Sharing Web Resources

I have been studying the NIEER’s website. This week, I followed some of the links. My favorite link was one that leads to their YouTube website where you can watch videos about preschool press conferences, mothers’ voices and so on. These videos reminded me that preschool teachers must keep learning because we are involved with different children, families and their lives every year, and we need to find out the best ways to support them. I especially like the video titled “Growing and Learning in Preschool”( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or10f-YcM8Q&context=C40dac15ADvjVQa1PpcFM2h-dm5fGo3d2OTHOXnl6ZJe1sNhTXq9Q=) because I can actually see techniques about how we can maximize children’s eagerness to learn.

NIEER’s website had an article about state’s supplements for Head Start. The trend is unfortunately downwards. Even though a state understands the importance of investments in early education programs, the supplements decrease as the economy gets bad. This is not the way government should work, but I understand the difficulty with getting financial resources for equity. (http://preschoolmatters.org/2012/03/27/state-support-for-head-start-over-the-years/)   

One of the new insights I gained is that half of preschoolers are not taken outside for play by parents or caregivers, even though playing outside is crucial for children’s physical development and mental health. I believe this is also an equity issues because preschools and daycares that offer big yards or even a swimming pool require expensive tuition rates that poor families cannot afford. (http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/02/half-of-pre-schoolers-not-playing-outside-daily/)