THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE LOUISIANA EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATIONTHE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE LOUISIANA EARLY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION

SUMMER 2006

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:Easing Transitions with

MusicPiggyback Songs andActivities for the GLEs

Outdoor Music ActivitiesFall Conference

InformationLAECA Board Ballot

Please visit our new website at http://www.laeca.org

Louisiana Early Childhood Association Board Directory Revised 6/06

Office Name Address Home Phone Work Phone E-Mail Fax NumberPresident Cindy Ramagos 815 Bourbon Ave. (225)767-7108 (225)342-3366 cynthia.ramagos@la.gov (225)342-4474

Baton Rouge, LA 70808 ramagos1@cox.netPresident Elect Cindy Rushing 168 Woodcliff Circle (318)640-8497 (318)449-3184 rushingc@rapides.k12.la.us (318)449-3105

Pineville, LA 71360Treasurer Nicole Bolen 265 Belle Trace (318)776-5206 (318)748-6844 NIKKI8973@prodigy.net (318)776-5206

Lecompte, LA 71346SECA Susan Noel 211 Maureen Dr. (337)856-7569 (337)482-5369 susan.noel@cox-internet.com (337)704-0132Representative Youngsville, LA 70592Business Manager Susan Noel 211 Maureen Dr. (337)856-7569 (337)482-5369 susan.noel@cox-internet.com (337)704-0132

Youngsville, LA 70592Recording Secretary Ivy Starns 1522 Outrigger Dr. (225)275-7328 (225)342-3366 ivy.starns@la.gov (225)342-4474

Baton Rouge, LA 70816Corresponding Kathy Castro 126 Washitta Road (337)233-1277 (337)262-5962 kcastro@theltc.net (337)233-1277Secretary Lafayette, LA 70501 ext. 243 katcas40@aol.com (337)262-5122Collaborations Martha Garner-Duhe 724 East Main Street (337)365-2685 (337)804-2482 mgarner352@cox.netEditor New Iberia, LA 70560 cellPublication’s Donna Guice 2736 Hwy. 5522 (318)982-7370 (318)342-3719 dguice@ladelta.cc.la.us (318)342-3715Review Editor Downsville, LA 71234Awards Chair Shannon Walters 8588 Hwy. 80 (318)247-2989 (318)255-1889 sbjwalters@cox-internet.com

Ruston, LA 71270Diversity Chair Sandra Hutson 1010 West St. Peter Street (337)365-5000 (337)369-6636 Raisin4525@aol.com (337)560-5239

New Iberia, LA 70560Families Chair Susan Myrick 1003 Doc Drive (318)561-7372 (318)487-7302 myrick@lacollege.edu (318)487-7188

Woodworth, LA 71485Legislative and Linda Champion 2750 LiRocchi (225)756-7128 (225)342-3366 linda.champion@la.gov (225)342-4474Public Policy Chair Baton Rouge, LA 70816Division for Dr. Nancy Coghill 205 Equipment Lane (337)886-0336 (337)482-5369 coghillstudio@cs.com (337)482-5395Development Chair Carencro, LA 70520 amand ParliamentarianSpecial Needs Jo Carroll 432 Galway Drive (318)797-9960 (318)797-0854 jo.carroll@la.gov (318)797-0899Chair Shreveport, LA 71115Research Chair Dr. Joan Benedict 628 Polytech Dr. (225)769-1401 (225)578-2408 JBENED3@LSU.edu (225)578-2697

Baton Rouge, LA 70808SLAECA Dr. Janie Humphries 2310 Lily Drive (318)255-0467 (318)257-4456 humphries@ans.latech.edu (318)255-4014Representative Chair Ruston, LA 71270Technology Chair Emily E. Williamson P.O. Box 433 (318)343-2366 (318)342-1913 ewilliamson@ulm.edu (318)342-3353

Swartz, LA 71281Co-Historians Rhonda Fontenot 3465 Vidrine Road (337)363-0759 (337)468-3212 rmfontenot@cebridge.net (337)363-7763

Ville Platte, LA 70586Alice Teddlie P. O. Box 592 (318)495-5438

Olla, LA 71465Public Relations Mary Lou Maples 126 Comanche Dr. (318)443-1562 (318)446-5134 maplesml@cox-internet.com (318)443-7609

Pineville, LA 71360 cellMember At Large Linda Maynard 505 Bobwhite Lane (318)445-8254 (318)448-1695 linda71303@yahoo.com (318)448-0511- North Alexandria, LA 71303Member At Large Chris LeJeune 1383 E. Gallaugher (337)824-8939 (337)824-8939 lejcc824@hotmail.com (337)765-2500- South (Acting) New Iberia, LA 70560District 1 Chair Selena Perry 4900 General Sterling (318)747-4867 (318)456-4139 selenaperry@bellsouth.net

Bossier, LA 71112District 2 Chair Ursla Smith 1615 Hwy. 134 (318)665-0807 (318)325-6000 usmith@ocs.org (318)387-6000

Monroe, LA 71203District 3 Co-Chairs Colette Sand P. O. Box 7394 (318)449-4822 (318)448-1685 sandc@rapides.k12.la.us (318)448-0511

Alexandria, LA 71306Susan Williams 508 Cummings Drive (318)487-0920 (318)442-8154 williamssu@rapides.k12.la.us

Pineville, LA 71360District 4 Chair Christi Gonzales 817 Providence Street (337)367-8108 (337)923-7212 cgonzales@stmary.k12.la.us (337)923-7213

New Iberia, LA 70560 mjmyc@cox-internet.comDistrict 5 Chair Janette Haydell 58995 Darby Avenue (225)687-1337 (225)342-3366 janette.haydell@la.gov (225)342-4474

Plaquemine, LA 70764District 6 Chair Dr. Rita Mitchell rmitchel@suno.edu

District 7 Chair Carol Fore 4740 Dellwood Lane (409)899-1819 (409)283-1819 carol.fore@cpsb.orgBeaumont, TX 77706 cell cwfore@aol.com

2006 Conference Linda Maynard 505 Bobwhite Lane (318)445-8254 (318)448-1695 linda71303@yahoo.com (318)448-0511Co-Chair Alexandria, LA 71303

Cindy Rushing 168 Woodcliff Circle (318)640-8497 (318)449-3184 rushingc@rapides.k12.la.us (318)449-3105Pineville, LA 71360

Southern Early Childhood Association SECA StaffP.O. Box 55930, Little Rock, AR 72215-5930 Executive Director: Glenda Bean Director of Research/Prof. Development: (501)221-1648 Fax (501)227-5297 Membership Services Coordinator: Sarah MoseleyToll Free 1-800-305-7322 Program Services Coordinator: Melissa Cawiche-mail: www.southernearlychildhood.org SECA President: Beverly Oglesby, 3138 Rone Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32208-2465

LAECA Scholarship and Awards2005-2006

Undergraduate ScholarshipsAlmanda Anderson Scholarship – Connie ThomasLil & Roy Murphy Scholarship – Carolyn Turner

Graduate ScholarshipAlice Teddlie Scholarship – Emily Matthew

Jane Herrin Mini - GrantLaura Chestnut – “Utilizing Instant Video Revisiting (IVF)of class experiences to enhance student performance and

authentic assessment.

Martha Garner – “Active Play For Active Learning”

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President’s Message Happy summer to all. Hope you are all able to take a few

days off and enjoy your summer! The LAECA Board is busyplanning and preparing for our next annual conference inOctober. We need presenters for the conference, so if you havesome great ideas that you are using, please consider presentingthem at the conference.

The theme of Collaborations this month is music. Music is a universal languageand helps to soothe the soul. Music is loved by everyone and

engages children through self-expression. I hope that youwill get some good ideas from this issue and use music inyour classes on a daily basis.

Continue the good work that you do with the children inLouisiana and remember: “to teach is to touch a life

forever”.

3 pt

Cindy Ramagos

From the EditorI have always loved music. As a young child, I was

surrounded by music: my mother sang along to the radio as she didher housework, and in the evenings my dad would play guitar andsing his favorite songs by Johnny Cash and Hank Williams. Mysister and I had a record player and a treasured collection of children’s music, including Disneysongs and folk music.

Because of the variety I was exposed to, my taste in music remains eclectic. I like old blues bestof all, but enjoy classical music, reggae, a scattering of popular music, and even some rap and hip-hop. I enjoy using music in my classroom. It is important to me to expose my students to a varietyof quality music, and to help them really listen, appreciate, and enjoy it. Music communicates at alevel deeper than words—it carries the very heart and soul of culture. What brings a group togethermore quickly than music? Just think back to how we all were one at the Lafayette conference as wesang along with Dr. Jean and danced with the Learning Station.

I hope this issue inspires you to try something new with music! It is bursting with wonderfulideas from some excellent teachers and writers.

As always, I urge you to contact me with ideas, articles, concerns or questions. We are currentlyworking to make sure all of our members are receiving their issues of Collaborations. Please let me

know of any member who is not getting the journal so I can try to get the problem corrected.You can email me at mlgarner352@yahoo.com, or call at 337-365-2685

We are always looking for news of outstanding members. Please e-mail or mail meabout any you know of. Send the following:

Name ____________________________________________________________________________

School or facility ___________________________________________________________________

Why this person is an outstanding member __________________

________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Editor’s BlockPlease send us any addresschanges so we may keep our

mailing list current.We don’t want you to miss a

single issue!Also, send any suggestions,

articles or ideas.Your voice matters!

Martha Garner-Duhe742 East Main StreetNew Iberia, LA 70560

(337) 365-2685

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GUIDELINES•Mini grant proposals are submitted to the awards chairperson. All identifying names are removed.

•Proposals must address at least one of these goal areas:Facility or playground enhancementStaff development and trainingSpecial needs itemsCreative educational projects

•Proposals are forwarded to five readers for evaluation. Readers evaluate each proposal using a rating scale.•Each reader will return the grant proposal evaluation to the awards chairperson. The chairperson notifies by mail.•The board determines the number of mini grants awarded each year. Previous winners may apply but preference will

be given to first time applicants. The mini grant award(s) is/are presented at the annual LAECA State Conference.

Return applications to Shanon Walters

8588 Hwy. 80 • Ruston, LA 71270

APPLICATION FORMApplicant must be a member of LAECA for one full year. Previous recipients may apply. Consideration will be given tofirst time applicants. Three (3) copies of your application must be submitted.

Name ________________________________________________________________________ Date_________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone _______________________________________________________________ Membership #_________________________

Name of school_______________________________________________________________Phone_________________________

Address____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Goal area of grant _____________________________________________________________Title__________________________

Dates of Project: _________________________________Funds requested ($500.00 maximum) $_________________________

Address the following and attach to this form:

Purpose of the projectGoal of the project (0-25 pts.)Statement of need/justification (0-10pts.)

Outline of the project (include time line)Expected benefits (0-29 pts.)Implementation (0-20 pts.)Dissemination (0-10 pts.)

Project itemized budget (0-5 pts.)Evaluation plan for the project (0-10 pts.)

Plan for reporting to LAECA on the project by either a presentation at the annual conferenceor an article in the publication.

Applications must be received by September 1, 2006

LAECA Undergraduate/Graduate ScholarshipBACKGROUND INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITYMembership in LAECA and SECA or respective student affiliation for at least one full year.Overall 3.0 grade point average.Major in Child Development or Early Childhood EducationFull-time undergraduate or full/part-time graduateFirst time recipient.

JANE HERRIN MINI GRANT

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SELECTIONAny student meeting the above criteria may complete an application form. You must submit three (3) copies of

your application. This includes letters of recommendations and statements of goals or philosophy. Incompleteapplications will be eliminated from consideration.

Obtain a faculty signature that will serve to document full/part time undergraduate/graduate status.Professionalism, character, purpose and leadership are qualities that will be considered in addition to academic

standing.A committee composed of three (3) LAECA Board Members will score the application. The Awards Committee

may interview the top candidates at the annual LAECA Conference.Judging will be based on professionalism, communicative ability and knowledge of contemporary issues relating

to the files of Early Childhood and/or Child Development.Scholarship recipients must be present at the conference. Hotel accommodations will be provided for the Friday

night of the conference.LAECA will pay for a hotel room for one night for recipients living outside a 60 mile radius of the conference site.

The room will be shared with other recipients.Applications must be received by September 1, 2006

APPLICATION FORMApplications must be typed. On additional sheet complete application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Name_______________________________________________________________________Birthday_______________________

Home address ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Home Phone _______________________________________________________________________________________________

School Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________

School Phone _______________________________________________________________________________________________

University _____________________________________________________Major_______________________________________

Number of hours earned______________________ Expected graduation date _______________________________________

Hometown newspaper and address ___________________________________________________________________________

Contributions to LAECA on the local (20 pts.), state (10 pts.) and/or regional or national (5 pts) level. List any and allactivities in which you have participated in to help promote the objectives of LAECA or the field of earlychildhood.

Miscellaneous campus activities (10 pts.)

Overall GPA _______ (5 pts.)

Major GPA ________ (5 pts.)

A statement of your professional goals and philosophy in relation to meeting the needs of young children. The statementshould be no more than two pages long and must be signed. (15 pts.)

Submit two letters of recommendations from individuals who are familiar with your work towards meeting the needs ofchildren and professionalism in the field of early childhood education (10 pts.)

Student signature ________________________________________________________________

Faculty signature ________________________________________________________________

Faculty address and phone number ________________________________________________

Return application to:Shanon Walters

8588 Hwy. 80 • Ruston, LA 71270Due September 1, 2006

2006 LAECA Conference ProposalCall for Proposals

40th Annual Louisiana Early Childhood Association (LAECA)2006 State Conference (October 19-21,2006)

"Getting Back in the Saddle"

The 2006 LAECA State Conference Committee is looking for presenters to share with early childhoodprofessionals from across the state. The 2006 annual October conference will take place October 19-21, 2006 inAlexandria, LA at the Best Western Inn, MacArthur Drive. Session format is for one hour with a focus on trends,practices and issues in early childhood (birth through eight years of age). One presenter for each proposal willreceive complimentary registration and a stipend of $25.00 for each workshop. Presenters are responsible fortheir own AV equipment, chart paper and stands, etc. Presenters will be notified by September 1 whethertheir proposal has been accepted or not.

Each proposal should include the following information:

A. Title of Presentation: ____________________________________________________________________________________

B. Presenter(s) Names: _____________________________________________________________________________________

C. One page vita/resume: __________________________________________________________________________________

D. Telephone number(s): ____________________________________________________________________________________

E. Email Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________

F. Lead Presenter’s mailing address: _________________________________________________________________________

G. Intended audience/topic area: (name no more than two) ____________________________________________________

Curriculum: Infant/Toddler Preschool Kindergarten Primary

Child Care Director Research Family Involvement Content Areas

Teacher/Staff Development Special Needs Assessment

Administration/Supervision Advocacy/Public Policy Diversity Technology

Poverty Health Grant Writing Guidance

Child Development Transitions Other __________________________________________

H. Description of presentation (paragraph of 50 words or less): __________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. Outline of presentation content: ___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

J. Would you be interested in presenting more than once during the conference?__________

Submit proposals to:Cindy Rushing or email address: rushingc@rapides.k12.la.usProgram Co-Chair Please submit proposals no later than August 15, 2006168 Woodcliff Circle Share (or copy) this Call for Proposals will colleaguesPineville, LA 71360 who might be iinterested in submitting a proposal!

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A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OFMR AL, ONE OF OUR

CONFERENCE KEYNOTES!Mr. Al will treat us to a concert

called “A Good Beginning with Mr.Al. celebrating teachers and theimportance of our work. He willconduct a breakout session titled"The Four "R's" of ClassroomManagement” as well as hiskeynote address “Discipline &Classroom Management: BuildingRelationships with Children".

Al Rasso, lovingly known as"Mr. Al" to thousands of children,educators and parents across thecountry, is a musician turned educator turned entertainerwith a message. A University of Delaware graduateholding degrees in both elementary and early childhoodeducation, he has taught at every level from infantsthrough elementary.

Mr. Al spends about 40 weeks out of the year on touraround the country educating teachers and parents andperforming sold out concerts for children and families. Eachyear, he presents upwards of 50 keynotes at major educationalconferences and approximately 250 children's concerts. He hasentertained and educated in 40 states to date.

Mr. Al not only performs but also writes, producesand records his pop-styled educational music. Since 1990,he has produced eighteen releases! Ten with MelodyHouse Publications of Oklahoma City, OK. Six of whichare on their "Top Ten Best Sellers" list. In 1998, Mr. Alstarted his own publishing company with the release ofalbums Mr. Al a carte and Rockin’ The Alphabet, both ofwhich won 1999 PARENTS CHOICE AWARDS. In 2001, hereleased Dance Like This which won a Parents Choice andNAPPA award, Math In Motion and Sing Me A Color whichalso won a Parents Choice Award. He also wrote andpublished his first teacher resource book Sing Me A ColorThematic Activity Book which complements the music. In2002, Mr. Al introduced Put Your Groove On and Kids RockToo. Put Your Groove On received a NAPPA Honors award.In 2004, Mr. Al released a live version of his popularchildren’s concert Mr. Al Live In Concert. This was releasednot only on CD but also on DVD and Video so the childrencan actively participate in the fun! His latest release is acollaboration with Dr. Becky Bailey called Kindness Counts.

A native of Schenectady, NY, Mr. Al showed his lovefor music at age five playing classical piano. By the timehe was 16 he had his own band and played clubs through-out the northeast. By then he had added guitar, electronickeyboards and singing to his repertoire. In the early-seventies, Al and his rock-n-roll band opened for "TheBoss", Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band at clubsalong the Jersey shore.

With the birth of his first child in the mid-seventieshe realized his true calling lay in the education of youngchildren and he went into the classroom. Then in 1989,

SHARON MACDONALD,CONFERENCE KEYNOTE

Sharon’s keynote addressat our fall conference will

be “Sanity Savers!”

Sharon has been trainingteachers for over 19 yearsthroughout the United States on avariety of early childhood topics.Her training is based on herunique perspective from 28 yearsas an early-childhood teacher. Her practical ideas, down-to-earth approaches and her enthusiastic presentationstyle will energize and delight you. You will be able toimplement many of her ideas in your classroom rightaway. Sharon is a transplanted Mississippian living in SanAntonio, Texas with her husband, George. She has threeadult children: Brad, Meg, and John.

Sharon is a frequent keynote and featured speaker atnational and state early-childhood conferences. She hastaught summer courses at Seattle Pacific University,Seattle, Washington for four years. Sharon has writtenseveral magazine articles as well as teacher resourcebooks. She co-authored two cover stories, one on art andone on science, for Scholastic's Early Childhood Todaymagazine. She also co-authored an article published in theSECA Journal, Dimensions, and an article on block play inEarly Childhood News.

Her books include: Squish, Sort, Paint and Build,Everyday Discoveries, Block Play, and Sanity Savers forEarly Childhood Teachers (published by Gryphon House);Idea Bags, Idea Bags for the Kitchen (published by FrankSchaffer/School Specialties); Portfolio and Its Use, 2nd Ed:A Roadmap for Assessment (published by the SouthernEarly Childhood Association), and two activity booksWatermelon Pie and Other Slices and Jingle in my PocketBook (published by Grasshopper Press). Sharon hasrecorded three interactive CDs: Watermelon Pie and OtherTunes, 1999, Jingle in my Pocket, 2002; and, Tying Shoes andOther Musical Feets, 2004. Interactive songs and activitieshelp make the “hard stuff” easy for young children to learn.

Squish, Sort, Paint, and Build and EverydayDiscoveries have received coveted "highly recommended"reviews from the Parent Council, Ltd.; Idea Bags andBlock Play have received Directors' Choice Awards fromEarly Childhood News.

a chance backstage encounter with an old friend, then amember of the Gregg Allman Band, sparked his desire toreturn to music full-time...with a twist. This music wasfor teachers and their students enjoyment and education.Thus..."Mr. Al" was born.

When not touring the country, Al and his wifeDebbie reside in Palm Beach, Florida with their twochildren.

Find out more at www.mralmusic.com ! And plan tocome see Mr. Al at the conference in October.

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40th Annual LAECA Conference Registration FormOctober 19-21, 2006

Keynote Speakers are Sharon MacDonald and Mr. Al

•Groups may pay with one check, but must register each personindividually. Registration packets for conference may be picked upThursday, October 19, 2006 from 4 to 8 pm or Friday/Saturdaybeginning at 7 am.

•Refunds will be made only upon receipt of a written requestpostmarked by October 5, 2006.$5.00 processing fee for refund

•Return this completed form with payment to the following:Susan Noel

211 Maureen DriveYoungsville, Louisiana 70592

Participants who register by September 30th will be provided a complimentary baked chicken lunch on Friday.

Yes, I plan to eat the lunch. No, I do not plan eat the lunch. Saturday lunch is on your own.Ask for special LAECA rates at the Best Western Inn

2720 MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, LA Reservations call: 1-888-338-2008

PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT CLEARLY

Participation Information. Each participant and/or presenter mustcomplete!Name__________________________________________________________Address________________________________________________________City ___________________________________________________________State______________________ Zip___________Agency (school, college, daycare center, etc.)________________________Phone (W)_________________________ (H) _________________________Fax ____________________________________________________________E-mail _________________________________________________________

GENERAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

MEMBER Pre-registration After 9/9/2006 Amount

Lead Presenter N/C N/C $______________2 day conference $75.00 $85.00 $______________1 day only $50.00 $60.00 $______________Student/1 day $25.00 $30.00 $______________Student/2 days $35.00 $40.00 $______________

Subtotal $______________

NON-MEMBER Pre-registration After 9/9/2006 Amount

Lead Presenter N/C N/C $______________2 day conference $105.00 $115.00 $______________1 day only $85.00 $95.00 $______________Student/1 day $45.00 $50.00 $______________Student/2 days $55.00 $60.00 $______________

Subtotal $______________

Dues: Please check:New Member . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35.00Renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$35.00Student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$20.00

(Need to photocopy ID and Fee Receipt)

Subtotal $_______________

Ed-ZOO-Cator TourLinked to Comprehensive Curriculum

Saturday, October 20, 2006Time: 3:30 to 5:30 pm Limit 45

Cost $10.00 $_______________

Subtotal $_______________

Sharon MacDonald’sMath Make & Take

Thursday, October 20, 2006Please bring scissors, glue, markers

and crayonsTime: 6-8 pm Limit 125

Cost $20.00 $_______________

Subtotal $_______________

SUBTOTALS

Dues $_______________Conference Fees $_______________Ed-ZOO-Cator Tour $_______________Make & Take $_______________

Grand Total $_______________

Check Method of Payment

Check payable to LAECA State

Conference

Attached Purchase Order

#_____________

Money Order

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"Caring Measures for Small Treasures"Our fall 2005 conference, postponed until March of 2006, was a great success! We had two awesome keynotes; Dr.

Jean and The Learning Station---both of whom volunteered their time to come to the conference. We had wonderfulbreakout sessions, an excellent Make and Take by the SLAECA group from Louisiana Tech, and lots of good memoriesfor all who attended. Thanks again to our hard-working conference co-chairs, Chris LeJeune and Martha Marshall.

Business was brisk at the registration table.

They touched hearts with their tribute to the courage ofLouisiana teachers.

Dr. Jean arrived, but her luggage---including her makeupand materials for her presentation---did not. She was atrouper and did a wonderful keynote in spite of it all.

C'mon everyone---Tooty-Ta! continued…

The Learning Station helped us channel our inner airguitarists!

Chris LeJeune "Got Wild" with Jan and Don.

The SLAECA group from Louisiana Tech, under thedirection of Janie Humphries, put on a wonderful Makeand Take! Shannon Walters and Cindy Ramagos presented

scholarships and awards.

Our President, Cindy Ramagos, received a Friend ofChildren Award for her hard work, dedication andadvocacy for the children of Louisiana. continued…

Caring Measures continued

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And Chris LeJeune presented The Learning Station witha Friend of Children Award.

Meet the Candidates!Please tear out and mail the enclosed post card to votefor the candidates of your choice.

JANETTE HAYDELL,CANDIDATE FORVICE-PRESIDENTJanette Haydell has been aneducator for over 25 years. Duringthat time she was a classroomteacher and an administrator. Shecurrently works as a ProgramConsultant for the LA 4 PreschoolProgram at the LouisianaDepartment of Education. She has been a member ofLAECA since1985 and has served as the District IVChairperson, District V Chairperson, and Co-Chair of the1998 State Conference. She currently resides inPlaquemine, Louisiana with her husband Brent.

CHRIS LEJEUNE, CANDIDATE FORMEMBER-AT-LARGE FORTHE SOUTHChris LeJeune is completing her15th year of teaching. She ispresently teaching Pre-K at FentonElementary. This Mentor teacherhas been District Seven's rep for thelast several years and was lastyear’s Co-Chair for the 2005Conference in Lafayette. She is a member of severalteaching organizations. She resides in Jennings with herhusband Brian and has one daughter Candace whoattends ULL. Away from school in her free time sheenjoys working with the Youth Community Theater kids.Chris was recently selected as Teacher of the Year.

IVY STARNS,CANDIDATE FORRECORDING SECRETARYFor the past four years I have

worked as a Program Consultant forthe Department of Education,primarily working with four-year-olds in the Division of Standards,Assessments and Accountability.Prior to that, I worked with bothEast Baton Rouge and Cameron Parish school systems forover 21 years. In addition to these positions, I have ownedand operated a small private childcare center. Currently, Iam serving as an Interim Recording Secretary andpreviously served on the LAECA Board as the Public PolicyChairperson. I am married with one son, a stepson andstepdaughter, and a very spoiled 12-year-old poodle. My

husband and I are very active in our church in SundaySchool, Counseling and Audio/visual ministries.

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We held a Director's Seminar.

Board members gave informative, and fun, presentations!

Caring Measures continued

The Center for DiseaseControl and Prevention havedeveloped a checklist to assistearly childhood programs inpreparing for a major outbreak of an infectious disease.(This is primarily in response to the concerns about thebird flu, but is applicable to any situation that has a largegroup of children within the community exposed to aninfectious disease.)

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/preschool.html

WEBSITES FOR EARLY LITERACYby Rose Anne St. Romain

Reading Rockets has excellent articles on "PrintAwareness," an essential early literacy skill.http://readingrockets.org/teaching/reading101/printawareness. Also note the article "Print Awareness During ReadAlouds." http://readingrockets.org/article/3400

Teaching Strategies also has a highly informative articleabout early literacy development in babies and toddlerscalled "Building Language and Literacy Skills in Infants,Toddlers & Twos"https://www.teachingstrategies.com/pages/article.cfm?articleid=75. The article explains the relationship between thesounds young children hear, early literacy skill development,and daily activities that foster early literacy skills.

Please share this information with your staff as well aswith the parents and caregivers attending your programs.To obtain permission to duplicate this article, see the"Permission to Reprint" page.

http://www.teachingstrategies.com/bookshop/reprintPermission.cfm.

MEET THE BOARD!Meet ourSECA Representative:Susan Noel

I guess when one woulddescribe my current position(s) onthe LAECA Board it would be jack-of-all-trades. Currently I hold theelected position of SECARepresentative for LAECA. AsSECA representative I’m your voiceand voting delegate at the regional level of theorganization. I have the opportunity to bring upconcerns our organization might be experiencing orbetter yet concerns Louisiana might have about thechildren of our state or the children of the Southernstates. Together with others we have a better chance ofhaving our issues heard. Besides being yourrepresentative on the SECA board I’m also an officer onthe executive board for SECA. The President of theorganization has asked me to serve as the Fiscal Officerfor SECA.

You probably recognize my name also from sendingme your registration for the past two LAECAconferences. I process all the registration for our stateconferences. Within the next couple of weeks I will bethe new business manager for LAECA. This will give meeven more contact with you. I’ll be the person to contactif you have a problem with your membership or otherLAECA matters.

Just to give you a little back ground on how I got towhere I am today with the organization; I have been amember of LAECA for over 25 years. I became amember of the organization when I was in college. Myfirst contact with the board and the organization waswhen I was the recipient of the Alice Teddlie scholarshipas graduate student at University of Louisiana atLafayette (formerly USL). From that time on I haveserved on and off the LAECA board. I have served/heldabout every position there is on the state board.

One probably wonders how I can possibly do allthese task for LAECA and hold a job in the real world.My family, a husband (Kevin) of 25 years and 2daughters in college (Ali & Meghan) are very supportiveof my work for the organization. They are very helpfulwhen the registration forms start to pour in – close toconference time or when it comes to loading andunloading the LAECA trailer. Then there’s my co-workerDr. Nancy Coghill who is also supportive of my workwith and for the organization. She understands when Ineed to be out to attend a meeting or function for theorganization (she is also great when I “vent” about aproblem). In the world outside of LAECA I’m a LabAssistant for Child and Family Studies at the Universityof Louisiana at Lafayette. Well, I’ll be looking for yourregistration in the mail for the Alexandria Conference,October 19-21, 2006, “Getting Back in the Saddle”.

Meet our SECA Member-At-Large and MulticulturalChairperson:Sandra Hutson

I attended Southern Universityin Baton Rouge where I received aBachelor of Arts in ElementaryEducation, certification inKindergarten and a Master’s Degreein Elementary Education. I also havecertification in Nursery School Education from LSU and ULLafayette, a 30+ in Principalship/ Administration and aReading Specialist from UL.

I have taught Kindergarten for the past 18 years in NewIberia. I enjoy teaching the children in my classroom to readand write, using a variety of active strategies. A love forchildren and concern for their future keep me motivated inthe classroom. I believe in the learning potential of each childand that high expectations from the teacher brings success.

I have been re-elected to serve as one of two members-at-large on the SECA board for 2004-2006 term. I’ve been amember of the Louisiana Early Childhood Association (LAECA) and SECA since 1986 and has served on theLAECA board since 1996 as a member-at- large to the southand am currently serving as multi-cultural chairperson.Serving on the SECA Board has been one of my mostrewarding experiences.

I have been married 19 years to Brian Wade Hutson.My husband and I were in third grade together. We starteddating our second year in college. . I am member of NewIberia Church of the Nazarene. My hobbies are readingChristian books, planning Sunday School lessons, playingthe piano, and searching the internet for new ideas toimprove reading. I believe my steps are ordered by the Lord.

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12

IN THE SPOTLIGHTColette Sand

LAECA District 3 Chair

Colette Sand is one of the newest members of the LAECA StateBoard. Her position is District 3 Chair, serving the Alexandria/Cenlaarea. She teaches Pre-K at Martin Park Elementary School in Alexandria.

Colette graduated with a B.A. degree in Elementary/EarlyChildhood Education from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Shehas taught kindergarten, and also held the position of Lead Teacher for theCenla Community Action Committee/Head Start Program.

Colette is Exhibitor Chairperson for the 2006 LAECA State Conference tobe held in Alexandria. She is a member of the Southern Early ChildhoodAssociation, Associate Professional Educators of Louisiana, and Alpha Delta

Kappa InternationalHonorary Society for WomenEducators. She is a verydedicated early childhood advocate,and will be an asset to the LAECA Board!

Members wishing to nominate other teachers or to be recognized for LAECA's “In the Spotlight”please use the following form.

“In the Spotlight”Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________School/Parish_______________________________________________________________________________________Brief paragraph about you (or member being nominated)_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Brief Paragraph about activity_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Pictures if available

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Colette usesdevelopmentallyappropriatepractices tocreate thelearningenvironment inher classroom.

Outdoor Music CenterBy Emily Williamson

Director, University of Louisiana at Monroe Child Development Center

For many years I have struggled with where to put a musiccenter in my classroom. We do music during small and large grouptime but I still wanted to have music available as a free choice center.I also have struggled with the noise level since our classroom issmall. A workable solution for our center has been the developmentof an outdoor music center. I began by putting out musicinstruments in a basket in an area defined by a rug and a couple ofchairs. As we began to add instruments to our collection and ourbasket became full, it became hard for the children to dig throughand find what they wanted and we also had several instrumentsbroken in the basket. I began to brainstorm how to solve thisproblem and came up with the idea of a music wall. Now that I hadan idea, I had to figure out from what to construct the wall thatwould not obstruct the sound. While walking through a local gardencenter, I spotted a metal garden trellis and the synapses began tomake connections. I purchased three garden trellises and headed forour center playground. I cable tied the trellis together then cable tiedmusic instruments to the frame. On each frame I attached a cable tothe triangle instrument striker for the children to use on theinstruments on the music wall. Items attached to the music wall werexylophones, triangles, old metal measuring cups, wind chimes, acymbal, wooden blocks, wash board, and boom whackers. Any thingthat would make a sound could be used on a music wall!

I also put out a basket of Walkman cassette players and CDplayers with different types of music for the children to enjoy. Themusic center is a great place to introduce music and instrumentsfrom different cultures. The outdoor music center has solved ourmusic center dilemma and provided many hours of fun musicallearning experiences.

A THANK YOU FROM THE HEARTA special “Thank you!” goes out to our friends Don, Laurie

and Jan of the Learning Station. They came to us in time of needwith smiles and enthusiasm for our Lafayette Conference. Theywere so generous and have decided to continue their generosity byadopting our Louisiana teachers.

Please visit their website at Learningstationmusic.com to viewtheir dedication to us as well as their special offer. They lovehearing from us. Email them your stories, or simply tosay hello, today!

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Please send ideas to be publishedin Collaboration to:

mgarner352@cox.net

Future Issues:Classroom Environment, Infants and

Toddlers, Diversity, The Importance ofCommunication, and Inclusion

Email the editor with your ideasfor future themes.

15

Music Across the DayBy Jo Carroll

Poetry, finger plays, and songs can be usedthroughout the day to help foster and strengthenauditory processing and attending skills. They can alsobe used to increase language functioning. Introducing orreinforcing concepts can be enhanced through the use ofmusic.

Children respond more often to instruction if it ispaired with a tune. Children need time to process verbalinstruction. Using routines such as a clean up song helpschildren understand what is wanted much more readilythan the spoken word. This is also a simple way to teachclassroom routines by using the same song every timeyou do a particular activity such as moving from indoorsto outdoor play.

Overall classroom management becomes much easierwhen we use a variety of transition activities. Behaviorissues are easier to control if the children are all singing thesame song or reciting the same finger play when movingfrom one place to another. We can keep the minds, mouths,hands and feet all responding to the same direction if weset things to music. A repertoire of music enables a teacherto always have something available to fill in those littlegaps and reinforce what has already been learned.

Below is a list of familiar songs that I keep posted inmy room for constant reference. Add more of your ownas you think of them. Also know that almost any nurseryrhyme can be set to the tune of “99 Bottles of Coke” toenhance the learning of nursery rhymes.

ABC SongBINGOClap, Clap, Clap Your HandsDo Your Ears Hang Low Eensy Weensy SpiderFive Green and Speckled FrogsFive Little DucksHe’s Got the Whole World in His HandsHead, Shoulders, Knees, and ToesHere We Go Round the Mulberry BushHokey PokeyHush Little Baby I’m a Little TeapotI’m Bringing Home My Baby BumblebeeI’ve Been Working on the RailroadIf You’re Happy and You Know ItIn a Cabin in the WoodsIt’s Raining, It’s PouringLittle Bunny Foo Foo

London BridgesMake New Friends Old MacDonaldOpen, Shut ThemRing Around the RosieSix Little Ducks I Once KnewSkinamarink a Dink-a-DinkThe Farmer in the DellThe More We Get TogetherThe Muffin ManThe Wheels on the BusThis Old ManWhere is Thumbkin?

Familiar nursery rhymes that Iuse in the classroom are:Baa, Baa Black SheepHickory Dickory DockJack and Jill

Mary had a Little LambLittle Bo PeepSing a Song of SixpenceWhere Has my Little Dog Gone?Hey Diddle DiddleHumpty DumptyTwinkle, Twinkle Little StarLittle Miss MuffetLittle Boy BlueLittle Jack HornerJack SpratThree Blind MiceOld Mother HubbardTwinkle, Twinkle Little StarPeter, Peter Pumpkin EaterOld King ColeMary, Mary Quite ContraryItsy Bitsy SpiderThe Old Woman and the Shoe

ED-ZOOCATOR TOUR OFFERED AT CONFERENCE!

“GET ON BOARD LPlanning for Transiti

By Carol Aghayan

Transitions can be difficult.Transitions represent change,and change is hard for manypeople. Whether we are talkingabout major life transitions (e.g.,starting a new job, a new baby),or daily transitions (e.g., leavingfor school, getting ready for bed), transitions can bedifficult for all us, but especially for young children.

In early childhood classrooms, transitions are definedas the time “in between” two activities or parts of theschedule (Warner & Sower, 2005). The way in which theseseemingly small amounts of time are handled can have ahuge impact on the atmosphere in the classroom for youngchildren. These 5-10 minute transitions times representchange – change in activities (e.g., cleaning up after freechoice time), change in location or space (e.g., movingfrom our classroom to outdoors or the cafeteria), or justchange in focus (e.g., redirecting children’s attention backon the teacher during a group time).

Transitions that are well planned, soothing, andinvolve children in a meaningful way help children focusand feel in control. Without careful planning, these timescan be chaotic and stressful, and can sometimes lead tobehavior challenges or problems in the classroom. Brainresearch suggests that positive experiences in the earlyyears of life enhance brain development (Hendrick &Weissman, 2006); therefore, teachers should take specialcare to ensure that transitions in the classroom are handledwell. For transitions to run smoothly, teachers need toprepare children for upcoming changes. Less hurried, lessstressful transitions benefit children and teachers alike.

During the course of a single day in school or childcare programs; children may experience 10 to 20transitions. In most preschool classrooms, there are aboutseven different types of transitions (Araujo & Aghayan,2006). These include: greetings and good-byes (thebeginning and ending of each day when parents, teachersand children say hello or goodbye and exchangeinformation); gatherings and dismissals (the beginningand endings of group or gathering times); cleaning up (atthe end of a free choice or center time); moving from placeto place (when groups of children must move from onelocation to another); and slowing down (preparation forquiet and nap times). Two other events that are includedas transitions include: calling attention (when the teacheris attempting to focus the children’s attention on a specificperson/thing); and waiting (which unfortunately happenseven in high quality programs).

Research has shown that adult demands (e.g., “Payattention!” “Listen!”) are not helpful for preschool-agedchildren whose attention and memory are not fullydeveloped (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). But,

numerous strategies for effectivelymanaging difficult transition timeswhile still empowering children, andultimately still accomplishing thetransition goal (whether it is to move20 preschoolers to the outdoorplayground or settling 10 toddlers on

their cots) are recommended. While each transition hasspecial challenges, overall strategies that can improve anytransition include:–having teachers who are warm, responsive, andpredictable in their relationships with children

–giving thoughtful attention to planning the daily routinesand schedule to eliminate unnecessary transitions;posting a picture schedule to visually remind children ofwhat comes next in the schedule is helpful

–ensuring that environments are both age anddevelopmentally appropriate, and children are engagedin all classroom activities in a meaningful way

–having teachers use a signal with special meaning (i.e., asong, a gesture) throughout the year for children toindicate approaching transitions (Warner & Sower, 2005).

Incorporating music and singing during transitiontimes can also assist children in making smoothtransitions. Music is a more dynamic medium; whenteachers give a directive or use another auditory cue (suchas ringing a bell) the directive is gone in an instant. But,music is effective because it lingers and can buildcommunity and set a positive, friendly tone and mood inthe classroom. Using music that is appropriate to eachtransition (i.e., singing a song about going to theplayground while children are putting on outdoor gear –“Get on board little children, get on board little Maddy, get onboard little Rylan, there’s room for many more”) helps childrento prepare for the upcoming change by focusing childrenon the expected behavior while staying connected to theteacher. When teachers sing “The more we get together thehappier we’ll be” and include children's names, children feellike they are part of a community of learners and friends.When teachers and childrensing together duringclean up time orwhen childrencreate newmovements touse as theytravel outdoorsafter centertime, they arepowerfulparticipants in the

transitionprocess, and therefore

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LITTLE CHILDREN”ons in the Classroom & Cyndi DeCarlo

likely to willingly comply with teachers requests. Whensongs include children’s names, children become moreresponsive and take more interest in what is happening inthe classroom (Araujo & Aghayan, 2006). Children’s namesare the most important part of who they are in the earlyyears. At this stage they essentially are their names.

In summary, while using music during transitions isnot a panacea for good behavior, it can help soothe andcalm those difficult transition times. When teachers singand include children’s names in the songs, children feelincluded (and therefore motivated to participate) respectedand powerful. Teacher’s careful planning of dailytransitions strongly affects the kind of experiences childrenhave at school and how they feel about themselves at theend of the day. Days filled with chaos and fussy adultsrarely leave a child feeling competent and worthwhile or ateacher feeling like she is doing a good job. So teachersshould plan for transitions as carefully as they plan for therest of their daily activities and experiences.

The following songs can be used at transition times.Try them out and adapt them to fit your classroom:

Mr. Beemus (Traditional)Tune: If You’re Happy And You Know ItHow do you do, [Mr. Beemus]?How do you do?Is there anything that I can do for you?How do you do, [Mr. Beemus]?How do you do, [Mr. Beemus]?How do you do?How do you do?How do you do?Adaptation: This song can be sung to greet children as theyenter the classroom or at the beginning of a gathering orgroup time. Encourage children to shake hands, wave, orcreate motions to use as they greet each other during thissong. Substitute children’s names for name in brackets.

It Is Time Tune: My Fair Lady /Adapted by Carol AghayanIt is time to pick up [blocks], pick up [blocks], pick up[blocks]It is time to pick up [blocks], my friend [child’s name].Adaptations: This song is great for clean up time or anytime. Use the child’s name and substitute the words inbrackets for specific toys/materials that need to be pickedup/cleaned up (i.e., “It is time to clean the brushes….” ; “It istime to wash our hands….”; “It is time to follow me……”; “Itis time to go outside…”).

Pick Up Toys Tune: Three Blind Mice /Adapted by Carol Aghayan Pick up [toys], [Child’s name] pick up [toys]

That’s what we do, that’s what we doWe had some fun with the toys todayBut now it’s time to put them awayWe’ll take them out later and play,play, play.Now we pick up toys, pick up toys.Adaptations: Sing this song at clean uptime to encourage singing andworking together. Substitute toys for aspecific item (i.e., “Pick up puzzles,Ashley - pick up puzzles”)

For more information on using music for transitions:Carol Aghayan & Nina Araujo have a newly publishedbook by Red Leaf Press called Easy Songs for SmoothTransitions in the Classroom (ISBN #1-929610-83-1). Thebook includes a chapter on transitions, a discussion ofeach of the seven transitions types, 69 songs adapted foruse during the transitions and a CD that illustrates themelodies of all the songs. Song lyrics are formatted sosong cards can easily be made for use by the classroomteacher so she can literally carry the songs around withher. The book can be purchased on line fromRedleafPress.org, GHbooks.com, Amazon.com, or atSchool Aids in Baton Rouge.

Carol Aghayan is an instructor of early childhoodeducation at Louisiana State University in the School ofHuman Ecology and is the lead teacher in the LSU ChildDevelopment Laboratory. She previously compiled anddonated 2 books to LAECA. They include: Counting to Tenand Then… and Expressions, (A Collection of 100 ArtActivities).

Dr. Cyndi DiCarlo is an assistant professor in theSchool of Human Ecology at LSU. Her research includesinstructional strategies for young children with andwithout disabilities.

ReferencesAraujo, N & Aghayan C. (2006). Easy songs for smoothtransitions in the classroom. St Paul, MN: RedLeaf Press.Bredekamp, S., & Copple, C. (1997). Developmentallyappropriate practices in early childhood programs (Revised ed).Washington, D.C.: NAEYC.Hendrick, J., & Weissman, P. (2006). The whole child (8thed). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.Schiller, P. (1999). Start smart. Beltsville, MD: GryphonHouse. Warner, L., & Sower, J. (2005) Educating young children.Boston: Pearson.

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Music and Movement OutsideDr. Janie H. Humphries

McGehee Professor Early Childhood/Child DevelopmentSchool of Human Ecology Louisiana Tech University

From the experience of teaching young children formany years, I learned I did not have to be an expert or eventalented in the field of music for the children and me to enjoymusic. Thanks goodness children are not critics and they didnot judge me on my musical ability. They were very willingto join me whenever I introduced new and interestingmusical activities to our program. One thing I learned fromthe children I was teaching was that participation on my partwas very important. Music at the 0 to 8 year old age shouldnot be a passive experience or an experience only for thechildren. The children need to participate in musicalexperiences with their teachers and music should includelistening, singing, playing and creating.

Music and movement are ideal companions for theoutside. For toddlers and young children, the emphasisshould be on opportunities to explore and experiencemovement and music. A simple way to include musicoutside is to bring rhythm instruments outside forchildren to play while marching, while seated in smallgroups or to generally explore in a music/movementcenter. The teacher does not have to worry as muchabout “too much noise” from the children’s playing ifthey are outside. The children have room to move andinteract with their instruments. Almost any music can bemovement music.

Possible directions/activities to use with the musicalinstruments:NOTE: As with any new materials that the children will use,do not forget to give the children time to just explore andexperience the instruments the first time you introduce themoutside even if the children have played the instruments inside. • Introduce loud and soft: Play the instruments loudly or

softly.• Tiptoe softly with your instruments.• Stamp your feet loudly with your instruments.• Introduce body parts and positional words:

o Play the instruments over your head.o Play the instruments in front of you.o Play the instruments in back of you.o Play the instruments on you left side.o Play the instruments on your right side.

• March with your instruments.• Play in a circle with your instruments.

Introduce a variety of musical instruments andgenres for the children to hear. Bring the music outside tocompliment or enhance what the children are doing. • Have children to listen to the music and peddle their

tricycles according to how fast or slow the tempo of themusic is. Play very distinct sounding music that has afast or a slow tempo.

• Help the children tiptoe to soft music or stamp theirfeet to loud music.

• Help the children sway to 3/4 meter music or skip to6/8 meter.

• Help the children create music to which they can move.Have them clap their hands fast, slow, loudly, or softlyand move.

Rae Pica in Experiences in Movement with Music,Activities, and Theory, 2nd edition, (2000) makes the pointthat repetition is important. By the age of 4 years, mostchildren have definite preference as to the type of musicthey like but they will be accepting of many types ofmusic if you call attention to the many aspects of themusic each time you play it. Realize that many childrenwill not sing a song until they have had severalopportunities to hear the song.

A common but fun activity is to take colored chalkoutside and allow the children to color according to themusic. Encourage the children to select a color accordingto how the music makes them feel or to create a picturereflecting what the music is telling them. What goes withthe music? Blue circles, red scribbles, white lines, etc?This is a wonderful way to allow children to solveproblems and/or make decisions. Encourage the childrento color at the appropriate tempo of the music. Thisactivity also can be done on a long piece of butcher paperwith markers or with crayons.

The musical hoops game is a fun alternative tomusical chairs with hoops taking the place of chairs. Thisgame lends itself well to outside. All you need is severalhoops and a CD player. Have the children to move usinga different locomotion each time the music starts. Eachtime the music stops the children must hop into thenearest hoop. Each time remove a hoop and allow thechildren to share hoops until in the end they are all in onehoop or maybe one foot of each child is in the final hoop.The objectives of the game should be:

o getting the children to listen to the music,o getting them to stop and go with the music, o having them to move in different ways or use

different locomotiono having them solve how they can all be in one hoop

Rhythm Sticks are great to take outside. Let thechildren experiment with all the various ways to makesounds with the sticks. Show them how to drum theground, the sidewalk, the fence to create a drummingsound using the sticks. Have them scrape the stickstogether to create sounds. See if the children can rap withthe sticks by striking the end of one stick with the end ofanother. This takes coordination. Hammering is also afun way to use the sticks with one stick being the “nail”and the other stick being the “hammer” to strike the nail.

Of course the common way most children will play therhythm sticks is tapping one on another.

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continued…

Early childhood educators are charged withproviding music, music activities, and a music center forfree exploration in the classroom. The objective foreducators is to create a musically stimulating environmentand to facilitate children’s engagement with musicmaterials and activities. However, creating a music centeris only a portion of the experience for young children.

We know that music can be a powerful teaching tool.Music----• Develops listening skills and auditory awareness.• Contributes to speech and language development.• Involves both large motor skills and small motor skills• Encourages creative expression.• Teaches basic concepts.• Gives children opportunities for social interaction.• Can be used to guide, calm, and comfort.• And, music sets the tone.

Why do we want children to move? Obesity is anepidemic in this country. One in four or 10 millionchildren are heavier than their ideal weight. Television,video games, electronic toys, and sedentary behaviorscompound the problem.

Obesity in childhood usually means obesity inadulthood (80% of overweight 12 year-olds will be obeseadults). Children are getting Type II Diabetes, a diseasewe use to see only in adults.

Getting kids on the move is part of the solution inpreventing this disease. If we teach them to move andexercise at a young age, they will be more likely to do soas an adult. With technology enhancements kids aremoving less and are not engaging their muscles. Musclesget smaller if not used.

Before children reach puberty, they don’t have thecirculating maturation hormones that will enable them toexercise very vigorously for long periods of time.Children 12 years and under should not be forced toparticipate in adult exercise classes or activities.

Music and the brain. Did you know that babies areborn with billions of brain cells? During the first year oflife, those connections form connections with other braincells. The connections used regularly will become

stronger in children who grow up listening to music.They develop strong music related connections.

Unborn babies are active listeners at 24 weeks; theycan recognize their mother’s voice, and respond todifferent sounds. It is believed that babies can recognizesongs that were played in the womb.

Music is a natural and important part of youngchildren’s growth and development. It serves theexpressive, emotional, intellectual, and creative needs.Very young children are capable of developing criticalthinking skills through musical ideas.

Fine and gross motor skills can be improvedthrough dancing. Also, vocal and speech developmentcan improve through singing. Music should supportphysical, emotional, social & cognitive development.

Facilitate learning through active interaction withadults, other children & music materials. It isrecommended that music consists of learning activitiesand materials that are real, concrete, and relevant to thelives of young children. Allow children to explore musicthrough active involvement.

Resources: The Creative Curriculum For EarlyChildhood,Third Editon By: Diane Trister Dodge

LSU AgCenterby Esther Coco Vanderlick, Associate Extension Agent

Child Care Corner: Let’s Make Some Noise?

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After the children have gotten used to playing the sticks,add some accompanying music for the children to listenand follow the tempo and or volume using their sticks.

Reference:Pica, R. (2000). Experiences in Movement with Music,

Activities, and Theory, 2nd Edition. Albany, New York.:Delmar Publishers.

Music and Movement continued

Links to Literacy: A Literacy EnrichmentProgram for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Printed courtesy of SECA

Julie C. Parker, MS, CCLSAnne Burgess, Ph.D., CFLE, CFCS

The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Child and Family Studies

The Links to LiteracyEnrichment Program was acollaborative effort betweenthe University of SouthernMississippi; Bridges, Inc.; andthe Hattiesburg HousingAuthority to enhance literacydevelopment for familieswith children birth to age 5.Research in literacydevelopment tells us thatearly school success has adirect relationship withlanguage and literacyexperiences prior to enteringkindergarten. Literacydevelopment should begin early in life and continuethroughout life. Environments that facilitate andencourage language and literacy enrichment establish asolid foundation for future reading success (Lizakowski,2005). Early language and literacy development begins inthe first three years; infants and toddlers who areengaged in literacy rich environments learn to becomegood communicators and eager readers.

Children from disadvantaged homes are oftendefined as “at risk” for academic failure beginning in theprimary grades. If “at risk” children lack backgroundexperiences in literacy development they are found tohave limitations that affect vocabulary development andliteracy learning (Morrow, 2005). The Links to Literacyprogram was designed to provide real life literacymaterials and experiences to promote and increaselanguage and literacy skills.

The goals of the Links to Literacy program includedthe following:• Provide opportunities that would enhance an interest in

books and reading for young children.• Provide opportunities for young children to listen to

and discuss story books.• Promote language and literacy development by

engaging young children in language games andliteracy related play activities.

• Provide parents with literacy materials andopportunities to enhance language and literacyexperiences in the home.

• Increase awareness of literacy development byencouraging parents to read daily to their children anddevelop a language rich home environment

The Links to Literacy playgroup was a positiveenrichment experience for the children and families

involved. On average, seven toddler and preschool agechildren and eight kindergarten age childrenparticipated. The children in the kindergarten group metweekly and were provided with after school enrichmentactivities andliteracyexperiences; theinfant andtoddler groupmet monthly andwere providedwith activitiesand materialsthat encouragedand promoted language and literacy in the home andcommunity. Family literacy packets were given toparents to promote parent/child interaction and enhancethe richness of home experiences.

Parents involved with Links to Literacy wereencouraged to read to their children daily, respond toquestions, and cultivate language and literacy throughoutthe day.

Language experiences were encouraged through theliteracy rich materials included in the family literacypacket. In addition to family education materials, thepacket included a parent evaluation of the groupactivities that surveyed the effectiveness of the groupexperience and suggested family activities. Families wereencouraged to provide feedback via the evaluation on amonthly basis. The evaluation component wasencouraged but did not limit participation if not returned.

Thematic activities were planned for each meeting.The children were engaged in developmentally

appropriate,integratedactivities thatincluded flannelboard stories,music andmovementactivities,creative art, andliteracy basedone on one and

group activities. Some of the themes included: Bugs,Bugs Everywhere; The Wild, Wild West; Our Outer SpaceAdventure; Who Says Gobble?; and Holiday Celebration.

Even though the parents orally expressed anappreciation of the group and the additional literacymaterials and activities provided, there was a continued…

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IN MEMORIAM:

KAY APRILLA PIONEER IN EARLY INTERVENTION

Kay’s teaching experience included 30 years ofcombined service in the public, parochial and universitysettings. She was a dedicated employee of the St. MaryParish School Board where she began her career in 1966as a 5th grade teacher at W.P. Foster Elementary. She thenwent back to school for the 1969-70 school year and in1970 returned to the classroom at J.W. Faulk Elementaryin Lafayette where she taught 3rd grade. Upon her returnto St. Mary Parish, she taught at St. John Elementary fortwo years prior to returning to the St. Mary Parish Schoolsystem in 1980 when she began "her" early interventionprogram within the parish.

Although there were others in the field practicingearly intervention concepts and ideas, Kay was the first totake the program into the homes of her infant/toddlerpopulation. Her willingness to reach out to families onsuch a personal level enabled her to impactdevelopmental, cognitive and adaptive areas in ways notpreviously possible in Special Education offices andclassrooms. Kay’s ability to communicate and interactwith children and their families created a new concept of"education" and hope for the future for many whoreceived little encouragement or compassion prior toKay’s presence in their lives and in their homes.

Kay was the first recipient of the Doris J. HaarAward in 1997 by the Louisiana Interagency Council.Other credits to Kay include her presentation entitled"Innovative Infant Stimulation Program" at the 1983Council for Exceptional Children’s InternationalConvention in Detroit, Michigan. And the 1984 SpecialEducation Super Conference in Baton Rouge. In 1986 Kaypresented "Developing a Parent Involvement Program inthe Community" to the Seventh Annual Super Conferenceon Special Education.

Kay has served as a faculty member at theUniversity of Louisiana in Lafayette. She was presentlyserving as a special instructor through the Early Stepsprogram.

She received many other professional accolades.During the 1980s, she wrote two weekly columns, andwas also nominated as Teacher of the Year in St. MaryParish in 1997.

There was a contagion about Kay Aprill’s love of herjob. Her compassion and caring coupled with her abilityto establish rapport and assist families with youngchildren with disabilities was unparalleled. Herphilosophy about her job was "If you love what you doand feel that it matters, how can anything be more fun?"

Donations in her memory may be made to the KayHodges Aprill Memorial Fund. Monies will go to assistfamilies with small children with disabilities in St. MaryParish. Please mail to Teche Federal Bank, P.O. Box 1031,Franklin, LA 70538.

Permission to reprint portions of this article was requested fromthe St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune.

Links to Literacy continuedpoor survey return rate. Unfortunately, it was not possibleto collect sufficient data for analysis. Qualitative data fromthe parents included how they enjoyed reading the booksprovided and talking about new activities with theirchildren. Several parents inquired about additional literacyactivities and were provided with more materials andsuggestions. A few of the suggestions included doing

follow-up activities afterreading books, such aspainting a brown bear afterreading Brown Bear, BrownBear; or making a cottonball collage after readingLittle Cloud, both books byEric Carle. Each additionalactivity continued topromote quality time forthe child and family andenhance language andliteracy skills.With the playgroup

supplies and materials, the monthly infant and toddlergroup will continue to meet on the first Saturday of eachmonth. This will continue to provide parents andchildren with educational opportunities to build languageand literacy skills and participate in activities thatpromote family bonding, literacy development, andschool readiness. The partners in the Links to Literacyproject are very pleased to continue to benefit from thegenerous grant from the Southern Early ChildhoodAssociation. References:Lizakowski, T. (2005). Minnesota early literacy training

project: Final report highlights. Early Education andDevelopment, 31(1), 1-20.

Morrow, L. M. (2005). Literacy development in the earlyyears: Helping children read and write. (5th ed.). Boston,MA: Pearson Education.

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Early childhood educationin Louisiana suffered a great losswhen Kay Hodges Aprill, anative of Crowley and a residentof Franklin, died last April.

Kay was revered by hercoworkers and Joy Naquin

provides an overview of Kay’s educational andprofessional background. "Kay’s educational backgroundincludes a B.A. in Elementary Education from theUniversity of Southwestern Louisiana; a KindergartenCertificate from USL; a certification in Non-CategoricalPreschool Handicapped and a Master of Education degreein Elementary Education from USL.”

THANK YOUFROM THE HEART!

Thank you to the following presenters at ourMarch Conference in Lafayette. They donated theirhonorariums back to LAECA.General Scholarship Fund donations:

Emily Williamson Christi GonzalesIvy Starns Natalie BoninKimberly Roberts Mary Lou MaplesCindy Rushing Diane AilletLeslie Sinclair Nancy Alexander- to the Roy &

Lil Murphy scholarship FundJanel D. Fontenot Donna RhodenJanette Haydell

Donation to General Operating Fund:Josie TheriotJeanne BowerRose Ann St. Romain

ULL – SLAECAMary Sciaraffa

LA Tech-SLAECAJanie Humphries

SECA – Memorial fund for Beverly Oglesby’s sonMartha Garner

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Great Children’s Literature about MusicThis list is from the NAEYC website; a complete list of children’s books about all the creative arts can be found

there.

Ah, Music! Aliki. 2003. HarperCollins. Aliki shares her insightabout music and its themes and variations. Ages 5 and up.

Aïda. L. Price. Illus., L. & D. Dillon. 1990. Harcourt BraceJovanovich. Leontyne Price retells the famous operaabout the beautiful princess of Ethiopia. Ages 4-8.

Animal Orchestra. I. Orleans. Illus., T. Gergely. 2001. GoldenBooks reprint. A rhyming story about an animal orchestraand its hippo conductor. Ages infant-preschool.

Carnival of the Animals: Classical Music for Kids (withCD.) C. Saint-Saens, with B.C. Turner. Illus., S.Williams. 1999. Henry Holt. A musical joke bycomposer Camille Saint-Saëns, the Carnival of theAnimals. introduces classical music throughwhimsical illustration, text, and melodies. Ages 4-8.

Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. C. Raschka. 1992.Orchard. A picture book about legendary jazzmanCharlie Parker (1920-1955) and his cat. Ages 4-8.

Hip Cat. J. London. Illus., W. Hubbard. 1996. Chronicle. Anaive saxophone-playing cat journeys to San Franciscoto live his dream of being a jazz musician. Ages 4-8.

The Jazz Fly (with CD). M. Gollub. Illus., K. Hanke. 2000.Tortuga. While seeking directions to town, a fly picksup the rhythm of the answers he gets from a frog, ahog, a donkey, and a dog and then uses the sounds tojazz up his band's music. Ages 4-8.

John Coltrane's Giant Steps. C. Raschka. 2002. Atheneum.A visual deconstruction of the jazz saxophonist'scomposition. Ages 4-8.

M Is for Music. K. Krull. Illus., S. Innerst. Harcourt.Playful text introduces the world of music. Ages 4-8.

Max Found Two Sticks. B. Pinkney. 1997. Aladdin. Maxdoesn't feel like talking, but he responds to questionsby drumming on various objects, including a bucket,hat boxes, and garbage cans, echoing the city soundsaround him. Ages 4-8.

Meet the Orchestra. A. Hayes. Illus., K. Thompson. 1995.Voyager. Poetic descriptions and illustrations portraythe sounds and imagery of the orchestra. Ages 4-8.

Music, Music for Everyone. B.B. Williams. 1992.Greenwillow. Rosa plays her accordion with herfriends in the Oak Street Band and earns money tohelp with expenses while her grandmother is sick.Ages 4-8.

Musical Instruments from A to Z. B. Kalman. 1997.(AlphaBasiCs series.) Crabtree. A broad assortment ofinstruments and their history are introduced througha question-and-answer format. Ages 4-8.

My Family Plays Music. J. Cox. Illus., E. Brown. 2003.Holiday House. A picture book that explores 10different types of music through the eyes and ears of ayoung African American. Ages 4-8.

Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey with the Boys Choirof Harlem. C.R. Smith Jr. 2002. Hyperion. Playfulpoems for musical inspiration. Ages 4-8.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The Founders of Rock and Roll. H.George-Warren. Illus., L. Levine. 2004. Sandpiper.Presents illustrations and descriptions of early rock-and-rollers, such as Bill Haley and Buddy Holly. Ages 4-8.

The Story of the Incredible Orchestra: An Introduction toMusical Instruments and the Symphony Orchestra. B.Koscielniak. 2000. Houghton Mifflin. A look at thehistory of the orchestra and its instruments. Ages 4-8.

A Tisket, A Tasket. E. Fitzgerald. Illus., O. Eitan. 2003.Philomel. A picture book rendition of Ella Fitzgerald's(1917-1996) musical reworking of the nursery song.Ages 4-8.

What Instrument Is This? R. Hausherr. 1992. Scholastic.Ages 3-8. Photos introduce children to 18 instrumentsof the orchestra.

When Marian Sang: True Recital of Marian Anderson.P.M. Ryan. Illus., B. Selznick. 2002. Scholastic. A tributeto the gifted singer who broke racial barriers tobecome a world-renowned performer. Ages 4-8.

Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People. B. Christensen. 2001.Knopf. A biography of folk legend Woody Guthrie anda social history of the challenging times he lived in.Ages 4-8.

Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin. L. Moss. Illus., M. Priceman. 1995.Simon & Schuster. A counting book that introduces theorchestra through rhyme and artwork. Ages 4-8.

Let There Be Music!By Mary Lou Maples

Do you shy away from using music because you thinkyou can’t sing? Let me help you get over that fear. If I cansing in front of children, you can too. Let me tell you mystory. My second grade teacher would never believethat I actually used music successfullythroughout the day with my kindergartenstudents. Her words are still burned inmy memory from what happened along time ago. In those days,teachers actually wrote your sixweeks grades on a report card asyou stood and watched. When Iwas called to the teacher’s desk Iwent happily. She put lots of “A”sdown and then I heard her say, “I’mnot going to put a grade on yourreport card by Music—I wouldn’twant to ruin this otherwise perfectcard.” She even continued, “Yourmother sings so well, what happenedto you?” Until that time I thought I didsing as well as my mother! Of course, I wasabsolutely crushed and slunk back to my seat sobbing.Fortunately, my understanding mother was able to help medry my tears later and keep working to develop anyobviously hidden musical abilities. Without herencouragement, I might never have sung another note andquite possibly have grown to actually hate anything musical.

While I will be the first to admit that my voice rangeis limited, I was never told to just “mouth the words” in asinging group. I was provided piano and organ lessons,chances by other teachers to participate in musicalproductions (as a choir member, not the lead) and then tolearn to play an instrument in the high school and collegebands. Being a part of a square dancing group helped meovercome clumsiness, singing my multiplication tableshelped me become so proficient that I won math contests,being in the musicals enhanced my stage presence,singing rhymes helped me learn to read.

I relate this anecdote for several reasons: ☺ Be ever mindful of the impact that your words as a

teacher can have on a child (no matter what the subject).☺ Be ready to help a child who had been at the receiving

end of unkind remarks.☺ Don’t think that you must be an accomplished vocalist

to help children learn to appreciate music andparticipate in musical activities.

☺ Use music to enhance your classroom environmentmany times during the day—don’t relegate it to lateFriday afternoon.

☺ Be ready to “stand up and be counted” as an advocatefor the inclusion of the arts in the curriculum.

Most of us in the early childhood field know thevalue of including music. We are not alone in this view.Comenius tells us that children learn by doing. Froebelamplifies that statement by saying that children grow

by doing. Dewey tells us to educate the whole child. In1844, Horace Mann called for an enrichment of thecurriculum through “The introduction of music, drawing,and the study of natural objects.” The cave men used

music to calm the natives. The story of the Pied Piper isa wonderful example of the appeal of music to all

creatures. Recent studies have proven the merits ofexposing young infants to music as a way to

enhance brain development. Musicians tell usthat the structure of the music is what helps thebrain to organize itself.

In 1976 I attended a workshop put on byMrs. Jacqueline L. Stewart. She was an

accomplished musician and dancer who decidedto make a career change and become a teacher.

She told us that at the end of her first yearteaching, she was questioned as to what she had

done that helped her special education students score somuch higher than those in similar classes. She was at aloss to pinpoint anything special that she had done soColumbia University set up a two way mirror in herclassroom the next year and observed her teachingmethods. The differences noted were that whenever Mrs.Stewart made a transition from one activity to another,she automatically relied on what she knew best—musicand dance for classroom management and to complementher total program. She had quite naturally reinforced allthe basic skills she had taught through musical andmovement activities. She and her husband went on todevelop a series of records that I used consistentlythroughout my teaching career. The activities on KimboRecords were fun for children from 4-14years of age andprovided a wide range of reinforcement opportunities.Today, teachers can find a wealth of CDs that help themprovide motivation as well as reinforcement for theiractivities. The same techniques that work with regulareducation will work with special education students. Ihave personally seen this to be true.

The Council for Exceptional Children advocates artseducation for all students. Some autistic children willparticipate; even excel, in music while not being able totalk. A blind student of mine led our class in songs.Another special education student of mine was a masterat keeping the beat of a song on a drum. We eventuallytransferred this activity to help him listen for syllables inwords. Music can soothe an upset child, stimulate alethargic one, and help another find a common interestwith fellow students.

Research teams in Irvine, California, explored thelink between music and abstract thinking skills and foundthat those who received piano training did 34% better ontests measuring spatial-temporal ability than those whoreceived private computer lessons and those whoreceived neither. When I visited Japanese schools I saw no

superior teaching methods, but I did see that thechildren had organized music and art daily. continued…

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Three Great SourcesFor Musical Activities

“More Than Singing, Discovering Music in Preschooland Kindergarten,” by Sally Moomaw is a valuableresource for teachers who want music to be an integralpart of the day. It contains a variety ofsimple songs, as well as explanationsof musical skills to be learned,language extensions, and othercurriculum activities. There is achapter describing how to set up amusic center, as well as many usefuland fun center activities. In addition,it comes with a CD featuring the 58songs from the book. I did severalactivities with my class this year, and they enjoyed themgreatly. “Rain Sounds,” a three part round imitating thesound of rain, was one of our favorites.

“Dance and Grow” by Betty Rowen, contains“developmental dance activities for three- through eight-

year-olds.” There is also a video available. Itis a wonderful source of ideas for integratingdance and movement into your classroom.Starting with how movement begins, itreviews developmental sequences formovement. It also provides a variety of waysto use movement, from rhythmic movementto folk dances, to creative improvisation. My

class loved doing the circle dance “Shoo Fly,” as well assome of the storytelling dances.

“Creative Dance & Movement,” by Tonja EvettsWeimer, was published in 1980 but isstill available through used bookdealers. It has suggestions forlocomotor activities, and games likeClay and Sculptor (where childrenwork in pairs, each taking a role) orPercussion Movement. It is a simplywritten and fun book, and really helps

to get children inspired andmoving!

Let There Be Music! continued

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Dr. Pam Schiller suggests that children be allowed torespond to music by doing “freckle art”—dots on paperto the tempo of different music. Also, shesuggests to let the children make colorsweeps in time to the music on large papertaped to the wall and to create shadow artby dancing in front of a bright light.

Eric Oddleifson of the Center forArts in the Basic Curriculum believes thatart should not just enhance the traditionalcurriculum. He believes that it should bethe basis of education since we know that thedeepest and most lasting learning comes throughparticipating in whole-brained activities such as music.

Dr. Howard Gardner lists musical intelligence as thefourth category of ability in his Multiple IntelligenceTheory. He has explored the overlapping effects ofdifferent intelligences in the total person and debateswhich training has the biggest influence. He states thatthe intelligences work together in most people. Thus, wecan help the child by providing music along with otheravenues of stimulation to get the best results.

Dr. Jennifer Aldrick, CMSU, led an interestingsession at the 2003 NAECY Conference during which shestressed the ties between music learning and literacy. Sheoutlined the ways incorporating music into the dailyroutine can enhance the child’s ability to keep a rhythm,sequence words, link words with actions and developauditory discrimination. Children love to learn a songand then substitute a letter to make a silly word. Thishelps with phonemic awareness. Dramatizing songs helpswith comprehension and vocabulary development.

ECERS-R devotes a special section to the importanceof music in the life of a young child. The Louisiana Pre-KCurriculum lists certain skills using music.

Some tips for your music program:☺ If you have a lower pitched voice, listen to the

recording to learn it and then teach it to the children inthe most comfortable range for you. The children willbe able to adjust to the higher key later.

☺ Sing your directions instead of trying to talk louderthat the children. If you know the tunes to “Are yousleeping”, “Mulberry Bush”, and “If You’re Happy andYou Know It”, you can sing just about any set ofdirections you will ever need.

☺Ask community members to bring in their musicalinstruments and demonstrate them to the children.

☺ Put your collection of rhythm band instruments in aportable tub and take them outside. The children canexperiment with them to their heart’s desire and notgive anyone a headache. Then after they have hadample time for free exploration, they will be ready tosit with them in the classroom and actually respond oncue to develop rhythmic responses to music.

☺ Collect books with folk songs. These are part of ourheritage and a wonderful way to expose the children tomany cultures.

☺ Turn on LPB during naptime.

☺ Encourage the children to make up songs and teachthem to the class.

☺ Combine music with art, drama, and literacy to helpthe children grow in all areas.

☺ I for one, as a parent, teacher, consultant, andresponsible member of my community feel compelled totry and enrich the life of every child with whom I comein contact and to solicit the help of my friends andacquaintances to do likewise. One of the most viableways to accomplish this seems to be working towardinclusion of the arts in every aspect of our educationalprogram. Become an advocate for all the arts.

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HAVE FUN WITH MUSIC!by Colette Sand

Song: Five Little MonkeysCD: Tony Chestnut and Fun Time Action SongsArtist: The Learning StationActivities: This great variationof the children’s song “FiveLittle Monkeys Jumping on theBed,” is full of energy and mystudents really enjoy it! Thereare many different skills youcan teach with this song. Ihave stuffed monkeys andother props that allow studentsto act out the song. I have alsomade several different sets of paper monkeys fromcoloring sheets. I glued these onto tongue depressors andthe children use these to practice skills such as: ordinalpositioning (referring to the first monkey, second monkey,etc.), color recognition (each monkey is a different color),and feelings (the sad monkey, the excited monkey, etc.).This song has a lot of teaching possibilities, so be creative!

Song: Short Vowel SoundsCD: Rockin’ the AlphabetArtist: Mr. AlActivities: This song helps children begin to identify shortvowel sounds in word families. The song is rather slow, butit allows students to begin identifying these sounds andgives them time to repeat the words. An instrumentalversion of this song is provided on the CD, too. So,students can practice singing the song