In The News

VIDEO: Colorado Business Reads -- Do Something Life Changing!

Date Posted: May 19, 2013

Do Something Life Changing!

An easy and important way to contribute to Colorado Business Reads is to donate dollars. Make your tax deductible contribution. Get your colleagues together to pitch in to sponsor one classroom of books for Colorado's children.

For only $134 plus the generous match from Usborne Books, one classroom of children can receive new books for their summer reading. Plus, your donation is a tax deductible contribution- so everyone wins.
Donate today: http://www.coloradoepic.org/home/colorado-business-reads/donation
Donate today!

Please forward this email on to your colleagues and friends as our goal is to provide as many books as possible to children and families for summer reading. Thank you for your support and dedication to improving literacy among Colorado's youth!

Sincerely,

Marie Hueston
Colorado Business Reads
Executives Partnering to Invest in Children
marie@coloradoepic.org
303-587-4223
www.coloradoepic.org

http://www.coloradoepic.org/home/colorado-business-reads

CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards - Call for nominations

Date Posted: May 19, 2013

Introducing the CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards, an annual recognition of five high-quality picture books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in young children.

In support of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) mission to strengthen children's literacy through library services and community advocacy, the Bell Awards will recognize picture books that provide excellent support of early literacy development in young children, will serve as a collection development, program planning, and early literacy information resource for librarians, educators, and caregivers, and will provide recognition to authors, illustrators, and publishers.

Suggest a title today!

http://www.clel.org/content/bell-awards

Have questions about immunization and vaccines for children?

Date Posted: May 19, 2013
The Immunization Program works to decrease preventable illness through the use of vaccines.  The Colorado Immunization Section Website has information on:

Questions, contact:
Jamie D'Amico, RN, MSN, CNS
Public Health Nurse Consultant
Schools and Community Program
Colorado Immunization Section
Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment
DCEED-IMM-A3
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, Colorado 80246-1530
Phone: 303-692-2957
Fax: 303-691-6118
www.ColoradoImmunizations.com

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CDPHE-DCEED/CBON/1251607754774

ECLC Newsletter for May 14, 2013

Date Posted: May 19, 2013


Governor Hickenlooper signs HB 13-1117 reauthorizing the ECLC

May 14, 2013 issue: Early Childhood Leadership Commission Newsletter

Final ECLC Meeting
The final meeting of the current ECLC is taking place next week, May 21st, at Harmon Hall, 407 St. Paul St. Denver, 3 - 6pm. Join us as we celebrate the great work undertaken over the past three years. Please RSVP to Colin Tackett by Wednesday COB if you are planning to attend.

ECLC Work Staff on the Road
- Colin Tackett has been presenting the Early Investment Model to audiences both locally and nationally. This month Colin has presentations to county commissioners, superintendents, Early Childhood Council members and other stakeholders in Alamosa, Canyon City, Loveland and Palm Beach County, Florida (via webinar). Interest in the Investment Model goes beyond local audiences, with past presentations to individuals at the Department of Education, Health and Human Services, Head Start Region 8, EPIC, and the BUILD Initiative.
- MaryAnne Snyder, David Collins, Stacey Kennedy, Sharon Triolo-Moloney, Jennifer Stedron, Jason Callegari and Susan Steele all recently traveled to Washington DC to participate in an annual meeting with all Race To The Top-Early Learning Challenge Fund awardees. At the meeting we learned about collaborative efforts and best practices from year 1 grantee states and learned about potential barriers to initiative implementation.
- Jennifer Stedron recently presented at the 2012 National Smart Start conference. Jennifer was part of a plenary panel on the development of the challenge fund application and also presented on the ECLC’s development of data system priorities at an early childhood data workshop.

Legislative Update
The 2013 session produced a number of measures aimed at strengthening the state’s birth to eight policy agenda by increasing access, quality, and coordination of early childhood programs. With the support of Governor Hickenlooper and Lt. Governor Garcia, early childhood education emerged as a top priority this session. This year’s budget reflects significant increases not only in ECE, but an increase of $4.5 million in state general funds for Early Intervention Colorado. Read more of some of the highlights from the 2013 legislative session:

Literacy Week
May 6-10th, 2013 marked the Administration’s second annual celebration of Literacy Week. Literacy Week 2013 included days packed with events to promote literacy in libraries, schools, churches, Boys and Girls clubs and Head Start sites across the state. The Lt. Governor read to children, hosted community conversations and distributed the book, “Duck on a Bike” to 4-year-olds in cities across Colorado including: Denver, Lakewood, Sterling, Fort Morgan, Greeley, Fort Collins, Alamosa, Center, Silverthorne, Dillon and Avon. To learn more about the Administration’s blueprint for literacy check out the report, Colorado Reads 2013. Read more

Third Grade TCAP Scores
Last week third grade TCAP scores were released. While signs of improvement were seen at some schools TCAP scores generally remained unchanged; more than 25% of third graders did not test as proficient in reading. For more details see EdNews Colorado or coverage in the Denver Post.

Social Impact Bonds
Deloitte is hosting a webinar with the Rockefeller Foundation to discuss the use of Social Impact Bonds to improve performance, lower costs and accelerate adoption of new solutions to existing policy dilemmas. The webinar will take place on May 22nd at 12:00 MST. Read more

In the News:
Brookings takes a look at the President’s early education budget proposal paying particular attention to what wasn't included. The article discusses shortcomings in the Child Care Development Fund and provides suggestions for policy makers. Education Week digs into the role of technology in early childhood in an interesting article that provides Do’s and Don’ts for preschool tech as well as meaningful commentary. Read more

http://us2.forward-to-friend1.com/forward/preview?u=77bac9f533d6bce265cae77d9&id=64fc4a6393

Tell us your child’s One Book 4 Colorado story!

Date Posted: May 19, 2013

One Book 4 Colorado Parent Survey

If you picked up a copy of "Duck on a Bike" for your child, grandchild, students, or other 4-year-old, please complete our short, online survey about the project. It should take 2-3 minutes to complete. You’ll be entered in a drawing to win two free tickets from Southwest Airlines! Please help us help you; the results of the survey will help us improve the program for next year. The survey is available in English and Spanish. Thank you for your help, and good luck in the drawing for the Southwest Airlines tickets!

Take the survey now!

Thanks again for a very successful literacy week. As we continue to grow the OB4C program it's important for us to understand how this program impacts early literacy. For this reason, we are collecting parent feedback at libraries, preschools, and other OB4C venues.

"My 4-year-old loves the book (it's silly which is what he likes). What made me most pleased though, was that this book was sitting in our van the day we received it and his older brother saw it, picked it up, and read it to him. This is HUGE for kids to have a positive experience with reading and I love that it doesn't just have to come from us parents." - OB4C parent

For the latest Literacy Week news follow @LtGovGarcia on twitter and search for #OB4CO #CoLitWeek2013 or friend Lt. Governor Joe Garcia on Facebook. For schedule updates visit http://www.colorado.gov/ltgovernor

http://www.onebook4colorado.org/2013/05/14/tell-us-your-childs-one-book-4-colorado-story/

Early Childhood Colorado Partnership - Headline Indicators

Date Posted: Mar 6, 2013

The Early Childhood Colorado Partnership is a network of partners from state and local agencies, statewide nonprofits, local early childhood councils, foundations and universities committed to ensuring the vision of the Early Childhood Colorado Framework is effectively implemented in Colorado.

The Partnership provides the space and conditions for diverse partners across the comprehensive early childhood system – encompassing health, mental health, family support and early learning – to come together, identify common results, share best practices, implement strategies and track progress towards indicators of child and family wellbeing and systems performance improvement. To do this, the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership uses a results-based approach to develop, guide and inform its collective work.

Feb. 25, 2013: Meeting Notes | Slides | Headline Indicators | Video
On February 25, 2013, the Early Childhood Colorado Partnership met to further partners understanding on using a Results Based Accountability approach, share Partnership updates, and launch RESULT Work Groups. Result Work Groups discussed the Headline Indicators and related data trends, identified additional information needed as well as partners to engage.

Each Result Work Group plans to meet between now and the April 22nd full EC CO Partnership meeting.
Early Childhood Colorado Partnership Meeting Schedule:
• April 22, 2013 from 9am-noon
• June 24, 2013 from 9am-noon

http://www.earlychildhoodcolorado.org/state_initiatives/

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 Day 3: Reading Stars Meet Star Wars

Date Posted: May 11, 2013

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 May 6 - 10, 2013

Excerpt from One Book 4 Colorado's Literacy Week Day Three – Reading Stars Meet Star Wars

United Way of Weld County, the Greeley Boys & Girls Club, and the Greeley Chamber of Commerce hosted nearly 100 community leaders, business leaders, teachers, literacy enthusiasts, and parents for a burrito breakfast and community conversation. Both were tasty and nutritious as the crowd seated around tables in the gymnasium exchanged spirited views of what is being done to help kids learn to read and what the local needs are to move things forward. During a tour, Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia saw firsthand how the Club is using research based “structured environment” programs to engage children through music, dance, exercise and learning.

Read more...

For the latest Literacy Week news follow @LtGovGarcia on twitter and search for #OB4CO #CoLitWeek2013 or friend Lt. Governor Joe Garcia on Facebook. For schedule updates visit http://www.colorado.gov/ltgovernor

http://www.onebook4colorado.org/2013/05/10/literacy-week-day-three-reading-stars-meet-star-wars/

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 Day 2: Colorado Raises the Bar

Date Posted: May 11, 2013

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 May 6 - 10, 2013

Excerpt from One Book 4 Colorado's Literacy Week Day Two – Colorado Raises the Bar

Building on the energy of the One Book 4 Colorado launch yesterday, Colorado Literacy Week 2013 brought major excitement to the State Capitol and was followed by a lot of welcome noise to the Belmar Library in Lakewood.

Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia opened a standing room only gathering under the gold dome to introduce Gov. John Hickenlooper and make the case once more for why early literacy must be one of the state’s top priorities.

“The very health of Colorado depends on teaching our children to read,” said Garcia. “Not just physical health, but the economic vibrancy and the quality of each of our lives hinges on how well we as a state support and facilitate early literacy.”

Read more...

For the latest Literacy Week news follow @LtGovGarcia on twitter and search for #OB4CO #CoLitWeek2013 or friend Lt. Governor Joe Garcia on Facebook. For schedule updates visit http://www.colorado.gov/ltgovernor

http://www.onebook4colorado.org/2013/05/08/literacy-week-day-2/

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 Day 1: Kicks Off with a Quack

Date Posted: May 11, 2013

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 May 6 - 10, 2013

Excerpt from One Book 4 Colorado's Colorado Literacy Week 2013 Kicks off With a Quack

Gov. John Hickenlooper and Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia kicked off Colorado Literacy Week 2013 with a celebration at the main branch of the Denver Public Library, unveiling the selection of this year’s One Book 4 Colorado (OB4C) book selection – Duck on a Bike, by David Shannon – to thunderous applause from over 80 pre-schoolers. Hickenlooper, Garcia and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock each shared the stage in reading a portion of the book aloud to the children, parents, teachers and literacy advocates that participated in the morning’s festivities.

Read more...

For the latest Literacy Week news follow @LtGovGarcia on twitter and search for #OB4CO #CoLitWeek2013 or friend Lt. Governor Joe Garcia on Facebook. For schedule updates visit http://www.colorado.gov/ltgovernor

http://www.onebook4colorado.org/2013/05/08/colorado-literacy-week-2013-kicks-off-with-a-quack/"

Colorado Reads 2013: The Early Literacy Initiative

Date Posted: May 11, 2013

Colorado Literacy Week 2013 May 6 - 10, 2013

Colorado Reads 2013: The Early Literacy Initiative

Introduction by Governor John Hickenlooper andLieutenant Governor Joseph A. Garcia:
Last year the state launched Colorado Reads: The Early Literacy Initiative. This statewide movement focused public attention on the importance of early literacy and the impact early childhood education has on future academic achievement. Last year was only the beginning. This year’s update, Colorado Reads 2013, reinforces our efforts to bring attention to the work being done across Colorado in early literacy, and invites every resident to join the movement and give every child the support to become a proficient reader by third grade.


We’ve had a lot of fun in the past year, and made strides in advancing children’s literacy:
- We passed The READ Act - the first early literacy legislation in years that strengthened early identification of and interventions for struggling readers.
- We created the Office of Early Childhood and streamlined services to help ensure all children are valued, healthy and thriving.
- We received nearly $30 million in the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge Fund competition, and we’re raising the quality of early learning experiences across the state.

Together with our many state and local partners, we continue to refine the blueprint for achieving reading success for every child growing up in Colorado. We continue to visit schools and early learning centers to uncover examples of success and help advance these early learning programs across the state. We press on to find better ways of supporting children, especially those at-risk, in their early development and learning.

We invite you to join Colorado Reads 2013 and be a part of the transformative power early literacy can bring to our neighborhoods, schools and communities.


http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Document_C&childpagename=LtGovGarcia%2FDocument_C%2FCBONAddLinkView&cid=1251642312713&pagename=CBONWrapper

Graphic Novels and their role in developing language skills

Date Posted: May 2, 2013
What were your favorite comic books growing up? And what are your kids' favorite graphic novels today?

Visual literature, for example, comic books and picture books, is today widely used education in the form of graphic novels from K to high school. Karen Gavigan, an assistant professor at the University of South Carolina who has focused her research on graphic novels, points out that "graphic novels help students develop language skills, reinforce vocabulary and develop critical thinking skills."

Comic books in education? Schools embrace graphic novels as learning tool

CHICAGO — — In honors English class at Alan B. Shepard High School, sophomores are analyzing Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" with the help of another book filled with drawings and dialogue that appears in bubbles above characters' heads. "Capote in Kansas" is what generations of kids would recognize as a comic book, though it has a fancier name — a graphic novel. That honors students at the Palos Heights, Ill., high school are using it illustrates how far the controversial comic-strip novels have come in gaining acceptance in the school curriculum, educators say. Once aimed at helping struggling readers, English language learners and disabled students, graphic novels are moving into honors and college-level Advanced Placement classrooms and attracting students at all levels. Read more

Need a guide on where to start with your new adventure into graphic novels? Check out…
Comic Relief: Thirty-nine graphic novels that kids can’t resist -- by The School Library Journal

The following 39 comics are titles that kids will actually want to read—without any well-meaning prompting from parents, educators, and summer reading lists. In other words, these are books that kids will read just for the joy of it. This article includes recommendations for:
Grades K-2
Grades 3-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 7-10

What are the newest reviews for 2013? Read the latest reviews of graphic novels by The School Library Journal.

http://www.denverpost.com/books/ci_22307505/schools-embrace-graphic-novels-learning-tool

Research on Reading Aloud to Children

Date Posted: May 2, 2013
Research on the value of reading aloud to babies and children including the effects on building vocabulary, reading success and later success in school

Brain Development

When parents talk, read, sing, play, touch and cuddle with their babies, the brain evolves in response to experiences and the environment. Moreover, daily routines such as feeding, bathing, and playing strengthen neurons and increase myelination.
(Stamm, J., & Spencer, P. (2007). Bright from the start: The simple, science-backed way to nurture your child's developing mind from birth to age 3. New York, NY: Gotham.)

Neuroscientific research confirms that the architecture of a developing child’s brain is not only shaped in the early years of life but is also significantly influenced by the child’s environment.
(Ounce of Prevention Fund. (n.d.). The Ounce campaign for early learning. Chicago. Page 6. Retrieved from http://www.ounceofprevention.org/home/index.php)

Parents, caregivers and early childhood educators can “foster their children’s healthy cognitive and emotional development, like talking to the children beginning in infancy, reading to them from a very early age, and helping them play simple games.”
(Ounce of Prevention and Zero to Three. (2000). Starting smart: How early experiences affect brain development. Page 7. Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/)

Building Children's Vocabulary

Given an environment that promotes reading and talking, children can quickly develop their vocabulary. On average, children can pronounce 50 words by age 18 months, 1,000 words by 36 months and 6,000 words by age six. This process continues as the child masters a language, which in the case of English requires the mastery of about 50,000 words. (Medina, J. (2010). Brain rules for baby: How to raise a smart and happy child from zero to five. Seattle, WA: Pear Press, p. 111).

Children’s vocabulary growth reflects parental vocabulary levels where “86 percent to 98 percent of the words recorded in each child's vocabulary consisted of words also recorded in their parents' vocabularies.” Moreover, longitudinal research shows that vocabulary use at age three not only reflects parental vocabulary, it is also predictive of language skills at age nine or ten. (Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (2003). The early catastrophe: The 30 million word gap by age 3. American Educator, 1 (Spring), 4-9.)

"Books contain many words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently in spoken language. Children's books actually contain 50% more rare words than primetime television or even college students conversations." (Reach Out and Read. (n.d.). Why is reading aloud to young children so important? Retrieved from http://www.reachoutandread.org/impact/importance.aspx)

"There is one skill that matters above all others, because it is the prime predictor of school success or failure: the child’s vocabulary upon entering school."
"There are really only two efficient ways to get words into a person's brain: either through the eye or through the ear. Since it'll be years before the eye is used for reading, the best source for ideas and brain building in a young child becomes the ear. What we send into that ear becomes the "sound" foundation for the rest of the child's "brain house." Those meaningful sounds in the ear now will help the child make sense of the words coming in through the eye later when learning to read."
Trelease, J. (2006). The Read-aloud handbook: Sixth edition. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Success and development

“The single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
(Richard C. Anderson, Elfrieda H. Hiebert, Judith A. Scott, Ian A.G. Wilkinson, Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading (Champaign-Urbana, IL: Center for the Study of Reading, 1985, p. 23.)

“Children who are read to three times per week or more do much better in later development than children who are read to less than three times per week.”
(Arnold, R., & Colburn, N. (2004). A script for success. School Library Journal, 50 (9), 39.)

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com

Need a great book guide for Preschool to Grade 4?

Date Posted: May 2, 2013
Look no further! Check out the…
School Library Journal's Book Review Preschool to Grade 4: January 2013. So many books! So little time!

HELQUIST, Brett. Grumpy Goat. illus. by author. 40p.
HarperCollins/Harper. Jan. 2013.
A gorgeously illustrated, simply told, and emotionally complex story about anger and grief. When a friendless, grumpy goat arrives at Sunny Acres, the other animals don’t know why he is so ornery and they try to befriend him. However, rebukes come swift and hard. Goat kicks, scowls, and stares at the ground. It is only when he finds a lone dandelion on a hill–painted full page, as majestically as a Van Gogh sunflower–that his anger starts to unravel. Read more

JENKINS, Steve & Robin Page. My First Day. illus. by Steve Jenkins. 32p. Houghton Harcourt. Jan. 2013.
Another winner from this talented creative team. Jenkins’s trademark cut-paper collages are up to their usual standard, which is to say they are outstanding, as he captures 23 different newborns on their first day of life. Some of the animals are familiar, such as giraffes and penguins, while others are more exotic, such as a sifaka, a muntjac, and a blue wildebeest. A few simple, clearly written sentences describe the wide variety of things that these youngsters can or cannot do upon entering the world. Read more

http://www.slj.com/2013/01/books-media/reviews/preschool-to-grade-4/book-review-preschool-to-grade-4-january-2013/

The President’s Early Learning Initiative: A Birth to Five Continuum of High Quality Early Care and Education

Date Posted: Apr 21, 2013

On April 10, 2013, President Obama released his proposed budget. The new budget reflects a push for increased investment tied to quality from birth to 5. Below are details regarding the President's Early Learning Initiative:

Preschool for All
• The President’s proposal will improve quality and expand access to preschool, through a cost sharing partnership with all 50 states, to extend federal funds to expand high-quality public preschool to reach all low- and moderate-income four-year olds from families at or below 200% of poverty. The U.S. Department of Education will allocate dollars to states based their share of four-year olds from low- and moderate-income families and funds would be distributed to local school districts and other partner providers to implement the program. The proposal would include an incentive for states to broaden participation in their public preschool program for additional middle-class families, which states may choose to reach and serve in a variety of ways, such as a sliding-scale arrangement.

• Funds will support states as they ensure that children are enrolled in high-quality programs. In order to access federal funding, states would be required to meet quality benchmarks that are linked to better outcomes for children, which include:
o State-level standards for early learning;
o Qualified teachers for all preschool classrooms; and
o A plan to implement comprehensive data and assessment systems.

Preschool programs across the states would meet common and consistent standards for quality across all programs, including:
o Well-trained teachers, who are paid comparably to K-12 staff;
o Small class sizes and low adult to child ratios;
o A rigorous curriculum;
o Comprehensive health and related services; and
o Effective evaluation and review of programs.

•The proposal also encourages states to expand the availability of full-day kindergarten.
Only 6 out of 10 of America’s kindergarten students have access to a full day of learning. In order to ensure that our kindergartners spend the time they need in school to reach rigorous benchmarks and standards, funds under this program may also be used to expand full-day kindergarten once states have provided preschool education to low- and moderate-income four year-olds.

•Under the President’s proposal, investment in the federal Head Start program will continue to grow. The President’s plan will maintain and build on current Head Start investments, to support a greater share of infants, toddlers, and three-year olds in America’s Head Start centers, while state preschool settings will serve a greater share of four-year olds.

Quality Early Learning for Our Youngest Children
•The President will also launch a new Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership program, to support states and communities that expand the availability of Early Head Start and child care providers that can meet the highest standards of quality for infants and toddlers, serving children from birth through age 3. Funds will be awarded through Early Head Start on a competitive basis to enhance and support early learning settings; provide new, full-day, comprehensive services that meet the needs of working families; and prepare children for the transition into preschool. This strategy – combined with an expansion of publicly funded preschool education for four-year olds – will ensure a cohesive and well aligned system of early learning for children from birth to age five.

•The President is proposing to expand the Administration’s evidence-based home visiting initiative, through which states are implementing voluntary programs that provide nurses, social workers, and other professionals to meet with at-risk families in their homes and connect them to assistance that impacts a child’s health, development, and ability to learn. These programs have been critical in improving maternal and child health outcomes in the early years, leaving long-lasting, positive impacts on parenting skills; children’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional development; and school readiness. This will help ensure that our most vulnerable Americans are on track from birth, and that later educational investments rest upon a strong foundation.

-- Jason Callegari
Communications & Logistics Coordinator
Office of the Lt. Governor
(P) 303-866-4026
(C) 719-314-6754
Jason.Callegari@state.co.us

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/presidents-early-learning-initiative-early-care-education

Lifebooks: Connecting Children to their Past & Present on June 20, 2013

Date Posted: Mar 31, 2013

Lifebooks: Connecting Children to their Past & Present

Course Description:
In this half-day course participants will learn how to create and maintain life-books for children in care, and the role life-books play in maintaining continuity for children, preserving their past and helping them understand their current situation. Participants will practice specific strategies for engaging children in the development of their life-book, and will learn about methods for locating, collecting and maintaining items for inclusion. Throughout this training participants will gain an understanding of how life-books can be used to build and enhance a child’s sense of self-esteem and positive identity.

Training Hours: 4

Trained by: Adrienne Elliott, MSW, LCSW, Adoption Options

Target Audience: Foster parents, kinship care providers, adoptive parents, and interested child welfare professionals.

Care givers will be given preference over child welfare professionals when registering.

Cost: There is no charge to attend this training.

View the Butler Institute's Training Schedule

REGISTER
June 20, 2013
9:00am – 1:00pm
Location:
University of Denver
Craig Hall
2148 S. High Street
Denver, CO 80208

A project of the Butler Institute for Families at University of Denver

http://www.thebutlerinstitute.org/pd/training/lifebooks-connecting-children-to-their-past-present/

Project Learning Tree holding Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood April to July

Date Posted: Mar 23, 2013

Project Learning Tree's Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood

PLT’s Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood encourages children to explore, discover, and communicate in expressive ways, and provides an introduction to environmental education at a key developmental period in children’s lives.

PLT ECE Workshops
Where: Denver Botanic Gardens, 909 York Street, Denver
When: April 14, 2013, 8:30am-4:30pm

Where: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, 4250 Cheyenne Mtn Zoo Road, Colorado Springs
When: May 4, 2013, 9:00am-5:00pm

Where: Wilderness Early Learning Center, 2845 Wilderness Place, Boulder
When: June 1, 2013; 9:00am-12:00pm

Where: Steamboat Springs
When: June 1, 2013

Where: Denver Botanic Gardens, 909 York Street, Denver
When: July 1, 2013, 8:30am-4:30pm

Where: The Children's Museum of Denver, 2121 Children's Museum Drive, Denver
When: July 13, 2013; 9:00am-12:00pm

Where: Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster
When: July 25, 2013, 8:00am-4:00pm

Interested in having an Early Childhood workshop at your location? Call 303-278-8822 or email scrocker@colostate.edu

http://pltforece3.blogspot.com

Register for CDE's School Readiness Implementation Meetings in April & May

Date Posted: Mar 23, 2013

CDE Hosts School Readiness Implementation Meetings

CDE is hosting a series of five regional meetings designed to support kindergarten teachers, elementary principals, preschool program directors, and district leaders with implementation of the school readiness provisions of SB 08-212, Colorado’s Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K).

The meetings will provide participants with:
(1) an overview of school readiness requirements within CAP4K,
(2) information on department supports for implementing school readiness,
(3) an opportunity to learn from Colorado districts involved in transforming their early childhood programs and kindergarten, and
(4) time for school/district team planning for implementation.

Meeting Schedule | Register

http://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolreadiness/index.asp

CDE Releases New FAQs on Kindergarten Readiness

Date Posted: Mar 23, 2013

CDE Releases New FAQs on Kindergarten Readiness

A new Frequently Asked Questions document is available with answers to questions related to requirements for school readiness plans and assessment as well as information about the approved menu of school readiness assessments.

FAQs include:
Why is Colorado implementing school readiness plans and assessments?
What is meant by “school readiness”?
What if a child is “not school ready”?
Will the definition of school readiness be revised?

A pdf version of the FAQs is also available.

http://www.cde.state.co.us/schoolreadiness/FAQ.asp

Early Childhood Coaching Certificate

Date Posted: Nov 25, 2012
Date Posted: November 25, 2012

The second of three courses comprising the Early Childhood Coaching Certificate, offered at UCD in collaboration with the Colorado Coaching Consortium will be starting in January, 2013.

Designed around the Colorado Coaching Competencies, this 9-credit, 3-course series strengthens and enhances the early childhood professional's coaching practices through foundational coaching skills, practical hands-on experiences, peer networking, reflection, and self awareness.

All courses are three graduate credit hours and are offered in person. Tuition for each course is significantly reduced to $250/credit for a total of $750/course and $2250 for the certificate.
Three weekend classes for each course are held at the Clayton Early Learning Institute in Denver on Fridays from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00-3:30.
The spring 2013 Connecting Awareness with Application & Deepening of Practice course will meet on 1/18-19, 2/22-23, and 4/12-13. Registration deadline is January 18th.
The third course is offered during the summer 2013 semester. More information about the coaching certificate can be found at www.ucdenver.edu/education/eccoaching and there is a downloadable flyer on the page.

As so much of directing a center involves supporting staff to perform at their best, these courses offer the strategies to do just that.

For those desiring this valuable coaching information in a non-graduate setting, please contact Janet Humphryes at 303-985-4246.

http://www.cocoaches.net

Colorado Trust Case Study: Boulder County Healthy Kids and Public Health Insurance

Date Posted: Jun 30, 2012

Case Study: Boulder County Healthy Kids - A Collaborative Community Approach to Public Health Insurance Enrollment for Children and Families (2012)

In the past decade, a number of national efforts have endeavored to increase enrollment of eligible children and families in public health insurance programs, but enrolling this population continues to be a struggle due to systemic barriers at the state, county and local levels. In response, foundations like The Colorado Trust have invested in community-based outreach efforts to improve the enrollment, retention and utilization of Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).

This case study highlights the work of one such effort: the Boulder County Healthy Kids initiative (Healthy Kids). Employing a unique network model of county government and community-based organization coordination, Healthy Kids has successfully bridged the gap between the organizations targeting eligible but not enrolled children and families, the county technicians who process Medicaid or CHP+ applications in the Colorado Benefits Management System, and the health clinics that ultimately serve eligible clients.

http://www.coloradotrust.org/attachments/0001/8077/BCHK_CaseStudy_051712.v7.FINAL.pdf

Latest Child Find Directory Now Available

Date Posted: Jan 18, 2012

Dear Child Find Coordinators,

Attached is the most up to date Child Find directory, all of the changes from the fall round of regional meetings have been made. Please take a minute to review the listings for the Administrative Unit you represent and notify me of any updates that should be made. This document is accessed frequently, and is linked to from various other websites, so it’s important that it be accurate. It should include both general intake numbers as well as contact name and numbers for the Child Find Coordinator, and other relevant administrators. (Note: Districts are listed alpha by county, and BOCES are listed following all counties). Those of you who represent BOCES, please also verify that the list of member districts served by the BOCES is accurate.

The most current version of this can always be found on our website at this address, and because it is updated frequently it’s best to access it here as needed: http://www.cde.state.co.us/early/downloads/CHILDFIND/ChildIDDirectory.pdf

Thanks for your help with this,
Heidi McCaslin
State Child Find Coordinator
Early Childhood Initiatives
Colorado Department of Education
1560 Broadway, Suite 1175
Denver, CO 80202
303-866-6667
mccaslin_h@cde.state.co.us
http://www.cde.state.co.us

http://www.cde.state.co.us/early/downloads/CHILDFIND/ChildIDDirectory.pdf

Early Childhood Colorado Framework "Placemat"

Date Posted: Jun 14, 2011

The Early Childhood Leadership Commission has developed the “the placemat” as a supplementary resource that includes the Early Childhood Colorado Framework
on one side and the early childhood supports/services and funding streams on the other side. This may be printed two-sided on legal-sized paper.

See related documents:
Early Childhood Colorado Framework
Early Childhood Colorado Framework in Action State Plan

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/LtGovGarcia/CBON/1251592929261



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