MATH & SCIENCE LITERACY CONNECTIONS 
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| Evaluation and Feedback Evaluating a Professional Development Cascade
Participants say: "The materials are WONDERFUL: engaging, beautiful, every child-care provider's dream." "I was able to immediately use the books and materials with the children in my care--the instruction was clear and focused." "The material is well-thought-out, comfortable to use and open to variety and personal reflection. The content is sound." "This is an exciting program and I am so enthusiastic and can't wait to share it with my colleagues!" "I have a greater understanding of science and math from reading these picture books and doing these investigations than any school-mandated textbook." "I have been working with children and adults my entire professional life--this is the best conference I've ever attended. You are a class act." |
NEPDI is the New England Professional Development Initiative, a two-year project funded by Jane’s Trust of Boston. Mother Goose Programs is working with early childhood educators in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.
In January 2005 Mother Goose Programs conducted a conference in Mother Goose Cares About Math and Science for teams from ME, MA and NH. Those teams trained core faculty to teach courses in each state.
Course participants included professionals from child-care centers, Head Start, school-based preschool programs, home day-care providers, YMCA nursery programs and a hospital-based preschool center. Participants included professionals who not only work directly with children but also train other staff in their facility or their area.
In 2006 core faculty were trained to teach Mother Goose Cares About Social Studies. Those courses will continue through 2006. College credit is being offered to participants through Keene State College, New Hampshire.
The goals of the initiative are to:
- Improve the quality of early education by improving the teaching competence of early childhood educators
- Expand the ability of educators to intentionally incorporate the language, concepts and skills of literacy, science and mathematics into their daily interactions with children
- Strengthen book selection and use in all areas of the early education setting
- Increase each educator’s ability to document and observe children
- Foster communication between and among early childhood educators and
the families with whom they work.
Over the course of the project, 900 early childhood educators will have received instruction, impacting the lives of over 7,000 children.
The most significant challenge for the core faculty has been the overwhelming demand for these courses. Reports from team leaders say that there is little or no drop-out over the course several sessions This highlights the fact that NEPDI is meeting a large, unmet need in early childhood education.
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