April 30, 2010

In this Issue

1. Listening and Learning about Early Learning Tour
   Source: U.S. Department of Education - April 21, 2010
2. Online Discussions Related to 2010 Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
   Source: FPG Child Development Institute - April 29, 2010
3. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnosis, Prevalence, and Services for Children and Families
   Source: Society for Research in Child Development - Retrieved April 30, 2010
4. The Case for Pre-K in Education Reform: A Summary of Program Evaluation Findings
   Source: Pre-K Now - Retrieved April 28, 2010
5. Study Finds 86 Percent of Disadvantaged Preschoolers Lack Basic Motor Skills
   Source: Science Daily - April 26, 2010
6. New Child Care and Early Education Resources from CLASP
   Source: Center for Law and Social Policy - April 29, 2010
7. Newly Redesigned Web Site for Parents from NAEYC
   Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children - Retrieved April 28, 2010

1. Listening and Learning about Early Learning Tour
   Source: U.S. Department of Education - April 21, 2010

   The U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Health and Human Services (HHS) are holding a series of meetings entitled Listening and Learning about Early Learning to gather input on the following topics: Understanding Preschool–Grade 3 Structures, Workforce and Professional Development, Family Engagement, and Standards and Assessments. The meetings are being held in Washington, D.C., Denver, CO, Orlando, FL, and Chicago, IL. To learn more, see the Federal Register Notice (April 21, 2010) at http://www2.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2010-2/042110c.html

   Summaries of the meeting discussions are being posted online at http://www.ed.gov/blog/topic/early-learning/. Presentations and testimonies from some of the meetings will be available online at a later date and eNotes will include a link to those when it is available.

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2. Online Discussions Related to 2010 Early Childhood Inclusion Institute
   Source: FPG Child Development Institute - April 29, 2010

   On May 17-19, 2010 the 10th National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute will be held in Chapel Hill, NC. In advance of this Institute, the FPG Child Development Institute's Early Childhood Community is hosting the following online discussions. Your comments are invited. Additional discussions will be added in the coming weeks.

   • Examples of Social Media in Early Childhood
   • Measuring the Quality of Inclusion
   • Christine’s Chronicles: An Intro to Minspeak

   To learn more about FPG's Early Childhood Community, go to http://community.fpg.unc.edu/
   For complete information about the 10th National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute, go to http://www.nectac.org/~meetings/inclusionmtg2010/splash.html

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3. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnosis, Prevalence, and Services for Children and Families
   Source: Society for Research in Child Development - Retrieved April 30, 2010

   The most recent issue of the Society for Research in Child Development's Social Policy Report provides a summary of selected recent studies on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, prevalence, and intervention. The authors include strategies for developing social policies to help improve the outcomes and independence of children and adults with ASDs. Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnosis, Prevalence, and Services for Children and Families (2010), by Catherine Lord and Somer L. Bishop is available online at http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=930

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4. The Case for Pre-K in Education Reform: A Summary of Program Evaluation Findings
   Source: Pre-K Now - Retrieved April 28, 2010

   A new brief from Pre-K Now, entitled The Case for Pre-K in Education Reform: A Summary of Program Evaluation Findings (April 2010) by Albert Wat, discusses why high-quality early education needs to be an important part of state and federal school improvement plans. The brief highlights recent independent evaluations of state-funded pre-k programs from around the country, showing that high-quality pre-k is a proven strategy for building a strong foundation for learning. It is available online at http://www.preknow.org/documents/thecaseforprek_april2010.pdf

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5. Study Finds 86 Percent of Disadvantaged Preschoolers Lack Basic Motor Skills
   Source: Science Daily - April 26, 2010

   Findings from a new study showed that 86 percent of 469 disadvantaged preschoolers from two urban areas scored below the 30th percentile of children nationwide on a standardized test that assessed basic motor skills such as running, jumping, throwing, and catching. The researchers believe the problem stems from the fact that children from disadvantaged, urban neighborhoods often don't have sufficient opportunities to play outside. To learn more go to http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100426131608.htm

   Reference: Goodway, J. D., Robinson, L. E. & Crowe, H. (March 2010). Gender Differences in Fundamental Motor Skill Development in Disadvantaged Preschoolers From Two Geographical Regions. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 81(1).

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6. New Child Care and Early Education Resources from CLASP
   Source: Center for Law and Social Policy - April 29, 2010

   The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has recently posted new resources on the following early childhood topics online:

   • Recommendations to Promote the Health and Safety of Infants and Toddlers in Child Care (April 2010)
     http://www.clasp.org/babiesinchildcare/recommendations?id=0008
   • Extending Home Visiting to Care Givers (April 2010)
     http://www.clasp.org/issues/pages?type=child_care_and_early_education&id=0020
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7. Newly Redesigned Web Site for Parents from NAEYC
   Source: National Association for the Education of Young Children - Retrieved April 28, 2010

   The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has launched a newly redesigned Web site for parents and families that provides tips on finding quality child care, an easy to use search feature for finding NAEYC-Accredited programs across the country, parent-focused articles and videos, and other resources. It is available at http://www.rightchoiceforkids.org/

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