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Penn State Better Kid Care’s
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Notable Quote
“Evaluate what you want -- because what gets measured, gets produced. ”
— James Belasco
Feature Article
Program Evaluation – Measuring Up!
By Roxie Nestlerode, Early Learning Specialist
Several recent reports, such as the NIEER 8th State Preschool Yearbook: The State of Preschool 2010, have looked at the quality of early care and education programs. Evaluating programs is important, as research has shown a strong correlation between the quality of early learning programs and children's healthy development, especially for children at risk or stressed.
As early care and education practitioners we want to provide children with positive early learning experiences that will set the foundation for healthy growth and development. So, how do you know if your program measures up? You probably already complete child assessments, complete teacher performance evaluations, do safety checks, and fulfill regulations and standards, but does that give you a full picture of your program or just a glimpse?
Distance Education Highlights
Are you aware that Penn State Better Kid Care provides comprehensive curricula in early childhood development? The curriculum follows the Pennsylvania Core Body of Knowledge and offers multiple course titles to choose from. Each course offers numerous Distance Education lessons, providing a well-rounded approach to meet your professional development needs. Two types of lessons are offered: on demand web lessons and lessons by mail. You can view the comprehensive list of professional development on demand web lessons and lessons by mail. To access the entire Penn State Better Kid Care Distance Education curriculum on line, visit us at www.betterkidcare.psu.edu and choose your course of study today!
Better Kid Care’s New On Demand system provides professional development anytime you are ready to learn!
Penn State Better Kid Care has launched the new On Demand System for distance education lessons. The new system will allow you to complete the full lesson online, take a short assessment quiz, and receive a certificate of completion as soon as you successfully finish the assessment.
The On Demand System will:
Currently, there are more than 50 lessons available. We will continually add new lessons to the On Demand system and highlight new titles in the e-newsletter.
We are encouraging everyone to try our new On Demand system. To get started, you will need to set up an individual account. To access the assessment and receive a certificate of completion there is a $5.00 charge. A credit or debit card is required for payment.
We will continue to offer lessons by mail.
You will still need to mail your assignments to us to be reviewed.
It will take up to 6 weeks for you to receive your certificate for lessons by mail.
Research Collections:
Quality in Early Care and Education Programs
Quality Studies
The new NIEER State Preschool Yearbook: The State of Preschool 2010, is the eighth in a series of annual reports profiling state-funded prekindergarten programs in the United States. This latest report presents data on state-funded prekindergarten during the 2009-2010 school year. Findings underscore the importance of pre-K programs for young children.
Quality in Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care Settings from Child Care & Early Education Research Connections is a new review of research on issues related to the quality of family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care, including structural and process quality in FFN child care settings, parental perceptions of FFN care, and the relationship between FFN care and child outcomes.
State Requirements and Monitoring
Those interested in learning more about child care quality in the United States should review the new publication WE CAN DO BETTER – 2011 Update from NACCRRA that provides information on each state's requirements and monitoring activities. While some progress has been made in recent years, the researchers found that many states still fail to set policies that provide safe and healthy environments for children. The report includes recommendations for states and Congress to help protect children's safety, promote accountability, and enhance early learning.
Inspirations
Summer Resources for Summer Fun!
Summer is a time to relax and enjoy a slower pace. Often summer is seen as a time to take a break from our normal routines and a time to “just play”. In our programs children and colleagues are taking vacations, more field trips are planned, more time is spent outdoors, and often there are many transitions happening. In the lazy days of summer it’s nice to step back from our regular schedules and be less structured; however, you may wonder how you can step back yet still create learning experiences for children. There are many summer activities that you can do with children that weave together summer fun and provide intriguing learning experiences for children. As a caregiver, summer may also give you more time to focus on professional development and engaging parents. Here are some “sun”sational activities from Penn State Better Kid Care to help you enjoy a lazy, hazy summer of cool learning!
Turn the Page
Going on vacation
Aliens on Vacation (The Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast) by Clete Smith, published by Hyperion Book ISBN-10: 1423133633
Carl’s Summer Vacation by Alexandra Day, published by Farrar, Strauss and Giroux ISBN-10: 0374310858
Emma’s Vacation by David McPhail, published by Dutton Juvenile ISBN-10: 0525471081
Maisy Goes on Vacation by Lucy Cousins, published by Candlewick ISBN-10: 9780763647520
The Night Before Summer Vacation by Natasha Wing, published by Frosset & Dunlap ISBN-10: 044842830X
Sally Goes to the Beach by Stephen Huneck, published by Harry N. Abrams ISBN-10: 0810941864
Strega Nona Takes a Vacation by Tomie dePaola, published by Puffin ISBN-10: 9780142500767
The House Takes a Vacation by Jacqueline Davis, published by Marshall Cavendish Corporation ISBN-10: 0761453318
Family Time / Work Time
Are you looking for articles to share with your families? Do you need information for your parent/family bulletin board? Family Time / Work Time shares easy-to-read articles for busy parents and caretakers with a focus on Building Strong Families.
You are welcome to print and share these publications with your friends, family, and other childcare providers.
From Pyramids to Plates
By Nancy Wilson, Early Childhood Program Specialist
What's on your plate? That's the big question these days as nutritionists in the United States have moved on from the food pyramid to the new MyPlate icon to illustrate what's needed for healthy eating. More than one-third of children and two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. The new MyPlate icon is in place to remind Americans how easy it is to eat healthier. Read the full article to find out tips for healthy eating for your child and you .
Read the full article, From Pyramids to Plates, to find out tips for healthy eating for your child and you .
View archived Family Time/Work Time articles for more great ideas to share with parents.
Caring I.D.E.A.S. for Children from Military-Connected Families:
Information,
Developmental understanding,
Educational resources,
Action ideas, and
Supportive practices
Caring for children from military-connected families requires a comprehensive understanding of their unique needs and strengths. Each month, Caring I.D.E.A.S for Children from Military-Connected Families features research-based information to support and increase the quality of caring for children from military-connected families. This month’s highlight is on …the Military Extension Partnership.
The Military Extension Partnership, under the Department of Defense and The United States Department of Agriculture, The University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension in partnership with Penn State University Cooperative Extension, Better Kid Care program, has developed CYTTAP, the Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program. The purpose of CYTTAP is to increase the quality and quantity of childcare for military families, particularly families who are off installation.
Watch the following three videos to find out more about CYTTAP, an exciting Military Extension Partnership!
Military Extension Partnership: CYTTAP (Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program) - An overview that shares the background, mission, and goals of CYTTAP.
Kathleen Lodl, CYTTAP - Hear Kathleen Lodl talk about enhancing the quality of childcare for military families living off installation and the primary vision of CYTTAP.
Better Kid Care and CYTTAP (below)- A quick summary of the vast resources made available through the Penn State Better Kid Care program and CYTTAP (Childcare and Youth Training and Technical Assistance Program.)
More for You:
Visit the CYTTAP website to find out even more information as well as access helpful resources.
School Age childcare
Summer Learning
There is growing national discussion about the need to create a more expansive definition of learning to include all the ways that youth can access educational opportunities—not just through the traditional school model, but also through afterschool activities, time spent with the family, and increasingly, through interaction with digital media. Broadening our ideas about where, when, and how learning happens helps communities to create richer learning pathways that have the potential to include more nonacademic opportunities to help youth gain the skills necessary for a healthy adulthood, offer a seamless learning environment that can help stem summer learning loss, and tap resources outside of schools for additional opportunities to help close the achievement gap.
Year-Round Learning: Linking School, Afterschool, and Summer Learning to Support Student Success, an Out-of-School Time resource from the Harvard Family Research Project, examines the efforts of initiatives that are approaching learning time in new ways and bringing community resources together to provide year-round learning environments.
The National Summer Learning Association provides services to communities, school districts, and programs that make quality summer learning programs accessible to youth. Training, technical assistance, quality assessment, and resources are available.
More School Age Resources –
Children and Nature Network has created Where Nature Meets Story, that has ideas for spending time in nature with children and a list of nature stories, which can be a big part of helping children connect to nature.
Summer is a great time for children to get outside and experience the beneficial effects of nature. The National Environmental Education Foundation has resources and tools to help educators involve children in outdoor learning experiences while they are out of school.
School-Age Resources available from Better Kid Care
CDA Notions
NEWS from the CDA Council:
You can renew your CDA through the online application process “YourCDA”, which is open on the CDA Council’s website. For renewal, you will now have to have Pediatric First Aid, effective Nov. 15, 2011. You also need 4.5 continuing education units (CEUs). Penn State Better Kid Care distance education lessons earn CEUs and can be applied towards your CDA renewal.
A list of all renewal criteria is available on the CDA website. Remember that you must renew your CDA 3 years after you first receive your CDA credential, and then every 5 years after the first renewal.
CDA Information from Better Kid Care
Penn State Better Kid Care and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs are teaming up to bring you "Go Green for Kids," a monthly tip to help you provide a healthier and safer environment for the children in your care. IPM works to promote healthy alternatives for pest management to lower children’s exposure to both pests and pesticides through a variety of educational programs. Resources for children, teachers, and parents are available on the IPM website. This month's focus is on… those pesky mosquitoes! You know it's summer when they're around!
Contributed by Amber Brunskill, PA IPM Program, abrunskill@psu.edu, 814-865-7994
Buzz…bite…itch!
Mosquitoes are small insects that begin their lives in water before becoming the biting, blood-sucking adults with which we are all familiar (only the females bite). The egg, larval, and pupal life stages of the mosquito are found in standing water before the adult mosquito emerges and flies away. Depending on the mosquito species, it can take anywhere from 4-30 days to complete this life cycle from egg to adult. Most often mosquitoes are thought of as a nuisance but are also a public health threat because they can transmit a variety of diseases to humans including West Nile virus (WNV), which can cause encephalitis. Mosquitoes can become infected with the WNV by biting a wild bird that carries the virus and then transmit the disease to people and other animals with their bite.
While it’s unrealistic to try to eradicate mosquitoes, there are things you can do to help minimize mosquito populations around your child care facility and bites experienced by children in your care.
For more information about mosquitoes, West Nile virus, and ideas you can use to minimize mosquito populations, download these brochures and visit the PA Integrated Pest Management Program’s website: www.paipm.org.
What's all the buzz about mosquitoes? brochure
Professional Development Highlights
The following information highlights upcoming professional development opportunities available for early childhood practitioners:
PA Keys to Quality - Professional Development Training Calendar - Are you looking for training specifically in your area? Visit the PA Keys to Quality web site to locate and search the professional development training calendar. Go to PAKEYS.ORG and Log in, Click on Calendar, Search the Calendar, and Contact the Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality office with any questions at 800-284-6031.
July 10-13 – National Principals Conference: Strengthening Communities through Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Learners, Orlando, FL. National Principals Conference registration information
July 11-12 – NIOST Summer Seminars 2011: Looking Forward, Looking Back: Preparing the Next Generation of Out-of-School Time Leaders, Boston, MA. IOST Summer Seminars registration information
July 17-19 – 2nd Annual Nature Explore Research Symposium: Skills Young Children are Developing in Outdoor Classrooms, Arbor Day Farm, Nebraska City, NE. Registration Site for Nature Explore Research Symposium
July 19-21 – PA Infant-Toddler Symposium – A Brighter Tomorrow: Cultivating Infants’ and Toddlers’ Social Emotional Development, Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, PA. PA Infant-Toddler Symposium registration information
July 21-22 – 2011 National Business Leader Summit on Early Childhood Investment, Boston, MA. National Business Leader Summit registration information
July 21-23 – The 19th Annual Children and Youth Garden Symposium "Digging into the Art & Science of Gardening", hosted by 4-H Children's Garden at Michigan State University and the Frederik Meijer Botanic Gardens and Sculpture Park, East Lansing and Grand Rapids, MI. Children and Youth Garden Symposium registration information
July 21-23 – 2011 National Association of Family Child Care Conference – Quest for Quality: Supporting Happy, Healthy Children, Henderson, NV. NAFCC registration information
NAFCC’s Annual Sue Stevens 4 Star Accreditation Essay Contest – The Sue Stevens 4-Star Contest recognizes an accredited provider who has demonstrated passion for family child care and for quality care through an essay contest. This contest was created to honor Sue Stevens from Louisville, Colorado who was in the first group of providers to become accredited by NAFCC in 1988 and has remained accredited for 21 years. The winner of this contest is honored and receives an award at the Annual Conference Accreditation Reception and VIP seating with Sue Stevens at the conference luncheon. The contest application is available here.
Aug. 1-4 – 2011 National Autism Conference – Progress Through Partnerships, State College, PA. National Autism Conference registration information
Nov. 2-5 – Save the Date! 2011 NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo, Orlando, FL. (Registration open July 1, 2011) NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo conference information
Nov. 6-8 – Parents as Teachers 2011 Conference – Early Childhood’s Role in the Education Continuum, St. Louis, MO. Parents as Teachers 2011 Conference registration information
Nov. 17-19 – Save the Date! DEC2011: The 2th Annual International Conference on Young Children with Special Needs & Their Families, National Harbor, MD. DEC2011 conference information
Nov. 30 – Dec. 2 – Save the Date! 2011 Early Childhood Education Summit: Keeping Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Programs Strong!, State College, PA. http://earlychildhoodsummit.org/
Dec. 9-11 – Save the Date! 26th Annual National Training Institute: Zero to Three Conference, Washington, DC. Zero to Three Conference conference information
Dec. 9-13 – Save the Date! 28th Annual Head Start Parent Conference, New Orleans, LA. (Registration open July 1, 2011) Head Start Parent Conference conference information
Great Resources
By topic: Early Education, Families, Nature, Health and Well Being, Grants, Funding, and Opportunity
First Lady Michelle Obama unveiled Let’s Move! Child Care, a new effort to work with child care providers to help our youngest children get off to a healthy start by encouraging healthy eating, physical activity, and limiting screen time for young children. Providers and parents can go to HealthyKidsHealthyFuture.org for free tools and resources and to share success stories.
The USDA has introduced a new food icon, MyPlate, to serve as a reminder to help consumers make healthier food choices. MyPlate is a new generation icon with the intent to prompt consumers to think about building a healthy plate at meal times. The new MyPlate icon emphasizes the fruit, vegetable, grains, protein and dairy food groups.
Ideas for family-time summer fun from ParentFurther.com and Scholastic.com:
To help families prevent the summer slide, ParentFurther.com has created the Summer Splash Challenge, a series of fun and educational activity ideas that support academic and civic success, physical health and fitness, and the importance of fun learning.
With the recent natural disasters, it is important to be sure that you are prepared for emergencies. Better Kid Care has several resources to help you plan for emergencies and to help children cope with traumatic times.
Emergency Preparedness Tips for protecting summer time exposed skin from healthychildren.org:
Federal requirements for crib safety have changed. Beginning June 28, 2011 all cribs sold must meet the new requirements. The new standards are available from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, on the Crib Information Center page.
Grants, Funding, & Opportunity
The Arts in Education
National Educators Grant - The P. Buckley Moss Foundation for Children’s Education has grants available for a new or evolving program that integrates the arts into educational programming to aid and support teachers who wish to establish an effective learning tool using the arts in teaching children who learn differently. Award: Grants are up to $1000. Deadline: Sept. 30. National Educators Grant application information is available hereCreativity
The LEGO Children’s Fund provides grants for programs with specific, identifiable needs primarily for early childhood education and development that is directly related to creativity and for technology and communication projects that advance learning opportunities. Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis. LEGO grant application information is available here. Deadline: July 15
Early Childhood Reading
We Give Books – A new digital initiative that provides access to award-winning children’s picture books for reading to young children online. The program was created by the Penguin Group and Pearson Foundation. Information about the We Give Books initiative is available here.
Reading Resource Project – Free books for preK-2 literacy programs. Programs pay for shipping. Information about the Reading Resource project is available here. Deadline: Rolling
Verizon Foundation – Grants for education and literacy programs. Verizon Foundation Grant applications available here. Deadline: Rolling
Environmental Education
Green Thumb Challenge - The Green Thumb Challenge from the Green Education Foundation (GEF) aims to connect children with nature and the healthy benefits of gardening. GEF provides schools and youth groups with beginner-friendly resources to plant gardens of any size, in addition to fun activities and standards-based lessons linking the classroom to the garden. Sign up to participate and start planting! Award: All participants have the opportunity to be awarded a $5,000 grant in recognition of their garden project. Green Thumb Challenge registration information available here. Deadline: September 30.
Field Trip Grants
Target Community Outreach – Educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff of these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students. Must have a curriculum component. Award: Grants are up to $700. Target Community Outreach grant applications are available here. (Applications available August 1) Deadline: September 30.
Feature article references:
Bloom, Paula Jorde. Blueprint for Action: Achieving Center-Based Change Through Staff Development, 2nd edition. Lake Forest, IL: New Horizons, 2005.
Carter, Margie and Deb Curtis. The Visionary Director: A Handbook for Dreaming, Organizing, and Improving in Your Center, 2nd edition. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2009.
Neugebauer, Roger and Bonnie Neugebauer. The Art of Leadership: Managing Early Childhood Organizatons, revised edition. Redmond, WA: Exchange Press, Inc. 2003.
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Let's hear from you! Email your ideas to Roxie or call (814) 867-4687.
Disclaimer: Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.
