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Protect play: an essential ingredient in early childhood success
Play fosters a lasting love of learning, and must be protected in early childhood classrooms. Research overwhelmingly reinforces the benefits of play-based instruction. Children who engage in cooperative play generally have higher self-esteem, and...
A stroke of genius
Follow along as the 2nd-grade students in Jacqueline Velten and Melissa Hamm’s integrated co-teaching class at PS 54 on Staten Island travel to the Staten Island Museum to experience “Art Now: Watercolor Fun,” one of 20 class trips the museum offers...
Early Childhood Conference
More than 300 educators in grades 3-K though 2 enjoyed a day of inspiration, camaraderie and professional development with an emphasis on how important a strong start is to a child’s educational achievement.
NYC Reads reset
This school year, as outside consultants took over most of the training, teachers grew increasingly frustrated with their lack of voice and the lack of support. So we headed to the bargaining table to demand changes. The revised curriculum policy...
DOE releases policy updates to NYC Reads
As a result of intense negotiations with the DOE over educators’ concerns with the NYC Reads curriculum, the city Department of Education has released key policy updates to all elementary school educators and principals.
Early Childhood Conference
"Pete the Cat" author Eric Litwin led early childhood educators in a merry dance as they practiced how to engage the city's youngest learners in a love for reading during the 16th annual Early Childhood Conference held at the UFT headquarters.
The building blocks of success
The benefits of 3-K are solid, with the youngest students gaining the foundation they need to succeed in pre-K and beyond as educators engage them in hands-on activities and play-based learning crucial to developing their young minds.
Waitlisted and worried
The union launched a #StartStrong campaign this spring after Mayor Eric Adams failed to restore $170 million in mid-year cuts he made to 3-K and pre-K. The campaign is pushing the city to restore funding for 3-K and pre-K seats in the city budget...
UFT provides support for phonics-based curricula
Hundreds of UFT members took advantage of a free UFT Teacher Center course on the science of reading in July. The course, which combined in-person and virtual learning, was part of the union’s effort to support educators as the Department of...
‘Building their brains’
A social worker and an instructional coordinator from the city DOE's Division of Early Childhood Education provide crucial support to 3K and pre-K teachers at PS 7 in East Harlem.