| | | Welcome!
In this issue we look more closely at the preschool years in your child's development, focusing on the importance of good communication and team work in the relationship between parents and teachers. This will come as no surprise to parents who have fine-tuned their relationship with nannies over the earlier years! We continue our previous discussion on the debate among researchers to better understand what constitutes "quality" in a preschool. Finally, as this is an election year, take a closer look at where candidates stand on family issues; and the important preschool bills currently in front of the Federal Legislature. Every year I get calls from parents that want ideas for holiday gift giving to their nannies. If this is on your mind this year, take a look at the section on gift etiquette. My assistants and I wish you and your family a healthy, happy and loving holiday season! | Developing a Parent-Teacher Partnership
You probably learned early on in your nanny-parent relationship that partnership was important to your success. The relationship between parent and teacher is very similar to the nanny-parent relationship. Teachers are significant care givers in the lives of children. Children naturally develop very strong bonds with their teachers especially in the preschool and early elementary years. In addition to the important care relationship between teachers and children, preschool sets the stage for a long academic career. Attitudes about one's intelligence, abilities and peer relationships are developing. Parents and teachers both have significant roles to play in the shaping of these attitudes. For these reasons, it is important that the parent-teacher relationship be a partnership; one that is marked by mutual understanding, free and easy communication and shared work toward a common goal. For practical tips on how to foster a partnership with your child's teacher click on the following link from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). www.naeyc.org/ece/ | | Toilet Training Basics Many preschools, especially those that do not have an infant or toddler program, require that children be potty trained before enrollment. Talk with your school about their policy well in advance of enrollment so that you will have the time to toilet train at your child's pace. The link below from Dr. Greene gives some basic information on what to expect during the potty training process. If you find this article helpful, it will be important to share it with all the adults that might be participating in the process. Just like many other aspect of parenting, potty training is a team sport. It will be important that you, your partner and your nanny are following the same game plan. www.drgreene.com
| | What is a Successful School Experience? And Does Your Preschool Make or Break It? (Part II) In the last newsletter, we reviewed the major studies of early childhood educational programs and found a tension between an academic or social/emotional model of success. Below are reviews of two recent studies with seemingly contradictory results as to the importance of academic or social/emotional predictors for success. Kindergarten Skills and Fifth Grade Achievement - This study took kindergarten assessments of academic knowledge, social-emotional development, and attention related skills and compared them with standardized achievement tests for reading and math in the 5th grade. The researchers found that none of the social-emotional skills such as controlling one's temper or making friends was predictive of 5th grade achievement. Attention related skills were the only non-cognitive skills that predicted later academic success. Surprisingly, early math skills were the strongest predictor of both math and reading achievement. The authors acknowledge the limitations of using standardized test as the only measure of success. They would like to include high school dropout rates and college attendance which might be more dependent on social behavior. Associations Between Social Behavior and Literacy Achievement - This study compared assessments of aggression and positive social behavior with literacy skills at kindergarten/1st grade and again at 3rd grade and finally at 5th grade. The researchers found that there was a strong correlation between positive social behaviors and literacy skills in kindergarten/1st grade but that association diminished to the point that there was no longer a significant relation between the two by 3rd grade. Conversely, the relationship between aggressive behaviors and low literacy skills increased over time. The link between aggressive behavior and low literacy rates emerged between the 1st and 3rd grade and continued to be strong through the 5th grade. Additionally, low literacy scores in kindergarten/1st grade were predictive of later aggressive behavior. The study authors hypothesis that social/emotional skills and academic success are connected. Success in one area can lead to success in another and problems in one area can impact another. They support early literacy interventions to help head off later discipline problems. Both of these studies assume the measure of success is a test score. The authors of Kindergarten Skills and 5th Grade Achievement understood the limitations of this definition but were unable to provided data expanding their scope. We all recognize that functioning in society requires the capacity to develop healthy relationships. Academic success without the ability to create healthy relationships can leave someone less equipped to function and utilize what they know. However, the capacity to develop healthy relationships can equip someone to function quite well in society even if their academics are compromised. Given the evidence to support the importance of cognitive development and the common sense understanding that social/emotional development is critical to one's quality of life, why compromise on either? Preschools that provide a cognitively stimulating environment do not need to sacrifice the emotional development of children. When looking for a preschool, ask what activities are offered that address both aspects of a child's development. The answer to this question will reveal the importance the teacher places on each area. | | Legislative Action Center: Ask Your Member of Congress to Cosponsor Current Preschool Bills There are three pieces of legislation that would significantly increase the federal government's investment in early childhood programs. The links below provide facts on the provisions of each bill. Prepare All Kids Act of 2007 Ready to Learn Act
PRE-K Act You can show your support for these efforts by writing your member of congress asking that they become a cosponsor of the legislation. Click here to see if your member of congress is already a cosponsor. (Search for the legislation using the name or bill number. On the bill overview page, click Show Cosponsors.) www.govtrack.us Click here for tips on how to write a letter to your member of congress. www.consumerist.com/consumer/your-government/ or www.aclu.org Click here for facts on the importance of preschool which you can include in you letter to your member of congress. www.preschoolcalifornia.org | | Holiday Gift Etiquette You may be wondering what to give your nanny for the holidays. Holiday nanny gifts generally fall into two categories, personal gifts and cash bonuses. Many parents choose to give both. The personal gift should reflect your nanny's tastes and interests. The amount spent on the gift is not as significant as the care taken in choosing the gift. This is the gift that says we love you. Involving your child in some aspect of the gift giving is a great way to express that care for your nanny. A hand print on the card may be all your child can do but it is a treasure to your nanny. The cash gift or bonus is often tied to the nanny's salary and generally ranges between 1 to 2 weeks pay. This is the gift that says we appreciate the great work that you do. If you give a performance/salary based bonus at another time of year, it would not be necessary to give a holiday bonus in addition. Of course both the personal gift and the bonus should be in keeping with your financial situation. If you are already paying your nanny at the top of your budget, you can show your appreciation in other ways besides a large cash bonus. Most employees put significant value on a good working environment and an appreciative and responsive employer. The following links provide various prospective on holiday gift giving for nannies. Emily Post Holiday Tipping Guide www.emilypost.com Berkeley Parents Network - Nanny Gift and Bonus Discussion http://parents.berkeley.edu | | Policy Spotlight: Republican Presidential Candidates Positions on Children's IssuesIn the October newsletter we provided information on the democratic presidential candidates' positions on issues that effect children such as access to health care and quality education. This month we are spotlighting the republican candidates. The following links are directly to the candidates' websites. Rudy Giuliani
Education (scroll to middle of page) Mike Huckabee
Education and the Arts
Health Care Duncan Hunter
Parental Rights
Education
Health Care Reform John McCain
Straight Talk on Health System Reform Ron Paul
Education
Health Care Mitt Romney
Raising the Bar on Education
Reducing Spiraling Health Care Costs Tom Tancredo
Education
Healthcare Fred Thompson
Education
Healthcare
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