Playlab NYU

Check out this list of ways to celebrate MLK Day and promote his message of inclusivity in school environments every day:

Do's and Don'ts of Celebrating MLK Day We've prepared a list of recommended "Do's" and "Don'ts" to consider when observing the life and legacy of Dr. King with students.

Sometimes young children's most impactful teachers can be those outside of the classroom! Research has demonstrated that responsive interactions between young children and their caregivers promote strong bonds and facilitate children's learning. Check out some tips for fostering these interactions here:

You’re the Best Teacher! Responsive Interactions with Young Children | ECLKC Children learn best from rich, responsive social interactions with other people. These interactions allow children and adults to share attention and build bonds.Explore the importance of adults’ responsive social interactions with children. Find out how these interactions allow children and adults...

Can toddlers learn through a screen? A recent research study has found that toddlers learn new concepts better face to face than through video. However, videos can still be educational if parents talk to their children as they're watching. Check out this article and video to learn more about the study's findings:

Face to Face: Still Better than Screens for Toddlers? - Child Trends NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Some parents think of the screen as a temporary babysitter, something that keeps young toddlers fascinated and occupied for a few moments while parents take care of chores. But is your toddler really learning from on-screen characters?

Research has demonstrated a variety of benefits for diverse children who see their races, ethnicities, and cultures reflected in books in their classrooms. Although there is still progress to be made, classrooms are headed in the right direction due to the work of educators and nonprofits. Read more here:

Children's Books Still Aren't Diverse Enough, But It's Getting Better The diversity and accessibility gap in children's literacy is vast, but individuals and nonprofits are bridging the gap.

Pointing out that kids who have behavior inhibition between two and three years old have higher chances to develop anxiety disorders, this video provides suggestions to the parents about how to plan ahead to reduce the likelihood of exhibiting the anxiety. Watch the video here:

Planning Ahead Fights Risk Factor for Anxiety - Child Trends ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Anxiety disorders affect one in eight kids in the U.S. Left untreated, those kids are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences, and engage in substance abuse. Now researchers have identified an important risk factor for....

How can we ensure that racial equity is more than just a buzzword in early childhood education? This article discusses concrete actions to decrease the racial school readiness gap. Read more here:

Centering Equity: Racial Equity in the Early Learning Classroom—More than a Buzzword for More than a Gap Local early Learning programs have emerged that are working to break the silence on race in teaching and learning practice

The Children's Museum of the East End has recently started a free outreach program to provide young Latino children living in Southampton with educational activities in an unusual location - a laundromat! Read more about this innovative idea here:

Lessons, not in laundry, at the laundromat A group of East End Latino toddlers is getting a weekly music, art and English lesson in an unlikely place — over the hum of dryers and behind a row of washing machines at a Southampton laundromat. Th

To increase awareness regarding the importance of purposeful play in the classroom, the New York State Education Department has released an instructional video series for pre-k to second grade educators. Check it out here:

NYSED Office of Early Learning Video Series : Early Learning : OCIS : P-12 : NYSED Early Learning Video Series

With the Supreme Court hearing arguments this week for President Trump's decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, it is particularly important for educators and researchers to have an understanding of the program. Learn more about DACA here:

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Data Tools Learn about participation in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program nationally and by state, as well as by top countries of origin. The data tools offered here provide the numbers of DACA recipients at U.S. and state levels and offer an estimate of participation rates by geography...

Do positive effects from attending preschool extend into the elementary school years? In a recent study of Boston's Universal PreK program, the researchers found that elementary school quality was an important factor in extending the effects of preschool. Important policy implications relating to lack of representation in the populations that are enrolling in public pre-k and the possibility for more integration in public pre-k were further discussed.

What happens after preschool matters for sustaining the preschool boost There have long been questions about how long the benefits of preschool last.

http://allourkin.org/sites/default/files/PolicyReport-Oct2019-rev2_compressed%20%281%29.pdf

What are the benefits of family child care and how can we support them? Check out this new policy report outlining various recommendations for improving the state of family child care in the U.S.

allourkin.org

Resilient early childhood educators of color are speaking out against the challenges posed by increased credential requirements. Read more here:
https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/equitably-expanding-educational-requirements-insights-diverse-early-educators/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Early%20%20Elementary%20Ed%20Update%20514&utm_content=Early%20%20Elementary%20Ed%20Update%20514+CID_2ba8a890c1a3e88e7602ba22b29ac855&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor%20Newsletters&utm_term=Equitably%20Expanding%20Educational%20Requirements%20Insights%20from%20Diverse%20Early%20Educators

Equitably Expanding Educational Requirements: Insights from Diverse Early Educators Educators of color who care for young children must be elevated throughout policy conversations to ensure equitable systemic change.