Sharing Web Resources

One resource that I chose to use is Zero to Three. This website has been used throughout the different classes that I have taken and it was both resourceful and very informative.

ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development. Their mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. They were founded in 1977 by top experts in child development, health and mental health. They are an organization that plays a critical leadership role in promoting understanding around key issues affecting young children and their families, including child care, infant mental health, early language and literacy development, early intervention and the impact of culture on early childhood development. They envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.

Zero to Three works together to provide support in all domains of development and work together to promote overall health and well-being in all families and cultures. They do this through research, collaboration, and experience. This website has so much information that correlates with what we are learning at Walden. The trends and issues in which we need to follow and develop knowledge can be supported by exploring the ZERO to THREE website.

 

 

 http://www.preknow.org/
Pre-K Now is a public education and advocacy campaign that offers free high-quality pre k-kindergarten for all three and four years olds. In addition, Pre-K Now raises awareness about the need for pre-k for all children.

Why Pre-K Matters

We know from more than 50 years of research that vital learning happens before age five. Yet, for decades, policy makers and education leaders have been working to “fix” public education while overlooking the demonstrated benefits of pre-kindergarten education. To ensure that all children fulfill their potential as individuals and citizens, we must re-imagine public education as a system that begins not with kindergarten, but with quality pre-k, and builds on that foundation to raise performance in later grades.

 One current issue/trend from the Pre-K News Clips (info@preknow.org) that caught my attention was about the Hispanic achievement gap  narrowing in Oregon. According to the National Center for Education Statistics released a report that look at the performance of both white and Hispanic fourth-graders and eighth-graders in all fifty states. Although the changes were small, Hispanics and white students are showing a higher level of skills in both states. In Eastern Oregon, where fifty-percent of the student population is Hispanic. The fourth grade reading achievement is higher than the twenty-five point nationwide average. Teachers at the Oregon schools are encouraged to get their English Language Learners endorsement or at least attend short institutes on language development. Also, the school recruits as many Spanish speaking teachers as possible. In addition, with the help of special programs such as Generation College at the high school, many Hispanic students are becoming the first in their families to earn a college degree (Mills, 2011). This article helped me to see that Hispanics attending school in Oregon are capable of learning and achieving as long they are given the right tools, such as English language teachers and special programs (Generation College).