August 2017

In her latest blog, Dr. Rebecca Swartz discusses how oral or spoken language skills are integral to a child’s process of learning how to read. Through conversations and stories, children build vocabulary, reason, and make meaning of their world. They also gain knowledge about the sounds and structures of language that are important for reading and writing.

The 2017 Sharing A Vision (SAV) Early Childhood Conference will be held October 25–27 in East Peoria, IL. This is a wonderful opportunity for networking, sharing ideas, and learning new information to use in your work with young children and their families. Register before Sept. 8 to receive early bird pricing!

IEL hosts a number of resources to support preschool teachers and caregivers in addressing the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (IELDS). The resources are free and available to print from our website. They include a resource for sharing the IELDS with parents, Standards Start at Home: A Guide to Early Learning for Parents/Families.

Many IEL resources can be shared with families as their child transitions to a new school or care setting. These are a few resources that may be helpful at the start of a new school year:

• Starting Kindergarten? Help Make It a Good Experience!
• Your Child’s First Day in Preschool
• Developing a Class Album
• Welcoming Immigrant Families to the Preschool Classroom

The IEL Project wants to hear from you to learn how we can best serve you through our Web-based resources. Please complete our online survey and let us know how we can support you in your role as a parent, caregiver, or teacher of young children.

The Illinois Early Learning Project provides reliable resources and information in response to your questions on the parenting, care, and education of young children in Illinois. To take advantage of this service, please call our toll-free number at (877) 275-3227 during business hours or send us your question using our online form.

Division for Early Childhood (DEC) Conference, Oct. 4–6, Portland, OR

GoAEYC Fall Conference, Oct. 14, Des Plaines, IL

Sharing A Vision Conference, Oct. 25–27, East Peoria, IL

2017 NAEYC Annual Conference, Nov. 15–18, Atlanta, GA

8th Annual ABC Conference, Nov. 17, Palos Hills, IL

Please forward our e-newsletter to your friends to help spread Illinois Early Learning News throughout the state!

For more information about the Illinois Early Learning Project, contact Bernadette Laumann at (877) 275-3227 or blaumann@illinois.edu.