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| December 17, 2008 | Study:
Sandwich Generation Struggling With Dual Caregiver Responsibilities A new study indicates that members of the sandwich generation -- those with child and elder caregiving responsibilities -- are increasingly concerned about the balance of work and responding to the additional caregiving needs of older relatives. However, the same study confirms that employers who provide back-up child and elder care are helping to maintain productivity and commitment for those employees during times when there is a breakdown in care for loved ones -- children, parents, or in some cases, spouses. Orlando Business Journal |
| December 17, 2008 | Children
Can Be Harmed By Being Held Back Please don't conclude that I'm absolutely recommending kindergarten, but the National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends that families follow kindergarten entrance deadlines unless there are clear-cut indications of intellectual or social-emotional immaturity or measures that suggest giftedness and that earlier entrance is appropriate. Creators.com |
| December 16, 2008 | Obama
Pledge Stirs Hope in Early Education President-elect Barack Obama's campaign pledge to invest $10 billion in early childhood education would be the largest such initiative since Head Start was launched in 1965. Obama transition officials say the recession has not derailed his plans: "We simply cannot afford to sideline key priorities like education," said spokeswoman Jen Psaki. New York Times |
| December 15, 2008 | DAP
Revisions: Essential for All Early Childhood Teachers Adults who choose to teach young children do so because we believe we can make a difference in their lives — we can help them learn and develop optimally. But to achieve this goal, we must be EXCELLENT teachers whose practices are EFFECTIVE in promoting young children’s learning and development. Excellent teaching is at the core of professional preparation activities and teachers at all levels will benefit from NAEYC’s 3rd edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. Council for Professional Recognition |
| December 13, 2008 | New Food Pyramid
Is Aimed at Kids A new federal government food pyramid for preschoolers may help parents deal with picky eating problems, especially as youngsters are introduced to new kinds of foods during Christmas meals. Yahoo! News |
| December 12, 2008 | Is
full-day preschool a good start, or too much, too soon, for kids? [Educators] cite numerous studies that show children in full-day programs have improved language and math proficiency as well as better social skills and more aptitude at following directions. However, opponents say pressing academics on preschoolers can be a case of too much, too soon for children still developing their attention span and mental and physical stamina. The Record, Hackensack, NJ |
| December 10, 2008 | Study: Poverty dramatically affects children's
brains A new study finds that certain brain functions of some low-income 9- and 10-year-olds pale in comparison with those of wealthy children and that the difference is almost equivalent to the damage from a stroke. USA Today |
| December 10, 2008 | Lawmakers
approve governor's spending cuts Gov. Jennifer Granholm plans to propose $140 million in state government spending cuts, including the closure of a state prison and a prison camp, according to a published report. Crain’s Detroit Busines |
| December 10, 2008 | Seniors,
youngsters get new wheels Two local organizations have some new wheels that will be put to use to transport passengers that span the generations. The St. Clair County Council on Aging and Economic Opportunity Committee of St. Clair County cut the ribbons on new buses last Friday morning. Council on Aging received three new buses to assist in transporting area seniors to a wide range of programs, activities and appointments. EOC received 11 new buses to carry students participating in the Head Start Program. New Baltimore Voice Newspapers |
| December 10, 2008 | Free
Teleseminar Helps People Start a Child Care Business…and Avoid
the Seven Biggest Mistakes Most People Make in Child Care Every year, thousands of people are interested in opening their own child care business, but it's often hard to figure out the rules and regulations if you're just getting started. Finally, there's a free teleseminar that helps people get started quickly and easily. "Every state has different child care rules, and it can be very confusing if you're new to the industry. People told me they were confused by all the different web sites & state regulations. So I created this free service to help people get started in an easy, step-by-step way," said Kris Murray, President of Daycare Hotline. eMediaWire.com |
| December 10, 2008 | Pamela
A. Morehead (Obituary) A founding member and first president of The Blue Water Association for the Education of Young Children, she was also a finalist for the Michigan Teacher of the Year Award, and treasurer for the Michigan Association of Teacher Educators. "The world was Pamela's classroom and she created unforgettable memories with her children and grandchildren that included camping, taking trips to Disney World, and encouraging her family's love of sports and the arts," family members said. Macomb Daily |
| December 8, 2008 | State to take over DPS finances Three years after Michigan ceded control of Detroit schools back to the local school board, the state superintendent has declared the district in "financial emergency" and says he will appoint an emergency financial manager. Flanagan emphasized that naming a financial manager would not be akin to a full state takeover, but Detroit school board members nevertheless vowed to fight the move. Detroit News |
| December 4, 2008 | Educators
Donate Money and Supplies to Early Childhood Programs Affected by
Hurricane Ike Early childhood educators and organizations that gathered in Dallas, Texas for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference and Expo donated thousands in cash contributions and supplies for early childhood programs affected by Hurricane Ike in the Gulf Coast area of Texas, bringing the total thus far to more than $117,000… “After the devastating impact of the recent hurricane, many NAEYC members looked for ways to help early childhood programs in the Houston and Galveston areas,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, Ph.D., executive director of NAEYC. “We know that the money and supplies donated will make a significant contribution to those programs to ensure that children affected in the region receive the continuity of care and education they deserve.” NAEYC.org |
| December 1, 2008 | Elementary
School Intervention Increases Mental, Sexual Health, Economic Status Children who in elementary school were taught social skills like impulse control and empathy continue to show benefits 15 years after the initial training, according to a study that has tracked nearly 600 students since elementary school. The 24- to 27-year-olds who went through the training enjoyed higher socioeconomic status, better mental and sexual health and higher rates of education than their peers who did not. ScienceDaily |
| November 26, 2008 | Preschoolers
need a healthy balance of play, learning A half-century ago, the term "preschool" was virtually unknown. Some children attended "nursery school," where the emphasis generally was on socialization, but there was little educational structure beyond learning the alphabet and counting. Recent decades have seen a great shift toward exposing children under age 5 to academics. It is not unusual today for children to enter kindergarten already knowing the basics of reading and writing. Battle Creek Enquirer |
| November 26, 2008 | Time
Single Working Moms Spend with Kids Surprises Researchers "Time poor" single mothers come surprisingly close in the number of hours they spend caring for their children compared to married mothers, and the difference is explained almost entirely by socio-economic factors and the kind of jobs they hold, say University of Maryland sociologists in a new study. The researchers conclude public policy focuses too heavily on the mother's marital status. Media Wire |
| November 25, 2008 | Melamine
Traces Found in U.S. Infant Formula The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it had discovered the toxic chemical melamine in infant formula made by an American manufacturer, raising the possibility that the problem was more extensive in the United States than previously thought. While few details were available late Tuesday, agency officials said they had discovered melamine at trace levels in a single sample of infant formula. It was also discovered in several samples of dietary supplements that are made by some of the same manufacturers who make formula. New York Times |
| November 20, 2008 | Teachers
Make a Difference: A Male Student’s Journey Mr. Vestal said he prefers to teach pre-K. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, 97 percent of teachers in pre-K programs are women, and only 13 percent of elementary school teachers are men and these men mostly teach in fifth and sixth grades. Chattanoogan (TN) |
| November 17, 2008 | Playtime
Valuable—and Under Siege, Experts Warn Young children need more fun time to develop teamwork, problem-solving skills and self-confidence, says Temple University psychology professor Kathy Hirsh-Pasek. "Play equals learning," she said. "For too long, we have divorced the two." Education Week |
| November 17, 2008 | Enhanced
Head Start program effective A program to enhance Head Start by giving teachers enrichment manuals is effective in helping children in both academic and social areas, U.S. researchers said. The program -- called REDI, for research-based, developmentally informed -- was developed and implemented in partnership with Head Start programs in Pennsylvania by researchers at the Pennsylvania State University. UPI |
| November 17, 2008 | Parent's
Expectations I would also recommend certain reading material or a video that demonstrates the concept of developmental appropriateness. Contact NAEYC for a list of parent materials that can be very useful in sharing what you know with parents. In short, make it clear that the last thing you would ever want to do is hold a child back, but neither would you want to frustrate him or her by having unrealistic expectations. School and learning should start off being fun and rewarding, uplifting a child's self-esteem. Scholastic.com |
| November 17, 2008 | How
To Qualify For Child Care Grants Parents and guardians are constantly in search of appropriate Child care grants. However, very few people know where such grants are obtained and are also unaware about all the formalities involved. Actually, there are a lot of online sites which can present you with day care grants. ArticleXplosion.com |
| November 17, 2008 | New
Program Teaches Preschoolers Reading Skills, Getting Along With Others A study funded by the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies shows that it's possible to teach preschoolers the pre-reading skills they need for later school success, while at the same time fostering the socials skills necessary for making friends and avoiding conflicts with their peers. The findings address long standing concerns on whether preschool education programs should emphasize academic achievement or social and emotional development. Media-Newswire |
| November 17, 2008 | Learning
through play “Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children,” a joint position statement of the International Reading Association and the National Association for the Education of Young Children, which can be found at www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pdf/PSREAD98.pdf. Action Alliance for Children |
| November 14, 2008 | Preschoolers
Learn Reading Skills And Getting Along A study funded by the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies shows that it's possible to teach preschoolers the pre-reading skills they need for later school success, while at the same time fostering the socials skills necessary for making friends and avoiding conflicts with their peers. RedOrbit |
| November 14, 2008 | ABCs
plus playing nice equals better pre-K smarts Should preschool be more about ABCs or learning to play with others? With the help of Twiggle the Turtle, scientists found out that youngsters do better if they do both. So concludes a major study in Head Start programs in Pennsylvania, research with implications for preschools and parents everywhere. Palm Beach Post (FL) |
| November 14, 2008 | Preschoolers
more stressed in big classes Preschool kids taught in large groups may feel increasing stress as the day goes on, and that could take a toll on their health, according to an unusual study out this weekend. The stress hormone, cortisol, rises from morning to afternoon in children whose classrooms have close to 20 students, but falls in preschoolers taught in groups closer to 10, says Jared Lisonbee, a human development professor at Washington State University. USA Today |
| November 12, 2008 | Thousands
of families shut out of pre-k programs State-funded programs meant to expand preschool opportunities for low-income children largely ignore middle-class families, with research indicating that 700,000 such families in 20 states are experiencing a pre-K economic pinch. "This issue has been more or less ignored," said report author Albert Wat of the advocacy group Pre-K Now. "When we talk about the middle-class squeeze, most of the attention has been about college tuition but less has been said about middle-class families who are struggling to pay for early education." Associated Press |
| November 12, 2008 | Children
Now Study Finds PBS KIDS(R) and PBS KIDS GO!(SM) Offer the Most Educational
Programs on Television PBS KIDS(R) and PBS KIDS GO!(SM) programming are among the most education-rich offerings on television, according to a new report released today by independent research and advocacy organization Children Now. With a carefully-selected schedule packed with engaging series designed to boost four key areas of childhood development - cognitive (including literacy, science, technology and math), social, emotional and physical (guiding kids towards healthy living) - PBS continues to be America's top broadcaster for high-quality, educational children's programming. KVIA-TV (TX) |
| November 11, 2008 | Nursery
and childcare work should be seen as positive career choice Poor pay and conditions for nursery and childcare workers is jeopardising efforts to improve skills levels and the overall quality of services, a report has warned. A report by the Daycare Trust charity and the TUC found that some workers in the sectors were being paid below the National Minimum Wage and enduring poor working conditions. Personnel Today |
| November 7, 2008 | New
bachelor’s degree through WSCC Ferris State University and West Shore Community College will combine to launch a new bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education in January 2009. Ludington Daily Times |
| November 6, 2008 | Item 1 on Obama's To-Do List: Expand Pre-K Programs? For all the talk of how the already overdue reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act will present a major test for President-elect Obama and the newly beefed-up Democratic majority in Congress, some in Washington are betting that the first education item on their to-do list will be expanding pre-K programs. Ed Week |
| November 5, 2008 | Waitress
Moms' now need real help, not just more promises Improved access to child care: We can make accessible and affordable child care more available. We could provide tax incentives for employers to underwrite the costs of on-site childcare, or refundable tax credits for Waitress Moms to help defray expenses. Improved access means more women who can commit more hours to earning a paycheck. Detroit Free Press |
| November 3, 2008 | Child's
sleep linked to adulthood obesity risk Consistently getting a good night's sleep may help protect children from becoming obese as adults. Researchers found that among more than 1,000 people followed from birth to age 32, those who got too little sleep as children were more likely than their well-rested counterparts to become obese adults. Yahoo! News |
| November 3, 2008 | Kids
mimic parents' diets from an early age A study that allowed children to "buy" groceries in a pretend store found that their choices mirrored the food selections their parents made. The findings suggest that even very young children don't just reach for candy, but instead seem to form food preferences based on what their parents do. Reuters |
| November 3, 2008 | Grandparents
a Safe Source of Childcare For working parents, having grandparents as caregivers can cut the risk of childhood injury roughly in half, according to a new study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Compared to organized daycare or care by the mother or other relatives, having a grandmother watch a child was associated with a decreased risk of injury for the child. The study is among the first to examine the relationship between grandparents' care and childhood injury rates. The results are published in the November 2008 issue of Pediatrics. Interest!ALERT |
| November 1, 2008 | Protecting
our children APA and the National Association for the Education of Young Children launched the ACT program in 2000 as a research-based, primary-prevention intervention that seeks to promote positive parenting and curb child maltreatment. It originally included a media-campaign component, no longer in effect, and a curriculum with modules for families and teachers of young children that offered facilitators a good deal of flexibility in delivering treatment. APA Monitor on Psychology |
| October 31, 2008 | New
Study Explores Social Comparison in Early Childhood It has been shown (and probably experienced by all of us) that performing worse than our peers on a particular task results in negative self-esteem and poorer subsequent performance on the same task. How people respond when their peers perform better than they do has been studied in a variety of age groups and it turns out that preschoolers have thicker skin than adults do! Previous research has shown that preschoolers (4-5 year old children) maintain positive self-evaluations and high levels of performance even when they see that their peers have out-performed them. Brightsurf |
| October 30, 2008 | Green
Neighborhoods Linked to Lower Childhood Obesity Higher neighborhood greenness -- parks, grass, flowers and trees -- is associated with slower increases in children's weight, U.S. researchers say. KHKS-FM (TX) |
| October 30, 2008 | Making
things better for our children The last White House conference on early childhood learning helped set the subsequent agenda of research and policy initiative about the critical period of growth and development from birth to age 5. National attention to this neglected period of life, such as the Early Head Start program, the First Five initiative in California and a wide range of pre-kindergarten initiatives in other states followed this conference. As we near the 100th anniversary of that first White House Conference on Children, our presidential candidates must renew a commitment to purposeful action. American children continue to face daunting circumstances, unworthy of our nation's values. San Diego Union Tribune (CA) |
| October 29, 2008 | Parents,
child care providers should develop relationship One of the best business investments child care providers can make is to develop a relationship with the parents of the children in their care. Open and honest communication between providers and parents results in positive experiences for parents, providers and, most importantly, children. Jamestown Sun (ND) |
| October 29, 2008 | Invest
more in dropout, health programs for children But there is one critical piece missing from this conversation about America's future: Discussion about the young people who make up that future. We know the jobs of the future will require a work force that is well-educated, creative and innovative. If we don't invest in our kids now, those jobs -- like the hundreds of thousands of manufacturing jobs that already have evaporated -- will end up overseas in countries whose governments had the foresight to help young children with high-quality preschool programs, older children with challenging school curricula and all children with adequate health care. Detroit News |
| October 29, 2008 | Study:
Breastfeeding Children Can Help Reduce Obesity There are behavioral reasons why breastfeeding can help a child avoid obesity later in life, U.S. researchers suggest. Katherine F. Isselmann, a doctoral candidate in Temple University's department of public health, compared the feeding habits of mothers who breastfed their babies and mothers who bottle fed their babies. She also examined the eating habits of their pre-school age children. KHKS-FM (TX) |
| October 29, 2008 | Recess
a component of social development The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) describes unstructured physical play as a developmentally appropriate outlet for reducing stress in children. This period of time allows children the opportunity to make choices, plan, and expand their creativity. "It is important for children to have that break (from the classroom) where they can play and socialize," said Renee Swain, who's been an elementary school teacher for 35 years at John Mills School in Elmwood Park. Franklin Park Herald Journal (IL) |
| October 29, 2008 | New
Study Debunks Conventional Wisdom That Kids Hate Eating Veggies Contrary to popular belief, a new study released by First 5 California found that parents don't need to sneak fruits and vegetables into their children's meals -- kids say they actually like them! Interviews with more than 100 preschoolers across California revealed that kids not only know it's important to eat fruits and vegetables, they frequently prefer them to candy. News Blaze |
| October 26, 2008 | Chattanooga:
Teacher lingo in the elementary classroom work Teachers say that using rhyming nonsense phrases, like "criss-cross applesauce" to tell students to sit with their legs crossed under each other, is effective, and children respond to them. Using the "sing song" approach helps students remember instructions or commands, like to be "quick, quiet and clean" when using the restroom, teachers say. Trading Markets.com |
| October 24, 2008 | Free
preschool for all? Kalamazoo County leaders unveil a plan at public
meeting During the next two years, Kalamazoo County educators, politicians and nonprofit officials want to develop a plan that would make high-quality preschool accessible for all children in Kalamazoo County. The initiative is being spearheaded by local school superintendents and the Greater Kalamazoo United Way and is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, as well as Kalamazoo City Councilman Don Cooney, Upton's Democratic opponent in the November election. Kalamazoo Gazette |
| October 23, 2008 | Five
Ways to Save on Child-Care Costs The love a parent has for their child knows no bounds. But, unfortunately, the costs of raising a child are almost as boundless. To put the high costs parents face into perspective, consider this: The average monthly cost of care for an infant is higher than the average amount families spent on food each month last year, according to a report by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. In fact, full-time care for an infant can reach $14,000 a year, says NACCRRA. The Wall Street Journal |
| October 23, 2008 | Universal
Preschool: A silver bullet for education reform or a waste of money? Advocates argue that public investments in early education will pay dividends over the long term. Critics point out that the evidence from states that have universal preschool programs shows that whatever benefits kids receive from those programs fade out by the fourth grade. Since preschool attendance rates in states that have universal preschool are no higher than the national average, universal preschool wouldn't even increase preschool attendance. It would, however, cost a lot of money, put lots of privately owned preschools out of business, and dramatically decrease early education options for parents. Reason Magazine |
| October 22 2008 |
TV
can be good for you |
| October 22, 2008 |
Study
Confirms the Business Case for Employer-Sponsored Child Care |
| October 22, 2008 |
Early prevention key to keeping kids in school |
| October 22, 2008 | Food allergies increasing in US kids, study says |
| October 20, 2008 | Number
of Male Teachers Shrinking Fast The number of male teachers in the United States is at a 40-year low. Out of the 3 million teachers in the United States, only one-quarter are men, according the National Education Association. "Right now, we know that there's about 4 to 5 percent men in early education, about 9 percent in elementary education. And in high schools, we have about 14 percent," said Bryan Nelson, the founder of MenTeach.org, a nonprofit organization working to increase number of men working in schools. ABC News |
| October 19, 2008 | Educators
explore creative teaching On Oct. 18 and 19, the Upper Peninsula Association for the Education of Young Children held their sixth annual conference at Northern Michigan University. Nearly 180 educators were in attendance. One of the hot topics for this year's event focused on the use of creative art, music and language in the classroom. WLUC-TV |
| October 17, 2008 | Kresnak:
What's the agenda for kids? Voters need to take a hard look at what the candidates are saying about investing in children. You can learn more about the candidates in your district and how you can help make children a priority in this year's election and in the next administration by going to www. michiganschildren.org. And, most importantly, vote with Michigan's children in mind. Lansing State Journal |
| October 17, 2008 | School
programs are looking to the East Depending on the district, Chinese cultural and language are being offered in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle or high school programs, said Tresa Zumsteg, deputy superintendent of Oakland Schools. “I’m excited about that, because I think exposing kids to Chinese culture, history and language will give them an edge to move forward in life,” Patterson said. Oakland Press |
| October 17, 2008 | Former
elementary school reopens as pre-K facility Across the state and nation, schools are increasingly offering kindergartners all-day programs as an option or converting their entire programs to a full-day schedule. Albion's Washington Gardner Elementary School, which used to house K-4 students, now only houses students in first to fourth grade. Jackson Citizen Patriot |
| October 16, 2008 | After
Third Presidential Debate, NHSA Emphasizes Evidence Shows That Head
Start Works A wide range of recent research shows that Head Start -- the nation's premier early childhood and health program now serving about 1 million children and their low-income families each year -- yields major, long-term benefits for the children and families in the program and the communities in which they live, according to the National Head Start Association (NHSA). Interest!ALERT |
| October 16, 2008 | Options
offered for special needs pre-school kids The Van Buren Public Schools offer a variety of programs for special needs pre-school children. Other free hotlines regarding these types of programs are Michigan Children at 1-800-330-8674 and the Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children at 1-800-336-6424. Belleview View |
| October 14, 2008 | PBS
Kids Raising Readers Initiative Launches 'PBS Kids Island' to Improve
Children's Reading Skills PBS and The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announce the launch of PBS KIDS Island, the centerpiece of the new PBS KIDS Raising Readers Web site (www.readytolearnreading.org), which provides free reading games and activities for children, parents, caregivers and teachers to use at home or in the classroom. Developed through a cooperative agreement of the U.S. Department of Education, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Ready To Learn Partnership, and funded by a Ready To Learn grant, the initiative extends PBS KIDS(R) efforts to provide engaging and educational content on-air and on-line, paving the way for cross-platform learning as Internet access increases in homes, schools and libraries. PR Newswire |
| October 13, 2008 | Worrisome
Infection Eludes a Leading Children’s Vaccine A childhood vaccine against bacterial pneumonia has protected children since 2000, but a new strain is resistant to the vaccine and nearly all antibiotics. The strain can lead to meningitis, pneumonia and other life-threatening illnesses in children. The New York Times |
| October 13, 2008 | Annual
youth education conference at set NMU The Upper Peninsula Association for the Education of Young Children will sponsor its sixth annual conference from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Saturday in the University Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. The conference is geared toward preschool and elementary teachers, infant and toddler teachers, family child care providers, child care center staff, elementary school support staff, resource and referral staff and parents. The Mining Journal |
| October 8, 2008 | Overhaul
of state foster care system approved More caseworkers and better health care are part of an estimated $250-million package of reforms mandated in the settlement approved Tuesday of a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Michigan's foster children. Detroit Free Press |
| October 7, 2008 | Preschools
take new approach as state pushes early education The state is among those that despite a poor economy is still investing additional dollars in preschool, according to a recent report by Pre-K Now, a Washington D.C-based advocacy organization. The Michigan Legislature has invested $5 million more in pre-k for fiscal year 2009, increasing funding for the state's Great Start Readiness Program to $103.5 million, the report said. The Jackson Citizen Patriot |
| October 7, 2008 | The
Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play The delights of the outdoors are among the greatest joys of childhood, but a growing number of young children today have less time to play in their neighborhoods or yards. Kaboose |
| October 7, 2008 | Girls
Have Harder Time Than Boys Adjusting In Language-learning Environment,
Study Finds A study of 3- to 6-year-olds attending an international school in Beijing found that in general, girls had more social adjustment problems than boys. The students, representing 16 nationalities, were immersed in both Chinese and English, meaning each child was learning at least one new language. Science Daily |
| October 6, 2008 | Bedroom
Fan Cuts SIDS Risk by 72% Just keeping the air moving around a bedroom seems to dramatically reduce a baby's risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), new research suggests. "What we found in this study is that if an infant had a fan that was used in the sleeping room, the infant's risk of SIDS was reduced by 72 percent compared to no fan in the room," said study senior author Dr. De-Kun Li, a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist in the division of research at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, Calif. The report appears in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. National Women's Health Information Center |
| October 5, 2008 | Preschool
dilemma: playing vs. working Move over, naptime. Today's preschoolers have more important tasks at hand, like learning foreign languages and doing math. In “Spanish for Toddlers” in Clawson, 18-month-olds are immersed in Spanish, while preschoolers at Cranbrook Schools' Vlasic Early Childhood Center in Bloomfield Hills learn the concepts of reading, writing, math and even economics. Detroit News |
| October 5, 2008 | Union
warns Wayne-Westland parents to make child-care arrangements today The Michigan Education Association is warning parents of students in the Wayne-Westland Community Schools they may want to make child care arrangements today after the district did not bargain this weekend over a contract with teachers that expired in August. Detroit News |
| October 5, 2008 | Largest
study of U.S. children gears up Researchers in January are to begin recruiting mothers-to-be for what is pegged as the largest-ever study of U.S. children. The goal of the National Children's Study is to track 100,000 youngsters from conception to age 21 to find out how the environment and other factors affect their health. The researchers will look at a range of issues, including asthma, autism, learning disabilities, diabetes and obesity. Seattle Times |
| October 3, 2008 | Researchers
touch the lives of 350 local children Western Michigan University researchers have been awarded a three-year grant of a little more than $4 million to fund a literacy program that will touch the lives of some 350 preschool children in the Kalamazoo area to help them be ready to learn to read when they enter grade school. WMU News |
| October 3, 2008 | Vision
Test for Young Children Called Unreliable The standard test for checking the vision of young children cannot be completely trusted, Johns Hopkins University researchers report. The test, called fixation preference test (FPT), is used to evaluate visual acuity, which is the ability of the eyes to focus images on the macula, the part of the eye that handles detailed vision. U.S. News & World Report |
| October 2, 2008 | What
is Child Care worth to you? Just as high quality child care boosts the economy in the form of creating jobs, as well as supporting jobs, and putting more money back into the economy, low quality child care can negatively affect the economy. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that “Inferior-quality care, at home or outside the home, can have harmful effects on language, social development, and school performance that are more difficult to ameliorate, especially for children in schools with fewer resources.” MyContentBuilder |
| October 2, 2008 | Education
can help reduce incarcerations Investing our dollars in the nation's education system has proved to reduce the number of incarcerations. Perhaps these young men and women could have avoided imprisonment altogether if they had a decent public education. Investing $4,800 per child in preschool can reduce teenage arrests by 40%. USA Today |
| October 2, 2008 | Networking:
Everyone Benefits “Research shows that when teachers get to talk with peers about strategies, it invigorates their own work,” notes Jerlean Daniel, Deputy Executive Director at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), based in Washington, D.C. Early Childhood News (CA) |
| September 28, 2008 | Half
day kindergarten programs to lose funding Beginning next year, Michigan school districts will have to choose between spending more money on kindergarten and pre-kindergarten programs or receiving less state aid revenue. Lansing State Journal |
| September 28, 2008 | Three
counties get funds $625,000 to build up early learning progams If the next generation is to succeed - and help Michigan grow - their education has to start young. That conviction by several area grant-making organizations has given life to the "Ingham Birth to Five Great Start" program. Lansing State Journal |
| September 26 2008 | Foster
care settlement will improve system, experts say Settlement of a landmark children's rights lawsuit is expected to bring significant improvements to Michigan's foster care system, especially with reduced caseloads for social workers, experts say. Capital News Service (MSU) |
| September 24, 2008 | Swan
Valley School District expands readiness effort for younger students Parents in and near the Swan Valley School District have another option available to help prepare their 3- and 4-year-old children for the classroom. Board of Education members recently approved a plan enabling school leaders to expand the district's Great Start Readiness Program without costing residents a cent thanks to a new partnership with the Saginaw County Intermediate School District. Saginaw News |
| September 22, 2008 | Education
services program gets boost A local organization has found funding that will get the ball rolling on providing early education services for children and families in the tri-county area. The Capital Region Community Foundation, Capital Area United Way and R.E. Olds Foundation have donated a total of $625,000 to kick off a campaign to raise $1.2 million for the Ingham Birth to Five Great Start Collaborative. Lansing State Journal |
| September 22, 2008 | Unschooling:
A Better Learning Model, or An Excuse For Indulgence? Even as a father who’s been known to keep his kids up a tad late while socializing with friends, my reaction to all of that seeming indulgence is one of distaste. Maybe I’m hopelessly square, but I think early-childhood education—like education in general—provides structure and discipline while not necessarily stifling creativity. Readers, what’s your take? Would unschooling fit into your juggle—or has it already? Wall Street Journal |
| September 22, 2008 | Daycare
closes its doors due to sluggish economy After providing daycare and preschool services for the past 15 years, the Lake Fenton Child Development Center, Inc. closed its doors to the public on Thursday. The sluggish economy and declining enrollment are being cited as the reasons for the closure, according to co-owner and director Jeanne Nelson. She said the center has been directly affected by the impact of increased unemployment in the area. Fenton Tri-County Times |
| September 19, 2008 | Teacher
a hit with first-graders Jeremy Melick decided to focus on the early grades when his mother showed him an article about how rare male teachers are in the lower primary grades.That's still true in education, said Princeville Principal Becky Michel. PJStar.com (Peoria, Ill.) |
| September 19, 2008 | Helping
Toddlers Become Problem-Solvers Adapted from “Using Everyday Materials to Promote Problem Solving in Toddlers,” by Laura Segatti, Judy Brown-DuPaul and Tracy L. Keyes, published in the September 2003 issue of Young Children, the journal of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). For more articles and resources on early learning, visit “Beyond the Journal” on the NAEYC Web site. Parenthood.com |
| September 18, 2008 | St.
Joseph opens to kindergarteners According to Principal Kathy Freeman, the modulars were never intended to be permanent and will be removed as soon as possible. "It's very exciting,'' she said about the project. "It's great to be able to put the preschoolers and kindergartners in the same place because the teachers do some things together. It's also nice for the preschoolers to see what the next step is.'' The Ann Arbor News |
| September 18, 2008 | Program
targets early childhood education Sheri Butters is hoping Jackson embraces the concept of "it takes a village to raise a child," or rather to educate one. Butters, the coordinator for the Great Start Collaborative, wants every child born in Jackson to participate in the program that aims to improve school readiness through early childhood education. And she is looking to the community to help. Jackson Citizen Patriot |
| September 17, 2008 | Schools,
childcare facilities lack adequate policies for food allergies Self-reported responses from 409 food-allergic children or their guardians indicated that 42% of participants had multiple allergic reactions in school or childcare settings and that 43% had symptoms consistent with the criteria for anaphylaxis established by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Even though that about half of these children had action plans and epinephrine available, the plan was only followed in 25.2% of cases, and only 32% of children were administered epinephrine. “That’s a huge discrepancy based on the levels of severity,” Greenhawt said. Infectious Diseases in Children |
| September 16, 2008 | Set
for Success In a classroom labeled with words on every object, the Sanford resident learned parts of the alphabet, shapes and colors while becoming comfortable in a classroom setting. Her mom, Dawn Schultz, said the North Midland Family Center's Threes Developmental Preschool Program was perfect for her curious 3-year-old girl. Midland Daily News |
| September 16, 2008 | Nation's
30 Leading Child Groups Plead For Election-Year Focus By Candidates,
News Media on Plight of Millions of At-Risk U.S. Youths Millions of American children are in serious jeopardy today and that shameful fact should be a front-burner issue for candidates and the news media during the final two months of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign, according to an urgent wake-up call issued today by Every Child Matters (ECM) and 30 of the nations' leading child-related organizations - including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Prevent Child Abuse America, and the National Association of Social Workers - along with noted pediatrician T. Berry Brazleton. The national news event took place on the same day that similar "Step Up for Kids" events are being held in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Sponsors include the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Yahoo! News |
| September 15, 2008 | League
of Women Voters, National Head Start Association Announce Major Joint
Voter Registration, Education
Push The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) announced today that they will work together to promote voter education and registration at local Head Start facilities across the nation. NHSA will encourage local Head Start programs to allow the League to conduct nonpartisan voter registration efforts at their facilities and encourage the programs to participate voting-related education events. Interest!ALERT |
| September 14, 2008 | A
Consensus About Day Care: Quality Counts One of the first decisions working parents must make is whether to place their child in a day care center. Preschool programs and day care centers have been studied extensively by researchers, and the reports are usually a mixed bag of risks and benefits. The New York Times |
| September 12, 2008 | Au
Pairs Now Eligible For Increased Weekly Stipend Young people who come to the U.S. to live as au pairs are now looking at an increase in their weekly stipend. The stipend is set by the U.S. State Department in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. The increase guarantees that au pairs are paid a fair wage for their responsibilities. I-Newswire.com |
| September 11, 2008 | School
recess cutbacks overstated, report says Reports that recess is vanishing as elementary schools strive to improve students’ scores on standardized tests have been overblown, according to a national report released earlier this month. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |
| September 11, 2008 | To
Work or Not? On Thursday, the University of North Carolina, Greenboro, economist published a study showing that kids from high-socioeconomic-status families take a long-term hit when their moms work outside the home—at ages 10 and 11, they perform more poorly on cognitive tests and are also more likely to be overweight than those whose high-status mothers leave the workforce. Children from low-status families, on the other hand, don't seem to suffer as much when their moms work. In fact, many of them do better on the same tests, and they're more fit, than similarly disadvantaged kids with stay-at-home moms. Newsweek |
| September 11, 2008 | Peanut
Butter Bans: Nuisance or Necessity? Parents are up in arms over peanuts. A seeming rise in peanut allergies in recent years has prompted many schools and child-care centers to adopt blanket bans on peanut products – including peanut butter, often considered a staple of kids’ cuisine. But peanut bans are controversial, as many parents find them to be unnecessarily extreme and unfair to the majority of children, who have no allergy. Wall Street Journal |
| September 10, 2008 | Toni
M. Kneiding Toni was a former consultant for the Office for Young Children in Lansing and has many years experience in the early childhood field. She had professional affiliations with Central Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (CMAEUC), Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society (KON), Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MiAIMH), National and Michigan Association for the Development of Young Children (NAEY) (MiAEYC), National Family Literacy Association (NFLA), and National Parents As Teachers Association (PAT). Royal Oak Mirror |
| September 10, 2008 | What Your Child Needs For Daycare The transition from full time home life to daycare can be hard for many children. For this reason, it is essential that the child's guardian make sure they are getting a place for the child that has the very best staff. Because of the nurturing environment they can offer, many families look to their immediate loved ones or acquaintances for possible providers. If that option doesn't work, parents shouldn't panic, because there are many other ways they can pick a great care facility for their child. One Stop Articles |
| September 10, 2008 | Good
day care grime Children attending day care at an early age are more likely to breathe easy later, according to a new study of wheezing among children in Manchester, England. Babies who began day care when they were 6 to 12 months old were about half as likely as those who did not attend day care to develop a “wheeze” by age 5, a possible indicator of asthma, scientists report in the September Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Science News Magazine |
| September 9, 2008 | Preschool
Education Aids Children, Economy One of the best ways proven to prevent crime is to boost graduation rates. A report released by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids showed at-risk kids who participated in a high quality pre-kindergarten program were 44% more likely to graduate than those left out of the program. Times Herald (Port Huron) |
| September 9, 2008 | Preliminary
head count less than expected: Number could go up with preschool
program “The positive is what remains to be seen is how many preschool kids are we going to be able to count.” The schools hired Tiffinny Aguilar as an early childhood special education teacher, a new position for the district. She will work with children already labeled as developmentally disabled at local preschools and head start programs. Sault Ste. Marie Evening News |
| September 8, 2008 | Smother
Mother Strikes Again: Why Government Should Stay out of Pre-K As big government increasingly seeks to supplant the private and family spheres, there is yet another form of federal intrusion on the rise: institutionalized early education. In a misguided effort to allegedly assist children from birth to kindergarten, pre-K advocates have created massive programs that are of questionable necessity and come at the expense of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars and parental freedoms. Furthermore, institutionalized early childhood intervention is an assault on the limited form of government envisioned by our nation’s founding fathers and embraced by American citizens. Home School Legal Defense Association |
| September 8, 2008 | Half-day kindergartens to cost
districts Hundreds of school districts across the state are wrestling with options for kindergarten following a recent change in the way the state funds those programs. The Detroit News |
| September 4, 2008 | Former
Head Start director remembered as "one
of the finest" For about 30 years, Harold "Mac" McKeever served Genesee County's low-income families and children. "Mac lived Head Start," said Steve Walker, director of Genesee County Community Action Resource Development. "He was seen as one of the finest Head Start directors in the country." McKeever, 61, of Flint Township died Friday. Flint Journal |
| September 2, 2008 | Child
Beatings in Early Ed Classrooms What is really shocking to us at Early Ed Watch is that many of the children interviewed by Human Rights Watch-some as young as nine years old--reported the use of corporal punishment beginning in pre-kindergarten. Regardless of one's views on the use of corporal punishment in the home, there are serious problems with the use of corporal punishment in schools, and it is unconscionable that some schools allow paddling of children as young as three or four. New America Foundation |
| September 2, 2008 | Community
connections: Healthier children is focus of conference A conference on obesity in children is scheduled for Sept. 27 and is aimed at parents, preschool educators, child-care providers and anyone concerned with children's health. Sessions will include learning about outdoor activities, cooking with children, creative menus and snacks, and the emotional issues of overweight children. Detroit Free Press |
| September 2, 2008 | Stressed
moms raise fat kids Millions of poor children in the United States may be getting fat before age 10 because their mothers are stressed out and the youngsters seek escape in unhealthy comfort food, researchers said on Tuesday. The stress is rooted in poverty and can be brought on by money woes, work loads, insufficient health insurance and other factors, said Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois, who led the study. World News Network |
| August 29, 2008 | Long
Division: The Debate Over the Value of Preschool Parents and policy makers have long debated whether preschools provide any educational benefit -- and whether it makes sense for states to spend millions of taxpayer dollars to fund them. A study appearing Friday in the journal Science could reignite the debate. In the study, researchers in England found that the benefits of attending a good preschool, including improved mathematic and reading ability and social skills, can last for several years and give children a leg up when they enter elementary school. Wall Street Journal |
| August 29, 2008 | Health
Alert-Benefits of Preschool British researchers have found that children who attend preschool outscore their classmates on math tests at age 10. Studies show that kids who attend preschools have a leg up on their peers at the start of elementary level education. But new research finds this early educational experience may provide lasting academic benefit. WTVO/WQRF-TV (IL) |
| August 28, 2008 | The
Mistrusted Male Teacher Of all the historical gender disparities in the American classroom, one has quietly stagnated for the last 20 years. Men still account for 16 percent of all elementary school teachers, according to a 2003 National Schools and Staffing Survey. Advocates like the National Education Association have called for efforts to support young men interested in teaching, but sometimes it's the parents who carry on mistrust and sexual stereotypes. ABC News |
| August 26, 2008 | Should
Your Child Wait to Enter Kindergarten? Todd E. Elder of Michigan State University and Darren H. Lubotsky of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducted the research on when children should enter kindergarten, and conclude that “Rather than providing a boost to children’s human capital development, delayed entry simply postpones learning and is likely not worth the long-term costs.” findingDulcinea |
| August 26, 2008 | Preschool
earns accreditation CMU's popular preschool program has achieved national accreditation. Housed in CMU's Human Growth and Development Laboratory, the program is one of the nation's first to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children under its revised accreditation standards. insideCMU |
| August 25, 2008 | Delaying
the start of kindergarten a good move? New research says maybe not The study, to be published in the Journal of Human Resources, argues that older kindergartners do better than younger ones early on because they have learned more prior to starting school. That makes sense, of course, since one would expect that a 6-year-old (especially one that had gone to a good Pre-K) would know more his just-turned 5-year-old classmate. But both group learns at about the same rate once they start kindergarten, and the delayed-entry kids usually lose whatever edge they had by third grade, found the researchers at Michigan State University and the University of Illinois. Orlando Sentinel |
| August 22, 2008 | Slowing
speech eases child's ability to listen If teachers would only talk more slowly, fewer children would be diagnosed with learning disabilities, behavior problems and hearing disorders, says Wichita State audiology professor Ray Hull. The average adult speaks about 170 words in a minute, he says, but most 5- to 7-year-olds can only catch 120, while high-school students process about 140 to 145. The Wichita Eagle |
| August 22, 2008 | Pre-school
age exercises can prevent dyslexia Typical characteristics of children’s linguistic development are early signs of the risk of developing reading and writing disabilities, or dyslexia. New research points to preventive exercises as an effective means to tackle the challenges children face when learning to read. The results achieved at the Centre of Excellence in Learning and Motivation Research were presented at the Academy of Finland’s science breakfast on 21 August. Innovations-Report |
| August 21, 2008 | PBS
Launches An ABCs Offensive With New Shows A multimillion-dollar grant from the U.S. Education Department three years ago has helped PBS produce several new educational shows based on literacy research. "Educationally our goal is to encourage kids' vocabulary development," says Carol Greenwald, the executive producer of "Martha Speaks," one of the PBS Kids literacy shows. National Public Radio |
| August 21, 2008 | Teachers
prep for new kindergarten program Beginning in September, Manchester kindergarteners will be attending school all day for each of the five school days. Manchester Community Schools Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin said the decision was made official this past spring. “We wanted to provide students more time to meet stricter academic requirements," he said. "Young minds can do more." Manchester Enterprise |
| August 21, 2008 |