Reference List

• Minnesota Department of Education Website
• http://education.state.mn.us/mde/index.html

National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

Pacer: assistance for children with disabilities www.pacer.org

Fun Learning Activities:

www.sesamestreet.org

www.pbskids.org

www.create-a-reader.com

www.coolmathgames.com

www.funschool.com

www.nickjr.com

www.makinglearningfun.com

www.fisherprice.com

www.crayola.com

www.preschoolexpress.com

www.preschooleducation.com

www.preschoolfun.net


Family Resources:

www.education.com

www.familyeducation.com

www.sandbox-learning.com

www.momenough.com

www.workingfam.org

www.helpmegrow.com

www.headstartbodystart.com

http://www.cherishspringfield.org/pages/read


http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/09/15/shape-stretchies/

http://fun.familyeducation.com/toddler/music/37371.html





Fun and Educational and Free Apps for Kids
Dog Story (about opposites)

MyFirstBooks (community helpers) Fun story and lots of things to talk about.

Grasshopper Apps has great story books with real pictures of people and things, and simple puzzles

Super Match Madness

FreePreschool IMM (matching)

PuzzlerFarm

Abby ABC Puzzle Lite

Timmy’s Preschool Adventure Lite

My Playhome

ABC Magnetic Alphabet

Vocab PCS

I Hear Ewe

Scribble Kid

imazing

Tozzle Lite

Toddler Teasers- Shapes

Draw Cast


Listed below are five web sites for parents to learn more about literacy and educational resources for young children with and without special needs.

1. Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) - www.cehd.umn.edu/CEED/

Developed by the University of Minnesota, this website provides Information about education and literacy for young children, including children with special needs.

2. Center for Early Literacy Learning www.earlyliteracylearning.org

Valuable tips and literacy resources for early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of children, birth to five years of age

3. Is Your Child Ready - www.isyourchildready.com

Take a 5-minute online quiz that will help you gauge your child's readiness for Kindergarten. Find resources to help you find early care and education opportunities in your community.

4. Minnesota Parents Know - www.parentsknow.state.mn.us

On this website you will find age-specific early childhood information from the Minnesota Department of Education

5. Reading Rockets - www.readingrockets.org

This website offers fantastic resources and booklists to help parents with young and struggling readers.

• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
  
  
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
  
  
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
  
  
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
  
  
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
  
  
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
  
  
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/
  
  
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
  
  
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
  
  
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
  
  
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
  
  
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
  
  
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
  
  
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
  
  
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
  
  
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/
  
  
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
  

Another idea worth thinking about...

Dr. T.  Brazelton still sees his most important mission as fostering a sense of competent, loving, joyful parenting.    (That says it all to me!)


 Thomas Berry Brazelton Biography (1918-) http://www.faqs.org/health/bios/49/Thomas-Berry-Brazelton.html#ixzz1pmDcsioS

My favorite quotes....

Quotes from NAEYC (Susan Bredekamp, Ph. D)

"Children benefit most from teachers who have the skills, knowledge, and judgment to make good decisions and are given the opportunity to use them." – NAEYC, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8 (2009)

"We are decision makers. As adults caring for children, it is our responsibility to seek out and intentionally plan the best opportunities for children that support their over-all well being and healthy development. Developmentally appropriate practice, commonly known as DAP, is a comprehensive educational perspective that supports optimal healthy development for every child. Understanding DAP - its meaning and intentional practices - is essential in guiding the decisions we make for young children". ~NAEYC article

"...most joyful experience.  Everything in me was being called to teach."

"...rewarding, made me feel whole, made me feel creative."

My favorite thoughts from Early Childhood Professional Louise Derman-Sparks

For me, as well as Renatta Cooper, "It's about whats best for the child.......the Early Childhood Experience opens up the world for you."  In my current position I have learned also about supporting families and agree with Leticia Lara as she "realized families needed support.......with resources and access to resources.  I feel lead similarly to Leticia to change practice and policy.  I could also relate to Raymond Hernandea when he saw the importance in showing a "committment to services I want to give them opportunities, open doors, create opportunities for parents and their children....helping them learn about the resources for their children."  He went into administration to have a larger impact, in order to shape programs to benefit not only the children but the families as well.  This was my favorite quote from him: "I'm not here to save the world, I'm here to make a difference in the community I live in"  That is related to the quote that moved me from Louise Derman Sparks: "I had....a built-in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world....to fix the injustices in the world....through teaching." It is imperative that we provide the tools for the entire family as it has been her passion to "make sure that all children were taught in environments and ways that trully nurtured their ability to grow and develop to their fullest ability."

My influential family

My favorite books

I love to read to the preschoolers, as well as to my children at home.  Growing up I remember loving the Berenstein Bears books, and the Dr. Seuss books.  I still love to read Cat in the Hat and Hop on Pop to the students to show how silly and fun books can be and how they rhyme.  My new favorite books are the Llama Llama series or the If you Give a ......series.  I love how the Llama Llama books teach social emotional situations and skills, and I just love the predictive text in the If you Give a .....series.  We also love to read I Know an Old Lady.....series just for fun!

Sweet Student Stories

I keep a notebook of sweet sayings from my preschoolers, the things they say can be hilarious and heartwarming. I love when kids ask where I sleep at school, or tell me I am their favorite teacher ever, or that they love me, or that that day was the best day of their life. It just moves me....We have one little guy that asks every morning if he gets to go to school, (he only comes 2 days per week) and on the days he doesn't come he still stands out waiting for the bus. When he does come to school he cries when he has to get on the bus to go home. Am I making an impression on this little guy's life right now? You bet! I get homemade presents, cards and coloring pages to hang up in my office, I get hugs and kisses on a daily basis; one student tells me everyday, don't worry Ms. Sara, I will be back another day! The one day she came in crabby she said she was sorry her mommy was running late and she didn't want to miss school! When I hear things like that, it reassures me that the team is doing a good job, we are comforting, supporting, teaching and having fun!