to look for schools that demonstrate the characteristics listed below.

Signs of High Quality Preschool

1. Warm Environment - This should be apparent the moment you step into a preschool, daycare or child care center. Are you greeted by a smiling staff member? If you are able to see other office members, do they seem happy? Quality preschools should feel inviting to both parents and students.

What is the general feeling you get in the building? While I always recommend doing as much research as possible when selecting a preschool, it is also important to pay attention to your instincts. I have found when something does not seem right to a parent when they visit a preschool, that feeling is usual right. 

2. Low Teacher Turnover - Unfortunately, teacher turnover is a major issue for many preschools. Widespread turnover could be a strong indicator that there are significant issues within the school. Research has consistently shown the importance of having a highly-qualified teacher in the classroom on student achievement. High teacher turnover is also very disruptive for the important relationship building which occurs between students and teachers. 

3. Meaningful Student-Teacher Interactions - The evidence is clear that how teachers interact with students has a profound effect on student social and academic outcomes. Relationships matter, especially during the preschool years. When on school tours, watch how the teacher speaks to the students in the classroom. Are they actively engaging with students? Ideally they should be engaging in back and forth communication, asking open-ended questions, introducing vocabulary, and helping students make connections to their lives and prior learning. What forms of non-verbal communication do you see?

4. Effective Discipline Strategies - Learning self-regulation, conflict resolution strategies and how to use language to express feelings are all key skills that preschools should be helping children develop. Discipline should be used as a teaching tool rather than having a punitive focus. We want students to learn the skills that will prevent incidents from happening in the future, and how they can handle difficult emotions when they do occur. Look for evidence of how teachers speak with upset students and how any conflict is handled. Ask the school about their approach to discipline.

5. Clean and Healthy Environment - Your child's health and safety should be a preschool's top priority. The building and classrooms should have high standards for cleanliness, and furniture and equipment should be in good repair. With COVID-19, a healthy environment that should not only include cleaning/disinfecting, and hand washing, but schools should be taking additional steps such as daily student health screening, reduced class sizes, restricting building access. There should also be a focus on air quality which may include air purifiers and high quality filters (MERV 13 or higher if system allows). 

6. Engaged Students - Learning should be active and learning should be relevant to the lives of students. This will usually include a large number of classroom centers with quality manipulatives that offer choice and build different skills. The curriculum should be relevant and make connections to the lives of students.Beware of programs that narrowly focus on academic skills, and do not have opportunities for students to play. There should be areas for building materials, art, music, dramatic play, and outside time. Lessons are most effective when they build off prior knowledge and student experiences.

7. Differentiated Instruction - Another important aspect of engagement is differentiation. Instruction and curriculum should be designed to meet the diverse learning needs of a classroom. Students are less likely to be engaged when the curriculum is either not developmentally appropriate for them, or if it does not provide sufficient challenge. Quality schools utilize small group and individual instruction to help meet specific student needs.

8. Open Ended Materials and Activities - Classroom materials should encourage children to think creativity and become problem solvers. Materials like blocks, sensory bins, boxes, recycle goods, and items collected from nature can be used in many different ways. A good way to see if a school encourages open-ended thinking is to examine the art on the walls. Does each piece look the same, or are students able to express themselves and be creative. Giving children the opportunity for self-expression, helps them make decisions and experiment.

9. Partnerships with Families -  Quality program view families as partners and frequently communicate with them. Parents should feel that they are partners in their child's education. Ask on your tour what methods the school uses to communicate with families. How is a child's progress shared and how are concerns communicated? High quality programs also provide educational opportunities for parents which could include workshops, webinars, or resource libraries. There should also be opportunities for parents to participate in school activities and volunteer. 

10. Values Cultural Diversity - Preschool is a great place for children to learn about the world around them and about people with different backgrounds and experiences. They are also forming their own self concept and should feel that their family's culture is valued and celebrated. Art work on the walls and materials should be diverse and families should have opportunities to share their traditions in classrooms. Books in classrooms should include diverse characters and families. 

 Which educational philosophy is best for your child?

Discovery Child Development Center is a project-based school that utilizes a constructivist/social constructivist approach to education. It is important to find a philosophy and approach to education that is a good fit for your child and your family when selecting a preschool. We will compare two of those here, constructivist and Montessori.

Constructivism - In this philosophy, students are actively involved in their learning.  Through experiences knowledge is constructed. Constructivism roots are found in the work of Jean Piaget on cognitive development. Piaget theorized that children pass through 4 distinct cognitive phases of development and through active experiences, they acquire new knowledge. As children, interact with their environment, knowledge is shaped.

Lev Vygotsky similarly emphasized hands-on interactions with one's environment, but his theory placed a much greater emphasis on the social aspect of learning. His approach is known as social constructivism. For, Vygotsky interactions with others builds knowledge. Vygotsky saw learning as a collaborative process. He describe a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) where learners reach the next level of mastery through working on tasks that our just beyond their current abilities with the support of a teacher or mentor.

Key Points

• Students incorporate new knowledge into prior experience
• Base of knowledge continues to grow with each new experience
• Teacher is viewed as a facilitator of knowledge and guides as students test their knowledge
• Lessons should differentiate the curriculum and should be specific to each child's Zone of Proximal Development
• With help children can master new concepts that are just beyond their reach with the support of a teacher

Montessori - The Montessori method was created by Maria Montessori when she opened the first Montessori school in Rome, Italy in 1907. Montessori methods focus on children directing their own learning and are given freedom to select activities. Students receive large segments of uninterrupted work time in Montessori classrooms. Montessori classrooms are traditionally mixed-age classrooms.  There are specific prepared materials students in Montessori classrooms utilize.

Key Points

• Emphasis on individual work
• Children pace their own learning
• Believe children will thrive with right materials and environment
• Classrooms often contain children of different ages
• Students are encouraged to follow interests and are given long periods of time to work with limited interruptions.

We know many parents have struggled with the decision of whether to send their child back to preschool and daycare. While families need to ultimately make the decision that is best for their family and their own comfort levels, there are certain steps that preschools and child care can and should be taking to protect the health and safety of their students, teachers and families. Our building was closed for several months during the spring and early summer. During that period, I dedicated significant time talking to medical professionals, environmental engineers, scientists and families. While we can never completely eliminate the risks from COVID-19 while it is spreading through our communities, the actions listed are important to reduce those risks as much as we can.

1. Class Size - How many students and teachers will be in my child's class? Research shows that the larger the group size, the greater the risk. At our school for example, we decided to reduce all of our class sizes by 50% this fall. 

2. Health Screening - How are students screened before coming into school? It is important that students and families are asked every single day about possible symptoms and exposure to COVID. We set up daily questions through the Brightwheel App  that parents must answer before checking their child into school. The app also allows us to quickly communicate with families if there are any health related updates during the day. Temperature checks may be helpful for identify for sick students, but they are not sufficient for screening students.

3. Illness - When should a student stay home from school and when are they able to return? Preschools and child care centers should be able to share the specific guidelines they have for excluding students from school. We utilize a decision tree that clearly spells out when a student would be ask to stay home and for how long. It is also important that there is a clear procedure for when they are able to come back to school (ex. a negative cover test, 10 days since symptoms began). 

4. Positive Cases - If a student or teacher tests positive what will happen?  While we hope there are not any cases at your child's school, there should be a clear plan for handling any positive cases. Would a classroom have to shut down, how about the rest of the school? Some of this will depend on what the local health department advises, but plans should be developed for any potential closings and may include remote learning options. Now that we know more about COVID, the goal is to have children in school as much as possible and to avoid large closures if possible. Decisions should be made in coordinations with health and safety professionals..  

5. Masks - Will teachers and students wear masks at school? We know masks work to reduce the spread of COVID. Adults should be wearing them throughout the day, and all students who are able to wear them should wear them. With practice we have found students, especially in pre-k and kindergarten can do really well with masks.

6. Distancing - What social distancing strategies does the school use? While distancing in a preschool is difficult, there are a number of strategies that can be used to help. Reducing the number of students in a class provides more space to spread students out. We have utilized stable cohorts, eliminating as much as possible mixing between different classrooms. While we normally love having parents visit our classrooms, we have also restricted our building and classroom to essential visitors. 

7. Air Quality - What steps is your school taking to keep the air in the classroom clean and healthy? We now know that COVID spreads through the air. We also know that good filtration and ventilation can make a real difference, especially when combined with the above strategies. At Discovery we have added air filters to every classroom to increase the rate of air changes per hour in the rooms. We have also increased the fresh air through our HVAC system, and regularly have our air filters changed. These steps are especially important in preschools and child care centers, as many do not have windows that open for safety reasons.

8. Hygiene - When will children be required to clean their hands? Handwashing should be scheduled throughout a child's day for students and staff. Critical times for washing and sanitizing include arrival at school, upon returning from outside, when using the restroom, before and after meals and before departing school. 

9. Sanitizing - What is the plan for cleaning and sanitizing the school? Making sure a preschool or daycare has the highest standards for cleanliness, is always important, but especially now. Are toys and manipulatives regularly cleaned and sanitized? Is there special attention given to making sure high touch surfaces are kept clean?

10. Education - How is information on health and safety procedures shared with families? Communication is vitally important to make sure the whole community is aware of the school's policies and procedures. Information should be regularly shared and there should be a person coordinating the responses. We have a community compact that all parents at our school sign, a health and safety committee, a health and safety parent guide.