Comments for

Comment on How Do Young Children Learn Through Play? by karentyo

karentyo — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:34:29 +0000

Thanks for this great article highlighting the importance of play. It’s important information for parents, as well as pre-school teachers and other adults who care for young children.

Comment on Rethink Public Financing of Early Education and Care by Steve Barnett

Steve Barnett — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:11:48 +0000

Excellent response by Gwen Morgan, who has been a leader in early childhood policy for as long as I can remember! We are rich enough to provide pre-K for all, but we and our leaders choose to spend our resources elsewhere. Politicians keep cutting taxes on the wealthiest while shifting the costs of their errors and failures to everyone else.

Comment on How Do Young Children Learn Through Play? by Stan Schwartz

Stan Schwartz — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:26:09 +0000

This is so important in our world of iPads and the compressed curriculum; it is so important to understand how children learn, so we can match their opportunities to their strengths. We can set high expectations while remaining true to developmentally appropriate practice. When I visit programs with lots of free-play opportunities, abundant manipulatives, and socio-dramatic play, I have a renewed sense of hope for children and for the recognition of the professionals who teach and care for them.

Comment on Preschool Helps Bridge School Readiness Gap by Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:07:10 +0000

I know it's been a difficult fight for our Jersey City preschool for funding, early childhood programs do not receive the funding they deserve, and they have such an impact on our children!

Comment on How Do Young Children Learn Through Play? by jsimens

jsimens — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:42:49 +0000

Free play is the best way to create better social skills. As a school counselor, I love to see children able to play for long periods of time. If they can entertain themselves for long periods of time they are also building up their persistence. With social skills and persistence, these kids will go far!

Comment on How Do Young Children Learn Through Play? by amy greenbaum

amy greenbaum — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:17:45 +0000

I so agree about play. I feel that the education has taken away the creativity of play and has become regimented in learning. Kindergarten use to be all about play when I went to school. Now they are learning to read. We wonder why there is a crises. Bring back play and creative learning!!

Comment on In Quotes by Stan Schwartz

Stan Schwartz — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:52:05 +0000

I think we need to align the Common Core with what we know about how child development; this alignment should be based on current research on brain development, developmentally appropriate practice, and how children learn, not by further compressing the curriculum.

Comment on NAEYC Offers Guidance on Early Childhood Assessment by Margaret Werner

Margaret Werner — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:49:50 +0000

I am not sure that I understand why we are assessing children before they enter kindergarten. Kindergarten should be a place where we “get to know children”. Where we spend time observing and gaining an understanding of how each child thinks and learns. The pushed down curriculum has turned our kindergartens in to places where children are now expected to learn what we use to teach in 1st grade. The belief is if we teach children to read and do math in kindergarten they will do better as they advance through the grades. The opposite is true. We now have more students who are receiving special needs services for learning differences than ever before. Perhaps we should take a trip to Finland and other European countries where formal education does not begin until age 7. That is when the neurological system is fully developed and when according to Piaget children
are now ready to understand the concepts they are being taught.

Comment on Brain Building in Progress Week is Here by Brenda Powers

Brenda Powers — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:01:55 +0000

The State House event was great! The children from the Early Education program at Castle Square were fantastic! Kudos to them and to the deciated early educators and parents that were with them. Thank you to United Way, EEA and EEC for your work and dedication as well.

Comment on Reading Aloud to Children Has Lasting Benefits by Stan Schwartz

Stan Schwartz — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:34:55 +0000

I think what is a key component in this equation is the relationship and the underlying brain development that is enhanced by the interactions between the parent or reader and the child. We cannot underestimate the importance of the relationship.