The term executive functioning refers to an important set of skills that allow people to successfully navigate life. These skills include the ability to plan, self-evaluate, self-control, retain information, manage time, and organize thoughts and information. According to a useful infographic published by Harvard, these abilities are not innate to anyone, but may be learned by nearly everyone. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 years old tend to develop these skills rather rapidly, and this development is significantly bolstered by early childhood education and care (ECEC). An exploratory report was published in May of this year, examining the effect of ECEC on children’s executive functioning skills at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to these important skills, the study also examined the effect of this care on language, and the difference socioeconomic status may make on the development of vocabulary and executive functioning. The study looked…
Tag: School readiness
Reimagining School Readiness
This past month, I fortunately attended a training on Reimagining School Readiness that focused on Growth Mindset. The Bay Area Discovery Museum (BADM) and Center for Childhood Creativity developed a position paper after performing a comprehensive review of current psychology literature. The purpose? To draw out how research can be used by educators and families to give children the skills and the learning experiences that matter most for later success in school and in life.
Children’s Librarians are Experts at …School Readiness
The King County Library System has been partnering with its local Child Care Resources to bring Kaleidoscope Play and Learn to the communities we serve. Kaleidoscope Play & Learn is a school readiness program coordinated by Washington State’s Child Care Resources. Many children ages birth to 5 are not enrolled in formal early learning programs or licensed child care. The purpose of Kaleidoscope Play & Learn (KP&L) is to work with family, friend and neighbor caregivers, and parents to provide support in preparing their children for success in school and life through quality early childhood experiences. The program consists of weekly, facilitated groups of 90 minutes or more. Each session begins with child-directed play and concludes with a coordinated large group activity. At the library the large group activity is story time, of course! Children and caregivers participate in open-ended, child-directed play, choosing from a variety of play centers, which…