BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Some people may try to reduce early childhood education to glorified babysitting, but educators say that couldn't be farther from the truth.
“It is very clearly so much more than that,” said Pam Cho, vice president of Early Learning Resource Centers at Community Services for Children.
Cho and a handful of other speakers participated in a Friday round table discussion on early childhood education that included special guest Coy Bowles, a member of the Zac Brown Band.
The event was hosted by the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation, PBS39, Lakeshore and the Early Childhood Education Action Committee, a collaborative of Lehigh Valley education and childcare groups advocating for improvements in their field.
Nearly 40 early childhood education professionals attended the event at the Univest Public Media Center, where speakers discussed the state of early childhood education in the post-pandemic era and the impact of their work.
“We’re seeing lots of children with different kinds of behaviors – some with diagnoses, others without diagnoses, and it really has created a burden for the provider community,”Pam Cho, vice president Early Learning Resource Center
'Crisis situation'
Cho said there’s a crisis situation in the field of early childhood education with children as young as 3 years old being suspended or expelled from programs.
“We’re seeing lots of children with different kinds of behaviors – some with diagnoses, others without diagnoses, and it really has created a burden for the provider community,” she said.
Cho highlighted a state grant that her program received from the Office of Childhood Development and Early Learning for a rapid response team. These responders help salvage a student’s placement at an early childhood education center when there’s an issue by working with parents and providers to find solutions. They also identify community supports to help.
Shelly Feller, program manager of Unconditional Child Care at Pinebrook Family Answers, echoed the concerns mentioned by Cho. Feller said early childhood education has only become more complex and challenging since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Classrooms that may have had one or two challenging behaviors prior, now have possibly six, seven, eight in a classroom of fifteen,” she said. “Centers are understaffed. Many have one or two classrooms closed because they can’t find teachers to staff those positions.”
Classroom Strategies
Jessika Nasatka, vice president of early education and child care at Lehigh Valley Children's Centers, spoke about classroom strategies to support students and teachers as they face these challenges.
The first step is to analyze the set up of a classroom and whether it’s working for the class as a whole, Nasatka said.
Teachers should think about how much running space there is for students and whether this needs to be adjusted for classroom needs. Teachers should also create areas for small group activities and use sensory items.
Next, centers should make sure teachers have the supports they need, such as small mental health breaks throughout the day and professional training.
Finally, Nasatka said it’s essential that families are educated on what the work centers are doing.
“We’re not just a daycare,” she said. “We’re not just plopping the children in the classroom and just going, ‘OK, you do you, and we’ll be here to just maintain that you’re safe.’
“We are working to maintain that the children that are coming out of our classrooms and our programs are the kind of people who are going to be successful when they go to school and beyond,” Nasatka said.
Raffle prizes
At the end of the round table, Coy Bowles, who is also a children’s book author, raffled off social-emotional and STEAM activity kits to those in attendance. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
Bowles has written children’s books, such as “Behind the Little Red Door” and “When You’re Feeling Sick.” He’s also created children’s music albums with songs for classroom transitions.
“If we as a collective keep showing up, and we keep aiming for thriving, and we keep having conversations like this, I think that I have hope.”Coy Bowles, Zach Brown Band member and children's book author
Bowles encouraged educators at Friday's event to continue their work and to combat the difficulties they face head on.
“If we as a collective keep showing up, and we keep aiming for thriving, and we keep having conversations like this, I think that I have hope,” he said.
Bowles is also offering five $400 mini-grants to teachers of pre-kindergarten through fifth grades. The grants must be used to support innovative classroom projects that incorporate music.
Interested teachers must apply by Dec. 13.
