😩 Academic Stress for Preschool? - What to Know

Today’s Issue: Spirit Halloween to Xmas; Academic Stress at Age 4; ECE in the News = 3/4 cup of coffee.

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👺 From Boo to Ho Ho Ho: We all love Spirit Halloween. Starting in the summer, these temporary stores pop into vacant retails spaces across the US. Kids love to jump on the sensors to make the monsters jump or spin. Plus, you can get any costume imaginable. Looks like the popular store is expanding into the world of Christmas with Spirit Christmas seasonal stores expected to start up this year. Halloween to Christmas? I wonder if it will start to look like a “Nightmare Before Christmas”?

Check out the details 👉👉👉 HERE!!

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😰 Preschool Academic Readiness & Unnecessary Stress

Somewhere between finger paints and phonics, childhood got lost. Across preschools, the race for “academic readiness” is pushing children to write, count, and read before they’re even ready to tie their own shoes. And while that may look impressive, experts say it’s stressing out little learners and stunting the very skills that matter most.

Early childhood experts like Prof. Venita Kaul warn that forcing formal academics too soon can actually backfire. At ages 3 and 4, children learn best through play—building the social, emotional, and problem-solving foundations that make real learning possible later. “Literacy is a journey, not a race,” Kaul reminds us.

Parents, too, play a huge role, and it may be difficult to manage their expectations. It’s OK that they’re not reading at age 3. Academic success later on comes from strong emotional and social skills built in nurturing, play-rich environments. These are real stresses ECE leaders have to manage daily. But the study provides some GREAT insights. Check it out below.

I want to learn more about managing stress for kiddos. Click the button below 👇‼️👇

ECE In The News

🔒 Government Shutdown: More than 65k Head Start children and their families are at risk of losing access to critical services if the ongoing federal government shutdown persists, according to a statement released by the National Head Start Association. The impact varies by state and the November 1st deadline is right around the corner. Check 👉👉 HERE to see what states are hit hardest.

👩🏽‍🎓 TN Investing in Recruitment & Retention: Tennessee announced the state is adding $7.2 million to a program aimed at recruiting and retaining childcare workers through salary supplements and bonuses. The Tennessee WAGE$ program supplements salaries and provides bonuses to childcare employees who have stayed in their jobs and are pursuing a degree. Those in the industry can receive up to $7,800 per year. Around 4k TN educators have received about $24 million through the program. Get more details 👉👉 HERE.

The Internet is a Playground:

🗓️ On this Day in History: In 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev orders withdrawal of missiles from Cuba, ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. This brief, but very tense, standoff between the US and Soviet Union almost resulted in war. But after a game of chicken, the Soviets returned the missiles home. 🧨

🕹️ Fun Word Games: Try out this fun word quiz Name that Thing

😸 Watch Those Fingers: Seems like a dangerous game.

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