Preschool in the United States has Fascinating History

Carried on MPR's "Midday" Show today-
"There's been a quiet revolution in America's schools over recent decades. We've added a whole extra grade to a child's education: Preschool. Economists say preschool is one of the smartest ways to spend public money, especially in tight economic times. A new documentary from American RadioWorks, "Early Lessons," explores the history of preschool."

If the player doesn't work here, go directly to the MPR link here

Successful Schools Avoid "False Choices"

This commentary in Education Week by Karin Chenoweth addresses some of the "either, or" situations schools and communities can fall into when trying to close the achievement gap-

I know I am not the first to notice that education as a field tends to get whipsawed between what seem like incompatible alternatives: We can teach phonics or surround children with literature; we can teach skills or content; we can prepare students for the workforce or for college; we can provide schools that are equitable or schools that are excellent. The examples are endless.

For the past five years, I have been examining schools that have, for the most part, sidestepped these battles. They are schools I have visited as part of my work for the Education Trust, a Washington-based nonprofit organization. The job involves identifying and writing about schools with significant populations of low-income children and children of color that are also high-achieving or rapidly improving. In many of these, just about all of the students meet or exceed state standards, and achievement gaps are narrow, or sometimes nonexistent.

Read the rest here.

Youth Leaders for Literacy Grant Opportunity

Due October 30th!
For youth aged 5-25 "who offer innovative ways to increase literacy skills and appreciation for reading among their peers."

Projects will follow the framework of Youth Service America's Semester of Service initiative, which launches on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service in January and culminates on Global Youth Service Day, April 23-25. Plans should also include an event on the National Education Association's Read Across America Day on March 2.

Find the application here.

Gardening Grant

Grow some fresh produce, along with healthy eating habits and vocabulary, with a children's garden at your school or organizationKids Gardening offers a variety of grants for children's and inter-generational garden projects. The Healthy Sprouts grant deadline is October 17.

Pictured are Eagleview Boys and Girls Club members harvesting cherry tomatoes for after-school snacks.

Friday Fun

It's Friday and Friday's are for fun.

All those pretty leaves are falling from the trees. Take some time with your child to pick some up, talk about the colors, count a few, and bring a couple inside to make a magic leaf drawing.

Find a nice leaf.
Place it on a table or counter top.
Put a piece of paper over it.
Rub a crayon on the paper over the leaf.
The leaf will appear, with the outline and veins appearing darker than the rest.

Friday Fun

Here's a lovely video of a dad reading The Carrot Seed with his daughter. Clearly they've read this together many times and Dad does a wonderful job of waiting and listening for her to recall and say the trickier bits.


Kate Horst, keynote speaker at the Project Read Community Summit on Tuesday, read The Carrot Seed at the close of her remarks.