School Readiness for Babies

And one thing they always stress as important is
How to Stand In Line
This picture was on a family visit to NY. The goal was to bounce on the water ski tube after a day of boating. Had the 2 in front ever stood in line before? Absolutely not and there was a soon to be scuffle with all of the cousins over who went first. They got a quick lesson from grandparents, aunts and uncles and the mom about 'waiting your turn'. Worked like magic, took all of 33 1/3 seconds, didn't require any standardization.(As you can see, they stood in line in different ways, but in perfect form.) We were certainly doing some evaluating of their bouncing style off the tube (flying bodies and all), but it was very constructive. If they bounced on their bottoms, they usually landed on their heads, for instance.

Ran into an article where it was noted by the Children Inc. [children incorporated...Creepy] Executive Director Rick Hulefeld that

"There are going to be a lot of funders who are going to say, 'We want to be a part of this, because we feel it's a national model,"

Probably right and moving along nicely in IL.

This one is in Newport...(CA? I think)

His remarks came after the school board gave final approval to a five-year strategic plan. Its centerpiece is an expansion of free preschool, a partnership with local day-care providers and a program to visit the homes of babies and toddlers

Just for the record AGAIN, this preschool is NOT free, but taxpayer funded. And the visits to homes of babies and toddlers is right in there with the federal New Freedom Commission Plan as well as in Illinois' framing. NFC

They range from school-based mental health care in Dallas; to home visits by trained nurses for high-risk women during pregnancy and the first year of the child's life; to suicide prevention by Air Force generals; and treatment for late-life depression in primary care.

and the Illinois Plan

Provide at least two voluntary home visits by a registered nurse to all Illinois families following the birth of a child to assess the physical, social and emotional health of the new family, and link them to appropriate follow-up services as needed to prevent the emergence of developmental, behavioral and pychosocial problems.