Saturday, June 9, 2012
Web Resources
This week I choose to look at a web resource called Smart Start. Smart Start, the early learning division of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta has joined forces with a coalition of early childhood advocates. The programs focus on low-income, preschool children with risks for reading difficulties, transforming our existing, good programs into programs of excellence. Some of the aspects of the program is implementing Opening the World of Learning (OWL), which comprehensive, integrated curriculum, enhancing classroom learning environments, providing teachers with new ways to help children improve their language, providing coaching and early literacy training for teachers to help them fully integrate literacy throughout their classrooms and engaging families in their child's early reading experiences to reinforce these skills at home. There are so many families out in the world that can benefits from services like these. This websites also has many useful links that you can follow. One of the resources that I read on was called SPARK. SPARK is Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK GA) was a national initiative funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation from 2002 - 2008 to help communities combine resources and better prepare children for school. Targeting children ages 3-6 who are vulnerable to poor achievement(www.smartstartga.org). This program is helping those who are young to try to acheive success early in life so that when it comes to the real school environment maybe they will have a chance to learn and acheive success. I am going to continue reading up on this website for various resources here in Georgia.
The website I often go to and check is NAEYC. This website helps me throughout the school year to help keep updated on changes that may have affect on my job since we just compelted our accrediton renewal process last school term. Some of the articles I read have been discussed during this class at some point. Partnering for success: Community approaches to early learning, building parent-teacher partnerships, and reflections from teachers of culutrally diverser children. There were many other good aritcles that I am going back to read because I know they will help me in my classroom.
www.smartstartga.org
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Vicki,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these resources! I checked out the smart start website and I found a link to a website called United States Education Dashboard. President Obama set a goal that by 2020 the US will return to having the highest number of college graduates in the world. The website collects data and tracks the progress of the initiative.
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteThe center where I worked at previously was NAEYC accredited. It is a very resourceful organization. I was moved to a new center this year and we will be working towards our accreditation next year. The Smart Start program is also another awesome resource. I have seen it used when educating the new parents in our facility.
Vicki,
ReplyDeleteSmart Start sounds like an awesome program! Low-income families are always in need of programs to help the children be successful in school. I also like how they work with all individuals involved with the child, the parents and the teachers. The SPARK program also sounds amazing! During this class we have read about different states doing differernt programs to help children be successful. I think it would be great if there was a website strictly dedicated to all of the wonderful things people are doing across the country to help children.