Today there is another coalition meeting about early childhood in Evansville. Last month, Miss Kelly and I took time out from our busy schedules and went. All the things that the coalition wanted to implement in the next twenty years, we already have at the Garden School. I wrote a detailed letter to Vicki Paris about what we do at the Garden School and there was no reply.

I find the following interesting; it is from New Mexico

Schools participating in Early Childhood study
Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Weymouth School District has been chosen to participate in a national research study on preschool interventions. The goal of the study is to help children obtain the skills that will help them be successful in school and that will reduce the need for special education services.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded this grant to Dr. Christopher Lonigan at Florida State University, a national expert on children’s early literacy and language development. More than 20 school districts in New Mexico are participating in this project.

Project MOSAIC will begin in Fall 2006 and will continue for four years. Classrooms in the study will receive high-quality early childhood curricula with demonstrated effects – Literacy Express or Tools of the Mind – as well as professional support on how to use the curriculum effectively.

The study will bear all costs, including curriculum materials, training, and ongoing support in classrooms from mentors/coaches.

The study will follow children from preschool through second grade, to look at whether the special preschool curricula have long-term benefits for children. Project MOSAIC will provide important information on how best to support the development of at-risk children and reduce the likelihood of the need for special education when the children reach school.

All across the nation we hear of states with huge money wasting campaigns that scream preschool for all children, yet when you look at the curriculum, it screams “no teaching please.” Personally, I’ve been attacked and verbally assaulted for bringing to life a glimpse of the world for our students. I would love to know what the curriculum is in New Mexico, and I would love to know, after all the hours, the money and the effort, what the coalition in my own city does about educating the children right here. So far we have a mind set that preschool should be non directed, non adult involved free play. Let’s see what happens.

One of the nicest things personal things I’ve received over the years is this book. It was a gift from Miss Molly. It is something I treasure and look at a lot. It sits on my piano in the front room and occasionally I pick it up and come to tears thinking of all the things mothers and children do together.

It’s something worth looking at if you see it at the store and keeping it for a special occasion for that mom you care about.

This is also a book dads can get for moms and put a little hand print on the inside from a child.

…Just a thought.

Here’s a fun test:

Read out loud the text inside the triangle below.

More than likely you said, “A bird in the bush,” and…….. if this IS what YOU said, then you failed to see that the word THE is repeated twice! Sorry, look again.

Next, let’s play with some words. What do you see?

In black you can read the word GOOD, in white the word EVIL (inside each black letter is a white letter). It’s all very physiological too, because it visualize the concept that good can’t exist without evil (or the absence of good is evil ).

Now, what do you see?

You may not see it at first, but the white spaces read the word optical, the blue landscape reads the word illusion. Look again! Can you see why this painting is called an optical illusion?

What do you see here?

This one is quite tricky! The word TEACH reflects as LEARN. Last one.

What do you see?

You probably read the word ME in brown, but……. when you look through ME you will see YOU! Do you need to look again?

Test Your Brain This is really cool. The second one is amazing so please read all the way though.

ALZHEIMERS’ EYE TEST

Count every ” F” in the following text:

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE
SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI
FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH
THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS…

(SEE BELOW) HOW MANY ? WRONG, THERE ARE 6 — no joke. READ IT AGAIN ! Really, go Back and Try to find the 6 F’s before you scroll down.

The reasoning behind is further down. The brain cannot process “OF”. Incredible or what? Go back and look again!! Anyone who counts all 6 “F’s” on the first go is a genius. Three is normal, four is quite rare.

Send this to your friends. It will drive them crazy.! And keep them occupied For several minutes..! More Brain Stuff . . From Cambridge University.

O lny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng i! s taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!
Psas Ti ON !

And I did!

I haven’t done a Tattler in a long time because I’ve had computer problems. I use a network system at home and lately the hookup has been really really slow. Just putting this on would take half an hour. It’s temporarily fixed now.

The school has been zooming along with all kinds of new things. We’ve changed our discipline approach a little. We have added a temporary four clothes pins to the behavior envelopes. Every child gets four clothes pins to start the day. Rule breaking will result in a loss of a clothes pin. Check your child’s envelop daily. All children know the rules. We review them every day.

We are trying to work cohesively, and we’ve been doing some all school games with spelling lists and sight words. Last week the children did a remarkable job.

Play has been ferocious. The afternoon complaint is that too many toys are pulled out. Can’t see how that could ever be a problem, but teachers claim the clean up time is horrendous. We might try “plan do and review” a High Step method of play. I suppose this is the kind of thing that allows teachers to learn. Solving problems and making adjustments is part of growing.

The children are adjusting to new table plans. We have split up some of the boy and girl groups and incorporated the little children among the bigger ones. It has cut the lunch time noise to an all time low.

It’s been too hot to spend a lot of time outdoors. Yesterday, as it began to cool down, it started to rain.

Today is science day and we will be teaching digestion. Let me leave you with a thought: if you don’t poop, you die! Kids love that. It makes them roar with laughter. Then we get serious and talk about how “food happens” and pluggers and plungers and how important water is and teeth and where to find your stomach and all the rest. Should be interesting.

Cartoon Net unveils UK preschool block

The UK’s Cartoon Network is to launch a preschool block on sister channel Cartoon Network Too next month, and aims to offer a bilingual service later in the year.

The new block, titled Cartoonito, is scheduled to transmit from September 4, 2006. A second-language service will be gradually introduced, with animated characters introducing programmes in both English and French.

Cecilia Persson, VP of programming, acquisitions and presentation at Cartoon Network EMEA, has brokered a number of acquisitions for the block, including Animal Stories, Hi-5, Barney, Fluffy Gardens and Callou, as well as Roobarb and Custard Too. Cartoonito will air daily from 06.00 to 15.00.Dee Forbes, senior VP and general manager of Cartoon Network parent Turner Broadcasting Systems, said: “Our research shows French is the second language most parents would choose for their children, and the addition of French to Cartoonito’s offering is a logical step forward in the provision of premier preschool entertainment.”

Cartoon Network Too launched on April 24, 2006, showing Cartoon Network Originals animation such as Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Johnny Bravo and Cow and Chicken.Jules Grant 14 Aug 2006 © C21 Media 2006

Comment: This is really an outstanding way for children to learn that there are other languages besides their own. Getting the idea across used to be very difficult. This will be a big help. Many children will develop an early interest in languages because of programs like these.

Comment: Here’s a good checklist to use when looking for an all day situation for very young children.

Child care checklists
By The Associated Press
Some things to look for when visiting child-care settings:
Are there enough adults to meet the children’s needs?

Do caregivers seem to enjoy caring for the children? Are there joyful interactions between them?

Are children encouraged to talk with each other?

Is the noise level comfortable?

Is the center or home bright, cheerful, clean, safe and well ventilated? Is all equipment clean, safe and in good working order?

Is there a posted plan of activities being followed that includes large muscle play (i.e., running, climbing); quiet play with toys the child chooses; time for reading and talking; rest; and snacks and meals?

Does each child have a place for her or his belongings?

Is there a clean diaper-changing area with a nearby sink?

Are infants always fed in an upright position and held by an adult until they can sit by themselves for feeding? (No bottles should be allowed in bed or propped.)

Is the food nutritious, well prepared and suitable for the age group?

Is there protective surfacing under all indoor and outdoor climbing equipment?

Are the toilets and sinks clean and easy to reach?

Do caregivers and children wash their hands before and after handling food? Before giving medication? After playing in sandboxes? After changing a diaper or using the toilet?

Is the area free of secondhand tobacco smoke?

What to ask caregivers

What hours and days are you open?
How much do you charge?

When is payment due?

Do you charge for holidays, absences due to vacations or illness, or late pickups?

How many children do you care for?

How much child-care experience and education do you have?

How many adults care for the children?

What ages do you serve?

Can I visit at any time?

How do you handle discipline?

What do you do if my child is sick?

How do you handle an emergency?

Do you have a back-up caregiver?

Do caregivers have up-to-date CPR and First Aid training?

What to ask references

Was the caregiver reliable?

How did the caregiver discipline your child?

How did you get along with the caregiver?

Was the caregiver respectful of your values and culture?

Would you recommend the caregiver?

If your child is no longer with the caregiver, why did you leave?

Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics, Michigan Department of Human Services.

Preschool behavior: Who’s the boss?
Carol Hunt
Raising kids

Does your preschooler tell you he hates you, or not to look at him? Does your child hit you?
When preschoolers tell parents or other family members they hate them or if they hit their parents, it is usually to get their own way. Children this young can learn to manipulate parents through the parent’s emotions.

To change this behavior, start by ignoring your child’s statements while maintaining your expectation that the child do as told. Discussing your child’s statements or answering back gives attention to the behavior and reinforces it. This will only make it more likely your child will continue to tell you they hate you. In other words, your good intentions backfire. Therefore, do not answer back.

When your child is talking and behaving appropriately, give all kinds of positive attention. Make sure you take the time to comment when you catch your child behaving well. This will make a big difference.

The same rule holds true when preschoolers hit their parents. Ignore and redirect to the task at hand if possible, or in a firm voice say, “No hitting.” Forgo any discussion on the matter as this only provides attention and actually reinforces the behavior. Certainly never hit back. This only models bad behavior and creates anger and resentment in the child.

Time out may also be used as a strategy by moving your child away from any activity that is fun or rewarding for a short period of time. When you observe quiet behavior from your child, then direct your child to do as previously requested.

Behavior can change rapidly, usually within three to 10 days when using these strategies. The first few days can be especially trying. The trick is keeping your cool under stress, redirecting behavior where you can, ignoring behavior that is a nuisance but not serious, using time out for misbehavior that is truly out of line and, most importantly, reinforcing behavior that is appropriate – catching a kid being good.

Be consistent, remembering that your child is learning how to behave and much practice will be needed before your child gets it right.

Carol Hunt is the executive director of Resource Connection For Kids.

Comment: Well behaved children never hit parents. Children who have had some formation would never dream of it. The advice is good, however, and always take the time to praise good behavior.

Old Stone Gallery and Art School
102 State Street, Newburgh, IN 47630
(812) 490-6070

CLASS SCHEDULE — FALL 2006

(START) Super Tots Art
Who: Budding artists aged 3-5
Time: Tuesdays or Saturdays 9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
Cost: $60 per month (supplies included)
Goal: Students explore the basics of art from shapes to colors to techniques. Students recognize different shapes in their environment (lines, angles, circles) and apply these to the art they create.

WAMM (Watercolor, Acrylic, and Mixed Media)
Who: Developing artists, aged 6-12
Time: Choose from one of these three times: Saturdays 10:00 -11:00 a.m. (ages 9-12), Saturdays 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. (ages 6-8), or Tuesdays 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. (ages 6-12)
Cost: $60 per month (supplies included)
Goal: Students create their artwork while learning new techniques for using acrylic, watercolor, pastel, and pen & ink, separately or combined. Famous artists and their styles will guide the instruction.

Homeschool Art
Who: Developing artists aged 6-12
Time: Tuesdays 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $60 per month (supplies included)
Goal: Students enjoy the process of making art while socializing with other home-schooled children. Class focuses on painting, mixed media, drawing, and sculpture while highlighting famous artists and important art movements. Curriculum will be tailored to each child’s needs.

Saturday Afternoon Cartoons
Who: New or Developing Cartoonists aged 7-14
Time: Saturdays 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Cost: $60 per month (supply list provided)
Goal: Students draw in pencil and then transfer to black ink and color washes to create original characters and story lines. To basic shapes, students add emotion and action to bring characters to life.

Studio A for Art, Teens Only for Coffee and Creativity
Who: Teen Artists aged 13 – 17
Time: Tuesdays 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $60 per month (supply list provided at the end of the first month)
Goal: Teens take a whirlwind tour of various art mediums and styles during the first month. Thereafter, students decide the medium on which they want to concentrate.

Painting for Adults
Who: Developing Adult Artists
Time: Wednesdays 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $60 per month (supply list provided)
Goal: Students learn to use acrylic as it mimics the washes of watercolor or the layering and impasto of oil. Techniques covered include wash, underpainting, sgraffito, glazing, impasto, and canvas stretching. A review of Composition, Elements & Principles of Art is provided as needed.

OTHER PROGRAMS

Happy Birthday: Let us arrange an art-filled party for you. Parties may be held in our classroom or at your house.

Meetings, Meetings, Meetings: Reserve our classroom for your group’s next meeting with refreshments.

Coffee and Creativity: Gather a group of friends and retreat to our classroom for a day of art and camaraderie. You supply the creative talent; we supply the coffee and space.

Ladies’ Night Out: It’s time to have a good time. Join us for coffee and dessert from La Sombra, create an artwork under the guidance of our art instructor, and visit with friends.

Private Instruction: Individual classes are available for all ages and in many mediums. Scheduling is flexible with cost determined by student’s age, supplies, and class length.

New classes and workshops are added as requested or created!

Sign our wish list and check with us for updates!

Comment: these are really nice people who do a great job. It’s local and reasonable and the art produced is amazing.

BACK TO SCHOOL:
Blaze an easy trail into preschool, kindergarten, 1st grade
By ALIAH D. WRIGHTGannett News Service

Cara Halstead Cea knows her 8-year-old son Christian – he’s sociable and quickly adjusts to new situations.But years ago, when it was time for Christian to take his place among new kindergarten classmates, “I looked at his face and he just looked so nervous and I got teary-eyed and he looked like a baby to me,” says the Westchester, N.Y., mother of two, who gave birth to her second child, Angela, on July 24.

“It was hard. I just wanted to walk in the classroom and sit down next to him and stay the whole day.”

Experts say such nervousness among the parents of preschoolers, kindergartners and first-graders entering classroom environments for the first time is nothing new. How to handle the angst is key.

“Going into kindergarten in our culture is considered to be a rite of passage and it’s not unusual for parents to get worked up about this transition,” says Dr. Ellen Lynch, associate professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Cincinnati. “Preschool can be a nurturing, homelike environment and suddenly (parents) feel like they are thrusting their children into ’real school,’ which is so very different from the world of preschool.”

Jerri Daniel, deputy executive director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, an organization that accredits preschools and kindergarten, agrees.

“Sometimes when we build things up as a really, really big deal, we can scare children. So the first step is to know your child and … know how they will adapt to change,” Daniel says. “If they are hesitant or feel uneasy then you probably need to get started earlier than later” in helping them prepare for the new environment.

What do you do?

Experts say make sure both you and your child know what to expect long before school starts. Do that by contacting your child’s school district. Visit Web sites to find out what paperwork and health files are necessary. Consider visiting the school before the first day.

Walk to school or drive the route the school bus will take. Peek in the windows, play on the playground, discuss the upcoming school year, and explain what the routine will be like before and after school.

“You might also want to engage an older child who’s going to the same school who might walk with you and your child to school a couple of times … so that your child ends up with a buddy if you will,” Daniel adds.

Francie Alexander, chief academic officer at Scholastic, Inc., and author of dozens of books for very young readers, says parents can show their children pictures of themselves at that age. It also doesn’t hurt to send your child to school with something familiar like “a special pair of socks, a little note in their lunch bag – a reminder that they are still connected to their parents.”

She says refresh your child’s manners as well. “There’s a connection between kids that have manners and reading success,” says Alexander, a former deputy assistant secretary for policy and planning at the U.S. Department of Education. So “review pleases and thank you’s and saying hello and role play a little bit.”

Role playing, says Barbara Hedspeth, a licensed clinical social worker at Family & Children First, a private nonprofit counseling center in Louisville, Ky., “gives a child a concept of how to respond when something comes up.” Setting a precedent will help your child respond to trying situations.

She adds that your child should have some level of expectation when they sit in their new environment for the first time. “The best thing is to explain to the child beforehand what’s going to happen.”

What if your child has special needs? Allergies, asthma, or the like? “You just want to tell the teacher,” she says, and have an action plan in place.Remember above all else, experts say, that children need reassurance.

“I did all the things that I would recommend any parent do: Tell the children that you love them, that you will return to pick them up at the end of the day, and wish them a good day,” says Dr. Stuart Chen-Hayes, an associate professor of counselor education at the City University of New York’s Lehman College. He says he remembers well the first time he took his son, now 3, to preschool.

“It was hard the first few weeks, but as we gained confidence in the preschool teachers and their skills, it became easier to separate.”

Comment: Part of the problem with separating is number of children. When the one going off to school has several siblings, it’s a lot easier for mom because the “baby” is at home. In today’s much smaller family, the child remains the baby for a long time. Sending a child off to school means the child has taken that step out of the house into the public world alone. It’s a shocker to a lot of parents.

Move from preschool to kindergarten a large jump for some

By Julie FinleyThe Natchez Democrat

NATCHEZ — No pressure. It’s just kindergarten.“This is different from where you have been before boys and girls,” said Alice Jackson, kindergarten teacher. “You are getting into what we call the big leagues now. And you know what that means, more learning.”

And more rules.No running. Raise your hand before you speak. Don’t lean on the wall. Keep your hands to yourself. Don’t block another teacher’s doorway. Boys, when we go to the bathroom we always aim. Don’t carry your lunch tray above your head. Don’t get up and walk around the lunchroom. Lunch trays must slide on the rail. Sit on the carpet squares. Always stop at the corners. When one person is getting water the others stop a step behind them. No fighting. No pushing. Listen to adults. Push in your chair.

The rules alone were enough to make some brand new kindergarteners at West Primary panic.

And that’s just what Shek’nah Hoskins did. When the new kindergartner realized mom was actually going to leave her in rule world, she ran.Out Jackson’s door she went, down the long West Primary hallway and to the double doors at the end that exit to freedom. But they were too heavy and mom was only steps behind.

Plan B — tears. The sobs, clinging and panicked look bought Shek’nah a few hours. Mom pulled up a spot next to the carpet and stayed long enough to hear Jackson’s full list of rules.

Be respectful. Be responsible. Keep your hands, feet and object to yourself. Raise your hand. Follow the directions of adults.“The first two weeks of school we are going to talk about these rules every day,” Jackson said. “You have got to learn them. We want our classroom to run smoothly and we want everybody to learn, and in order to do that we need to follow these rules.”

But Jackson will make it worth their while, she told the group of 21 that grew to 22 by 10 a.m.

Rewards based on a behavior-tracking chart will include stickers, praise and notes to parents to tell them how good children are doing. They’ll get some healthy snacks, and if things go well all year there are parties at the end.

But rule breakers face consequences, she said, including time out, parent notification, a trip to the guidance counselor and finally a trip to the principal’s office.Rules are a necessary part of the first day of school, West Primary teachers said, but there was room for hugs, kisses and comforting words too. Parents are allowed to stay with their children all day if necessary, Principal Cindy Idom said.

Teachers take it slow, reading stories about kindergarten and taking long building tours. Students won’t go to special classes like PE and music until next week, and no one expects them to learn all the rules on the first day.“We’ll just keep reminding them every day, throughout the day” kindergarten teacher Connie Fleming said.

Teacher Kit Spears said the hardest rule to grasp will be raise your hand before speaking.

“We are starting with a blank slate,” she said.

All Natchez-Adams public schools started Monday. Other area schools will start in the next week and a half.

Comment: If this kind of care began in preschool, the adjustment would not be so great. The adjustment from the Garden School to big school is about hours spent in desks and lots of kids. All the rules here apply to any group of children who are trying to learn. They also apply to good manners which is something we have forgotten.