The Garden School Tattler

So many things to think about, so many things to do!

I don't know if you've noticed, but we've gone to block time teaching. It came from a brainstorm the faculty had not long ago one weekend. What it is is a division of school time into teaching blocks. These blocks define the children's day. Every teacher is not needed every day all day, so teachers chose blocks corresponding to the teaching they do, and presto bingo, we have a really happy staff and some really good classes going on.

This week we've been studying Africa as a continent. We've looked at the geographical layout, the rain forest area, the deserts, the plains and Madagascar. Today we will learn an African song and play some rhythm instruments to accompany it. We will look at Egypt in Fine Arts tomorrow.

I read an article in a dentist's office not long ago that spoke of empty space on walls as soothing. I think that's the trend in early childhood - empty walls and soothing. Not at the Garden School! Soothing is for home where we find a place to get away from the market place and the crowds. School, on the other hand, is supposed to stimulate minds and keep us suspended with what is going to happen next! School is supposed to be a burst of interesting things to explore and discover and see and touch and smell and think about. You won't find us removing the plants, painting over the murals or pulling artifacts down off the shelves to make room for -- the dullness and mind deadening qualities of nothing. I promise.

Blood drive today - just a reminder that blood is always needed. Please be generous and give!

Michigan

DetNews.com

Too Soon?

Debate heats up over teaching Three Rs -- and even foreign languages -- to preschoolers

Shawn D. Lewis | The Detroit News

OCHESTER HILLS -- Josh Hatch squirmed with excitement in his first Spanish class.

"Amarillo," the 3-year-old confidently yelled when his teacher, Roxana Castillo, held up a yellow card and asked the class what color it was. After just a few repetitions from Castillo, Josh's pronunciation -- amar-EE-yo -- was flawless.

Their homework -- yes, homework for 3-year-olds -- included practicing appropriate Spanish words on a sheet with pictures of sketches of parents and siblings.

Josh attends Abiding Presence Preschool in Rochester Hills, where kids between 3 and 5 years old are learning Spanish, along with math, English and socialization skills. They are among a new generation of children whose earliest education is designed to help them navigate a global market. Many parents, teachers and business leaders believe the standard school starting age of 5 is simply too late and that it's never too soon to leap over the competition for entrance into the best schools and on to the most lucrative careers.

But not everyone agrees that pushing toddlers to excel is the way to go.

"I think adults are projecting their own competitive natures onto their children," said child psychologist Sally Bloch of West Bloomfield. "I think it's stupid. What's the rush? We keep speeding them up with no clear benefits. What is the benefit of reading earlier than 5? What's next? Making kids walk earlier? What is the benefit of that? And as far as learning foreign languages, I can see if it is part of a child's rich culture. But if not, I don't think it will pay off."

Dee Dee Herberling of Rochester Hills, whose daughter Meredith, 5, attends Abiding Presence said she believes, however, that earlier education lays the foundation and makes kindergarten easier eventually.

"We lived in Germany for two years and my son, who was 3 at the time, was totally immersed in the German language for six months. He picked it up very quickly," she said.

Not only do younger children pick up languages more quickly, but also they tend to better retain all forms of learning, experts say.

And studies prove it.

The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study, one of the longest-running studies of the effects of preschool education, indicates that children who attended preschool are 30 percent more likely to graduate from high school, less likely to go to jail and more likely to surpass their nonpreschool counterparts in areas such as income and home ownership.

Boy's progress thrills mom

Chris Hayes of Detroit is thrilled with the progress her 4-year-old son is making in his preschool class at MacDowell Elementary School.

"The difference between my 4-year-old and his older brother is remarkable," she said.

"His older brother did not go to preschool, and my youngest son is much farther along than he was at that age.

"I was cooking dinner and I had to turn around and look at him when he said something like, 'Well, actually, Mom …'

The preschool really brought him out of his shyness," she said. "He went in not really knowing anything, and now he knows his ABCs, he can count to 100, and his language skills have really improved, along with his social skills."

Local business leaders say they, too, have a vested interest in quality early education.

Alysia Green, project coordinator for Automation Alley in Troy, believes a strong preschool education system can generate economic rewards.

"One of my responsibilities is work force development," she said. "We want kids to get a proper start and we must build awareness among businesses so we'll be able to draw from a strong, wide pool of candidates so we won't have to go out of state, and that begins with good early childhood education."

But it's not always that easy because preschool can be expensive for parents who don't qualify for Head Start, a federal preschool program, and the state-funded Michigan School Readiness Program.

Sally Anglim of Rochester Hills pays nearly $3,000 annually for her two children to attend Abiding Presence two days a week.

"We're kind of in the low middle range (of preschool prices)," she said. "Some charge close to $2,000 a year for two days a week (per child)."

Standards being established

But the prekindergarten options available to children should be of a good quality, and the governor is doing her part to see that it is.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm last year created the Michigan Early Childhood Investment Corp., which is charged with establishing standards for early childhood development activities to be implemented statewide.

"The way we propose to improve the quality in our programs is through a quality rating system for all regulated child care facilities," said Lindy Buch, director of the Office of Early Childhood Education and Family Services at the Michigan Department of Education. "This would allow us to provide a ladder from a minimal level to a highest level and give incentives, rewards and technical assistance helping programs to improve with training and financial incentives."

Comment: To answer why is this important, the answer is, because children want it. There is play and there is learning play. It's all play, so why not make it real?

Training and More Training

Local nonprofit proposes standard requirements for child care workers

Frank Sietzen, The Examiner

WASHINGTON - A local association is proposing nationwide adoption of community-based training requirements for all childcare workers.

Currently, there are nearly 12 million children under age 5 cared for every week in childcare facilities in the U.S. Many are small family-run organizations operating out of the home

“It is astonishing that in America today adults can begin working in child care with no previous training or experience in early childhood education,” said Linda Smith, executive director of the Arlington-based National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.

NACCRRA’s proposal, released last week, would require a minimum of pre-service training for all paid providers caring for unrelated children on a regular basis. The agencies that her group represents would actually do the training, once a program has been approved and vetted by the individual states.

Smith told The Examiner that many of the agencies that make up her group had been calling for a more formal series of training guidelines and a national standard for childcare workers.

“Most states only require 12 hours of training a year, and that can be anything that people want, even taking the same workshops over and over again,” Smith said. “Our research showed that the quality of (child) care is not improving, and that agencies have been urging formal training programs as a way to improve the quality of care.”

“This effort should begin at the state and federal level by creating training requirements for all child care providers,” Smith explained. The plan also calls for a national trainer credential to be established.

Many referral agencies have already started their own training programs.

“We make individual assessments of our care givers, starting with home evaluations and site visits,” said Wynne Busman, associate director of the Infant and Family Toddler Day Care in Fairfax, a local referral agency.

Training of staff workers is a high priority for her group, Busman said, and they often send some of the workers at facilities to courses at Northern Virginia Community College. Her group also tutors in English, since many providers speak English as a second language and has established a mentoring program — matching newer workers with more experienced personnel.

Busman welcomes the NACCRRA initiative. “There should be a program like this everywhere in the country, many of our parents have told us. I really think we can do this in the interest of our children.”

Baby Fit

Quick & Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Most Important Meal of the Day
-- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer

It’s been said time and time again just how important it is to eat breakfast every morning in order to start the day off right. This really is true! Ten minutes of munching can sustain you for hours on end. Too busy? Don’t have time? Make time! You don’t want to be weak, lethargic, or nauseated throughout the day, which is exactly what can happen without the right start. Your baby needs the jump-start just as much as your own body is craving some fuel.

Breakfast eaters have a much higher intake of vitamins and minerals than those who skip this meal. This is because non-breakfast eaters are more apt to snack throughout the day, which is certainly not a bad thing, but it all to often is on unhealthy food. Breakfast foods are great at providing a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as fiber and folic acid. If you think you are doing yourself a favor to avoid a lot of that pregnancy weight gain by skipping the calories at breakfast, think again. Your body will struggle to make it to lunch time.

Here are some relatively simple and healthy ideas. If you aren’t getting enough nutrients, your baby will actually tap your stored resources. So, make what you eat count!

• Try preparing a healthy casserole the night before. When you wake up, just pop it in the oven and it will be ready to go when you are. Make things easier on yourself in the morning.
• Try complex carbohydrates, including whole wheat toast and bagels. You can spread some peanut butter and raisins on top of either for some more flavor, and the energy from them will last much longer than a quick sugary treat you might otherwise eat.
• Try baking a batch of bran muffins early in the week. These can be grabbed as you head out the door. Don’t have much skill in the kitchen? Check out a local bakery and see if they have any healthy muffins.

• Waffles are filling in the morning, but who has time to stand around in the kitchen to make a batch? Make some for Sunday morning and freeze the leftovers. You can pop these in the toaster for a homemade breakfast. Still don’t have time for this? Grocery stores sell whole grain frozen waffles if you can’t have the real deal.
• Have you ever tried including a whole wheat tortilla in your breakfast? Wrap up some scrambled eggs or leftover roast chicken and cheese, grab an apple and you’re on your way.
• Don’t forget cold cereal. We’re not talking about those covered with sugar, but the healthy variety. Items such as Wheaties and Cheerios are always good to go with.
• Eat those eggs! They are full of iron, protein, and all kinds of other good nutrients that your baby can use to grow. Omelets with lots of veggies are quick and tasty.
• Try making a shake or a smoothie. You can blend fruit and yogurt quickly and then drink it in the car. Consider bringing along a small bag of finger foods, like a mixture of granola and grapes.

The Garden School Tattler

It's going to be a freezing week this week, and recess will be caught when we can. Please do not send children in short sleeves! Short sleeves over a light coat is simply not acceptable wear for a school that goes outside. That's summer wear! All children need mittens and hats. Please consider buying those tiny stretch mittens. Adult sized mittens just don't fit very young children and because they are so big, they fall off and children take them off and catch a chill. The right equipment is important.

This week we will be studying opposites and differences. We will begin the study of Africa and all it's geographical and historical differences. I hope the children enjoy this. The study includes Egypt, the Serengeti Plain, the mountains and deserts of Africa along with the jungles and the island of Madagascar.

We will have a blood drive on Wednesday between 2:00 and 4:30. Blood is being collected by the Indiana Blood Center.

We will be eating ham this week, whole salmon, spaghetti, and chicken nuggets with the usual accompanying fruits and vegetables. We will try hot fruit this week - baked apples and pineapple and some fruit critters.

Yoga Challenge

Happy New Year From Yoga 101

Get Your New Year Off The Ground Yoga-ing!

Take the Yoga 101 Challenge and reap the rewards

Beginning February 1st

40 in 60 Day Challenge

complete 40 classes in 60 days and earn 5 free classes

or $65 credit to your monthly unlimited package.

Complete the challenge and the rewards to yourself are greater than you can imagine! Let your instructor know that you are up to the challenge, so we can plot your success!

Nicole, Tracey, Julie, Beth, Katie, April and Kathy

Comment from Judy: This is probably the best exercise there is. I found the picture on Internet and believe it or not it's not that hard. These wonderful women listed above, and many more in other cities and places, can help anyone get flexible enough to do this pose and many like it. It feels so good to stretch and bend. It's not hard. It goes slowly and individually which I really like. Everyone is at a different level every time they practice. The point is to build strength and vitality. It's the friendliest place in town. The first time I did yoga I lost five sizes in six weeks.

Legislative Update Indiana Association for the Educaiton of Young Children

Indiana AEYC Legislative Update

A Membership Benefit of Indiana AEYC

Bill Track - Bill History Report

Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC)

Run Time: Friday, Jan-26-2007, 03:42 PM

HB1055 Optional full day kindergarten. (Robertson)

Digest

Provides that the governing body of a school corporation may establish a full-day, half-day, or combination program for kindergarten. For a school corporation that establishes a full-day kindergarten program, provides that the parent of an enrolled kindergarten student determines whether the student attends kindergarten for a full or half day.

Date Action

01/08/2007 H: Author Added Paul J. Robertson

01/08/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Education

HB1118 Possession of firearms on certain property. (Denbo)

Digest

Prohibits a person from adopting or enforcing a policy or rule that prohibits or has the effect of prohibiting an individual from legally possessing a firearm that is locked in the individual's motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is in or on the person's property. Excepts possession of a firearm: (1) on school property or a school bus; (2) on certain child care and shelter facility property; (3) on penal facilityproperty; and (4) in violation of federal law. Provides that a person who, in compliance with the prohibition, does not adopt or enforce

such a policy or rule is not liable for resulting injury or damage. Authorizes a civil action for damages, costs, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief to remedy a violation.

Date Action

01/08/2007 H: Author Added Jerry L. Denbo

01/08/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Rules and Legislative Procedures

HB1120 Limitation on school starting date. (Lehe)

Digest

Prohibits schools from beginning student instructional days for the school year more than one week before the first Monday in September, starting in 2008.

Date Action

01/08/2007 H: Author Added Don Lehe

01/08/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Education

HB1142 Definition of child care ministry. (Hinkle)

Digest

Amends the definition of "child care ministry" to specify the grounds for the organization's federal tax exemption and to require annual filing of supporting documentation with the division of family resources. Grandfathers organizations registered on January 1, 2006.

Page 1 of 5 Bill Track - Bill History Report | IndianaNet

Date Action

01/08/2007 H: Author Added Phillip D. Hinkle

01/08/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Family, Children, and Human Affairs

HB1143 Predatory trespassing by sex offenders. (Hinkle)

Digest

Makes it a Class D felony for an individual who is a sex offender to enter a school or child care facility during the school or child care facility's normal hours of operation unless the individual: (1) has a child who attends the school or child care facility; (2) is dropping off or picking up the child; and (3) spends no more time at the school or child care facility than is required to drop off or pick up the child.

Date Action

01/08/2007 H: Author Added Phillip D. Hinkle

01/08/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Courts and Criminal Code

HB1167 Child and dependent care tax credit. (Micon)

Digest

Provides a refundable income tax credit to individuals for certain household, child care, or dependent care expenses associated with an individual's gainful employment. Provides that the amount of the credit is 50% of the federal child and dependent care credit. Provides that an individual whose federal adjusted gross income exceeds $45,000 is not eligible for the credit.

Date Action

01/11/2007 H: Author Added Joe Micon

01/11/2007 H: Co Author Added Lawrence Lee Buell

01/11/2007 H: Co Author Added William A. Crawford

01/11/2007 H: Co Author Added Sheila Johnston Klinker

01/11/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Ways and Means

HB1219 Full-day kindergarten. (Hoy)

Digest

Provides that for purposes of computing the average daily membership and other pupil counts of school corporations, pupils enrolled in a full-day kindergarten program shall be counted as one pupil. Limits any increase in funding resulting from the recalculation of average daily membership to the part of the increase that is distributed from the state.

Date Action

01/11/2007 H: Author Added George Philip Hoy

01/11/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Education

HB1406 Kinship caregivers. (Dickinson)

Digest

Requires the department of child services to: (1) collaborate with nonprofit community based agencies to develop a grant proposal for submission to potential funding sources for the purpose of establishing kinship care navigator pilot projects to assist kinship caregivers with understanding and navigating the system of services for children; and (2) report annually to the legislative council and the governor on the kinship care navigator pilot projects. Establishes requirements for: (1) the pilot projects; and (2) kinship care navigators. Provides that implementation of the kinship care navigator pilot projects is contingent upon receipt of nonstate or private funding for the projects.

Date Action

01/16/2007 H: Author Added Mae Dickinson

01/16/2007 H: Co Author Added Vanessa Summers

01/16/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Family, Children, and Human Affairs

HB1435 Department of child services caseworkers. (Mays)

Page 2 of 5 Bill Track - Bill History Report | IndianaNet

Digest

Allows a department of child services (department) caseworker to carry mace, pepper spray, a stun gun, or another nonlethal device specified by the department while working on a department investigation. Allows the department to adopt rules: (1) concerning training requirements and other requirements that a caseworker must meet to carry a nonlethal device; and (2) specifying other nonlethal devices

that a department caseworker may carry.

Date Action

01/16/2007 H: Author Added Carolene Mays

01/16/2007 H: 1st Reading Assigned Family, Children, and Human Affairs

SB0102 Lead-bearing substances. (Gard)

Digest

Restricts the use and sale of lead-bearing substances and items to which young children have access. Prohibits the removal or defacing of a lead warning on a product label. Requires a paint vendor to provide lead information pamphlets to customers and to offer lead testkits for sale.

Date Action

01/08/2007 S: Author Added Beverly J. Gard

01/08/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Health and Provider Services

SB0104 Committee on child care. (Lawson)

Digest

Requires the division of family resources to establish child care advisory committees. Reestablishes the committee on child care with different membership and additional considerations for the committee's program of study. (The introduced version of this bill was prepared by the committee on child care.)

Date Action

01/08/2007 S: Author Added Connie Lawson

01/08/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Health and Provider Services

SB0241 Qualified child care expenditure tax credits. (Smith)

Digest

Establishes a state tax credit for an employer that makes qualified child care expenditures, qualified child care resource and referral expenditures, or qualified child care planning expenditures on behalf of its employees. Provides that the maximum amount of the credit for each taxable year is the lesser of the employer's pro rata share of: (1) $20,000; or (2) 40% of the employer's qualified expenditures.

Date Action

01/08/2007 S: Author Added Samuel Smith

01/08/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Tax and Fiscal Policy

SB0328 Department of child services. (Lawson)

Digest

Requires the director of the department of child services (department) to appoint a county director for each county office of family and children. (Current law requires the director of the division of family resources to make the appointments in consultation with the director of the department.) Specifies that national criminal history checks shall be conducted in compliance with federal law to determine whether certain individuals who supervise children have been convicted of specified offenses. Modifies the definition of "custodian", for purposes of statutes regarding children in need of services (CHINS), to include a person who is a member of the household of a child's noncustodial parent. Requires criminal history checks in pre-adoption placements, even if the child is: (1) not a ward of the court or thedepartment; or (2) placed with certain relatives. Makes certain other changes. Replaces county early intervention plan teams with Page 3 of 5 Bill Track - Bill History Report | IndianaNet regional services councils. Establishes the duties, membership, and procedures of the regional services councils. Repeals county early intervention plan teams for delinquent children. Provides that the department may: (1) establish at least three citizen review panels; and represent the community; (2) exami(2) designate existing entities as citizen review panels. Requires a citizen review panel to: (1) consist of volunteer members who broadlyne policies and procedures of child welfare agencies and specific cases when appropriate; (3) meet at least one time every three months; and (4) prepare an annual report. Requires the department to submit a response to a citizen review panel's report not more than six months after the date the department receives the report. Pr! ohibits a member of a citizen review panel from disclosing identifying information about a specific child services case, child ormember of the child's family who is the subject of a child protective services investigation, or any other person identified in confidential materials. Provides that the department may remove a member who discloses identifying information from a citizen review panel. Requires child welfare agencies to cooperate and work with citizen review panels. Allows citizen review panels access to reports and other materials concerning child protective services. Provides that a petition alleging that a child taken into custody is a CHINS shall be filed before the detention hearing. Requires the initial hearing on the CHINS petition to be held at the same time as the detention hearing. Establishes a child protection registry, and permits a person or agency to obtain certain information contained in the registry relating to an individual who has applied for employment or volunteered for services in a capacity that would place the individual in a position of trust with children. Specifies that national criminal history checks shall be conducted in compliance with federal law to determine whether certain individuals who supervise children have been convicted of specified offenses. Requires a court to consult with a CHINS regarding a proposedpermanency plan for the child. Provides that if the child is at least 16 years of age and the proposed permanency plan for the childprovides for the transition from foster care to independent living, the court shall notify the child of the permanency hearing and providethe child an opportunity to be heard. Repeals provisions: (1) requiring the department to offer certain services to a family or a child following an investigation of a report of child abuse or neglect; and (2) authorizing voluntary services referral agreements between thedepartment and persons accused of child abuse or neglect. Makes conforming amendments.

Date Action

01/16/2007 S: Author Added Connie Lawson

01/16/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Judiciary

SB0415 Qualified child care expenditure tax credits. (Errington)

Digest

Establishes a state tax credit for an employer that makes qualified child care expenditures, qualified child care resource and referral expenditures, or qualified child care planning expenditures on behalf of its employees. Provides that the maximum amount of the credit for each taxable year is the lesser of the employer's pro rata share of: (1) $20,000; or (2) 40% of the employer's qualified expenditures.

Date Action

01/11/2007 S: Author Added Sue Errington

01/11/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Tax and Fiscal Policy

SB0423 Imagination library program. (Simpson)

Digest

Appropriates $3,000,000 to the department of education to be used to fund matching grants to school corporations to participate in the Imagination Library early reading program to provide books for children from birth through five years of age.

Date Action

01/16/2007 S: Author Added Vi Simpson

01/16/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Appropriations

SB0425 Term of state contracts. (Simpson)

Digest

Provides that a contract for services entered into by a state agency: (1) may not be for a period of more than four years unless a statute specifically provides otherwise; and (2) may not be renewed. Provides that, after the term of a contract for services, a new contract for the same services may be awarded to the same contractor that provided the services under the original contract only if there is a new Page 4 of 5 Bill Track - Bill History Report | IndianaNet solicitation. Provides that the statute authorizing public-private agreements does not apply to services unless the contract is a "BOT" agreement or an "operating agreement" (as both terms are defined in the public-private agreement statute).

Date Action

01/16/2007 S: Author Added Vi Simpson

01/16/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Tax and Fiscal Policy

SB0427 Early childhood and kindergarten programs. (Simpson)

Digest

Requires school corporations to offer full-day kindergarten under a schedule established by the department of education. Provides that the schedule must require schools that receive Title I funding to offer full-day kindergarten beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, and all school corporations to offer full-day kindergarten beginning with the 2009-2010 school year. Appropriates $3,000,000 to the department of education to be used to fund matching grants to school corporations to participate in the Imagination Library to provide books for children from birth through five years of age.

Date Action

01/11/2007 S: Author Added Vi Simpson

01/11/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Education and Career Development

SB0428 Full-day kindergarten. (Simpson)

Digest

Requires school corporations to offer full-day kindergarten under a schedule established by the department of education. Provides that the schedule must require schools that receive Title I funding to offer full-day kindergarten beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, and all school corporations to offer full-day kindergarten beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

Date Action

01/11/2007 S: Author Added Vi Simpson

01/11/2007 S: 1st Reading Assigned Education and Career Development

SB0456 Outsourcing relief. (Simpson)

Digest

Requires approval by the legislative council of state contracts that: (1) result in outsourced employees; and (2) total at least $10 million. Provides that a contract entered into by a state agency may not be for a period of more than four years unless a statute specifically provides otherwise. Requires a state agency to award contracts to Indiana businesses unless the Indiana business: (1) is not the lowest bidder; or (2) cannot perform the contract. Requires a person that bids on a state contract to disclose certain information concerning outsourced workers to the Indiana department of administration. Requires a financial institution to defer principal payments for up to 12

months on a mortgage or vehicle loan held by an outsourced employee of the state or a state educational institution. Requires the state student assistance commission to administer a program of low interest loans to outsourced employees or dependents of outsourced employees who are full-time students at a state educational institution to pay tuition and regularly assessed fees.

Date Action

01/16/2007 S: Author Added Vi Simpson

01/16/2007 S:

Comment: For those of you who are interested.

Maine

What To Look For In A Good Preschool

Web Editor: Miranda Grossman, Reporter

Looking for a preschool or child-care center that is right for your child takes time and research. Childhood experts say finding a high quality program is worth it.

A new center with national standards is about to open its doors in Bangor. The Parkside Children's Learning Center is one of a small number of child-care centers that will be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children after a year in business.

The accreditation means their program will have met certain criteria and curriculum. Parkside has a low student to teacher ratio, one to four for infants and one to 10 for preschoolers.

The founder of Parkside, Liz Leonard says, there is a curriculum structured for every age level, making the transition into kindergarten easier. "A home atmosphere is wonderful, but there are statistics that show when children are in a comprehensive learning environment they are more prepared and ready for kindergarten." Leonard explains.

Parkside Children's Learning Center officially opens Monday, January 22.

Comment: Combine home and school and you get the Garden School.

Ireland

Waterford Today, Waterford, Ireland

Celebrating 100 years of Montessori

2007 is a very special year for the Montessori world as we are celebrating the centenary of the first Montessori school (Casa dei Bambini - House of Children), which opened in Rome on January 6th, 1907.

Many people today are familiar with the term “Montessori” and can associate it with early childhood education. However they may not be sure where the term actually comes from.
Maria Montessori (1870-1952) was in fact an Italian medical doctor. She was the first female to graduate from the Rome University Medical School and initially worked with intellectually disadvantaged children in institutions void of stimulation and daily experience. Her experiences there encouraged her to move into the realm of education and develop methods of teaching and learning that were applicable to all children.
Her research highlighted a number of factors that have become established in modern teaching practice:
• Children learn at different paces
• Achievement builds confidence
• Learning is a process of discovery
• Freedom of movement and freedom to explore is essential to stimulate a child’s mind.
Dr Maria Montessori believed that a truly educated individual continues learning long after the hours and years spent in the classroom because he is motivated from within by a natural curiosity and love of learning.
Although mostly associated with early childhood education, the system has in fact been developed through primary and up into post-primary education.
In the Waterford area, 2 schools are registered with the Association of A.M.I. Teachers (Ireland) and accredited by the Irish Montessori Education Board.
• Tír na nÓg Montessori School, 2 King Street Upper, Abbeyside, Dungarvan. Tel: (058) 43489. Directress: Siobhán Buckley.
• Park Montessori School, 22 Sylvan Drive, Grantstown Park, Dunmore Road, Waterford. Tel: (051) 858151. Directress: Ruth White.

Comment:The Question is would Maria Montessori recognize her project in Montessori schools today?

Scotland

Sunday Herald - Glasgow, Scotland,UK

TV children ‘losing core language skills’

By Jenifer Johnston

Children of poor parents at greatest risk of stunted communication skills

A LEADING childhood expert has warned that children are increasingly losing their core language skills because their parents don't communicate with them enough, risking their entire education.

Sue Palmer, author of the book Toxic Childhood, will tell a high-profile conference later this month that she believes more and more children are starting school without basic communication skills, then struggling to move on to formal learning such as reading and writing.

Palmer is expected to tell the The Kids Are Alright? conference in Glasgow that the Curriculum for Excellence, the new curriculum for Scottish pupils, risks being undermined because parents are not talking and listening to their young children and are bringing them up on television and video games.

continued.She told the Sunday Herald: "Children are losing communication skills year on year.

"The Scottish Executive have established a set of brilliant aims for children - successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, effective contributors. But every single one of them is underpinned by good language skills.

"Our big problem is that our children's language ability is going down by the week. They are immersed in a screen-based, sedentary lifestyle of TV, video games and indoor play.

"One primary school headteacher from Wishaw told me that when children are arriving in his school they have only very simple words and a jumble of visual images', which hits the nail on the head."

She said the problem lay more with parents than with teachers, and expressed the fear that children from deprived backgrounds were being hit hardest.

"Parents aren't talking to their children as much as in previous generations," she said. "To give one example, some nursing mothers watch TV while they are breastfeeding instead of singing or talking to their baby. It really starts as early as that.

"For a long time it was not politically correct to point these things out as the feeling was, and is, that this is a problem more concentrated in deprived areas. But the message is starting to come through. It is a major nettle to grasp."

There has been little academic research into whether children's basic vocabulary is decreasing. However, Palmer urged education bosses to "forget what happened in their own childhood" and concentrate on current problems.

"One thing education chiefs aren't aware of is that a lot of ancient wisdom has been lost they are basing their ideas on what happened to them as a kid," she said. "They are thinking back to their own time as children, when nursery rhymes and singalong songs were universally given to children. That isn't realistic any more."

Scotland's commissioner for children and young people, Professor Kathleen Marshall, who will also be speaking at The Kids Are Alright? conference, said the issue was pressing and urged more support for parents.

"Sue's comments are relevant to the recurring debate about parent education. Whenever the issue arises, you find some who scoff at it and query why this generation needs education on a supposed natural' skill," she said.

"However, the world is changing fast. Parents need help to meet new and unknown challenges in areas such as communications technology, foodstuffs (often unhealthy), available drugs, and expectations of their own role in the family and in the wider world."

Liz Cullen, an expert in early education at Glasgow University, said it was important that thorough research be carried out into children's communication skills before generalizations about parents are made.

"I wouldn't like to suggest for a minute that all children from all parents in a deprived socioeconomic setting are not getting good communication skills," Cullen said.

"However, on the whole we see a trend towards more directional and instructional communication from some parents in that group rather than expressive or imaginative communication," she added.

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Executive said they were "not aware of any evidence to suggest that children are starting school with poor communication skills", adding that young pupils were "performing particularly strongly at reading".

Comment: So every time you tell a child to "Go watch TV," are we going to feel guilt? Probably not. What we find at school is that 2 of 30 children know what a nursery rhyme is and can actually recite one. What we can promise is that we will bring up the rear with poetry, nursery rhymes and children's songs.

New York

The Journal News Westchester New York
By Ken Valenti

NEW ROCHELLE - A day-care center that must move to make way for developer Louis Cappelli's LeCount Square project downtown has found a potential new home.

Bob Conner, owner of Royal Child Care Center, has signed a lease for ground-floor space at 10 Commerce St., the home of Somnia Inc., an anesthesia services management company. The new location is less convenient to reach than the current site but offers a larger space, which will allow the center to add and expand classrooms, Conner said.

"We're happy we found a new place," he said. "As long as it's a good day-care center, people will go to it."

Conner said enrollment could rise from 98 children now, the maximum the center can hold in its current space, to 137. The new space would be 10,000 square feet, including 1,000 square feet for storage. The center now fills 7,800 square feet on LeCount Place.

Dr. Marc Koch, president and chief executive officer of Somnia, said the company was thrilled to offer the space. Some of Koch's employees plan to enroll their children in the center when it opens downstairs, he said.

"We consider it both an honor and a privilege to have a relationship with somebody who provides such a valuable service to the community," Koch said.

On Commerce Street, Conner said, he could add two classes for infants and a class for 3-year-olds. He also could expand the class of 5-year-olds to 22 from 13 and create a play area outside, he said.

Cappelli's development of residences, stores, a hotel and offices would occupy the block bound by LeCount Place, North Avenue and Anderson and Huguenot streets. The developer is still working with the U.S. Postal Service to move post office trucking operations and with Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic to move a clinic that operates on the site.

Conner said the future day-care center site, on a dead-end industrial street near Exit 16 of Interstate 95, is still within walking distance of North Avenue, but he may run a shuttle there from North Avenue.

The site would require changes to city zoning and an urban renewal plan to allow for a ground-floor day-care center and fewer parking spaces than would normally be needed. The City Council agreed this week to consider allowing the use on dead-end streets downtown and to ease parking space requirements because it is near mass transportation and public parking areas.

On Jan. 30, the Planning Board will hold a hearing on a proposed change to the urban renewal plan. The City Council will hold a hearing Feb. 6 on the changes to both the urban renewal plan and the zoning code.

With the changes, the business would need a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Comment: I put this in for my husband who grew up in this city. I hope he finds familiar street names and of course enjoys the picture.

South Dakota

Preschool project part of strategy in education

By Terry Woster

Published: January 10, 2007

PIERRE - Gov. Mike Rounds opened the 2007 Legislature on Tuesday with calls for a higher minimum wage and pilot pre-school projects coordinated with the Sioux Falls School District.

Both proposals instantly found support and criticism from some of the assembled 105 lawmakers who will spend the next 39 days in session.

Rounds, who opened his message with get-well wishes for hospitalized U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, also recommended a special high-speed Internet to handle the growing research programs in the state.

The governor also said he'll try again to start a state-local district matching program to raise teacher salaries.

The preschool program Rounds outlined would be a model for future expansion across the state, he said.

"During the next three years, we will be working with the Sioux Falls School District on a pilot preschool project so that as more and more preschool is offered in South Dakota, we do it in the most cost-efficient and educationally effective manner possible for any entity that wants to offer preschool," Rounds said.

He said the University of South Dakota would evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot project "so that best practices can be shared with the rest of the state.''

Rounds said more than 85 percent of a child's brain structure develops by age 5.

He said for every $1 spent on quality preschool, a community saves $7 later in lower special education costs, school retention, lower judicial costs and welfare.

"As we learn from the Sioux Falls pilot, we will be expanding the pilot projects to other communities of various sizes and differing resources," Rounds said.

Democratic Sen. Scott Heidepriem of Sioux Falls cheered the preschool idea.

"If we can start helping to develop those little minds at an earlier age, it pays incredible dividends to the child and the community,'' he said.

Rep. Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, said he's concerned, and only in part because a voluntary pilot program will surely result in pressure for an expensive, mandatory state-wide program.

"I have some pretty deep concerns about preschool," said Rhoden, majority leader of the House. Among those concerns are taking children away from parental instruction at an early age and moving them into a formal education structure.

"I worry when we start to abdicate the parents' role," he said.

Cultural training as part of Indian Education Act

Rounds said he'll sponsor an Indian Education Act to put in law many things schools already do. That will include requirements that new teachers receive cultural training so they can teach Lakota, Dakota and Nakota children in South Dakota.

Rounds said as many as 12,000 Native American students attend public schools in the state.

He said the graduation rate statewide is 89 percent, but it is only 6 percent for Native American students.

"We're going to do more to increase that percentage," the governor said.

Last year, the governor unsuccessfully proposed a teacher salary program that would have matched state money with local funds for targeted pay increases based on district goals for instruction or market competition. He said he'll provide $4 million for such a program this year if local schools put up $2 million.

Rep. Phyllis Heineman, R-Sioux Falls, said such a program makes sense.

"We have to do something different to give those great teachers incentives," she said.

Comment: I've always been interested in what early childhood is doing across the nation and the world, but since my meeting with the Early Childhood Development Coalition, I realize that we will probably be adopting what other states are doing, so it's good for everyone to keep abreast of the problems and the successes other states are having.

Childcare and Casinos

Herald Argus LaPorte, Indiana

Editorial: Child care at casinos? Strange bedfellows

Gambling casino. Child-care center. Put the two together and they seem an oxymoron.

But putting the two together is exactly what some casinos are doing, including the planned Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Mich.

Casino officials maintain that an onsite child-care area enhances the safety of kids while their parents or guardians are gambling. Reading between the lines, we would assume they mean that such babysitting facilities would put an end to unseemly stories of children left in hot or cold vehicles in casino parking lots while their folks were off playing -- stories that create bad publicity for casinos.

“We are brought on as an amenity (so that) families with children under 12 can enjoy the facility,” Laura Roehl, vice president of marketing for the Kids Quest line of child-care centers, told The LaPorte County Herald-Argus for a story published Dec. 22. Kids Quest facilities operate in 18 U.S. casinos.

But as others pointed out in that story by H-A reporter Derek Smith, there are differing sides to these dice.

As in -- what kind of message do parents or grandparents send to kids when they essentially dump them in a casino child-care center for hours while they go gamble?

And as in -- more importantly -- what kind of shape are these parents or guardians in when they climb back in the car to drive their kids home?

One H-A editor likened it to putting a child-care facility at a bar.

Kids Quest doesn’t check on parents’ conditions when they come to pick their kids up.

“We’re not the police,” Roehl told The Herald-Argus.

“We encourage parents to remember their responsibility to ensure that their child enters safely and has a safe, sober ride home.”

That’s expected of those same parents who made the questionable decision to leave their kids at a casino child-care facility in the first place.

This is no solution to certain gamblers’ neglect of their children. It’s just some casinos’ way of making it more palatable.

Comment: this is a really interesting question and well worth considering. Gamboling has become a recreation for some people, and as long as it is a recreation, how does it differ from leaving a child for other recreation?

Recreation, like anything else, changes or should change when there is a family involved, and for the most part, does.

Yet we all know that recreating in the mode of a single person without responsibilities means chucking those responsibilities for a certain amount of time. The question is how much time and how often should that occur? The answer is probably fewer times than it would take to open a childcare facility. So who are we really talking about here? We are talking about opening a childcare facility for those who can't go without. Then the questions about child safety and child neglect should come into play. If someone has to say, "We're not the police" then it has some really terrible possibilities.

Of course, this is all my opinion.

PJ Day

Parnets:

For those of you reading this at an early hour, it's pajama day today! It's an all day pj day starting with a pancake breakfast. If you send your little one in a light gown, please send a robe or a sweater.

The weather is supposed to be in the high 40s so we could go out, so please have children wear real shoes today.

Pizza is on the agenda today. We've been experimenting with different sauces and cheeses.

Yesterday we had homemade chicken nuggets. The kids really enjoyed them, and I'll post the recipe this weekend because they are easy and designable.

Have a great Friday!

Comment: Some of the kids enjoyed my ginger candy the other day. I know that ginger is one of those things we all eat in strict moderation, but ginger is really good for you. I once told a friend who was trying to find a cookie her children didn't like, "Try ginger snaps." And I was right. She had that bag of ginger snaps for a year. So the bold ginger continues to elude us. I read that ginger will bring cholesterol down, so I started drinking it in my tea - about a teaspoon - it makes the tea thick. But whether you are familiar with all the tastes and refinements of ginger or not, it's worth another taste. Here's an article on the health properties of ginger:

Ginger

Ginger represents the ultimate in healthy eating. It is said to warm the internal organs, ease depression, and cure ailments from colds to nausea. It stops food going off and tastes good too, says April Joyce. In the East, where food is revered for its therapeutic properties as much as for its richness and flavour, no self-respecting kitchen is complete without fresh root ginger. What this gnarled, bulb-like underground stem lacks in appearance, it makes up for in its wealth of flavour, aroma and multi-medicinal qualities. What we think of as 'root ginger' is actually an underground stem or rhizome which comes from the perennial plant Zingiber officinale. It has been cultivated for so long that its origins are now obscure, but it was probably first grown in Southeast Asia. Ginger is now cultivated throughout Asia, Australia, Africa and South America. There are a dozen different varieties and its delicate green leaves, resembling baby spinach, can be eaten in salads. Its deliciously hot sweet tang has long been a key element of traditional Asian food and, of course, there is always the good old-fashioned Ginger Nut. But it is the role of ginger in contemporary East-West cuisine and complementary medicine that has raised its profile. Fresh root ginger is available in supermarkets and corner shops everywhere. Ginger was one of the first spices to arrive in Britain. It came here in the 10th century, though it had been esteemed by the Greeks and Romans before then. It reached its zenith in the 15th century, when it was used both for culinary purposes and as a cure for the plague. In India and the East, ginger is used in cookery as much for its anti-bacterial properties, which help counter the putrefaction of meat and fish. "It is an amazing spice that not only brings life to food but has strong medicinal agents," says Atul Kochhar, head chef of London's north-west Indian restaurant Tamarind. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, great emphasis is placed on the healing powers of foods, herbs and spices and each dish is planned with medicinal benefits in mind. Atul Kochhar enhances the anti-viral qualities of ginger by combining it with garlic. "The sweetness of ginger and the pungency of garlic complement each other perfectly, and their anti-viral qualities are an excellent cure for colds and flu." Ginger has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for centuries to purge the body of colds and viruses and as a stimulating tonic for digestive disorders and the female reproductive system. Brewed as a tea, it induces sweating, which helps fevers run their course. It also tones and helps boost the immune system. Fresh ginger grated into hot lemon and honey is a soothing way to fight off colds and discharge mucus. At the Acumedic Centre for Chinese Medicine, Dr Jian Guo uses ginger in the treatment of period pains, digestive disorders, nausea and colds. "Ginger is excellent for people with what we call a 'cold body'," she says. "It has a warming, stimulating effect on the internal organs, soothing a weak digestive system and raising the body's temperature to fight infection." In the United States, scientists discovered that ginger's antibiotic qualities killed the salmonella bug in test-tube trials, and some clinical trials have proved it to be as effective as standard drugs in treating travel sickness and nausea in pregnancy. The essential oil of ginger diluted in a base oil is used in aromatherapy to ease muscle cramp and is especially good in winter to ease the pain of chilblains. Massaged into the kidney area and spinal column, it boosts poor circulation and its revitalising qualities are believed to help lift spirits and ease depression. Ginger: getting the best When buying ginger, fresh is best for robustness of flavour, although ground ginger makes for a smoother curry paste. According to Atul Kochhar, chopped is better than crushed when frying, to create a wider surface for oil to penetrate. Always look out for a root with smooth skin and as few twists and joints as possible. If it is wrinkled, it is drying out and will be woody inside. Fresh ginger can be kept in an airy container alongside garlic or in the fridge. A novel way of storing this spice is to bury it in sand. It can be used as required and is said to continue to grow in the meantime, giving you a continuous supply. This article was first published on Waitrose.com in May 1998