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December 31, 2007
Upcoming Events ≈
MI
Addressing the Healthy Development of Infants and Young
Children in the Court System: This free one-day training will be offered
February 4, 2008 at the Lansing Sheraton.
Click here for
more information.
November 9, 2007
Current News ≈
Virtual Encyclopedia of Early Childhood Development - This Encyclopedia
covers 33 topics related to the psychosocial development of the child, from
conception to the age of five. For each topic, a series of articles written by
internationally renowned experts presents the most up-to-date scientific
knowledge and addresses three questions: How important is it? What do we know?
What can be done? Each topic is organized with key messages geared for parents
and service providers. A summary of findings is provided with the complete
articles also available.
October 20, 2007
Current News ≈
Parent-child Early Literacy
Activity Materials Available for Free - Forty-six home and community
activities that encourage early language and literacy development in young
children are now available for download. They are appropriate for children
with disabilities as well as children who are developing typically. The
materials are specifically designed to address the three key skills of 1)
language development, 2) phonological awareness, and 3) general print
awareness. Each activity includes 1) An activity description, 2) Hints for
making the activity fun and developmentally appropriate, and 3) A form that
helps parents and other caregivers interact with children and notice
children's literacy skills. To download materials go to
http://www.walearning.com
and click on the purple button that says "Free Parent Education
Handouts" on the home page.
September 22, 2007
Current News ≈
Baby Einstein: Not Such a Bright Idea - Parents hoping to raise baby
Einsteins by using infant educational videos are actually creating baby Homer
Simpsons. For every hour a day that babies six to 16 months old were shown such
popular series as "Brainy Baby" or "Baby Einstein," they knew six to eight fewer
words than other children. Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a professor of pediatrics at
the University of Washington in Seattle, and his colleagues surveyed 1,000
parents in Washington and Minnesota and determined their babies' vocabularies.
The researchers found that 32 percent of the babies were shown the videos, and
17 percent of those were shown them for more than an hour a day. "I would rather
babies watch 'American Idol' than these videos," Christakis said, explaining
that there is at least a chance their parents would watch with them -- which
does have developmental benefits. [From PEN NewsBlast]
June 6, 2007
Current News ≈
MI
More Sought For Early Education - Lawmakers should spend more on early
childhood education, supporters of the Early Childhood Investment
Corporation (ECIC) claimed at their morning Capitol rally.
The so-called Star Power rally drew 500 advocates, including the
group's Executive Director Judy Samelson, who told
MIRS the state has a choice between spending on early schooling or prisons.
"We are not going to have an educated workforce. We are not going to
be a family friendly state that businesses want to come and locate in." The
alternative, she added, is to build the state around corrections, which she
contends is the wrong message to send. Since 2006
the coalition has funded 21 Great Start Collaboratives in partnership with
57 Intermediate School Districts with a combined total of $3.9 million in
public and private funding. Michigan has 670,000
children under the age of five and nearly 20 percent enter school with
"serious issues that impede their school readiness including health and
behavioral learning problems," Samelson said. [MIRS 5-29-07]
Upcoming Events ≈
MI
Autism Treatment Interventions for Social Workers will take place on
June 22, 2007 from 9:30am - 12:30pm.
Click here for more information and a registration form.
May 14, 2007
Current News ≈
MI
Delta Dental Gives $250,000
To MDCH To Launch Fluoride Varnish Program - Delta Dental of Michigan has
given the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) a grant of $250,000 to
launch Varnish! Michigan, a program that will provide applications of fluoride
varnish on the teeth of up to 22,000 children enrolled in Early Head Start and
Head Start programs around the state.
Childhood Development ≈
PEDS: Developmental Milestones
Measurements For Children 0-8 Years - A new measure called
PEDS: Developmental Milestones (PEDS:DM) for children 0 - 8 years is now
available for parents and professionals. The Screening Level version is in wide
use by pediatricians but the PEDS: DM also has an Assessment Level version
helpful for child-find, early intervention programs, and NICU follow-up.
April 27, 2007
Parenting ≈
Do Kids Really Want Limits?
- This idea that
children really want limits isn’t completely true. It is true, of course, that
in the long run youngsters are more comfortable in a house where parents have
clear, reasonable rules and enforce them consistently and fairly.
March 30, 2007
Upcoming Events ≈
MI
The Michigan 4C Association's "Child
Care Day at the Capitol" will take place on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 from 8
am to 1 pm at the Capitol Building in Lansing. For more information on how
you can participate,
click here.
March 24, 2007
Current News ≈
MI
Tim Skubick: Educate Now, or Pay For
it Later - It's the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean they'll do it.
In fact this concept could die a slow and agonizing legislative death
because it sounds way too radical, too expensive - and
has racial overtones to boot. House Democrats recently
embraced a way to improve the education of our children. In a nutshell, get them
into the classroom before age five. The concept has been bouncing around for
years, but remains just that - a concept.
Current News ≈
Standardized Test for Preschoolers May Be Suspended - Congress is moving to
end a standardized test backed by the Bush administration and given to hundreds
of thousands of preschool children in Head Start programs each year, amid
complaints from early childhood experts that the exam is developmentally
inappropriate and poorly designed.
March 11, 2007
Parenting ≈
The
Two Biggest Parenting Mistakes
(PDF)
-
Dr. Thomas Phelan, of ParentMagic.com and 1-2-3 Magic, explains that the two
biggest mistakes parents and teachers make in dealing with children are: Too
Much Talking and Too Much Emotion. Talking is bad because it either doesn't work
or takes you through the Talk-Persuade-Argue-Yell-Hit Syndrome.
March 10, 2007
Current News ≈
MI
EOT&TA launches new
Early On & Project Find
websites.
February 25, 2007
Current News ≈
MA
Town Opens Preschool for Disabled Students
- One therapist helped 4-year-old Jonathan Saia flatten his play
dough with a small rolling pin, guiding his hands so the motion was straight and
smooth. Another watched intently as 5-year-old Benny Borre, rotated dinosaur
puzzle pieces until he found the right fit. The boys, who are autistic, attend a
public preschool that Canton school officials started two years ago in response
to a growing number of children with disabilities entering the district and to
the growing cost of educating them in private schools.
February 19, 2007
Current News ≈
Head Start Reauthorization Passes
Senate HELP Committee - On Wednesday, February 14, the Senate Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee unanimously approved S. 556, the
Head Start for School Readiness Act, which reauthorizes the Head Start program
for five years. It is expected that the full Senate will vote on the bill
sometime in the spring and that the House will begin work on its own version of
a Head Start bill in the near future.
February 5, 2007
Current News ≈
MI
Michigan Child Care Task Force: Minutes
for January 3, 2007 Meeting
January 17, 2007
Current News ≈
CDC Warns Against Giving Cold
Medicine to Kids Under 2 - More than 1,500 toddlers and babies wound up in
emergency rooms over a two-year period and three died because of bad reactions
to cold or cough medicine, federal health officials reported.
December 19, 2006
Current News ≈
Terrific Transitions: Supporting
Children's Transition to Kindergarten - The Terrific Transitions Web site
provides information, tips, activities and resources for families, professionals
and community partnerships to use as they address children’s transitions into
kindergarten. It also provides links to research and brochures and sample
materials. Planning for Terrific Transitions: A Guide for Transition-to-School
Teams, by SERVE, is a trainer’s guide to facilitate an eight-hour training on
the transition to kindergarten. This guide is available on the Web at
http://www.serve.org/TT/res_ttg.html.
December 12, 2006
Current News ≈
Great New Teaching
Resources from Gryphon House - Find useful
and creative ideas for any situation! Check out our home page for more
information on five great new books.
December 1, 2006
Key Player Packet ≈
The Fall 2006
issue of the Key Player Packet Newsletter (PDF) is available on
the Arc Michigan’s Website.
November 28, 2006
Parenting ≈
Feeling Invisible to Your Kids? Try
Keeping Quiet - If you're a parent living with small
children, you may often feel like you're invisible to your kids. After spending
a day cajoling, reasoning, threatening and even screaming in an attempt to get
your kids to behave, you may feel as if you simply didn't exist. But all that
talking is precisely the problem. If you feel like you're invisible, you're
probably way too audible.
November 18, 2006
Current News ≈
CPSC Issues
Recalls Due To Lead Poisoning Hazards Including Some Toys Sold At Target
November 1, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈
MI
Michigan Association for the Education of Young
Children (MiAEYC) Fall Seminar Series - Dates and Locations: Science and
Multiple Intelligences (November 9, Grayling; November 16, Kalamazoo; November
17, Auburn Hills) and Girls! Girls! Girls! (November 30, Muskegon; December 1,
Clinton Twp.; December 2, Lansing; December 8, Mt. Pleasant). The seminars
include morning beverage, lunch, resource materials and the opportunity to earn
.5 SB-CEUs. The cost to attend a seminar is $99 for MiAEYC members and $109 for
non-members. There is a $10 per person discount when 3 or more people register
together. Visit
http://www.MiAEYC.org for more information or to register online.
October 24, 2006
Current News ≈
The Power of Music in the Learning Process - “Giddy-up horsy, let’s go!”
John says, and we all go galloping around the yard singing.
Little voices join in as Josiah overtakes me on his imaginary horse.
September 28, 2006
Current News ≈
American Education Research Association (AERA)
Spotlight:
Early Childhood Education - AERA erects an important "Stop" on the
"making sense highway" for policymakers. The AERA quarterly series, Research
Points, shines a spotlight on early childhood education. In four pages, written
in crisp, understandable language, readers learn what’s at stake and what
actions policymakers can take to address the situation.
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
Kent County Early On Workshop
Schedule for 2006-2007 (PDF)
September 23, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
Public Comment Sessions: Proposed Early Childhood Standards of Quality for
Infant & Toddler Programs - Three locations and dates: Novi Sheraton
Hotel, 21111 Haggerty Road, NOVI (September 29, 2006 — 4:15 p.m. to 5:30
p.m.), Capitol View Building, Public Health Conference Room, 201 Townsend
Street, LANSING (October 4, 2006 — 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.), and Landmark
Inn, 230 N. Front Street, MARQUETTE (October 20, 2006 — 3:00 p.m. to 4:30
p.m.)
September 2, 2006
Current News and Professional
Development ≈
Free Staff Development Tools Delivered to Your Inbox Each Month -
Collage, a monthly e-mail newsletter, provides
valuable articles on timely subjects for busy early childhood educators.
Each issue includes 3 or 4 hand-picked articles on a single topic.
"Collage will soon become a valued in-house staff development tool
for your program--because we’ll include the theory behind each aspect of
play, practical applications and lots of links to resources you won’t want
to miss."
August 29, 2006
Featured Website:
Child Health Encyclopedia Online
- An online
encyclopedia that also provides in-depth articles that cover various
medical conditions, disorders, and pediatric diseases.
August 26, 2006
Current News and Nutrition ≈
What Should Preschoolers Drink? Milk, Water Recommended - Children,
especially those of preschool age, should consume two cups of milk every
day, according to KidsHealth.org. This article recommends discouraging
children from drinking sugary, calorie-dense drinks as well as those
containing caffeine because caffeine's effects can be seen earlier in small
children.
August 7, 2006
Parenting ≈
Teen Moms Learn the Power of Singing to Their Babies - The simple crooning
of a lullaby could change the lives of children born to single teenage mothers,
educators at the Salvation Army say.
August 2, 2006
Current News and Parenting ≈
Some of the Best Baby Products are Delivered by Dads - The role of
stay-at-home dad to colicky infant daughter Faye inspired CDs from Sherman Oaks,
Calif., music producer Michael Preston, 35.
Infant Calm features “white noise” from everyday baby-calming items (tracks
include Clothes Dryer Hum and Vacuum Clearner Waltz). And Storieszzz: The
Adventures of Faye & Fred is intended for nap and bedtime resistant toddlers.
Steven Dunn, 48, of Los Angeles started an entire business in 1991 around his
infant daughter. Steve Dunn’s Munchkin Inc.
baby product line includes spoons that turn white when food is too hot and a
bottle system with adjustable flow rates.
Current News and Vaccinations/Immunizations ≈
From HepB to Tdap, School Vaccine Season More Complex Than Ever - The
growing list of childhood vaccinations reads like an alphabet soup: Hib,
HepA, HepB, IPV, PCV, MCV4, DTaP, Tdap, varicella and influenza. Parents
dragging their kids to the doctor's office for those required school shots
can expect to hear about more vaccines and, if they're uninsured, new
expenses. Twenty years ago, it cost $75 to $100 to immunize a child with the
four available vaccines. Today, 12 are generally recommended for kids and
adolescents, at a private-sector cost of about $1,250.
July 21, 2006
Current News ≈
MI
Michigan Supreme Court: No Duty
to Warn for Hair Oil That Caused Baby's Death - The manufacturer of a
hair oil product had no duty to warn of its toxicity, which caused the
agonizing death of a baby who drank it, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-2
decision released Wednesday. The decision reversed the Court of Appeals,
which concluded questions such as whether a warning was required and whether
the manufacturer breached an implied warranty should have been left to the
jury.
Current News ≈
WA
Gates Foundation and Washington State Take Lead on Early Learning -
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire and William H. Gates Sr., of the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation, will lead a public-private partnership called
Thrive by Five: The Washington Early Learning Fun designed to prepare the
state's youngest children for success in school. The group will start with
$9 million, with more funds added in the years to come. The money will go
toward staff training, parent education and support, and boosting the
quality of existing preschool programs.
July 17, 2006
Current News and Premature Births ≈
Study Finds Smallest Preemies Benefit From Breast Milk - The tiniest
premature infants fed with breast milk in the hospital did better on tests of
mental development later in life than did others fed only formula, a new study
has found. [Free login/registration required.]
Current News and Premature Births ≈
ADHD 'Linked to
Premature Birth' - Danish researchers found babies born at between 34 and 36
weeks were 70% more likely to develop attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Those born at less than 34 weeks were three times more likely to have ADHD. The
study of 30,000 children in the Archives of Diseases in Childhood also found an
increased incidence of ADHD in children with a low birth weight.
July 5, 2005
Current News and Child Growth &
Development ≈
Have a Ball! A Toolkit for Physical
Activity and the Early Years - A variety of materials in a handy,
ready-to-go 'briefcase' for promoting and delivering physical activity
opportunities for young children. The Toolkit includes a binder of information,
a copy of Moving and Growing: Ages Two, Three and Four, a copy of the Rainbow
Fun resource on CD, the Chief Medical Officer of Health Report: Healthy Weights,
Healthy Lives, Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating: Focus on Preschoolers, a
beach ball to (must we say it)…get the ball rolling, and other complementary
materials. Download the binder contents available in
PDF: What the Research Says (PDF 535KB),
Resource Selection Critera (164KB), Resources
(PDF 344KB), Great Ideas (PDF 3.5 MB),
Have a Ball with a Ball ! (88.6KB), Fact sheets
- Professionals (PDF 1.1 MB), and Fact sheets -
Parents (PDF 316KB).
June 22, 2006
Current News and Professional Development ≈
Early Childhood Education Newsletter:
More Favorite "Anytime" Activities and Resources
- Welcome to Early
Childhood Newsletter's "Summer Session." During June and July, I will share
some of my favorite "anytime activities" from newsletters published in prior
years as well as some of the best online Web resources I've found for early
childhood educators. I hope you'll find here some fun ideas and useful
resources for engaging your students.
Current News and Preschool ≈
Build Solid Foundation with Early Childhood Programs
- Investing in our youngest children is the
best economic development tool we have as a state and nation. Don't take
my word for it, ask a brain researcher or a Nobel Prize winning economist.
Current News and Child Care ≈
MI
Michigan Revised Child Care Center Rules Take
Effect on 12/07/06 - Revisions to Michigan’s Child Care
Center Rules were filed with the Michigan
Department of State, Office of the Great Seal, on
Friday, June 9. The rules will take effect on December 7, 2006.
Please note, this version of the new rules contains "strike-throughs"
of the old language that was deleted, shows
new language in bold-face, and shows
language retained from the old rules in
non-bold-face. A “clean copy” of the revised rules will become
available at a later date.
June 9, 2006
Current News and Preschool ≈ Commentary:
Investing in Young Minds is Good Business - From the moment of birth to the
time our children enter the formal years of schooling, their tiny brains are
like sponges soaking up knowledge. This scientific
fact should make every sensible person take pause and ask, why do we not begin
the formal investment in education until a child is five or six years of age?
June 8, 2006
Current News and Professional Development ≈
Early Childhood Education Newsletter:
Ten Favorite Activities & Resources for Summer - Welcome to Early
Childhood Newsletter's "Summer Session." During June and July, I will share
some of my favorite "anytime activities" from newsletters published in prior
years as well as some of the best online Web resources I've found for early
childhood educators. I hope you'll find here some fun ideas and useful
resources for engaging your students.
June 7, 2006
Current News ≈
MI
Download the Key Player Packet for Spring 2006
(PDF) - This issue includes: What’s Happening at FIE, Michigan
Family-to-Family Health Information and Education Center, Parent to Parent
SW Michigan, Early Hearing Detection Intervention Program, Parent Voice in
Public Policy, Different Kinds of Libraries, Child Care/Potty Training,
Child Care Expulsion Prevention Project (CCEP), Early On Timelines, Vision
and Hearing Screenings, SICC Meeting Information, State Board Meetings,
State Board of Education, and Resources and Information.
June 5, 2006
Current News ≈
MI
Leaving Kids In Car
Would Be Misdemeanor in Michigan - Parents who leave their young children in
the car would face a 93-day, $500 misdemeanor if authorities believe the child
was at risk of being harmed by staying in the car under a pair of bills that
cleared a House committee today.
Current News ≈
CA
California Initiative Renews Preschool Debate - From coast to coast, states
are pushing to get more 4-year-olds into classrooms. But debate over a universal
pre-kindergarten proposal on the ballot June 6 in California shows that
widespread disagreement continues over whether the education of all 4-year-olds
should be a public obligation.
June 3, 2006
Parenting ≈
Why Counting Works -
Perhaps the most useful—as well as the most simple—aspect of the 1-2-3 Magic
program is the use of a procedure known as counting to manage behavior such as
arguing, yelling, fighting, whining and tantrums. The counting method has
preserved the sanity of many parents and according to those same parents, it has
also saved quite a few marriages as well. Why does counting work so well?
Because the procedure minimizes (A) cognitive confusion and (B) emotional
aggravation.
May 19, 2006
Current News and Preschool ≈
Governors Push Access to Preschool - Heeding studies showing that investing
money in kids before kindergarten increases their chances of graduating and
staying out of jail, nearly half of governors this year are pushing for -- and
many are getting -- more funding for preschool education.
May 17, 2006
Current News and Child Care ≈
Child Care Pricier Than College - Parents of a 4-year-old in
Wyoming pay an average of $5,438 for preschool care each year,
according to the study titled "Breaking the Piggy Bank: Parents and
the High Price of Child Care," from the National Association of Child
Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
Current News and Kindergarten ≈
What
Children Know: Kindergarten Reading & Math
- What reading and mathematics knowledge and skills do children
demonstrate in the spring of first grade? Do children's knowledge and skills
differ by certain child, family, and school characteristics?
When children begin kindergarten, 67 percent recognize their letters.
By the spring of kindergarten, most (95 percent) know the letters of the
alphabet. At kindergarten entry, about one-third (31 percent) of children
understand the letter-sound relationship at the beginning of words and about
one in six children (18 percent) understand the letter-sound relationship at
the end of words…
Current News and Kindergarten ≈
The Early Reading and
Mathematics Achievement of Children Who Repeated Kindergarten or Who Began
School a Year Late - Taking a broad view of child development, this
report explores how children's literacy, approaches to learning, and general
health status at kindergarten entry relate to their spring kindergarten and
first grade reading and mathematics knowledge and skills based on statistics
from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K).
Calendar of Events ≈ MI Michigan-Early On
Training & TA System Updates for June 2006: Meetings in Holland, Marquette,
Clinton Township and Roscommon - EOT&TA, Nancy Peeler and Kim Porter-Hoppe
invite all interested stakeholders to attend any one of four meetings planned
around the state during the month of June. The Early On Training & TA System
Updates for June 2006 will be facilitated by Nancy Peeler and Kim Porter-Hoppe,
representing the state team. For more information,
click here.
Early On SICC
Meeting Minutes & Subcommittee Meeting Minutes ≈
MI
State
Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) Quick Notes (PDF;
April 2006)
May 9, 2006
Current News and Child Growth & Development ≈
American Academy of Pediatrics:
Newborn Screening Technology: Proceed With Caution (PDF) -
The American College of Medical Genetics recommends a
significant expansion in the number of conditions targeted by
newborn screening programs. In this commentary a more cautious
approach is explained and advocated for.
Current News ≈ Report:
Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Intervention - Recently
released research identifies the most effective practices and features of
early intervention programs, based on a literature review and analysis. The
study focused on diverse programs throughout the country that offered parent
education and support, including home visits, center-based visits, or a
combination. Information is available in three forms: The
200+ page report
is available for purchase, a
3-page research brief is available at no charge in
PDF, along with a
20-page summary, also free in PDF.
Current News and Parenting ≈
Childproofing and Preventing Household Accidents - Is Your Home Safe?
Although many people usually think of babies and toddlers when they hear the
words "babyproofing" or "childproofing," unintentional injury is the leading
cause of death in kids 14 years old and under, with more than a third of these
injuries happening at home (also
available in Spanish).
May 2, 2006
Book, Product & Video Reviews ≈
Bridges4Kids
Product Review:
WordWindow (DVD) - WordWindow is a program designed to encourage
infants and toddlers to discover and take part in early speech. Through
the use of vivid graphics, sounds, human faces, voices and short video
clips, your child will be delighted by this remarkable combination of
sights and sounds.
April 25, 2006
Current News ≈
MI
Michigan Child
Care Task Force Minutes for April 5, 2006
April 8, 2006
Current News ≈
How Art of
Conversation Between Parents and Children Has Died - All-day television, the
demise of the family meal and even the forward-facing design of pushchairs are
conspiring to kill the art of conversation between parents and children. The
results have "alarming implications" for pupil behavior in the first few years
of primary school.
March 29, 2006
Current News ≈
MI
Job Opportunity: Early On Community Liaison for Oakland Family
Services -
Job Description: Develop and conduct outreach efforts to groups,
organizations and institutions serving children 0-3 years to increase
developmental screenings. Connect with community contacts to increase
partnerships and communications. Credentials required: Bachelor's degree,
Masters preferred - in Early Childhood Education or Child development.
Contact Karen Anthony at
kanthony@ofsfamily.org or submit your resume online at
http://www.ofsfamily.org/jobform.asp.
March 23, 2006
Current News ≈
TV a Saviour, Not a Villain Says Study - In contrast to an earlier finding,
it does not appear children who watch a lot of television wind up with behavior
problems in school, say American researchers. If there is an association, it may
be that the exhausted parents of already overly active children are more likely
to let them watch television to give themselves a break, and not that television
itself leads to attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, said the
report from Texas Tech University in Lubbock this week.
March 7, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
"Hear" We Go: Important information for service providers working with
young children who are deaf/hard of hearing - This workshop is provided at
no charge and includes SB CEU's.The purpose of this training is to inform
Early On providers about hearing impairment, the impact of hearing loss on
development, and the need for appropriate intervention and rehabilitation.
This interactive learning project will increase the competency of Early On
families & providers to improve early identification, referral, and
management of children who are deaf/hard of hearing. This project will
also increase Early On providers' awareness of resources within Michigan
to further facilitate case management of children who are deaf/hard of
hearing and their families.
For more information on the workshop, click here (PDF).
To register please go
to the EOT&TA website. Upcoming Conference Dates & Locations include:
Saginaw Transition Center, Marquette-Alger RESA, COP ESD-Indian River,
Disability Connections/PERC-Jackson, Harris School – Detroit, Ottawa Area
Center - Zeeland, and Grand Rapids 2006 Early On Annual Conference.
March 3, 2006
Current News and Parenting ≈
The Comfort of Limits
-
True or False? Self-esteem and creativity both are higher when kids
can “do their own thing” without external limits imposed by adult power or
authority. Believe it or not, this statement is false. Also included with
this article is "Ask Dr. Phelan: Mealtime".
February 28, 2006
Early On SICC
Meeting Minutes & Subcommittee Meeting Minutes ≈
State
Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) Quick Notes (PDF;
Feb 2006)
February 21, 2006
Current News ≈ CA
Groups Weigh Reiner Measure - Rob Reiner returns to San Jose on Thursday to
pitch Proposition 82, his Preschool for All Act, as two key Silicon Valley
business groups wrangle over whether to endorse the plan to provide a free
voluntary year of preschool to all 4-year-olds in the state.
February 20, 2006
Current News ≈ MI
Michigan Child Care Task Force Minutes
for February 1, 2006
February 9, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
"Take a Look at Me" Profile Workshop will take place at Kent Transition Center,
1800 Leffingwell, NE, Grand Rapids, MI. Choose a session: Thursday, March 23,
2006 from 8:30am - 11:30am, Thursday, March 23, 2006 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm, or
Friday, March 24, 2006 from 8:30am - 11:30am. Highlights of the portfolio
process: Actively involves individuals, family members, and care providers;
Promotes a positive view of the child; Builds on what a child “can do” and
“enjoys doing”; Identifies natural learning opportunities; Builds supports based
on strengths, hopes, and dreams; Allows for families from a wide range of
cultures to share their child’s strengths, hopes, and dreams with others in the
community; Provides valuable input to the Individualized Family Service Plan;
Assists in helping family members and providers develop outcomes that are based
on child participation and engagement. Participants will receive a portfolio as
part of the training. Additional copies will be available. To download the
PDF flyer, click here. To register,
click here.
February 6, 2006
Current News ≈ TX
The
Early Bird Misses the Worm (PDF) - Across the nation, the movement for an
increased government role in early childhood education (ECE) is gaining
momentum. This perspective asks critical questions regarding cost-benefit
analysis of ECE, government's role in ECE, and what is being done to improve ECE
throughout Texas.
February 1, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
Michigan Early Hearing Conference for Audiologists, Interventionists and Parents
will take place on Monday, March 27, 2006 at the Sheraton Hotel, Lansing,
Michigan. The ultimate purpose of this conference is to improve hearing health
care service delivery for the 0-3 year old population and their families. Goals:
To provide practical information used at the onset of early audiological
intervention for infants with hearing loss. To increase the skill and knowledge
base of childhood specialists who work with families of young children with
hearing loss. To provide an opportunity for parents to learn about early
intervention services. Register online at
http://www.mphi.eductrng.net.
January 30, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
The National Head Start Association's 33rd annual Training Conference will take
place on May 10-13, 2006 in Detroit, Michigan. For information, visit
www.detroitheadstart2006.org.
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
Mommy and Me Classes will take place on various dates throughout February, all
starting at 10 a.m. (January 31, February 21, 22 - Wiggly Tunes music and
movement; February 7, 8, and 28 - Teeny Tumblers gym time experience; and
February 15 - Get Messy sensory experiences). All classes take place in
Hartland, Michigan, 48843. Classes are for mothers and their infants/toddlers
(newborns up to age 3 years). Cost is $5.00 per child. For more information,
email Tara Hardy at
hardyfamily8856@sbcglobal.net or call (517) 546-4168.
January 16, 2006
Upcoming Events ≈ MI
Parenting Classes: Parenting Toddlers & Preschoolers will take place on March 8,
2006, 7:00 – 9:30 pm. Parenting Elementary-Aged Children will take place on
April 12, 2006, 7:00 – 9:30 pm. Parenting Preteens & Teens will take place on
February 8, 2006, 7:00 – 9:30 pm and again on June 3, 10:00 am – 12:30 pm.
Parenting Children with Special Needs will take place on May 10, 2006, 7:00 –
9:30 pm. All classes will take place at St. Mary-Mercy Hospital, Marian Women
Center, 36475 Five Mile Road, Livonia, MI. Cost is $15 per person or $20 per
couple. Contact Debra Madonna at
clarion@storytellerdesign.com for more details or to register.
January 13, 2006
Current News ≈ MI
ISD Districts Awarded Over $1 Million
to Offer Early Education - The Early Childhood Investment Corporations on
Wednesday awarded $1.24 million in grants designed to increase learning capacity
for young children.
Current News and Professional Development ≈
Early Childhood Education Newsletter:
Winter Arts - It's a brand new year - a
time when many of us entertain thoughts of new goals, new ideas, or new
experiences. Bring some newness into your classroom by incorporating the
arts into everything.
January 10, 2006
ARC and FIE's Key Player Packet ≈ Download the Key Player Packet for
Winter 2006 - click here. (pdf
size=539k)
January 7, 2005
Current News ≈ Tykes
Can't Read Words, But Can Read Music - To begin his class at the Pee Wee
Patch, Ron West first rounded up his students. On a recent Tuesday, he gathered
the 4- and 5-year-olds first. Parker Densmore, 4, and Jordan Richards, 4, both
of Lake Orion, are ready to play. "I love upstairs," Parker said, as he skips
excitedly down the hall. Upstairs is the classroom, equipped with a piano and an
easel. The children are only preschool age, but they are learning how to play
the piano.
Current News ≈ SC
Judge: S.C. Fails to Fund Poor Schools
- A judge ruled the state's system of funding poor schools unconstitutional
Thursday, saying it fails to provide adequate education by not offering early
childhood programs.
Current News ≈ Featured Resource:
Get Ready To Read -
Get Ready To Read is a comprehensive website for parents and teachers offering
activity cards, games, checklists, online games, fact sheets, and links to other
resources. It also offers early literacy screening tools to help assess a
child’s early reading skills.
January 4, 2006
Current News ≈
National Birth Defects Month Educational Packet - January is
National Birth Defects Prevention Month and the National Birth Defects
Prevention Network (NBDPN) has compiled an
educational packet with a special focus on pre-pregnancy.
Current News ≈
Tots n’ Tech - The Tots 'n Tech Research Institute (TnT) has added a new
section to their website called “IDEAS to SHARE” that features assisted
technology ideas from early interventionist specialists from around the
United States. It has great ideas under topics such as communication,
eating, play, positioning, and others. The ideas are updated weekly with new
categories and new ideas.
Current News ≈
Essential Skills for Occupational Therapists (PDF)
- Over the past 15 years the role of families in early intervention has
changed and with it the role of the occupational therapist has also changed.
This article profiles Chapter 2 of the book Pediatric Skills for
Occupational Therapy Assistants (Mosby, 2005) which covers the expansion of
the OT role, the importance of family-centered approaches to intervention,
and those skills - including positive communication - that result in
successful intervention.
December 21, 2005
Current News ≈ Commentary:
Puffed up Promise of Preschool
- Children with and without preschool perform the same on tests over time,
and unfortunately, there's more. Preschool incubates negative social
behaviors. The bureau finds that "Prekindergarten attendance increases
aggression and decreases self-control." But unlike the cognitive gains which
fade, "the behavioral effects persist."
Current News ≈ GA
Pre-k, Smaller Classes Work Best -
If Georgia ever hopes to close the achievement gap and brighten the educational
futures of its poorest children, it must get them into the classroom earlier.
That's the No. 1 recommendation of a groundbreaking Georgia State University
study of the state's universal pre-kindergarten program.
December 19, 2005
Current News ≈ Study:
Early Childhood Programs
Successful - The merits of early childhood education have once again been
illustrated by a national study of learning successes of preschoolers in
language and math skills.
December 16, 2005
Current News ≈ Toy Site
Lets Parents, Kids Swap Neglected Playthings - Eight-year-old Jacob Maxia
may know more about monster models than business models, but he knows what he
likes. And a new online toy exchange that brings him giant mutant beasts in
return for his unwanted playthings seems pretty darn awesome.
Current News ≈
CA
Report Touts Advantages of
Preschool - Los Angeles County would have about 3,300 fewer high school
dropouts annually and nearly 10,000 fewer criminal cases filed against juveniles
each year if publicly funded preschool were available in California, according
to a new report from the Rand Corp.
December 10, 2005
Current News and Preschool ≈
Study Says Trained Preschool
Teachers Pay Off - Publicly funded preschool programs that have
well-paid, college-educated teachers improve children's language
development and math skills, according to a study in Michigan and four
other states.
December 9, 2005
Current News ≈
Einsteins at Five? - Barely 5 years old, Edgar Padilla can accurately draw
bar graphs and create "A-B" patterns of geometric shapes. He discusses the finer
points of underwater photography. He occasionally infuses his sentences with the
word "meta-cognition," to the confoundment of some adults (including this one).
Young Edgar may be unusually smart for his age, but his prowess with numbers and
language is hardly exceptional: He, in many ways, reflects the rigors and
reality of the "new" kindergarten.
December 6, 2005
Professional Development ≈ Early Childhood Education Newsletter:
Our 5 Senses and the Holidays! -
Holidays are coming, what do we hear? Songs and bells ringing -- they sound loud
and clear.
December 4, 2005
Early On SICC
Meeting Minutes & Subcommittee Meeting Minutes ≈
State
Interagency Coordinating Council (SICC) Quick Notes (PDF;
Nov 2005)
Download/Order Publications ≈
Baby Stages Wheel: A Parent’s and Caregiver’s Guide to the Social and
Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers Wheel Ordering Information
(PDF) -
Click here.
Tips for new parents and child caregivers comes in the form of a handy “wheel.” Easy to read and user
friendly, parents and caregivers can follow an infant’s progress around
the wheel until he or she is three years old. With just a ‘turn of the
dial’ a caring adult will discover many things he or she can do to
nurture a strong relationship and support healthy social and emotional
development in the first years.
December 3, 2005
Upcoming Events ≈
MI Promoting Positive Parent-Infant
Relationships: Understanding the Implications of Attachment (series) will take
place at DeVos Children's Hospital, East Auditorium, 100 Michigan Street, Grand
Rapids, MI. Cost is $20.00 for each session (including lunch). Register online
at www.kentisd.org/earlyon for one
or both of the following sessions: "Attachment Disorganization and Disorders of
Attachment" (February 17, 2006), and "Understanding and Assessing Cry Problems
in Early Infancy" (May 5, 2006).
December 1, 2005
Current News ≈ Study:
Early Musical Training Boosts
Language Processing - People who learned to play musical instruments as
children process spoken language faster and more accurately than their
non-musical counterparts as adults, according to a Stanford University study.
Current News ≈ MI
Questions & Answers on Great Start Collaborative Application - The Early Childhood Investment
Corporation (ECIC) has issued "Questions &
Answers 1-3" regarding the Great Start Collaborative Application. Please
visit
www.greatstartforkids.org then navigate to the
"What's Happening" section of the website for more
information.
November 30, 2005
Current News ≈
Audio CD - "Building
Children's Brains" by Joan Lessen-Firestone, Ph.D. -
This audio CD is
20 minutes in length.
Cost is $2.50 each copy + $1.50 Shipping and
Handling. The order form is available
online at
http://www.mi-aimh.msu.edu/publications/orderform.pdf.
November 26, 2005
Current News ≈
Australia National
Exams For Five-Year-Olds - Five-year-old
children will be tested for basic reading skills twice a year under a national
plan to help struggling students.
November 22, 2005
Professional Development ≈ Early Childhood
Education Newsletter: Making
Gifts - As the holidays approach, most children like to recite their
wish lists for Santa. This year, invite students to help create another
list -- one that reflects ways your children can give to others.
November 15, 2005
Current News ≈ MI Calling All
Interested Michigan Parents - Do you want an opportunity for your voice to be
heard regarding programs and services that matter to your child and family? Do
you want to join a community of parents who are involved in federal and state
policy? If interested reply to info@mcmch.org.
Please include your name, address, county, email address and phone
number.
November 14, 2005
Current News ≈ MI
Questions & Answers 2 on Great Start Collaborative Application - The Early Childhood Investment
Corporation (ECIC) has issued "Questions &
Answers" and "Questions & Answers 2" regarding the Great Start Collaborative Application. Please
visit
www.greatstartforkids.org then navigate to the
"What's Happening" section of the website for more
information.
November 11, 2005
Current News ≈ MI
OSEP's Letter
to MDE For Child Find and Early Intervention Services - The purpose of this
letter is to respond to Michigan’s May 2, 2005 submission of its Federal Fiscal
Year (FFY) 2003 Annual Performance Report (APR) under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C for the grant period July 1, 2003
through June 30, 2004.
Current News ≈ MI New Law Removes
Barriers and Adds State Oversight to Some Latchkeys -
The following bill was signed into law on
Thursday, November 10, 2005: HB
5110, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Kooiman
(R-Grand Rapids), allows certain before-and-after school programs to fall
into the category of a day care center, lifting regulatory barriers and
allowing the state to oversee the organization.
HB 5110 also
redefines a school age as one enrolled kindergarten or above but less than
13 years old.
Early On Coordinator list updated.
November 8, 2005
Current News ≈ MI Questions & Answers on
Great Start Collaborative Application -
The Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC)
has issued "Questions & Answers" regarding the Great Start Collaborative
Application. Please visit
www.greatstartforkids.org
then navigate to the "What's Happening" section of
the website for more information.
November 3, 2005
Current News ≈
Long Hours Help Academically, But
Impair Social Development - Two new studies have concluded that extended
time in preschool or day care can thwart a child's social development, a finding
already fueling a debate surrounding a nationwide movement to expand early
education programs. One study found that the social harm persists through third
grade, regardless of how well caregivers work with preschoolers.
October 31, 2005
Current News ≈ MI
Michigan Child Care Task Force Meeting
Minutes for October 5, 2005
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