Since I am in the "back to school" mode I decided to look more closely at the resources available on the NAEYC website. Under the Topics tab I found Back to School. This area offered library book ideas, suggestions for helping children get to know one another, topics for letters to parents, and ideas for making parents feel welcome. Though I had implemented many of the ideas in years past, I was pleased to find several new ideas and different ways to update other techniques I had been using. This area would be extremely helpful for new teachers!
The suggestions came from the Teaching Young Children publication, also a benefit of NAEYC membership. The Teaching Young Children (TYC) articles are shorter and offer more "hands-on", practical teaching ideas and strategies. One of the links in the TYC area is called Message In A Backpack. These are one page tips for parents on topics like "Help Your Preschooler Gain Self-Control", "Finding Low Cost Toys for Home Learning", or "Suggestions for Developing Fine Motor Skills". These would be helpful resources to send home for parents. I write a monthly newsletter to the families in my classroom and I am going to include one of these messages each month. Especially helpful for new staff trying to learn the early childhood lingo is the section called Glossary of Early Childhood Terms There is also a Resources & Links tab which connects you to different websites, and resources for teaching strategies on a variety of topics.
While I was looking at the Resources and Links area I clicked on Dual Language Learners since we have been looking at equity in early learning, especially for families of diverse culture and language. There were several helpful resources mentioned:
Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center-Dual Language Learners - When you click on this it takes you to a site created for Head Start but can be used by anyone looking for information about dual language learners and disabilities, family and community partnerships, health connections, and professional development topics. http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/cultural-linguistic/Dual%20Language%20Learn
Language Castle - clicking on this gets you to a site by Karen Nemeth who authored the book Many Languages, One Classroom as well as Basics of Supporting Dual Language Learners: An Introduction for Educators of Children Birth through Age 8 (both books reviewed elsewhere on the NAEYC site). She offers teaching tips and blogs about teaching dual language learners.
http://www.languagecastle.com/Language_Castle/LANGUAGE_CASTLE_HOME.html
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs - this site offers research and resources for teaching dual language learners.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu
TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.) - this site gives tips on teaching English to speakers of other languages and gives English proficiency standards for children pre-K - 12.
http://www.tesol.org
The TYC section of the NAEYC site is going to be a very practical area to visit!
Information retrieved from http://naeyc.org
Suzanne, Thank you for all the great information on the NAEYC. You are making it more and more difficult for me to not join the NAEYC. Maybe with my first paycheck from the new job, that might become a reality!
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteI know budgets are tight at the beginning of the school year when we are preparing our classrooms; but, if you can do it, now is the time when you can get a student discount. It really does have practical resources.
Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteThe NAEYC website is great. It is helpful, that they provide the link for information on dual language learners. I know that this will be a great resource for many; educators, families, and administrators. I am continually impressed with the NAEYC site. I agree with you as well that the Teaching Young Children provides many great ideas and hands on activities. Thank-you! I should say again, for opening the window to NAEYC. It is an amazing resource for Early Childhood Educators!
Millie
Hi Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteCertainly NAEYC is a great source for all early childhood professionals. I see it as the all in one too for us, because they have about everything we need to know and ensure the quality of our job performance, plus the latest research. If something is related to NAEYC, we can say since the beginning it will be something of quality.
Thanks for the links!
Susan,
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to review the NAEYC website. I did not know that they provided this much information. We actually receive the newsletter at my school; however, I rarely explore the site. Thank you for posting these findings. As educators, we need this information to address the issues that children face.