Just for Fun

Don't Forget to Vote!

Sara Mead — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:38:00 -0500

Whichever way you're voting today, I think we can all agree that these political babies are adorable. Since they can't vote, please remember them when you do.

Photos courtesy of flickr users Ladd, dwyeropolis, stirnaman.photo, and Brian Finifter, used under a Creative Commons license.

Happy Halloween!

Sara Mead — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:47:00 -0400

These adorable children come to your courtesy of flickr users Paranoid Black Jack, Pete the Chop, jijis, weblivz, Joe Thorn, and Uriel 1998, used under a Creative Commons license.

Flashback: Educational Computer Games of the 1980s

Sara Mead — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:47:00 -0400

The website Educational Games Research lists the "Top 10 Most Influential Educational Video Games from the 1980s." As a child of the 1980s, with fond memories of playing Number Munchers (#8) and Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego with my sister on our Apple IIe, this list certainly made me nostalgic. What are your favorite educational video games for PK-3 students, from the past or today? (hat tip: Alexander Russo)

High-Quality Children's Television: Now Streaming Live at a Computer Near You

Sara Mead — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:02:00 -0400

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting just launched PBS Kids Go! a new website that offers high-quality, educational children's programming streaming live on the web 24 hours a day. The site features both full-length episodes and shorter clips from 14 children's television programs, including favorites like Arthur and Postcards from Buster, all offered commercial-free. In addition to specific shows, the site also offers "channels" that feature clips and episodes focused around a particular theme, such as "helping out" or "get fit!" as well as games and other features. With all the usual caveats about avoiding TV for children under age 2 (it's not any better because it's on the computer!) and all good things in moderation, this is a great resource for parents, teachers, and caretakers seeking high-quality entertainment for youngsters outside the hours it's regularly scheduled to air. Not to mention grown-ups who are bored at work (hey, it's waaaay better for you than TMZ!).

Getting Hitched on Sesame Street

Sara Mead — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:42:00 -0400

Annie Evans is a writer for Sesame Street. Martin Robinson is a puppeteer who brings Snuffy, Telly, and Slimey the worm to life on the show. Last week, the two, who are long-time friends and colleagues, were married last week in a ceremony on the Sesame Street set that included a cameo appearance by Oscar the Grouch. In the 1980s, two Sesame Street characters, Maria and Louis, were married on the show (see video below) as part of an arc designed to show children the progression of a relationship from friendship to love, to marriage and family. Evans and Robinson's ceremony was less traditional than that one, but, judging by the pictures and video in the New York Times "vows" section, no less adorable. Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple!

What Do Elmo, Chris Brown, and Susan Neuman Have In Common?

Sara Mead — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:56:00 -0400

We can't stop smiling at this Sesame Street clip featuring Elmo and Chris Brown--and not just because of the mad dance skilz Elmo displays between verses.

Walking through New York City, Chris helps Elmo read the signs the two of them encounter--Welcome, Stop, Open, etc. This is a great pro-literacy sequence that builds print awareness by showing children how the letters on the signs they see connect with the words Chris is singing, while also providing context images (pictures of baked goods or a closed or open door) that reinforce what the signs say in a familiar, real world environment.

This sequence also reminded us of Susan Neuman's sobering research on differences in children's exposure to print between middle class and low-income communities. In a now-famous study, Neuman and Donna Celano document that low-income neighborhoods offer far less access to print than middle class ones: Fewer children's books are available for purchase in local stores, there are fewer--and lower quality--books available for children in school and public libraries, and there are fewer hospitable public places where children might see adults reading. Even the signs in low-income neighborhoods, from which children take important literacy cues, were in much poorer quality than those in more affluent communities, often covered with graffiti that made them illegible. Neuman and Celano write:

In these middle income neighborhoods, children had a variety of opportunities to gain an understanding of the purposes and processes of reading, of connecting print with meaningful activity. In the lower income neighborhoods, such opportunities were far more limited and narrow in scope. In these communities, signs were often made inaccessible to children who might pretend to read them.

Elmo's New York City neighborhood has gentrified significantly since Sesame Street first aired in 1969, so the little red guy has plentiful access to books, libraries, and high-quality signage to help him develop print awareness. But too many of the children who most need support for early literacy development live in communities where signs look more like this:

And we've certainly seen our fair share of "creative" spellings at carry-outs in some Washington, D.C., neighborhoods. All just another example of how disadvantaged children persistently get less support for literacy from all kinds of sources, causing them to arrive in school at a tremendous disadvantaged vis a vis their peers from more affluent backgrounds. That's also why high-quality early education programs with a strong focus on language and emerging literacy development are essential to narrow achievement gaps.

We also hope Chris Brown's example will encourage more parents and adults in children's lives to point out print signage--whatever its quality--to children, to read and discuss signs with them, and to encourage children to make their own attempts at sign-reading.

Sign image courtest of this sad, but sometimes amusing, website that collects images of misspelled signs in the New York City area.

Heroic Second Grader Leads China's Olympic Team in Opening Ceremonies

Sara Mead — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:47:00 -0400

Early Ed Watch is quite taken with little Lin Hao, the 9-year-old earthquake victim who walked alongside Chinese basketball star Yao Ming at the head of China's Olympic team in Friday night's opening ceremonies.

Lin Hao was a second grader at Yuzixi Primary School in Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, this May when a massive earthquake struck Wenchuan County and Sichaun Province, where it's located, causing Hao's school to collapse, burying him and his classmates in the rubble. While trapped in the rubble, Hao helped encourage his classmates and keep them calm by singing songs and encouraging them to sing with him. After freeing himself from the rubble, little Hao went back to help free two other classmates, despite being injured himself. Hao's appearance was one of the most touching moments of the opening ceremonies.

The Sichuan earthquake was a terrible tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 69,000 individuals, including many children trapped in collapsed schools. Hao's bravery illustrates that, even at times of great tragedy, individual acts of courage and selflessness can make a difference and inspire people around the world. Hao's example also provides young children a rare role model their own age, who they can relate to and who shows them that, depsite their age, their actions can still help others and make a difference. Early educators could use this story to teach children about helping others, showing courage, the Olympics, or the Chinese earthquake.

On a related note, folks interested in the Olympics should check out opening ceremonies pictures from TFA-er Tim Morehouse, an American Olympian, over at eduwonk, as well as basketball coverage on Matthew Yglesias' new blog.

1234: Feist on Sesame Street

Sara Mead — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:36:00 -0400

Indie rocker Feist appears in Sesame Street's first episode this season, performing an altered version of her hit song, "1234" to teach preschoolers (and monsters!) how to count to four.

Public Service Announcement

Sara Mead — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:32:00 -0400

As early education analysts, we DO NOT RECOMMEND this. But it is pretty funny. Based on our, admittedly nonscientific, survey of the available data, Sen. Obama seems to be winning the key demographic of people who put politically oriented videos of their babies on YouTube. Maybe if Sen. McCain outlined an early education agenda he'd get more support from the tech-savvy infant and toddler demographic.

Totally Gratuitous Cute Baby Photo Post (With Bonus Georgia Pre-K info)

Sara Mead — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0400

We here at Early Ed Watch are big fans of Bravo's Top Chef, and we also love any excuse to put pictures of adorable children up on the blog. So we're pleased to congratulate Top Chef contestant Richard Blais and his wife, Jazmin, on the birth of their beautiful new baby girl, Riley (pictured here with her dad).

To make this post slightly less gratuitous, we'll note that, since the Blais family lives in Atlanta, Riley can look forward to some good early education opportunities. Georgia is one of only two states in the country (the other is Oklahoma) to provide universal, publicly funded pre-kindergarten to all 4-year-olds whose parents want it (although the state doesn't serve 3-year-olds). Georgia's pre-k program, the first large scale state pre-k program in the country, employs a diverse delivery model that utilizes a variety of public, private, and community providers, offering parents a wide range of choices. Although Georgia doesn't require all pre-k teachers to have a bachelor's degree, it ensures quality by providing quality professional development resources and requiring programs to use a state approved, developmentally appropriate curriculum aligned with Georgia's Pre-k Content Standards, which are themselves aligned with both the Georgia kindergarten standards and early learning standard for birth through age 3. Further, Georgia is one of only 9 states nationally to offer full-day kindergarten for all five-year-olds.

So, congrats to Richard, Jazmin, Riley, and the State of Georgia!