“The best evidence suggests that learning begets learning, that early investments in learning are effective. As a society, we cannot afford to postpone investing in children until they become adults, nor can we wait until they reach school age—a time when it may be too late to intervene.”
James J. Heckman, Ph.D. and Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences | Professor of Economics and Director, Center for the Economics of Human Development, University of Chicago
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Support evidenced-based programs that are designed to strengthen families and support children’s growth and development during the first 5 years of life.
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Build trusting relationships with early learning centers using a model of continuous improvement that helps to build and sustain high-quality learning environments.
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The Ultimate Summer Reading List for 3- to 5-Year-Olds — 2017 Edition
The Ultimate Summer Reading List for 3- to 5-Year-Olds — 2017 Edition
June 7, 2017
The Ultimate Summer Reading List for 3- to 5-Year-Olds — 2017 Edition
by Janssen Bradshaw
Photo credit: Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy, Cultura/ Getty Images
Summer is right around the corner, which means it’s time for my favorite activity — making lists of all the books I want to read during the summer!
Now that I have children, it’s such fun for me to make up lists for them as well and work our way through the books together. It’s a delight to gather new titles and old favorites, buy our own copies or check them out from the library, and then enjoy them over and over and over again during the hot summer months — whether on our porch swing, a beach towel, or with a popsicle in hand.
Making summer reading lists also helps make sure that books become a part of our summer memories — when the season ends and we return to a more regular schedule, we can open any of the books from our summer reading list and instantly be reminded of those lazy summer days.
Here are the books going on our summer reading list this year:
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Don’t Call Me Choochie Pooh!
We have read this book approximately 50 million times this year and no one in our house is tired of it yet. Choochie Pooh is a tiny little purse dog, but all he wants is to be taken seriously and to play with the big dogs at the dog park. But what big dogs will ever want to play with a tiny little dog called CHOOCHIE POOH?!
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The Book of Mistakes
Summer is the perfect time to whip out the art supplies and this book is a great way to help your children understand that anything can be turned into something beautiful. It’s so fun to watch accidental drops and splotches turn into art.
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Hattie & Hudson
The Circus Ship is one of our family’s favorite books, so we were all delighted to see a new book by Chris Van Dusen coming out this summer. In this one, Hattie draws a great sea monster out of the lake with her singing and becomes friends with it. But everyone else in the town is terrified. Can Hattie make them see that there’s nothing to fear from Hudson?
(On Sale: 5/9/17) -
She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World
With four little daughters of my own, it’s very important to me that they see examples of women who did brave things and followed their dreams. This gorgeous book by Chelsea Clinton showcases 13 amazing American women who did exactly that.
(On Sale: 5/30/17) -
Cinnamon
No one does mystical books like Neil Gaiman and this tale, which was originally only available on audio, has now been turned into a gorgeous picture book about a princess named Cinnamon. She doesn’t speak and her royal parents offer untold riches to anyone who can get her to talk. Possible hope finally arrives when a talking tiger appears at the palace.
(On Sale: 5/2/17) -
Charlotte and the Rock
Like many children, Charlotte desperately wants a pet. But when her birthday arrives, her parents give Charlotte a rock. But Charlotte isn’t disappointed — she loves her rock as much as she would a real pet. A sweet and slyly funny story with a surprise twist at the end that will delight you and your little one!
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The Giant Jumperee
What do you get when two of the most popular children’s book creators in the world team up? A Giant Jumperee, that’s what! But … what exactly is a Giant Jumperee? That’s just what Rabbit wants to know when he returns to his burrow and hears a loud voice calling out “I’m the Giant Jumperee and I’m scary as can be!” This one will be on repeat all summer long.
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Mighty, Mighty Construction Site
Did your children go nuts over the first book by this duo? In this long-awaited follow-up to Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, the trucks are back and this time they have some new friends to help them take on a big project. I especially love that this one includes some female vehicles!
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On the Spot: Countless Funny Stories
Does your child love interactive picture books like This Book Is Magic and Press Here? Then they’ll be thrilled by this completely original story that leaves out some of the most important parts and leaves it up to them to finish it! They can use the stickers in the back of the book or any small objects from around the house and add them to the blank spots to create a new story every time.
(On Sale: 5/30/17) -
Jabari Jumps
Jumping off the diving board isn’t scary at all. Nope, not even a little. But maybe little Jabari needs a little time to figure out exactly what kind of jump to do and maybe warm up a little beforehand. And a squeeze from his dad wouldn’t hurt either. This book is perfect for the child who’s facing something new and a little bit scary, whether it’s the neighborhood pool or getting ready for kindergarten.
(On Sale: 5/9/17) -
Splat!
This brightly colored picture book is full of hilarious jokes that will have the whole family laughing — just the kind of book that’s perfect for summer reading. Each page shows some new joke, from getting splashed with water balloons to getting smacked in the face with a pie. Best of all, there’s no clean-up required after these pranks.
(On Sale: 6/20/17) -
We’re All Wonders
You probably already know R. J. Palacio from her smash success novel Wonder about Auggie, a boy born with a major facial deformity (a movie version is being released this year too!). Now younger readers can get in on the story and the Choose Kind movement it launched with this gorgeous picture book version that Palacio illustrated herself.
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How to Get Your Teacher Ready
If your child is getting ready to head to kindergarten in the fall, this is a lighthearted way to broach the topic and discuss what they can expect as they enter school. In the style of the other “How to” books by Reagan and Wildish, this one shows the children instructing the adults on how to prepare, and it’s delightful.
(On Sale: 7/4/17) -
It’s a Tiger!
This has got to be one of my all-time favorite picture books and every one of my children has been completely obsessed with it. On each page, a tiger lurks in the background and the main character tries to escape, only to find himself once again face to face with the tiger. Of course, in the end, the tiger turns out not to be so bad.
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More Great Summer Reads for 3- to 5-Year-Olds
Six Educational Games for Preschoolers
Early learning, including head start programs and other educational initiatives, has a dramatic impact on a child’s overall cognitive development. One of the primary ways this learning takes place is through play. That’s why it’s our mission to provide caregivers with resources to promote early learning. Parents can support this development by selecting fun, age-appropriate games with educational value. These are six of the best educational games for preschoolers and kids starting kindergarten.
1. Uno
Even kids as young as four can master this classic card game. Uno helps children learn skills like paying attention and recognizing patterns, letters, and numbers. Kids who are already adept at those early learning skills will benefit from the logic involved in determining which card to play.
2. Max
This cooperative game is designed to help those of different ages and abilities work together toward a common goal. Appropriate for children ages four and up, Max requires players to plan and execute strategies to help small woodland creatures find their way home before Max the cat finds them. Key skills include cooperation, consultation, and decision-making.
3. Bingo
Another adaptable early learning classic, Bingo can incorporate letters and numbers or drawings and designs depending on the skill level of the players. Little ones will sharpen their listening skills, attention spans, memory, and ability to visualize. Daycare teachers will love this game since it can be easily adapted to different class sizes and kids of mixed abilities.
4. Richard Scarry’s Busytown: Eye Found It Game
Kids as young as three will love this colorful matching game with familiar characters from Richard Scarry’s classic storybooks. This game supports attention to detail, object identification, matching skills, and teamwork—all important skills for kindergarten and beyond. The various settings, including city streets, a farm, and a busy harbor, will keep children interested.
5. Where Is Sock Monkey?
With this fun game, one child hides the sock monkey and the others must use clues and deductive skills to find its location in the house. The question cards feature both words and pictures, allowing kids to practice early literature skills such as decoding and listening, asking questions, following directions, and making decisions based on evidence.
6. Harvest Time
This cooperative game for children ages three through seven requires players to work together to complete the harvest before cold weather arrives. This is an ideal game for mixed groups since the rules can be adjusted to be easier or harder depending on the skill levels of the players. Kids will quickly realize that for players to win the game, they have to support one another.
Parents can make early learning fun by picking up these educational games for preschoolers. Explore more ideas in our online resources!
Young Minds: The Important Role of Brain Science
Young Minds: The Important Role of Brain Science
May 3, 2017
By Lisa Hansel
If you’ve visited NAEYC.org lately, you’ve seen our tagline:
Promoting high-quality early learning by connecting practice, policy, and research
It’s not just a slogan, it’s our guiding principle—and it’s exemplified by the May issue of Young Children on brain science.* Whether you’re wondering how to cultivate a more joyful and effective learning environment or crafting a new policy agenda to reduce stress among needy families, the rapidly advancing field of brain science will help.
Research on how the brain develops and functions not only offers insights for educators, families, and policy makers but also provides a strong foundation for uniting our efforts. Brain science robustly reinforces what early childhood educators already know in their hearts and minds: the early years are a special time of promise and vulnerability, consistently warm relationships are as important as nutritious food, and all children have enormous potential.
This cluster opens with “Breakthrough Impacts: What Science Tells Us about Supporting Early Childhood Development” by Jack P. Shonkoff of The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Based on From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts: A Science-Based Approach to Building a More Promising Future for Young Children and Families, this article distills a massive body of research into key takeaways. Educators and policy makers will see clearly the importance of early childhood being filled with responsive relationships and positive experiences. At the same time, they’ll grasp a hopeful message: even if a child experiences high stress, neglect, or other trauma in the early years, poor outcomes are not inevitable. Nurturing relationships—with primary caregivers, teachers, and other mentors—can foster resilience.
The next article, written by J. Ronald Lally and Peter Mangione of the Center for Child and Family Studies at WestEd, takes a deeper dive into why relationships are so critical. “Caring Relationships: The Heart of Early Brain Development” offers tips for meeting young children’s needs and building on their strengths at each stage of child development, from prenatal through age 3.
While the first two articles summarize large bodies of research on brain development, the third builds on that research foundation and offers strategies to improve the lives of children growing up in chaotic, stressful conditions. As Eric Pakulak of the University of Oregon’s Brain Development Lab and his team of researchers and educators explain in “Focusing on Families: A Two-Generation Model for Reducing Parents’ Stress and Boosting Preschoolers’ Self-Regulation and Attention,” the good news is that teachers can model strategies with families and children to improve interactions at home and in programs, and to help parents more consistently provide the warm relationships young children need.
Rounding out this cluster, two articles address hot topics for the whole early childhood field: dual language learners and play. In “The Brain Science of Bilingualism” Naja Ferjan Ramirez and Patricia Kuhl, with the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington, provide a detailed picture of how a child acquires two languages simultaneously. Importantly, the research shows that English language development is not hindered by a dual language approach and that there are substantial lifelong benefits to bilingualism. In “The Case of Brain Science and Guided Play: A Developing Story” Brenna Hassinger-Das and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, with the Temple University Infant and Child Lab, and Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, with the Child’s Play, Learning and Development Lab at the University of Delaware, show the unique power of play to ensure that children are mentally active, socially interactive, engaged, and making meaningful connections—all of which are essential to learning.
Throughout this cluster of articles, I hope you’ll see a special opportunity to connect practice, policy, and research. While multiple forms of research are necessary to continuously improve educational programs, brain science is grabbing public attention, so this issue of Young Children could support multiple facets of your work.
If you are a teacher, you may be inspired to help a family reduce its stress level or to share this research on early childhood brain development with your local, state, and national representatives. If you are a higher education professor, you might weave the research more intentionally into the content of your courses or write an op-ed for your local newspaper to spread the key findings throughout your community. If you are a policy maker, you could work with educators to craft tailored applications of this research. In short, opportunities abound to use brain science to create more advocates for high-quality early childhood education and to enrich young children’s lives.
Article Credit www.NAEYC.org