The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood created a monthly newsletter just for you! Read about the latest news and updates, professional learning experiences, and a variety of other resources for the Delaware early childhood community.
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December 2024
As we close another impactful year in early childhood education, I want to take a moment to reflect on all we’ve accomplished together. Through Quality Improvement planning, Pyramid Model and Zero to Three cohorts, and a multitude of other professional learning experiences, your dedication to nurturing Delaware’s children has been unwavering, and the difference you make in their lives is profound.
As always, this month’s REACH newsletter is filled with opportunities and resources designed to support you and your programs as you continue this essential work. From leadership development opportunities to tips for enhancing active play and fostering inclusive learning environments, we hope you’ll find both valuable inspiration and practical support in this issue.
As the holiday season approaches, let’s celebrate the collective strength of our early childhood community and look forward to a new year of growth and success. Thank you for all you do to ensure that every child in Delaware gets the great beginning they deserve.
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November 2024
One thing we can all agree on in the early childhood education community is this: Early literacy is a critical building block of child development. The week of November 4 is national Children’s Book Week, and DIEEC staff are excited to be visiting programs across Delaware as guest readers. Throughout this issue of REACH, you’ll find resources and tips to celebrate and support early literacy in your own program, this week and beyond.
Another key element of early childhood education? Movement and active play! Check out our upcoming Physical Activity Learning Sessions for an opportunity to create experiences that will get your children moving while having fun!
If your program hasn’t yet created a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), we encourage you to get started now. This month’s issue has information about upcoming deadlines, updates to the Quality Improvement System (QIS) guide, and how to co-create your QIP with a Quality Improvement Specialist.
As we move into the season of holidays and celebrations, know that DIEEC is thankful for the partnership we have with the early childhood education community and for the opportunity to support you in creating high-quality experiences for Delaware’s children.
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October 2024
If you’re anything like us, you’re wondering how on earth it can be October already! Our calendar for the coming month is packed, and this issue of REACH is your guide to all of the good things we have in store.
In this month’s Provider Spotlight, FCC educator Tredena Trott shares how she stays connected to her colleagues in the field…and our 1st State Family Child Care Conference is one of her many ways! If you’re a family child care educator, don’t miss your chance to join us at the conference in November.
DIEEC’s Early Childhood Educator Leadership Board is a fantastic opportunity for ECE educators to share their perspectives with us. Feedback from the board has a direct, positive impact on our work at DIEEC, and we invite you to apply and join the conversation.
In early November, we’re celebrating Children’s Book Week. Our entire staff at DIEEC will head out to serve as guest readers at programs around the state, and we are so excited to connect with you around our shared understanding of how important early literacy is for our children. Even if you’re not hosting a guest reader, you can still take advantage of the resources we’ve shared for promoting literacy and a love of reading.
For those of you working on Quality Improvement Plans, we have important information about working with your QI specialists toward the November 15th Quality Improvement Award application deadline. If you’ve already received an award, we have supports available to help with the financial management side of things!
If you’re an early bird already thinking ahead to spring, check out our new Let’s GROW Outside! opportunity – applications open on October 14.
There’s plenty more in this issue- read on! May your month be free of tricks, and full of treats.
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September 2024
Our fall calendar is filled with good things for the early childhood community!
First, we invite you to visit our table at Newark’s Community Day event, where DIEEC will be sharing information about how we support Delaware early childhood educators and programs in providing high-quality care to our children.
Next, note that registration for two key DIEEC initiatives is now open. We hope you’ll sign up to receive a visit from a guest reader during Children’s Book Week and, if you’re a family child care educator, that you’ll register for our annual First State Family Child Care Conference. Both of these events take place in November, but you need to register in advance. Don’t miss out!
For programs currently engaged in Quality Improvement Planning, be sure to check the important updates included in this issue of REACH.
Finally, we have new resources to share with you this month. Read Coach’s Corner for tips on making the most of multi-age environments; find simple tips for integrating diversity in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion highlight; and learn more about deaeyc’s new resource center that is open to all programs and families!
We look forward to seeing you at a program or event this fall!
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August 2024
August is a month of transition for many of us, as we prepare to move children into new classrooms, send our own children back to school, or think ahead to the coming school year and all that we want to accomplish. At DIEEC, we’re excited about the possibilities and opportunities ahead. This month, we preview two of our key fall initiatives: Children’s Book Week and the 1st State Family Child Care Conference. Mark your calendars now! Take a few minutes to read this month’s Coach’s Corner about circle time- we have tips to help you ensure it’s appropriate and effective, and the new school year is a great time to try a new approach.
Family child care professionals, be sure to read about how our FCC network is now statewide, with meetings and activities open to ALL licensed Delaware FCC programs.
Check out our Pyramid Model and Zero to Three: Critical Competencies initiatives- is one of our upcoming cohorts right for your program? And finally, remember that DIEEC’s quality improvement specialists are here to support your program’s continuous quality improvement journey- reach out when you’re ready to get started!
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July 2024
Welcome to summer! This month’s resource highlight focuses on summer safety, highlighting resources designed to help your program prepare for fun activities while prioritizing safety.
We’re kicking off the new fiscal year with a lot of activity. Applications are open to join upcoming cohorts for the Pyramid Model or the Zero to Three Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators. Not sure if one of these opportunities is a good fit for your program? Fill out the interest form to learn more! We also have a full calendar of professional learning experiences available on the DIEEC registry at no cost to you.
Don’t miss the provider spotlight below. Mary Waters and Meghan Eudy, our Early Childhood Educators of the Year, share more about their programs and their perspectives on their roles as educators.
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June 2024
Greetings! As we welcome June and the start of summer, we’re excited to share some news and upcoming opportunities with you in this issue of REACH.
Applications are now open to join cohorts focused on the Pyramid Model and cohorts focused on the Zero to Three Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators. Both of these new in-depth series include workshops, classroom observations, and coaching. Cohorts are being launched across the year – make sure to read more below!
Responding to feedback about the need for more self-paced offerings, we’re launching a new self-paced PLE, “Introduction to Delaware’s Early Learning Foundations”. We also include additional organizations that provide online courses to support early childhood educators in completing their annual licensing training requirements.
We’d also like to spotlight the final episode from season 2 of X, Why, Z: Reflections for Early Childhood Education Professionals, “It Starts with You.” Make sure to listen from wherever you stream your podcasts to hear from Dr. Nefertiti Poyner about resilience and self-care.
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May 2024
Welcome to the next edition of REACH, your trusted resource with information and supports for Delaware’s early childhood community. This is an exciting issue!
Following our “Welcoming All Children” webinar last month, we’re highlighting the Delaware Early Childhood Inclusion Guide as a support for early childhood programs and professionals working to meet the needs of each and every child and family. Not to worry if you missed the webinar – we’re also including a link to the recording.
We’re thrilled to announce this year’s DIEEC Early Childhood Educators of the year – make sure to take a look at the message from Delaware’s first lady, Tracey Quillen Carney. Congratulations to the winners!
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April 2024
Spring brings new opportunities for us to reflect on and renew our commitment to supporting the growth and wellbeing of the early childhood workforce and the young children and families we serve.
As part of this month’s celebration of Week of the Young Child, the annual initiative from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), we will be hosting a panel discussion with a group of early childhood experts and advocates. With the theme of “Welcoming All Children,” panelists will be discussing and offering ideas to help all learners access and participate in meaningful learning opportunities. Register to join us on April 10 at 6:30!
In this issue, we highlight a few of our exciting new professional learning experiences. We have opportunities coming up to participate with the Zero to Three Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators, and you can register now to begin in a Physical Activity Learning Sessions (PALS) cohort in April – both virtual and in-person options are available.
We also spotlight a few additional resources for you, including the many programs and supports available through UD’s Cooperative Extension. Make sure to take a look at the DIEEC news section and the additional news and opportunities from our partners in the field – there is a lot to share this month!
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March 2024
Welcome to March, spring is almost here! In this edition of REACH, we’re sharing a number of announcements, updates, and reminders.
We’re excited to announce that the Sussex Resource Center has launched and will now be open monthly as a support for family child care educators – take a look below for more information and plan to join us in March.
We’d also like to draw your attention to the latest edition of our DIEEC podcast. This month features Dr. Laura Lessard and Stephen McLaren discussing educator wellbeing and is a great listen! It’s available now wherever you stream your podcasts.
As always, we’ve included a reminder of the upcoming PLEs that are still open for educators to participate in at no-cost. We’re also pleased to highlight the Delaware Small Business Development Center as a partner organization with several great resources available for Delaware early childhood education programs.
Finally, please make sure to read the messages from partner organizations – there are some great opportunities available for early childhood professionals.
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February 2024
In this edition of REACH, we have a number of announcements and updates to share, including information about several in-depth professional learning experiences (PLEs) that are beginning this month, and announcing the application period for the DIEEC Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award (be sure to read about the changes to the this year’s process.)
We also have information about Delaware’s new Office of Early Childhood Intervention and a Provider Spotlight where you can read about how one program is taking steps to embrace and support a diverse audience of children and families.
This month’s resource highlight is the Pyramid Model; if you’re unfamiliar with it, we’ll be offering a PLE soon, and in the meantime we have a few resources for you to explore! We also introduce a new highlight this month, focusing on how Delaware programs are moving toward higher levels of quality through the Office of Early Learning’s five priority key practices. This month, we share examples of what programs are doing to recruit, retain, and orient high-quality educators and staff.
Finally, we encourage you to read through our latest Coach’s Corner, which breaks down the process of goal-setting. What will your S.M.A.R.T. goals look like?
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January 2024
Participants in DIEEC’s professional learning experiences (PLEs) know that we often encourage you to take time to reflect as part of the experience. Why do we ask you to do this? Reflection offers the opportunity to pause, consider, and make connections – to process new information, and think about how it applies to our professional practices. In a self-paced PLE, we ask you questions meant to help you think about your current practices, and how you might want to change them going forward. If you choose to engage in the Quality Improvement Process with DIEEC, you’ll spend some time reflecting on your program’s strengths and opportunities as you make intentional choices about areas for growth and improvement.
As we turn the calendar page to a brand new year, we encourage our friends and colleagues in the early childhood education community: Take a moment to stop, breathe deep, and review what you learned and experienced in the past year. Then, think about how those experiences might shape your plans for the coming year. DIEEC will be here to support you as we renew our commitment to quality early childhood education in 2024!
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December 2023
As we slide into the chilly months ahead, I’d like to extend a warm welcome through this December edition of REACH.
In this issue, we dive into the different types of supports that are available to ALL licensed programs in Delaware. I encourage you to take a look and reach out (ecinstitute@udel.edu) with any questions.
As always, we include a number of free professional development opportunities offered through DIEEC. These offerings are tailored to your needs, to support your growth and success.
Understanding the call for accessible virtual professional development, our ‘early childhood education resource highlight’ calls your attention to the Individualized Professional Development (iPD) Portfolio, a platform where early childhood educators can complete online courses that can be used for annual training hours.
In our ongoing commitment to collaboration, we proudly highlight the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children (deaeyc) as a valued partner in advancing early childhood education across the state.
