Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to explore whether having state Computer Science standards in place will increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Background: Computer science education in the K-2 educational segment is receiving a growing amount of attention as national and state educational frameworks are emerging. By focusing on the app ScratchJr, the most popular free introductory block-based programming language for early childhood, this paper explores if there is a relationship between the presence of state frameworks and ScratchJr’s frequency of use. Methodology: This paper analyzes quantitative non-identifying data from Google Analytics on users of the ScratchJr programming app. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows access to user activity as it happens in real time on the app, as well as audience demographics and behavior. An analysis of trends by state, time of year, type of in-app activities completed, and more are analyzed with a specific focus on comparing states with K-12 Computer Science in place versus those without. Contribution: Results demonstrate the importance of having state standards in place to increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Moreover, we see preliminary evidence that states with Computer Science standards in place support skills like perseverance and debugging through ScratchJr. Findings: Findings show that in the case of ScratchJr, app usage decreases during the summer months and on weekends, which may indicate that coding with ScratchJr is more often happening in school than at home. Results also show that states with Computer Science standards have more ScratchJr users on average and have more total sessions with the app on average. Results also show preliminary evidence that states with Computer Science standards in place have longer average session duration as well as a higher average number of users returning to edit an existing project. Recommendations for Practitioners: Successful early childhood computer science education programs must teach powerful ideas from the discipline of computer science in a developmentally appropriate way, provide means for self-expression, prompt debugging and problem solving, and offer a low-floor/high-ceiling interface for both novices and experts. Practitioners should be aware in drops in computer science learning during the summer months when school is not in session. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should consider the impact of state and national frameworks on computer science learning and skills mastered during the early childhood years. Researchers should look for ways to continue engaging students in computer science education during times when school is not in session. Impact on Society: Results demonstrate the importance of having state CS standards in place to increase young children’s exposure to coding and powerful ideas from computer science in the early years. Moreover, we see preliminary evidence that states with Computer Science standards in place support skills like perseverance and debugging through ScratchJr. Future Research: Future research should continue collecting Google Analytics from the ScratchJr app and track changes in usage. Future research should also collect analytics from a wide range of programming applications for young children to see if the trends identified here are consistent across different apps.

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More than 120 people recently attended the seventh annual Foothills Regional Conference for Early Childhood Educators in Statesville. This year�s conference theme, "You Make a Powerful Difference", explored the difference that early childhood educators make in the lives of young children.

High-quality early care and education (ECE) is critical to positive child development and has the potential to generate economic returns, but the current financing structure of ECE leaves many children without access to high-quality services and does little to strengthen the ECE workforce, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Donna L. Condon is a leader in the field of early childhood development and education

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with a look at Morning Star Pregnancy Services. They do an outstanding job working with women facing unplanned pregnancies. https://fb.watch/bEB-FxMfAj/ The Harrisburg location for Morning Star Pregnancy Services at 2509 Front Street is relatively new, but the service itself is celebrating its 50th year in existence in 2022. The mission remains the same—helping women with unplanned pregnancies and with their sexual health. It offers a number of free health services, including pregnancy testing and ultrasound exams, along with education and support after the pregnancy. Morningstar does not provide or refer for abortion services but they help you to consider all options, including abortion, parenting and adoption. Bottom line, they are there for support. “We know that all mothers would like to feel loved and supported in their pregnancy and beyond. We are also able to reach out to the fathers of their children and offer them support and education as well,” said Morningstar Executive Director Linda Plummer. She says they see a range of women and men who have just had a positive pregnancy test and just can’t see beyond the immediate challenge. “The majority of women don’t want an abortion. They just feel like they don’t have another solution.” Morningstar will schedule regular visits for clients and will monitor the changing circumstances as the weeks progress. As the circumstances change, so do the perspectives. 6:12   “the first time they come to Morningstar and feel that they have no alternative but abortion, they change on their second visit when we invite them back in a decision-making process on a weekly basis. They may come the second time and say, well now my boyfriend says maybe we can have this baby or now my parents are saying they will support me.” Plummer also points out that 25 to 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Morningstar will help to determine the viability of the fetus through ultrasound testing. “Because a lot of those pregnancies end in miscarriage, what we see here is that women grieve that loss of the baby so in the process, they recognize the idea that if I had gone through with an abortion, I would have been carrying this burden and I would have been mourning the loss of that child.” They’ve been around for 50 years and must be doing something right for folks to keep coming back. The commitment to providing care and support without judgement has translated into a very impressive statistic. “80% of the time that women who come here who are at risk for an abortion will decide to have their child.” Plummer says many of the 20% who choose otherwise later return in a subsequent pregnancy.

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Heart of Tioga Pregnancy Center in Tioga County, PA and the support it gets from parishioners at Holy Child Catholic Church in the Diocese of Scranton. https://fb.watch/bHgvkXjO3Z/

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Tri-State Pregnancy Center in northeastern PA. The facility gets help from local Catholics and on-the-spot advice from above! https://fb.watch/bHh3c7Z-Hu/

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the extensive work being done by the Community Based Services segment of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. https://fb.watch/bHhrh-1oe7/

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with more on the subject of breastfeeding. For the next several days we will look at the important work being done by the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and how the PCC is looking to help them. https://fb.watch/dv4YBuc3qS/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1532416678121857025?s=20&t=6XAnUbQUJooExYYWxkr1WQ  

6-10-22 Our focus on breastfeeding continues with a look at the increase in public accommodations for breastfeeding moms. https://fb.watch/dz7s3mmxy1/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1535283771251085313?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ   6-9-22 Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues with a look back at the passage of the PA law to permit breastfeeding in public. https://fb.watch/dz7zQTeSHv/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1534961334323904512?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ  

6-16-22 Interesting story here on one person’s belief that the COVID lockdowns are to blame for many moms turning away from breastfeeding and, in turn, contributing to the current shortage in baby formula. pic.twitter.com/1iU3XYFbZF — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 16, 2022 https://fb.watch/dHdtLvKsVG/ 6-14-22 Sharing an article that came out Tuesday for our series on breastfeeding about trying to still do it while returning to work. Sharing an article that came out Tuesday for our series on breastfeeding about trying to still do it while returning to work. pic.twitter.com/Fb43upYGpy — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 15, 2022 https://fb.watch/dHdp5IzKNN/   6-13-22 Continuing our series on breastfeeding for June. Women of color are less likely to breastfeed than those of other races and that has made them more vulnerable to the baby formula shortage. We look at some of the societal factors involved. https://fb.watch/dHdd4Kl8j6/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1536404428735094788?s=20&t=K3d74k2cioFdzcdNNHbHTg

6-30-22 We finish up our stories on breastfeeding by talking again with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center about the culture that exists towards BF in the U.S. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542502773232631808?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZztlqwT-k/ 6-29-22 As we’ve focused this month on issues involved in breastfeeding, we’ve talked with our advocates and moms about the challenges involved in doing so while going back to work full time. Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center shares her views on what’s involved. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542181083462221833?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZzB2MlLo-/ 6-28-22 Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center talks with us about why many new moms give up on breastfeeding within the first several weeks after the birth of their child. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1541812970275180546?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZzHsbhiOH/ 6-27-22 We begin today a series of stories with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center in Montgomery County. They’ve been providing vital support for new moms for nearly 20 years. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1541447488065966082?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZA4NAhnvc/ 6-24-22 We wrap up our conversation on breastfeeding with Amy Wilt by talking about two potential problems that may affect moms during breastfeeding. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1540366512262975488?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAjWQcR-8/ 6-23-22 We continue our June focus on breastfeeding by talking with doula Amy Wilt about the challenges involved in breastfeeding while returning to work. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1540060616722989056?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZApmYqCFR/ 6-22-22 We continue our chat with Amy Wilt about breastfeeding. Today’s focus is on relactation. A total education for many of us. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1539653795398836224?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAyeP5WNk/ 6-21-22 We continue the conversation with our doula consultant, Amy Wilt, about the influence and pressure that moms get from those closest to them when trying to decide whether or not to breastfeed their newborns. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1539255591914328065?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAFgKarE-/ 6-20-22 We continue our series on breastfeeding by talking again with Amy Wilt of Dauphin County Doulas. She has provided a ton of information for us in our nine-month long focus on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. Today Amy talks about ”the latch.” https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1538962868414169094?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAMmSazHv/  

July 18th We continue our look at Early Childhood Screenings by talking with Kris Bowman of Ramsey Educational and Development Institute, or REDI. They administer the PA Early Intervention Program in Montgomery County. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1549094658478903299?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elp1XOaQ3p/   July 15th As part of look at Early Childhood Screenings, we are looking to find out about screenings in PA for newborns suffering from their mothers’ drug addiction. We’d love to talk with the state task force created to help those children but haven’t had much help from the Wolf Admin. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1548004337758060544?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elp7An1dbk/   July 14th Continuing our series for July on Early Childhood Screenings with a quick look at the first big test for the newborn, the blood test. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1547690893766930437?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpe8tHA1I/   July 13th Continuing our series on Early Childhood Screenings… it was a crisis in Michigan that sparked lawmakers here in Pennsylvania to put an emphasis on testing children for the presence of lead. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1547429183864840192?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpkHkI4mB/   July 12th  We wrap up the conversation with our friend Victoria about the tests, screenings and milestones designed for children after they come home from the hospital. It’s part of our July focus on Early Childhood Screenings. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1546897353843539968?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpDdGWIN8/ July 11th As part of our continuing look at Early Childhood Screenings for July, we talk with a young mother about all the tests that we went through. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1546491903083945984?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg    

The 4th installment of our series on Maternal and Early Childhood Issues looks at the role the Wolf Administration has played in curtailing Catholic adoption efforts in Pennsylvania. https://fb.watch/bBXX1F6m97/ A woman we’ll call Kelly talked with me about her adoption a number of years ago through Catholic charities. She learned details of what happened as she got older. Kelly says it could have worked out any better. Kelly’s story was a familiar one for decades, but one that is happening less and less in many states across the country, as officials have placed restrictions on adoption agencies that contradict their long-held beliefs. Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf several years ago joined Democratic governors in other states to require adoption agencies to place children with same-sex parents in order to get funding. That requirement by Governor Wolf would be in direct contrast with the long-standing Catholic belief that a marriage is between a man and a woman. It is that parental combination, Catholics believe, that is the best way to raise a child. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference appealed to the Wolf Administration for a religious exemption. It was denied in 2018, basically causing most adoption efforts by Catholic organizations in PA to grind to a halt. Similar regulations have been shutting down Catholic adoption agencies across the U.S. ever since Boston Catholic Charities did so in 2006. The efforts by the PCC to remove this burden continued on both the state and federal level. We sent an appeal to the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington to grant us a religious exemption. We worked closely with U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly on getting federal relief. A number of state senators sent a letter to President Trump asking him to provide relief for our efforts. We’re hoping that a recent Supreme Court ruling involving foster care services by Catholic Charities in Philadelphia. Fulton vs. the City of Philadelphia started when the city said it would no longer contract with Catholic Social Services because CSS would not certify same-sex couples to be foster parents In response, two foster mothers—Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch—and the CSS sued the city, arguing that severing the contract violated their religious freedom. Fulton and Simms-Busch, the mothers who are plaintiffs, claim it was their Catholic faith that inspired them to be foster mothers.After losing in two lower courts, they petitioned the Supreme Court, which first agreed to hear the case in February 2020. Over a year later  the Court ruled that the city’s refusal due to the agency’s same-sex couple policy violated the Free Exercise Clause. Great news and a big win for religious liberty. The PCC is hoping the principal will carry over into adoptions, but the damage may have already been done. In 2019 the Diocese of Greensburg closed its adoption and foster care program after 65 years because of the decision by the Wolf Administration. Adoptions were halted by Catholic agencies in other parts of the state.  Will the adoption work done by these organizations ever return to what it once was? We can only hope and pray.

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look the work being done by Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg to help kids build a foundation for strong relationships and avoid problems down the road. https://fb.watch/bECfSEse06/ We’ve all had our fair share of relationships that have not gone well over the years, whether they were romantic or just friendly in nature. Wouldn’t it be nice to have gotten some advice before sailing on those waters and crashing into the rocks? The folks at Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg are offering just such advice to teenagers and also actually to moms and dads through a program called Unfiltered Truth. Leslie Moyer is the Director of Educational Programs at Morning Star. She works with Ann Deegan from an established curriculum called “Real Essentials” to present different lessons to try to teach kids to build a foundation for strong relationships. Leslie Moyer : “So what are people expecting and what are your boundaries and do you have boundaries and how do you make sure the person knows?” The program is –not- lecture based. Moyer says that would never work. They have discussions so the kids will take ownership of the concepts they are presented and make them their own.  They are getting a lot of positive feedback. Moyer :  “I believe it was woman, she said I wish I’d had this when I was younger. I needed to know about those relationship red flags, the break up skills, which is two lessons that we do. I needed that two years ago when I was in a really bad relationship.” One of the lessons is on living together, which is something that many young people see as the go-to route for couples in love. Ann Deegan : “So many people are living together and so we talk about what are the benefits and what it really looks like and what are some of the myths surrounding living together and why it isn’t a good thing to do. Most of the classes have been with high school students. Moyer says they’re hoping to get more time with middle school kids to help them build their skills by the time they get to high school. There are also classes for adults. Deegan  : “The focus isn’t just on mothering skills, like taking care of a baby. The focus is on what do your relationships look like? And what do you want to pass on to your children? What is the legacy? What do you want to pass on to your children and have your children receive from you?” There is also the goal of having kids take a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to having sex. It may prevent many problems down the road, not the least of which being an unwanted pregnancy. Moyer shares a recurring sentiment that she hears from returning clients. Moyer  : “Over and over again I will hear ‘I would not change the fact that I had my child. But I wish I had waited. I wish I had waited just a little bit longer. I wish I was married. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that.”

The Early Childhood Foundation of Bermuda is hosting a “Celebrating Early Childhood” event on November 10th at CedarBridge Academy. A spokesperson said, “The Early Childhood Foundation of Bermuda is hosting a celebratory event focusing on Early Childhood Education. The Celebrating Early Childhood event will be held on Sunday 10th November 2024 at the Kalmar Richards […]

Early childhood professionals who earn a Child Development Associate credential now also can receive 12 credits at Delaware institutes of higher education under a new agreement with the state.

IBM Watson is bringing cognitive computing to education to bring personalized learning to kids around the world - transforming early childhood education to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder.

New York, NY : Routledge, 2019.

[Bradford/] : Ethics International Press Ltd, 2024.

Using a nationally representative U.S. birth-cohort study, this report examines levels of school readiness among young children by race/ethnicity and nativity. The authors identify the contextual factors — such as family circumstances, parenting practices, and enrollment in center-based child care — that encourage early school success.

The report highlights strategies from other countries that could serve as a model for England as it develops its early childhood education and care programme.

In many OECD countries, ECEC services have increased in response to a growing demand for better learning outcomes as well as growing female labour force participation. In recent years, however, the goals of ECEC policy have become more child-centred.

Norway’s early childhood education and care (ECEC) system has experienced a strong expansion over the last decade. More children than ever are enrolled in its kindergartens.

This review describes variations in, and evidence for, pedagogical approaches in formal early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings; how pedagogy is monitored; and which policies affect pedagogical practice. Its specific focus is on comparisons of England (United Kingdom) with Japan, France, Germany, Denmark and New Zealand.

The latest report in the OECD’s Starting Strong series reviews the monitoring systems of 24 jurisdictions and reveals that monitoring does not merely encompass regulatory compliance but is moving towards better understanding what is happening inside an ECEC setting and how a child develops in several areas.

Early childhood education and care programmes (ECEC) have become more accessible in recent years, with high enrolment rates in both early childhood educational development and preprimary education.

Well-designed policies could help address the outstanding issues in the ECEC profession and work environment in Kazakhstan. Some potential options for Kazakhstan are suggested in this report, based on its findings and the background report prepared by Kazakhstan and supplemented by a survey of policy options and country experiences.

Join Andreas Schleicher, Director of the OECD Directorate for Education and Skills, and Éric Charbonnier, analyst in the Early Childhood and Schools division, who will present the main findings from Starting Strong V - Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education.

The transition from early childhood education to primary school is a big step for all children, and a step which more and more children are having to take. Quality transitions should be well-prepared and child-centred, managed by trained staff collaborating with one another, and guided by an appropriate and aligned curriculum.

There is now a widespread consensus that high-quality early childhood education is critically important for children. Research continues to find that early childhood education can compensate for a lack of learning opportunities at home, and can help children begin to develop the social and emotional skills needed for success later in life.

Local governments are the main contributors to the financing of early childhood education, particularly with regards to core goods and services such as staff salaries and school buildings. Households and other private entities bear a greater share of the cost than in other levels of education, particularly for ancillary services such as meals, school health services and transport.

High-quality early care and education (ECE) is critical to positive child development and has the potential to generate economic returns, but the current financing structure of ECE leaves many children without access to high-quality services and does little to strengthen the ECE workforce, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Verint Community Cloud helps Ounce of Prevention Fund accelerate launch of online community amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Iriss.fm is delighted to broadcast an episode on the work of Plumtree, an Australian not-for-profit organisation that provides support for young children from birth to 8 years old with a developmental delay or disability and their families.

Sylvana Mahmic (CEO) and Dr Melanie Heyworth (Peer Worker) tell the story of Now and Next, a project that has been successful at involving families as peer workers in early childhood intervention.

Three key messages:

Peer workers offer unique benefit to families of young children with disabilities that are not available through existing services, but which are complementary to them. Benefits include feelings of leadership, agency and community. Learning from mental health practice could be applied to the disability sector, so there was no need to spend time reinventing the wheel. It made it cost effective, quick and provided maximum benefit. Implementation of peer work into any existing organisation will face challenges and barriers, but these can be mitigated by pre-emptive organisational action.

Transcript of episode

Music Credit: Make your dream a reality by Scott Holmes