ELF Blog
Educational Resources
Early Learning Guidelines Available
The Child Development Division of CDE has recently published the Early Learning Foundations which provide a framework from which to plan developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. The guidelines address the growth of children at 48 months and 60 months of age with a focus on social emotional devleopment, language and literacy acquisition, English language development and mathematics. A general description of the early learning competency is presented followed by suggestions and examples from expert practitioners. The foundations can be downloaded at www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psfoundations.asp
Through WestEd and regional CPIN (California Preschool Instructional Network) groups there will be opportunities to participate in early learning/ child development workshops and training throughout the state. www.cpin.us and www.wested.org/cs/we/view/pg/3
Early Literacy Activities in English & Spanish
Washington Learning Systems has free, reproducible parent-child activity materials available in both English and Spanish. The early literacy activities are developmentally appropriate for infants and toddlers from birth to three. With twenty home and community activities, parents can develop language, increase their child's ability to discriminate among sounds and rhythms, and develop general book and print awareness. Simply download the files at www.walearning.com
Washington Learning Systems also produces DVD's that feature families modeling language and literacy development through dialogic interactions with their children around books and play. Each of the two DVDs titled Talking and Books and Talking and Play is availabe in six different languages. Once purchased, you have the rights to duplicate.
Guidelines for Early Learning
The California Department of Education has released the Preschool Learning Foundations. The foundations are guidelines that identify early learning competencies for children at 48 and 60 months of age in the areas of social-emotional development, language and literacy as well as mathematics. There are also competencies described in English-language development that are not based on age, rather on three stages of development. Reflecting early child development research, each competency is presented as a general statement followed by a more indepth explanation of the item and a list of related observable behaviors. The Preschool Learning Foundations can be viewed at www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/psfoundations.asp
Songs, Rhymes, Fingerplays in Spanish & English
Here are some familiar and new songs, rhymes and fingerplays to use and share with your ELF families. Project Family/ CDC has made available these popular playgroup rituals that have been translated from English to Spanish and from Spanish to English. They are available at www.zerotothree.org/site/DocServer/songsengspan.pdf?docID=2682&AddInterest=1145