News & Updates
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News
Changing Early Education in the Classroom from the Ground Up
September 30, 2021 | Children’s Learning Institute | The Learning Leader
Starting shortly after our announcement in February, we began hiring dedicated staff, processing student applications, getting supplies together, and updating the historic campus buildings to welcome students in Fall 2021—all accomplished during the ongoing pandemic. A familiar landmark, the campus was named for Frederick W. Gross, a 19th century education pioneer in Victoria, and CLI is honored to carry forward this legacy through the CLI EEC at F.W. Gross. Read the piece here.
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 29, 2021 | Children’s Learning Institute | by Doris Maria Cárdenas
Educational freedom, particularly among women, has come with a price en mi familia. As the granddaughter of a migrant worker who walked with Chavez in California, I feel a special commitment to social justice and ensuring that children, regardless of their country of birth, have an opportunity to thrive in this ever-changing global environment. I learned early on that education is the one thing no one can take from you. It offers you infinite opportunities of the mind and soul. I want to share with you who I am, where I came from, and how I became an educational advocate and leader through initiative, motivation, and struggle. Read the piece here.
Accelerating Early Language to Improve Later Reading Comprehension
August 24, 2021 | Scholastic EDU | by Tricia A. Zucker, Ph.D.
Dr. Tricia Zucker explores the urgent need to invest in early learners’ language and literacy skills, which is a foundational entry point for building reading comprehension. As early as pre-kindergarten children are able to use oral language to build foundational skills necessary for later reading comprehension. These early language skills give children a strong start on their journeys as lifelong, avid readers. Read the piece here.
Helping Students with Math Skills after COVID-19 Pandemic
August 16, 2021 | Fox 26 In Focus | Report by Melissa Wilson
Parents can help children understand math concepts by routinely doing math at home–for fun! Counting, grouping, and comparing are ways to support math development during everyday routines, and are some of the earliest foundational skills for math success. Learn more by watching the interview.
Early Learning Center Opens at F.W. Gross Campus
August 4, 2021 | Victoria Advocate | by Samantha Douty
The Children’s Learning Institute Early Education Center at F.W. Gross officially opened with the snip of a large pair of scissors. Children’s Learning Institute and Victoria school district officials showcased their newest partnership project during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday. The center will cater to children who are 3 years old through first grade, and classes will start later this month. Read the full published piece here.
Learning Leader: 18 Years of Improving Child Outcomes with TSR Comprehensive
July 2021 | by Children’s Learning Institute
Every two years, CLI solicits applications from local and regional organizations that would like to have a positive impact on the school readiness of their communities by implementing the Texas School Ready (TSR) Comprehensive program. Thus far, the TSR Comprehensive program has served more than 550,000 children with close to 1,500 teachers participating each year. In June 2021, CLI announced the 24 TSR Comprehensive Lead Agents, local and regional organizations selected to implement TSR Comprehensive, for 2021-2023. Read more.
Publications
“Doing What I Can, But I Got No Magic Wand” Manuscript
A Snapshot of Early Childhood Educator Experiences and Efforts to Ensure Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted early childhood programs serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in dramatic ways. After temporarily closing, many educators quickly adapted their procedures to ensure children’s safety as they reopened to provide childcare for essential workers and then the community at large. This manuscript from CLI reports on statewide efforts to continue quality improvement initiatives for early childhood programs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
We first describe the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for over 2000 educators—teachers, administrators, and specialists—who completed surveys in the Spring and Fall of 2020. These survey data come from a statewide system called the Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System (TECPDS), designed to track the professional development needs/progress of early childhood educators. Second, we describe an example of how a statewide professional development and quality improvement program shifted to remote delivery during the pandemic. As an increasing number of educators turn to virtual training resources, we explain lessons learned from these response efforts and how they can inform future virtual professional development efforts, even amidst crisis, to ensure that a focus on quality improvement continues while supporting teachers’ individual needs.
Crawford, A. D., Vaughn, K. A., Guttentag, C. L. et al. “Doing What I can, but I got no Magic Wand:” A Snapshot of Early Childhood Educator Experiences and Efforts to Ensure Quality During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Early Childhood Educ J 49, 829–840 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01215-z
