Did you know?

Spring fever affects humans AND animals. Increased energy is a biological change caused by by hormones like serotonin. For animals, it's a critical period for activities like hunting, mating, and preparing for the challenges of the year ahead. Studies have shown that these changes can be described as their version of "spring fever."

The Spring Institute was a rousing

success among Pre-K & K educators!

On March 9, educators enjoyed the Spring Institute hosted by the

Long Island Regional Technical Assistance Center for Pre-K & Early Childhood Education (LI-RTAC). Titled Spring Forward with Best Practices and Strategies to Meet the Needs of All Learners in Pre-K & K, the day began with a keynote address by Pamela Jones of Bank Street College, entitled, Reclaiming a Revolutionary Praxis in Early Childhood Education: Movement Building & Classroom Approaches to Culturally Sustaining Futures. Educators were then able to visit with exhibitors, and choose from meaningful workshops such as Developmental Readiness for School in Early Childhood and The Power of Play in the Early Childhood Classroom.

LI-RTAC would like to extend a sincere 'thank you' to Farmingdale State College for hosting the event, as well as our partners, the Child Care Council of Nassau, the Child Care Council of Suffolk, QUALITYstarsNY, and CUNY PDI. We look forward to seeing all participants at the Summer 2024 Institute!

How to prepare children for

the total solar eclipse

With the upcoming solar eclipse on April 8, educators have the unique opportunity to teach children an astronomical lesson! However, it can be difficult for young children to fully comprehend what is going to be happening. An article by the Sunshine House Early Learning Academy suggests a number of safe ways educators can help.

• Make a paper model. Using black construction paper and orange and yellow paint, children can create a sun. Help children cut a big black circle out of the paper to model the moon’s shadow. Explain the process as they work on their projects.

• Simulate the solar eclipse. With the use a of a flashlight, a Styrofoam ball, and some string, educators can create a great deal of fun! “Hang the ball in front of a wall and shine the flashlight so you can see the ball’s shadow on the wall,” says the article.

• Play solar eclipse games. You might choose to play a variation of “Duck, Duck, Goose” called “Sun, Sun, Moon,” during which the moon chases the sun. When the moon catches the sun, children will yell, “Total Eclipse!”

• Read an eclipse book. The article suggests reading Someone is Eating the Sun by Ruth Sonneborn, as her story uses animals to describe the movement of the moon in front of the sun. It teaches children an important lesson about not looking directly at the sun during an eclipse. Other recommendations include The Big Eclipse, by Nancy Coffelt, and When the Sun Goes Dark by Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz.

Perhaps these activities will help to develop the minds of future astronomers!



Click here to read more about eclipse activities. 

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Picture books to celebrate spring

Spring commemorates new beginnings and a special time. However, it takes on even more poignant meaning when educators can enjoy it through the eyes of silly, skippy, young children. In an article by Lindsay Barrett in Brightly, she offers eleven fun books about the season. Here are a few of her suggestions for classroom reading:

• An ABC of Flowers, by Jutta Hilpuesch. Children love to look at flowers in the spring. There are many opportunities to discuss the differences in their colors, sizes, shapes, and textures. “This informative book introduces young botanists to the names of popular flowers,” says Barrett.

• A Book of Babies, by Il Sung Na. A little duck goes on a big journey to see many new babies born in the spring.

• Spring Stinks – A Little Bruce Book, by Ryan T. Higgins. Bruce is the only one unhappy about the change in seasons. Ruth Rabbit decides to cheer him up by sharing the new smells, whether they are from fresh grass, beautiful daisies, or a wet moose!

• Worm Weather, by Jean Taft. This rhyming story takes readers through the sights and sounds of an exciting spring day.

Click here to “spring” into the complete list of books.