Did you know?

In 2012, the Guinness World Records named St. Patrick's Day the “Friendliest Day of the Year.”

This was calculated by stationing multiple people around the globe at some of the biggest

St. Patrick’s Day events. They were to count how many people were in attendance in person and online. 

Don't forget to register!

ECERS-3

(Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-3):

Creating a Pre-K or K Classroom that Meets the Broad Developmental Needs of Young Children

Looking for ways to improve the quality of your Pre-K or kindergarten

classroom? ECERS-3 provides strategies and assessment tools to broaden the cognitive and social/emotional needs of your 3-5-year-old children, while providing them with a safe and healthy learning environment. During these two sessions, you will learn about the important role you and support staff play in assessing the environment and strengthening teacher-child interactions. ECERS-3 is well suited for inclusive and culturally diverse programs.

Presenter: Stephanie Dockweiler is the President and Co-Owner of QS2 Training and Consulting. Ms. Dockweiler serves as an observer for Children’s Institute, which oversees all of the ERS observations for QUALITYstarsNY. She is a Master Cadre Pyramid Trainer who is also trained to ensure reliability for ECERS-3 and ITERS-3.

Dates: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 and

*Tuesday, April 16, 2024 (*Please note the change of date!)

Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Registration Fee: There is no fee for this workshop; however, registration is required. Registrants will receive a mailed copy of the Spiral-Bound Early Childhood

Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-3 Edition).

CTLE Credit Hours: 4

How theatrical games and brain breaks

can help concentration

Educators know that frequent breaks are necessary for Pre-K children because they keep them stimulated and energetic. When one simply considers the energy that is visible during lesson transitions, it is clear that it can be harnessed in productive ways. According to an article by Jocelyn Greene in Edutopia, children’s brains are working very hard during brain breaks. If these breaks consist of a lot of movement, the actions can actually boost the brain’s working memory. Greene recommends redefining one’s definition of these breaks-after all, learning doesn’t have to stop when breaks occur. These activities can actually build a brain’s function.

Theatre games can help set the proverbial reset button and add fun to any transition or break. Actors use a plethora of exercises to “refocus, build community, and stimulate their energy that work well during transitions, or whenever kids need to refocus,” says Greene. “There are other benefits, including mindfulness, executive function skills, growth mindset, and social and emotional learning.” Brain breaks are the perfect opportunity to provide all of this for young children. Here are a few of Greene’s suggestions for breaks that help Pre-K children focus:

• Silent circles of sameness: Children stand at the perimeter of the room and respond to statements posed by their educator. When a child agrees, he or she moves to the center, while the rest stay at the edges. Educators might say, “Unicorns are better than dragons,” or “I have two pets.” These statements help children get to know one another. You might even tie in a literacy lesson by positing that “Wilbur is brave,” or “the Cat in the Hat is nosy.” For more fun, you can have children wiggle or jump into the middle of the circle.

• Mirror game: Children work in pairs with one initiating movements while the other reflects them. They could be silly and bizarre movements, or they can be realistic, like brushing your teeth. This is also a great opportunity to practice emotions through facial expressions (like joy, fear, and anger).

• Laugh like a ____: Have the class help brainstorm a list of animals, creatures, or characters. “Cue this game with a phrase like ‘Drop everything and laugh like a ____,’ says Greene. “It can be fun to do a few in rapid succession.”

• Feather balance: In this game, children experiment with balancing feathers on the palms of their hands. It’s a great reminder about the importance of mindfulness.

• “Down by the Bay”: Raffi’s classic song incorporates music, rhyming, and acting into the brain break. You might sing it in its original form and then have children help you create new verses. It’s an excellent game because rhyming builds literacy skills.



Click here to read about eight theatrical games children can play for a break. 

Lucky picture books to help celebrate

St. Patrick’s Day

While steeped in four-leaf clovers, pots of gold, and lucky leprechauns this month, help children celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with fun picture books. According to an article by Keith Price in Brightly, there are a number of options that explain the significance of the holiday, or simply share the joy of a romping adventure of a leprechaun. Here are a few of the great options available for every child:

• I’m a Leprechaun, by Mallory Loehr. A great introduction to leprechauns, this book demonstrates their antics through practical jokes and pots of gold. Plus, little known fact: they‘re also great shoemakers!

• Lucky Tucker, by Leslie McGuirk. Even Tucker the terrier enjoys celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but this year nothing seems to be going his way. However, when he rolls in a bed of four-leaf clovers, he finds that luck may actually be on his side.

• Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Tiny!, by Cari Meister. Tiny (a giant dog) and his friend are excited for the holiday festivities. As they compete to find a hidden pot of gold during a scavenger hunt, they find a young girl who is distraught over a missing shoe. Tiny and his friend work to help her while still winning the competition.

• The 12 Days of St. Patrick’s Day, by Jenna Lettice. In the same rhyming style of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” this book counts pots of gold, top hats, and other staples, all the way to a big celebration.  

Click here to read the complete list of St. Patrick’s Day books. 

Summer Institute Proposal Submissions Now Open!

Best & Promising Practices to Meet the Needs of

All Learners in Pre-K & K

Join us alongside national and local presenters at Best & Promising Practices to Meet the Needs of All Learners in Pre-K & K. Our goal, as always, is to provide additional opportunities in supporting best and promising practices of quality teaching and leadership among early childhood practitioners focused on Pre-K and K.

If interested, please submit a workshop proposal using the portal below. Sessions submitted will be conducted within the frame of a 90-minute session.

 We are looking for topics covering: 

• Developmentally Appropriate Practices
• Teaching in a Post-COVID Era
• Equitable Curriculum & Content Area Specific Focus (i.e., Reading, Writing, Math, etc.)
• Family Engagement & Partnerships
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Understanding Indigenous Culture as it Relates to Early Education
• Special Education 
• Supporting Multilingual Learners (i.e., English Language Learners, etc.)
• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics) 
• Social-Emotional Learning and/or Classroom Behavior
• Teacher & Practitioner Self Care
• Teacher Leadership
• Play & Play-Based Learning
• Outdoor Learning

We also want to hear your new ideas for topics!

SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY 

Friday, March 15, 2024.

As session availability is limited, we highly encourage submissions of your proposals as soon as possible!

Check out the NYS Pyramid Model

Book Nook

Book Nooks provide teachers, caregivers, and families easy ideas for using diverse books to bring social emotional learning topics to life with young children. Click on the a few of their book choices below to check out some of their resources. You may also click here to view all of the options they offer.