Awana's Struggles and Successes

This time of year can be bittersweet, with many students demonstrating remarkable growth and others still struggling with some basic skills.  Awana, uniquely, can do both, depending on the day or even the hour.

I recognized her needs early on and have been working intensely with her one-on-one in addition to our small and large group lessons.  Awana started making connections in December when she wrote her friends’ names in the Writing Area.  She recalled the formation and order of the letters for most of her friends and had developed the fine motor skills needed to write those names.  She could not, however, identify the letters or the sounds in their names.  That “wow” moment taught me the importance of Awana’s friends as a reference point for her further growth in literacy along with the need to build on that foundation with instruction that helped her make connections between words, letters, and letter sounds.  If Awana chose to draw and write about dogs, we thought about the sound in dog.  Awana thought about the dog, listened for the /d/ sound, said, “like in David’s name,” and then wrote the letter D.

As I worked with Awana with this plan in mind, I noticed that her friends’ names weren’t the only useful resource.  Our transition chants involving letters, which we sing every day, also helped her make connections during choice time and small group.  For example, we move from the daily schedule routine to a letter exploration activity by chanting, “Big ‘L’!  Little ‘l’! What begins with ‘L’?  Lunch, lunch, /l//l/ Lunch.” Recently, the class wrote a letter to the mayor about the littering problem in Newark as part of our study of the environment.  To help us get writing, I thought out loud for the children, saying, “Hmm…litter, what do you hear in litter.” Before I could “struggle” with the difficult challenge, Awana’s hand shot up.  She responded, “/l/, Big ‘L’!  Little ‘l’! What begins with ‘L’?  Lunch, lunch, /l//l/ Lunch.”  She then proudly came up to the board to add the letter “L.”

And yet Awana does not always retain the information.  Many times during the day she responds by shrugging her shoulders and remaining silent or just calling out random letters (or sometimes numbers).  I realize some of the inconsistency may be developmental, but I have never seen such dramatic differences in the same child within the same day.

There is also the issue of her mother.  Awana receives the least amount of support from home out of all of my students.  I hope to send my class off in June with a toolkit filled with games their families can play over the summer to help them retain the skills they have gained.  Awana will need this support the most, but given the difficulty her mother has had in keeping appointments with me this year, I fear that Awana won’t get it and these hard-won skills may fade.

Perpetual Peace: Kant's Vision Realized through Pre-k?

The other day I was reminded of the importance of solidifying positive and peaceful attitudes early on in pre-k.  I overheard a teacher reprimanding a first-grade student in the hallway for hitting another child.  The teacher simply said, “You cannot hit her, it’s not nice.  Do you understand?”  When the child did not respond, the teacher said, in a more abrasive tone, “Say YES!.”  The child then said “yes,” as commanded, and the teacher moved on.

I had to wonder how effective that child will be in solving problems on his own.  Perhaps his teachers to date have not taught social skills effectively.  Or possibly he has experienced things that have undermined the endurance of those skills in the long run.  The incident caused me to reflect on my efforts this year.

I start teaching our peaceful and empowering approach in the beginning of the school year.  The process entails direct whole-group instruction through puppet role plays, books about friends and feelings such as Words are not for Hurting, and songs like “The More We Get Together.” In these activities, we use consistent language like, “I feel sad when you [fill in the blank].”  Add to this many one-on-one, informal teachable moments, and gradually the children gain an understanding of why they should use their words instead of their hands. 

By December, my students were able to follow through with a “peace agreement”, but I served a dominant role in the initial stages of the process.  Since then, the children have made even more progress and now take ownership of the peace process from the beginning.  For instance, David used to suggest that characters in our stories use violence to solve problems.  If the Cat in the Hat won’t leave, David suggested, we should “hit him on the head.”  Now, he is more likely to recommend talking through problems.  When we discussed recently how the farmer in Farmer Duck exploits duck and refuses to do any work, David chose peaceful means over violent ones, advising the duck to tell the farmer, “Please, can you help me?.”

Other children still require occasional reminders and encouragement, but their skills are clearly developing.  Tyrone’s first inclination during a recent read aloud was to hit the animals that had stolen a character’s fruit.  After I asked him, “Do we hit animals or people?” he offered an alternative measure: “I would tell the animals that I won’t ride them no more.”  Similarly, Jeffrey came to inform me today that another student would not let him play with a certain toy.  All I had to say was, “Work it out on your own,” and Jeffrey returned to the student to say, “I feel sad when you won’t let me play with it.”

Pre-k teachers - indeed, all teachers - have an obligation to teach conflict resolution in a way that empowers students to solve problems peacefully.  I want my students to leave pre-k with the rationale and language needed to facilitate peaceful conflict resolution so that, throughout their lives, they will rarely, if ever, receive a scolding like that first grader in the hall.  Perhaps if we start with pre-k classrooms that provide students with such tools, we will lay the foundation for a society that more closely embodies Immanuel Kant’s vision of enduring peace between people and states.   

Praise with a Purpose

Effective Praise is a crucial element of a strong pre-k classroom.  As any early childhood educator or parent will tell you, young learners constantly seek validation from adults.  In response, I try to provide constant support for my students’ achievement in order to instill in them the self-confidence needed to take risks as learners and to remain highly motivated.  Yet “being positive” in any way does not necessarily benefit young learners.

Consider how we, as adults, become better at something professionally.  If a boss or colleague simply says, “Good work,” we cannot be sure what was good and how we can continue improving in the future.  If the coworker is specific and genuine, however, we feel not only confident in our abilities but empowered to produce “good work” later on.

The principle holds when working with young children. A child might approach me with a piece of artwork, for example, and I may feel inclined to comment on how beautiful it is.  The child, however, walks away from that exchange with no understanding of the strengths he exhibited or areas he could work on.  So, while it takes more thought and effort, I aim to engage each child in a dialogue with comments and questions like, “Interesting, I like the way you used three different colors on the top part of your design.  Why did you use three colors on top, but only one color on the bottom?  Tell me about the design.  What could you add to the horse?”  Through dialogue, I can focus the child on specific aspects of the work and invite her to reflect.

And it’s amazing when you can actually see and hear that reflection taking place. I often hear my students think out loud and address the points we brought up in earlier discussions.  For example, Ravon recently noted, “Oh, the cow has eyes to see just like me,” before he added eyes to his drawing, and Tyrone now engages in a dialogue with himself as he writes independently. While labeling his cat mask during small group recently, he asked himself, “How do you spell cat?” and then responded, “You need to stretch it out, c-aaaaaaaaaaaa—ttt” as he pulled his hands apart the way we had discussed in a one-to-one guided writing session.

In a given day, between small group and whole group lessons, anecdote note-taking and snack time, providing specific and authentic praise that invites further reflection seems difficult.  But praise with a purpose is so effective and rewarding that I encourage everyone around young children, in or out of the classroom, to do it. I’ve summed up these principles in a document for easy adult reflection.

Tax Tips: IRS says I'm not an Eligible Educator

Tax season can be, well, taxing. But at least educators can rest assured that the federal government will honor their professional commitment by offering a deduction for some of their own financial investments in their classrooms.  That is, unless you teach pre-k. As I found out this year, only K-12 educators are eligible for such a deduction

Pre-k teachers, like our counterparts in K-12, often use money from our own pockets to purchase classroom materials that benefit the children we teach. Here is one simple thing federal policymakers could do to make early childhood educators feel as valued as other teachers: amend the tax code to make us eligible for the educator expense deduction. Happy Tax Day!

Investing in Pre-K Teachers and Parents

[This entry was contributed by guest blogger Marissa Castro Mikoy, the director of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Incentive Program at CentroNía, an educational community-based organization in Washington, D.C.]

As a pre-k program administrator, it can be easy to think, "I have a great curriculum, classrooms full of top-notch materials - we are all set." Experience has taught me that providing a high-quality program takes much more, from the cultivation of parent involvement to professional development that meets the needs of each teacher. Many components must converge and be fostered to achieve "high quality." Here are my thoughts on a couple of these key pieces.

Teachers: Just having "great" teachers does not necessarily translate to a high-quality program. It is imperative that programs invest in teachers and nurture their professional development. Through the program I lead at CentroNía, funds are available for all teachers to continue their education. In fact, we have a number of teachers who have gone back to school to obtain an associate's or bachelor's degree in early childhood education. Our program benefits not only from having better-prepared teachers but also from having teachers who reciprocate and invest even more of themselves in our center.

Families: The development of a strong family involvement plan is just as important. At CentroNía, we host monthly Family Nights, a time when parents share food and conversation while teachers and staff help them learn about the program curriculum, child development, parenting strategies, and more. Through these events, our families begin to view each other, not just our staff, as resources and supports. I have seen parents of different cultural and economic backgrounds develop relationships at these meetings, and one parent I know of organized a weekend play group based on relationships forged at Family Night.

At an even deeper level, Family Night helps us identify parents interested in serving on the city-wide Parent Advisory Council. Parents from each of D.C.'s 17 Pre-K Incentive Program organizations sit on the council, and among other things have helped organize written testimony and support for the city's publicly-funded program, igniting greater family involvement and advocacy at many pre-k centers.

When families, teachers, and program staff have opportunities like these to interact, form bonds, and grow, I believe the result is a strong, collaborative team that works energetically to sustain the high quality standards all parties desire.

My thanks to all of you readers and Sophia for letting me share a little about CentroNía and the D.C. Pre-K Incentive Program with you over the past week. I look forward to reading your entries and comments and responding with more of my own stories.

Preparing Children and Parents for School

[This entry was contributed by guest blogger Marissa Castro Mikoy, the director of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Incentive Program at CentroNía, an educational community-based organization in Washington, D.C.]

Transitioning to kindergarten in Washington, D.C., is not the easiest process in the world. Public charter schools, neighborhood public schools, private schools, "out of boundary" schools... For parents, learning the differences between schools and what those differences might mean for their child is key to answering the million-dollar question, Where should my child go to school?

At CentroNía, we make a concerted effort to help families find the answer. Working with and supporting all our pre-k families, especially immigrant families, has proven to be helpful and rewarding. After the transition process, I've noticed that parents are typically more confident and, in turn, more likely to participate in school meetings or to simply schedule a meeting with their child’s kindergarten teacher.

So, what does our transition process entail? Well, we start by preparing individualized transitions packets for parents. Each packet contains a neighborhood map with plotted color-coded points representing the child's eligible public school, the closest public charter schools, and private schools in the neighborhood. We also provide contact information and school statistics for each school on the map.

Next, we host two breakfast meetings for parents to drop in, pick up their transitions packets, and grab a meal. Our resident CentroNía "transitions experts" are available at these meetings to talk one-on-one with parents, helping them to review the information in their packets, understand the differences between each school in depth, and even complete charter school applications.

More individual attention follows our breakfast events, for I've found that even afterwards there are parents who have more questions but feel intimidated by the thought of calling a school's principal or counselor. I often meet with parents to coach them on starting a dialogue with a school and, in some cases, to serve as a translator.

With individualized guidance and support, a child and his or her family can transition smoothly from pre-k to kindergarten and beyond. Research continues to show that family involvement demonstrates to children the value of their education and their families' role in it. This process should be a partnership with families, and I think we, at CentroNía and across the early childhood community, are proving how that can be done. Pre-k's ability to give children and parents critical skills and confidence is a huge reason why these programs are an important first step in improving K-12 education.

I would love to hear what other communities are doing by way of transitions work. Please post a comment with your ideas or thoughts.

A Window on Bilingual Pre-K

[This entry was contributed by guest blogger Marissa Castro Mikoy, the director of the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Incentive Program at CentroNía, an educational community-based organization in Washington, D.C.]

The birds are chirping, trees are budding, and flowers are blooming -- Happy Spring everyone!

I appreciate the opportunity to fill in for Sophia this week, provide a window into the pre-k program I direct, and read your comments. I thought I'd focus on the activities that make CentroNía's practices unique to the early childhood education field, the importance of high-quality bilingual education, and how our program supports children and families in the transition to kindergarten.

CentroNía is in the heart of a diverse and vibrant neighborhood in Northwest DC. Our classrooms are filled with children of families who speak Amharic, Spanish, English and Vietnamese. To support our children's native language and culture, we engage in a dual language model of instruction in Spanish and English. Every classroom is outfitted with a designated English speaking teacher and a designated Spanish speaking teacher. All learning centers are labeled in Spanish and English print, and passersby in the hall quickly notice the children engaged in conversations with each other in both languages. We aim to provide a safe environment where the children can express themselves in their language of choice while also having the opportunity to speak in the language they are learning.

Research has repeatedly demonstrated that second language acquisition is successful if children are given the opportunity to develop a strong foundation in their native language. (This letter to the editor in The Washington Post sums up why bilingual education, contrary to the assertions of folks like Newt Gingrich, is effective in teaching children English.) We are beginning to look at how to measure second language acquisition by administering the Brigance Screening in both languages through a baseline and post assessment. But we already have many anecdotes showing our children's progess -- here is one.

Four-year-old Diana entered our pre-k program with knowledge of Russian and English. At the beginning, Mom was concerned that Diana might get "confused" learning a third language. My suggestion was to see how the first couple of weeks went and to observe her comfort level in communicating with her classmates. Fast forward nine months and I can tell you that Diana is singing in Spanish, learning to write her name and identify letters in English, and increasing her Russian vocabulary with her family. Her father stopped by my office one day to say, "Marissa, who knew we had a genius on our hands?" I share this story in part to say that, if children are exposed to an additional language in an intentional and research-based model, we would see many more "geniuses" entering kindergarten.

I strongly believe that our success comes from the support and celebration of a family's linguistic and cultural differences. We bring these differences into the center and make them part of the classroom environment. I hope the benefits of supporting English language learners are seen by more and more of our community stakeholders. It is only in this way we will be begin to see a stronger public education system.

The Benefits of Pre-K: A Parent's Perspective

After reading the reports about the link between childcare and negative behavior problems later on, I thought it might be helpful to hear a parent’s take on the effect of pre-k on her son’s development.  I decided to interview Ravon’s mother (“RM” for the remainder of the interview).

Ms. Pappas: Why did you decide to enroll Ravon in pre-k?

RM: I didn’t want a lot of play for Ravon.  My younger brother was in your class the previous year, and I always liked the way you involved the parents in the homework assignments.  I like the interaction with me and Ravon because I know what he is learning and we can work on further developing his listening and language skills together.  Also, you still let them play in your classroom, but they learn through the play.  Daycare was just play, play, color, color, all day long, but not enough learning. 

Ms. Pappas:  What do you think about recent studies that link childcare programs with negative behavior later on?

RM: Well, I used to work in daycare, so I agree.  They tend to baby the kids instead of giving them ways to solve problems when they misbehave.  They don’t explain things as much.  The regular elementary school pre-k is different.  You explain to the child why they are wrong and how they can correct themselves. 

Ms. Pappas: How much education do you think a pre-k teacher needs in order to benefit children?

RM: I think experience goes a long way, often more than education.  Some people with experience over education can deal with children better.  My grandmother had no education and kept eight children in line. 

Ms. Pappas: What are the benefits of pre-k?

RM: I have seen so much growth with Ravon.  He’s expressing himself better.  He’s more disciplined, and he wants to come to school.  He doesn’t want to miss a day.  My husband and I are so happy. 

Ms. Pappas: What are your hopes for Ravon?

RM: Ravon can write, express himself more, interpret things better, read at least on his level. 

Ms. Pappas: What about in the long run?

RM: I want my son to go to college.  I want him to have a very decent job.  I want him to enjoy what he does.  It's not as much about the money.  I really want him to be happy. 

Bad Behavior Solved, Not Made, in High-Quality Pre-K

I was concerned last week when a recent report linking child care to later behavioral problems in children grabbed headlines.  I can only imagine the guilt that parents who have children in such programs felt upon hearing this news.  But the reality is far from the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” picture painted in the media.

High quality pre-k offers the chance for young children to learn how to express themselves appropriately in a wide range of social interactions, how to solve conflicts with peers, and how to function productively in a structured school environment.   

The first thing my children learn is how to follow set routines.  Many come in without any previous childcare experience.  Their first week behaviors have included children leaving the class to run down the hallway laughing and screaming and others simply wandering the classroom unresponsive to my efforts to give directions.  I consistently implement classroom procedures and routines designed to make the students capable of working on their own and with others. 

By the end of September they could do everything from sitting on the rug to disposing their lunch tray.  They also knew what would happen if they did or did not follow our classroom rules, why it was important to follow the rules, and how to “use their words” to solve conflicts.  Their awareness of what to expect, desire to receive positive praise, and investment in our “we are all friends” classroom culture curbed negative behavior.  Moreover, our emphasis on the rationale behind wise choices such as peaceful conflict resolution made our teaching more lasting. 

Parents can certainly also teach their children about solving problems and behaving appropriately.  Yet pre-k offers the opportunity for young children to practice these strategies with a large and diverse group of their peers on a daily basis.  Kevin, aka “the anti-sharer,” who frequently threw temper tantrums when he did not get a turn at something, frequently exhibited similar behavior at home.  Pre-k gave Kevin the chance to practice working out problems with other children, a skill that will help him in school and at home.  Moreover, we used our knowledge of his learning style based on our extensive anecdotes to develop an outlet for his negative energy and an opportunity for him to take ownership of the solution within the context of our daily routines.    

High-quality pre-k offers high-quality teachers focused on analyzing student behavioral problems and implementing enduring solutions. Without such attention, I could see the problems getting worse and producing the kind of results captured by this latest research.  For me, this study and my experiences are a call for educators, parents, and policymakers to support efforts to make all early care and education programs high quality.