Early Childhood Education

Center Releases Two New Videos on Early Childhood Math

2013-05-17T15:13:26Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut State University is pleased to announce the release of two new videos related to supporting math learning in early childhood settings. The videos were developed based on a study conducted by Center faculty and students with the support of the Spencer Foundation. The study looked at the relationship between children's mathematics achievement and teacher-child interactions during play. Preschool children were videotaped over the course of the year during free play periods, and their interactions with teachers were coded and analyzed. These findings were compared with gains that children made in mathematics ability from fall to spring according to a standard measurement tool. The findings indicate that how teachers interact with and communicate with children while they play has powerful impacts on children's mathematical learning.

The Center has produced two videos related to the study:

1. The first video kicks off our new Research Clips video series. The video describes the methodology of the study and outlines the major findings and study implications. You can view the video at: http://www.easternct.edu/cece/math_play_study_video.html.

2. The second video is part of our e-clips series. Designed with current and future teachers in mind, the video illustrates how teachers can use math talk to support children's math learning. (One of the major study findings was around the importance of engaging children in "math talk" throughout the day.) The video is available at: http://www.easternct.edu/cece/e-clips_math_talk.html.

Center Wins 4th Telly for Inspiring Lessons

2013-04-29T15:37:31Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education has been awarded a 2013 Telly Award for Inspiring Lessons: What We Learned from the Community Partners for Early Literacy Project. The 30-minute video describes the lessons learned during a three-year effort to improve the language and early literacy skills of over 500 children in Windham, Connecticut. With support from a U.S. Department of Education Early Reading First grant, the Center for Early Childhood Education provided professional development and literacy coaching to 50 teachers and paraprofessionals and supported families to engage in literacy activities at home. Inspiring Lessons includes interviews with teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, literacy coaches, and faculty experts Dr. Ann Anderberg and Dr. Maureen Ruby about what works in supporting children's literacy development.

The Telly Awards honor television, video, and film productions and programs, as well as work created for the Internet. Each year, the Telly Awards receive thousands of entries from throughout the United States and abroad. Inspiring Lessons received a bronze award in the category of Government Relations. The Center also received a Telly Award this year for Investigating Balls in the category of Internet/Online Video: Education.

The Center for Early Childhood Education congratulates the following faculty, staff, and students involved in the development of Inspiring Lessons: Dr. Denise Matthews, Producer/Director and Co-Author; Julia DeLapp, Executive Producer and Co-Author; Karl Gray, Editor; William Black, Production Coordinator; Ken Measimer, Finish Editor and Videographer; Sean Leser (Eastern student), Finish Editor; Greg Hartzell, Videographer; Kerin Jaros-Dressler (Eastern student), Videographer; Ross Page (Eastern student), Music Composer; and Nick Napoletano, Animator.

The Center also thanks the teaching staff at the Windham Early Childhood Center and the Child and Family Development Resource Center for appearing in the video, participating in the initiative, and working to support young children's growth and learning.

To view the video, visit http://www.easternct.edu/cece/inspiring_lessons.html.

Center Releases "Investigating Nature" Video

2013-04-25T18:25:51Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education is pleased to announce the release of Investigating Nature, a video featuring activities conducted with toddlers and preschoolers at Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center (CFDRC). The video illustrates how teachers and children engaged in a variety of learning activities while investigating insects, worms, gardening, and other aspects of nature.

Investigating Nature is the third video in the Investigating... series. Each video in the series captures one topic of investigation explored through the CFDRC's Investigations curriculum. Videos include interviews with preschool and toddler teachers about how children engaged in literacy, math, science, art, and other activities through the three- or four-month investigation. The Center recently won a prestigious Telly Award for the second video in the series, Investigating Balls.

To watch any of the Investigating... videos, go to www.easternct.edu/cece/investigating_videos.html.

Center's videos reach over 100,000

2013-03-25T14:20:24Z

Sometime in February, the Center hit the 100,000 mark--the number of times the Center's videos have been viewed by individuals visiting the center's website, YouTube, or iTunes U pages.

"It's very rewarding to know that others in the field are finding our videos useful enough to want to share," said Julia DeLapp, CECE Program Coordinator. "Every week I hear from more people who want to be notified when new videos are released," including teachers from as far away as Saudi Arabia. Education agencies in other states and Canadian provinces have requested permission to link to videos.

Teachers watch the videos to get ideas to incorporate in their own classrooms. In addition, faculty and trainers across the country use them in their classes, including Eastern's Jeffrey Trawick-Smith. "They are so much more engaging and visual than a lecture could ever be and are just the right length to get a good discussion going or to introduce a new topic," said Trawick-Smith. "They are artistic, but never glitzy or cute, and treat the children and teachers who appear in them with such respect."

The Center has developed more than 30 videos and audio podcasts over the past 5 years. Videos feature footage from preschool and toddler classrooms in Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center, as well as expert interviews from teachers and faculty.

"We are so fortunate to have such a high-quality early childhood center here on campus that exemplifies everything we would want to show in a video, as well as the expertise of so many faculty," said DeLapp. "And we benefit tremendously from our relationships with the Communication and Media Services departments."

Communication professor Denise Matthews serves as the Center's production consultant, and the Center utilizes a number of Communication students each year to help produce videos. "Our students have the opportunity to do professional-level production work," said Ken Measimer, the Center's production specialist. "They leave Eastern with a very strong portfolio."

The Center started tracking video hits in January of 2012, so the 100,000 number does not include views prior to 2012.

Videos are available free of charge at www.easternct.edu/cece/resources.html, www.youtube.com/EarlyChildhoodVideos, or at iTunes U.

Center Wins Third Telly Award

2013-03-07T21:01:32Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education has been awarded a 2013 Telly Award for "Investigating Balls," a video that explores how teachers at Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center engaged preschoolers in different learning activities while investigating the properties of balls. The video is part of the new Investigating series of videos from the CECE, which highlight how teachers implement engaging projects--called "investigations"--on a variety of topics.

The Telly Awards honor television, video, and film productions and programs, as well as work created for the Internet. Each year, the Telly Awards receive thousands of entries from throughout the United States and abroad. "Investigating Balls" received a bronze award in the category of Internet/Online Video: Education. The Center also received a Telly Award in 2011 for "The Importance of Play" and in 2010 for "Five Predictors of Early Literacy."

The Center for Early Childhood Education congratulates the following staff and students involved in the development of the video: Ken Measimer, Director; Julia DeLapp, Producer and Author; Sean Leser (Eastern student), Videographer and Editor; Ross Page (Eastern student), Music Composer; and Nick Napoletano, Animator.

The Center also thanks the teachers and children at the Child and Family Development Resource Center for appearing in the video and doing the wonderful work that inspired the video.

To view the video, visit http://www.easternct.edu/cece/investigating_balls.html

Inspiring Lessons Video Focuses on Early Literacy

2012-12-05T16:03:44Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education is pleased to release a new video about a three-year effort to improve the language and early literacy skills of over 500 children in Windham, Connecticut.

In 2008, the Center was awarded a U.S. Department of Education Early Reading First grant to implement the Community Partners for Early Literacy (CPEL) project. In partnership with the Windham Early Childhood Center (part of the Windham Public Schools) and the Child and Family Development Resource Center at Eastern Connecticut State University, the Center provided professional development and literacy coaching to 50 teachers and paraprofessionals and supported families in engaging in literacy activities at home.

The Center created Inspiring Lessons: What We Learned from the Community Partners for Early Literacy Project to document and share with other programs and school districts the lessons learned during the project. The 30-minute video includes interviews with teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, literacy coaches, and faculty experts about what works in supporting children's literacy development.

To view the video and learn more about the project, visit: http://www.easternct.edu/cece/inspiring_lessons.html

Center to Host "Choosing Quality Toys"

2012-11-20T16:09:14Z

The Child and Family Development Resource Center and the Center for Early Childhood Education are partnering to host "Choosing Quality Toys: What All Families Should Know" on Tuesday, December 4, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will take place at the Child and Family Development Resource Center.

Early childhood researchers will share information about the qualities of toys that best help young children learn and develop, based on what they have learned from an annual study conducted at Eastern on toys. Parents and grandparents who attend this event will have the opportunity to inspect a variety of toys close-up, view videos of children playing with different kinds of toys, and talk with other parents about making decisions about toys.

There is no charge to attend this workshop, but registration is requested. To register, please call 860/465-0206.

Center to Host Children's Illustrator Barbara McClintock

2012-11-20T15:51:47Z

In partnership with the Education Department, the Center for Early Childhood Education will be hosting a book talk and book signing with award-winning illustrator Barbara McClintock. The event will be held on Thursday, November 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Joinery, and will celebrate the 2012 publications of two of McClintock's books.

Leave Your Sleep is a collection of classic children's poems by Edward Lear, Ogden Nash, Robert Louis Stevenson, Nathalia Crane, e.e. cummings, and others, all beautifully illustrated by McClintock. The poems are also adapted to music by Natalie Merchant on an enclosed CD.

Twelve Kinds of Ice, written by Ellen Bryan Obed and illustrated by McClintock, explores the stages of the ice that beckons a family of skaters.

Teachers, students, and parents are invited to this special event to celebrate literacy, books, and the season of giving. Join us for a book talk, coffee, and some pre-holiday goodies!

For more information, call 860/465-0687.

Duplos Named the TIMPANI Toy for 2012

2012-11-16T16:54:22Z

Faculty and student researchers at Eastern Connecticut State University's Center for Early Childhood Education have announced the results of the 2012 TIMPANI toy study. The toy receiving the highest ratings of all toys studied this year was DUPLO bricks, a toy made by LEGO Group. Rainbow People by Environments, Inc. received an honorable mention. Study findings were announced at the annual meeting of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and at a press conference on Eastern's campus on November 16th.

According to principal investigator Dr. Jeffrey Trawick-Smith, "DUPLO bricks pose many problems for children to solve, so there's a lot of deep thought that goes into building. Construction toys have done very well in our studies due to the fact that they don't suggest any one use. They can be used in many different ways, so children tend to interact more and negotiate what they want to build."

The TIMPANI toy study is an annual empirical study that looks at how young children in natural settings play with a variety of toys. Each year, nominated toys are placed in preschool classrooms and videotaped using remote cameras. Researchers use a scientific instrument to determine which toys best promote children's development in three areas: thinking and learning, social interaction and cooperation, and self-expression and imaginative play.

Researchers noted that while most of the toys studied this year showed very positive results in the classroom, only DUPLOS scored highly 1) across all three days of testing, 2) with both boys and girls, 3) with children from all socio-economic backgrounds, and 4) with children of different ethnicities.

In addition to providing useful information to parents and teachers about toys, the TIMPANI toy study provides opportunities for a number of Eastern Connecticut State University students to participate in research. Undergraduate students Jamie Vallarelli, Marley Koschel, and Jenny Wolff were responsible for conducting videotaping for the study, coding footage, and helping to analyze the results. They also co-presented the results at the NAEYC conference with Dr. Trawick-Smith on November 9th.

For more information about the TIMPANI Toy Study, and to watch a video of children playing with toys studied, visit www.easternct.edu/cece/timpani.html

New Video Series on In-Depth Investigations with Children

2012-11-01T17:59:44Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education is pleased to unveil a new video series entitled Investigating.... Each video in the series captures one topic of investigation explored by children and teachers at Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center under the Investigations curriculum. The curriculum is centered around engaging projects--called "investigations"--on topics that are selected by children, teachers, and families. As children investigate a topic in learning centers, small collaborative groups, whole group activities, movement and music experiences, outdoor observation, or field trips, they acquire critical competencies identified in the Connecticut State Department of Education Curriculum and Assessment Framework and the standards of national professional organizations.

Each video in the Investigating... series include interviews with preschool and toddler teachers about how children engaged in literacy, math, science, art, and other activities through each three- or four-month investigation.

Two videos in the series are now available:

Investigating...Going Green
Investigating...Balls

A third video will be released this winter.

To view the videos, go to http://www.easternct.edu/cece/investigating_videos.html.

Closing the Achievement Gap Event

2012-11-01T16:12:11Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut State University will be hosting Closing the Achievement Gap Through Preschool Literacy on Friday, November 30, at 3:30 pm. The event will include a brief program on the critical importance of early childhood education in addressing the achievement gap in Connecticut. The event will also include a premiere of "Inspiring Lessons: What We Learned from the Community Partners for Early Literacy Project," a 30-minute video about the Center's effort to improve the language and early literacy skills of preschoolers in Willimantic.

A light reception will follow at 4:15.

RSVP to rsvp@easternct.edu or 860-465-0687 by November 19th. If you cannot attend the event but would like to receive a copy of the video, please email cece@easternct.edu.

For more information, see http://www.easternct.edu/cece/video_premiere_event.html.

New Video on Supporting English Language Learners

2012-08-23T17:41:24Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education is pleased to announce the release of Supporting English Language Learners in the Preschool Classroom, an educational video that discusses the challenges of supporting children with limited English skills. Dr. Ann Anderberg, Assistant Professor of Education at Eastern Connecticut State University, stresses the importance of continuing to support first language development in children, and gives suggestions for assisting these young learners in their acquisition of English. Teacher Elisabeth Martin from the Windham Early Childhood Center describes some of the strategies she uses to support the oral language development of English language learners.

The video is the 8th in the e-clips series of educational videos for early childhood professionals. Each e-clip features an expert describing how early childhood professionals can use the latest research to enhance children's learning, and includes video footage from preschool classrooms at Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center. Supplementing each e-clip are suggested readings, additional on-line resources, and discussion questions to support conversations within instructional teams, in staff meetings, or in college-level courses.

To view the video and supplemental materials, go to: http://www.easternct.edu/cece/e-clips_english_language_learners.html.

Center Releases "Encouraging Physical Activity in Preschoolers" Video

2012-02-22T15:21:47Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education is pleased to announce the release of Encouraging Physical Activity in Preschoolers, an educational video that discusses the importance of physical activity for children's development. Dr. Darren Robert, Professor of Health and Physical Education at Eastern Connecticut State University, offers several ways to incorporate physical activity into the preschool daily routine. Two teachers describe their efforts to physically engage preschoolers through yoga, dramatic play, and active book-reading, and to involve parents in encouraging physical activity at home.

The video is the 7th in the e-clips series of educational videos for early childhood professionals. Each e-clip features an expert describing how early childhood professionals can use the latest research to enhance children's learning, and includes video footage from preschool classrooms at Eastern's Child and Family Development Resource Center. Supplementing each e-clip are suggested readings, additional on-line resources, and discussion questions to support conversations within instructional teams, in staff meetings, or in college-level courses.

To read more about the e-clips project and to view the videos and supplemental materials, go to: http://www.easternct.edu/cece/e-clips_main.html.

Eastern to host April 27th Investigations Conference

2012-01-12T14:12:21Z

The Child and Family Development Resource Center and the Center for Early Childhood Education are pleased to host Eastern Connecticut State University's Early Childhood Investigations Conference. The day-long conference is designed for preschool and toddler teachers, administrators, and teacher educators who are interested in learning more about using projects with young children. This year's theme is "Using Projects to Foster Children's Cognitive Development." Highlights of the conference include a keynote address by noted expert Judy Harris Helm and workshops about using projects with preschool-aged children. The conference will also include an introduction to the faculty- and teacher-developed Investigations Curriculum, including video examples of young children engaged in project work.

Keynote Presentation: Projects That Power Young Minds: You Can Do It and Here's How by Judy Harris Helm

Change is so rapid that our children will live in a future we can't even imagine. Is your classroom developing the mind/brain capacity your children will need? Would you describe your learning experiences as mindful or mindless? Based on recent discoveries from neuroscience and cognitive research, this keynote reveals, in a humorous way, the typical intellectual life of early childhood classrooms. Then you will see The Movie Theater Project, a mind enhancing, literacy building application of the project approach in a pre-k classroom. See how it is done! Be inspired!

For more information about the conference, visit: http://www.easternct.edu/cece/investigations_conference.html

CEUs are available for conference participants.

Nominate a Toy for the TIMPANI Study!

2011-12-01T21:20:43Z

The Center for Early Childhood Education is now accepting nominations for the 2012 TIMPANI Toy Study. The annual scientific study works to identify toys that best engage preschool-aged children in intellectual, creative, and social interactions. The study:

Helps preschool teachers make good decisions about what toys to put in their classrooms
Gives parents information about the kinds of toys that help children learn the most
Helps researchers understand how children's play with toys contributes to their development

We need help from parents, teachers, early childhood faculty, and others who work with or care for young children to identify promising toys that should be studied. (We do not accept nominations from toy manufacturers.) Nominated toys are placed in preschool classrooms with hidden video cameras. Researchers then rate the toys based on how children play with them. Results are shared through press releases, conference presentations, and our website.

To nominate a toy, visit http://7.selectsurvey.net/easternct/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=n42K7n4.

Update on 2/2/12: Nominations for the 2012 study are now closed. You may nominate a toy for the 2013 study at: https://7.selectsurvey.net/easternct/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=n220l8m.