IEL Electronic Newsletter
2008, Issue 4
2008, Issue 4
- “Ask an Expert”:
Imagination and Fantasy in Early Childhood
For April’s “Ask an Expert” discussion, we’re exploring why children are naturally drawn to fantasy and pretend play. We’ll examine how such play supports children’s overall development and their ability to adapt to their environment and social life.
Karen Stephens, director of the Illinois State University (ISU) Child Care Center as well as an instructor in child development for the ISU Family and Consumer Sciences Department, is our guest expert and will be receiving questions from April 1-21.
To submit your question, please go to http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#current.
To view related resources on the topic, please go to http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert/stephens2008/sup.htm.
- New IEL Tip Sheet in English
Get Growing: Planning a Garden with Young Children
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/garden-planning.htm - New IEL Tip Sheet in Polish
Helping Your Child Learn in Two Languages
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets-pol/bilingual-pol.pdf - New IEL Parenting Video Clip – “Dads Read”
Very young children are likely to engage with books when adults model and encourage interaction while reading. The two dads in this video clip model useful strategies such as selecting books with familiar settings, asking open-ended questions, and allowing adequate time for children to respond. To view the video, please go to http://illinoisearlylearning.org/videos/dads-read.htm.
Accompanying the video clip are additional strategies for reading to young children, related IEL Tip Sheets, and resources on reading to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. - Illinois Projects in Practice Web Site
http://illinoispip.org
- What is a project? A project is an in-depth investigation of a topic undertaken by a class, a group of children, or an individual child in an early childhood classroom or at home.
If you are looking for information related to the Project Approach, please go to http://illinoispip.org. - IllinoisPIP , maintained by the Illinois Early Learning Project (IEL), facilitates communication among educators who have completed either Projects in Practice or Great Expectations training. For more information on these training events, check out the training calendar or call The Center at 224-366-8525.
- Visit Us at a Conference Near You!
- Millikin University will host the Illinois Project Group Annual Meeting on April 19, 2008, in Decatur, Illinois. For more information, please call 217-420-6680 or email Jean Mendoza at jmendoza@millikin.edu. (Dr. Lilian G. Katz and Dr. Jean Mendoza will be presenters.)
- The Illinois Resource Center will sponsor a workshop titled Teaching with Intention on April 29, 2008, in Springfield, Illinois. For more information, please go to http://www.thecenterweb.org/ec or call 224-366-8525. (Dr. Lilian G. Katz will be a presenter.)
- Stand Up and Be Counted!
Center directors, lead teachers, and prekindergarten teachers are urged to take part in a survey that will help us create an up-to-date picture of the current early childhood workforce in Illinois. National-Louis University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are collaborating to update the 2001 report Who’s Caring for the Kids? If you have already received our survey, please complete and return it. If you have not received it, contact us and we will send you a survey to complete and return.
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For more information, contact Karen Smith (877) 275-3227 or ksmith5@uiuc.edu
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