Photo: Alessandra Hartkopf for Strategies for Children

We talk often about the importance of aligning children’s learning experiences, from birth to third grade. For instance, “Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success,” the 2010 report we commissioned from literacy expert Nonie Lesaux of  the Harvard Graduate School of Education, outlines strategies to improve the language development and literacy of children from birth to age 9. Now the Massachusetts Departments of Early Education and Care (EEC) and Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) are joining forces for a seven-month professional development program for instructional and community leaders “focused on building and sustaining strong birth-to-grade-three systems of services and supports for young children and their families.”

The program –  Brain Building and Early Literacy and Numeracy: Strategies and Supports for Young Children  – begins with regional conferences later this month in Boston (November 17, Boston Convention Center), Worcester (November 18, DCU Center), and Westfield (November 19, Westfield State University).  Lilian Katz, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  and a well-known leader in early education, will be the keynote speaker. (“My past research has focused on developmental stages of teachers; mixed-age grouping; teacher-parent relations; teacher education; self-esteem vs. narcissism; gender differences and pedagogy; and dispositions, their development and assessment,” Katz says on her university Web page. “My current research projects include project approach implementation and issues in mixed-age grouping.”)

According to the announcement of the program:

“The conference and the professional learning community will focus on five areas or strands: literacy; numeracy; social-emotional development; family and community engagement; and leadership and professional development.  The content of these strands will address the development and learning of all young children from birth up to grade three. Each regional professional development opportunity (kick-off conference plus the professional learning community) can accommodate up to 150 participants.  Slots will be filled based on the order of applications received as well as a review process that ensures a diverse representation of the mixed delivery system in Massachusetts (child care, Head Start, public schools, independent family child care providers, system family child care providers, after-school and out-of-school time providers and community leaders).  If awarded a slot, participants will be asked to sign a Memorandum of Understanding confirming their commitment to this 7 month professional development opportunity.  A waitlist of participants will be kept in the event that an individual is unable to attend. All conference events are from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.”