Sunshine Science

Science isn’t scary. It’s all around us! And there is no better way to get kids excited about the wonders of the natural world than to experiment with the magical properties of sunlight. Here are a few fun-in-the-sun science experiments for preschool and kindergarten:

• Sun Prints- Place several objects (key, rock, leaf) on a piece of dark construction paper. Leave it in the sunshine (indoors or out) for a few hours. Invite kids to remove the objects to reveal their sun prints!
• Shadow Tracing- invite children to trace shadows with chalk on a paved walkway or driveway. If there are no fixed-object shadows to trace (trees, signs, etc.) encourage children to trace each others shadows. Be sure to trace around the feet of the standing child to make sure they can get back into the same position later in the day. A few hours later, return to the tracings. Are the shadows still within the traced lines?
• Rainbow Makers- Grab a hose and a spray attachment. Spray a mist of water into the air on a sunny day and encourage children to look for the rainbow!
• Shadow Shapes- Invite children to make shadow shapes with their arms or whole bodies. If you’re on a paved surface, capture the shapes by tracing them.
• Warming Up Water- set out a small metal (or other dark and non-breakable) bowl with water in a sunny spot. Place another small bowl of water in a shady spot. After a few hours, bring the bowls together and invite children to compare the temperatures of the water.

As you do these experiments with children, ask questions. What do you think will happen? What did happen? Why?

These experiments will get kids thinking about:

• the source of sunlight
• the properties of sunlight
• how the sun moves through the sky
• the relationship between light and heat
• the power of sunlight

Do State Standards Equal Quality?

Parents, legislators and community members are finally beginning to agree that the early years of a child’s development are critical. Quality early learning and care environments can have long-term positive effects on young children, their families and even entire communities. This is great news for early learning professionals. But what exactly makes for a quality program?

Individual states are trying to answer this question by outlining learning standards for preschools and child care centers. Program directors and teachers are working hard to comply. But does simply meeting your state’s standards create a quality program?

Not necessarily. According the the annual report on the state of preschool put out by the National Institute for Early Education Research only 18 of the 50 states requirements meet the majority (at least 3/4) of the 10 quality benchmarks as outlined by the NIEER and only 30 meet more than half.

There are several national organizations that have issued standards or benchmarks for quality in early childhood programs.  Three of the biggest include:

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)- has an accreditation process that details 10 quality program standards. These cover the areas of children, teachers, families and community, and program administration. They also have curriculum requirements.
• National Institute for Early Education Reasearch (NIEER)- has a quality standards checklist which outlines 10 minimum requirements for a quality program including curriculum, staff training, class size, and family services. You can learn more on p.27 of their annual report on the state of preschools in America.
• National Head Start Association- has their own curriculum guidelines for all head start programs called Head Start Learning Outcomes as well as other program requirements to help ensure quality.

Local requirements are important, but to really ensure quality, it is also important for program administrators, teachers and even parents to become familiar with these national standards, look at the areas where ideas on quality come together and create a more informed vision of quality.

Keep Kids Active with “Retro Play”

A recent article in USA Today is a great reminder of all the fun my generation had playing as kids. If you’re looking for a great, inexpensive entertainment for your children, look no further than your own childhood..

For some children reared in the Internet age, a hula hoop and hopscotch are “brand-new activities that will provide them with a sense of novelty this summer

Not only is “retro play” inexpensive and fun, it also has great physical, social and educational benefits. The article states that through play kids

..learn about their bodies through movement. Jumping up and falling down provides lessons in gravity. Throwing balls and other things help improve eye-hand coordination.

Just horsing around with other kids helps them learn a sense of fairness, cooperation and social awareness…Play helps sculpt our brains. It creates valuable skills that are valuable in the workplace later in life.

Washington Attempts to Address Child Care Costs

There are a few legislative bills and tax credit acts making their way through Capitol Hill these days, including the Right Start Child Care and Education Act. In a recent article in a New York newspaper, US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand describes it as addressing

deficiencies in the dependent and child care tax credit… the deduction would be doubled to $6,000 to reflect inflation and child care costs. Businesses looking to provide on-site care would see tax deductions rise from 25 percent to 35 percent. And employers helping workers find child care would make tax deductions of 35 percent instead of 25 percent currently, with a maximum amount jumping from $150,000 to $225,000.

Also up before the senate is the Family Work Flexibility Act which looks to encourage businesses to get involved in finding solutions to worker’s child care issues by providing tax credits for telecommuting equipment.

Child care is a huge issue for working parents of young children. Costs are rising to the point where many parents question whether or not it is financially wise for both parents to work.

At the same time, the child care industry is also struggling financially. Early education and care programs can’t afford to pay wages that attract and keep a trained and stable work force. As a result, despite the cost, quality care is hard to find. Families suffer and children suffer. It is time for the federal government to take action and offer some relief.

When Dad is Involved, Everybody Wins

A recent article in the Miami Herald talks about the positive impact a father’s involvement can have on in their child’s education. Today’s dads are much more likely to do things like drop off their children at school, attend school events, parent conferences and even volunteer at the school than previous generations of fathers. It’s good for families, good for the school, and most of all, it has a big impact on their kids.

According to a study by the US Department of Education,

Children with highly involved fathers were 42 percent more likely to earn mostly A’s and 55 percent more likely to enjoy school than children with fathers who had low involvement…

If your school hasn’t thought about ways to get dad’s involved, think about it! From handy-man projects around the classroom to school barbeques, dad’s are a wonderful and undertapped resource.