Early Learning Matters

Preschool Special Education Information Moving From DEW Website

The Department of Education and Workforce will be removing the preschool special education content from their website and moving the content to the Department of Children and Youth website. Until all of the documents are moved completely it is recommended that you save the resources frequently used to avoid losing access to them during the transitioning period.

Here are the webpages that will move from DEW to DCY:

Preschool Special Education | Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Preschool IDEA Monitoring Process | Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Preschool Special Education Program Support | Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Preschool Universal Support Materials | Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Preschool Special Education FAQ for Programs | Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Preschool Special Education FAQ For Families | Ohio Department of Education and Workforce

Once the move is complete you can find preschool special education content by visiting Department of Children and Youth | Ohio.gov and typing “Preschool Special Education” in the search box.

Read it Again Offers Free Curriculum Resources

Read It Again! offers free curriculum supplements designed to develop and strengthen young children’s early foundations in language and literacy and social-emotional skills. The easy-to-follow manuals are tailored for infants and toddlers and preschoolers, and enhance the work already taking place in early learning environments.

OCALI's Center for the Young Child Education Station Resources

The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) Center for the Young Child Education Station is a "one-stop-shop" for early childhood professional learning and resources in Ohio. All of the PD opportunities are free to access and OH approved in OCCRRA.

DEW Resources to Support Young Children Experiencing Homelessness

Two resources to support early literacy and educational stability for young children experiencing homelessness are now available from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The first resource The Toolkit for Early Care and Learning Professionals offers an overview of current research on the impact of homelessness on child development, professional development resources, and customizable templates and guides to help childcare professionals share resources with families.

The second resource is the Family Play Kit. The resources in the Family Play Kits include curated book lists for families to explore at local libraries, printable cards with tips for engaging young children in book discussions, literacy-building activities that promote play and imagination, and links to additional resources for families experiencing homelessness.

The Early Learning Childhood Emergent Literacy Community of Practice

Sponsored by ALLOhio Literacy, the Early Childhood Emergent Literacy Community of Practice is a 3-part, synchronous series that dives deeper into the content from their Early Childhood Emergent Literacy Module Series. All live sessions are scheduled from 4:00 - 5:00 on the following Tuesdays: January 28, 2025, February 25, 2025, and March 18, 2025. Download flyer for additional details.

SST1 Sponsored PD and Networks

Early Learning Coffee Chats

January 15, 2025 | 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. | Biggby Coffee East, 1936 E. Second St, Defiance, OH

March 12, 2025 | 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. | Grounds for Thought, 174 S Main St, Bowling Green, OH

Join SST1 Consultants Heather Gaskins and Tara Shumaker to spend time digging more deeply into topics that impact you and your programs, have more time to connect with one another, and gain extra assistance around a variety of early childhood issues. Registration is not required.

Child Outcome Summary

Date/Time/Location - January 24, 2025 | 9:00 - 12:00 | Virtual | REGISTER HERE

This training is for new, never before trained early childhood staff who will be completing the Child Outcome Summary form. Please Note: Part 1 is completed by the participants independently before the Part 2 synchronous training on 1-24-25. Registered participants will receive training materials for Part 1 in mid January. If you have questions regarding registration, please reach out to Jill Barnhisel at esclew_jbar@sstr1.org.

Preschool Leader Network

Remaining Dates/Time - February 18, 2025 and May 6, 2025 | 9:30 - 11:30 | REGISTER HERE

These virtual sessions are for Preschool Administrators and are designed to provide EC updates and information in order to meet federal IDEA requirements and indicators as they relate to preschool special education. Opportunities to network with peers will be available. If you have questions regarding registration, please reach out to Jill Barnhisel at esclew_jbar@sstr1.org.

We hope you have enjoyed the first issue of our quarterly Early Learning newsletter

If you found this newsletter helpful and informative and would like to receive future editions please sign up HERE.

Meet our Early Learning Team

Heather Gaskins, M.F.C.S.

Early Childhood

Early Childhood PBIS & SEL

Emergent Literacy

Tara Shumaker, M.Ed.

Preschool Special Education

Lynn McKahan, Director

2275 Collingwood Blvd.

Suite C, Toledo, OH 43620

800-346-8495

www.sstr1.org

This document/product/software was supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, (Award #H027A160111, CFDA 84.027A, awarded to the Ohio Department of Education). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred.