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As we approach the end of National Poetry Month, I pause to reflect on what poetry has meant to me during this crisis. When the schools closed, my children’s principal, the inimitable Anna Allanbrook, sent home this letter mourning the loss of custodian Hank Friedland with the poem Keeping Quiet by Pablo Neruda. I shared…
How (Not) to Video-Conference with Five-Year-Olds
I teach five- and six-year-olds at a progressive independent school on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. We’re a very child-focused school, and think a lot about what’s developmentally appropriate. I really appreciate this approach, which includes giving children ample outdoor time (about an hour a day), unstructured time in the classroom, and lots of hands-on activities,…
2020 Early Childhood Census Campaign
The Institute and QUALITYstarsNY are supporting the 2020 Early Childhood Census Campaign. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, QUALITYstarsNY purchased copies of the WE COUNT! children’s book to send to each participating site to make sure the children and families served by its programs are counted in the 2020 Census. The Institute also purchased copies to…
A New Resource: Teaching, Leading and Caring
This week we launched a new resource for educators on the Institute website. We have revised and refreshed our blog, adding a new section titled Teaching, Leading, and Caring. The Teaching, Leading and Caring section was inspired by Institute staff who work directly with practitioners. During this public health crisis, the Institute coaches, professional development…
The Power of Family Stories
Where does formative assessment, the reflective practice of observing and supporting children’s development, fit into the context of remote learning? Educators may have new opportunities for family engagement – ones that could last when children return to the classroom. As the authentic assessment team at the Institute, our work involves supporting educators to build an…
Making Puppets Leads to Storytelling
Preschool children and their families gather with their teachers and sing “Good Morning,” a song that they know from morning meetings. The morning sun and their devices light their faces. Because they cannot be together in person, the teachers ask each child “how are you feeling?” by video conference call. These daily interactions with their…
Glenn Peters Puppet Shows – Connecting with Young Children
The COVID-19 crisis has brought up hard feelings for all of us – teachers, families and children. Early childhood educators know their role is supporting children’s ability to recognize and name their feelings. They also have new opportunities to empathize with families and help parents manage their own feelings about recent changes. Glenn Peters is…
Who’s Playing— With Puppets?
In the time of a global pandemic, early childhood educators are discovering how to be and play together while we are apart. Some of us are playing in the digital sandboxes of remote learning. Yet for many, teaching and learning at a distance feels contradictory to the foundation of early childhood education. We all have…
Important COVID-19 Updates
National, New York State, and New York City
During this crisis, guidance for early care and education providers changes rapidly. We have assembled links to the COVID-19 pages at the organizations and governmental agencies that New York’s workforce relies on. We hope that this will make it easier for you to track and access important updates. The National Association for the Education of…
Remote Learning Resources
We have highlighted a few of the many organizations creating remote learning resources. Each of these organizations presents activities that are specific to early childhood (birth through eight) and each acknowledges the importance of play-based, emotionally responsive, screen-free activities for young children. We encourage educators to be critical consumers during this crisis, and to beware…
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