News

November 22-25, 2013, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) held its Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, DC.

The HITN Early Learning Collaborative (HITN/ELC) Team presented an educational exhibit booth experience with hands-on digital and non-digital resources that support young children's English language, early literacy and early math development.

Visitors to the booth had the opportunity to learn about this U.S. Department of Education Ready to Learn initiative developed by the HITN Early Learning Collaborative. They were able to explore and play with the transmedia PlayGrounds that include a series of much sought after bilingual storybooks, puzzles, games, and tablet-based applications. along with accompanying parent engagement strategies and resources for preschool programs.

Currently, the materials and apps, including resources for English language learners, are being field tested in HITN/ELC pilot sites across the USA and in Puerto Rico. The transmedia PlayGrounds will be available to the public for purchase in 2014.

Participants attending the booth also received information from the team about how to access free, educational online materials, games, early childhood resources, and downloadable bilingual storybooks through the HITN/ELC website: www.earlylearningcollaborative.org

In addition to the educational booth in the conference exhibition hall, Senior Director of Outreach, Dr. Ed Greene, presented the HITN/ELC transmedia project at the OMEP International FILMedia session. Also at this year's NAEYC conference, Ed was honored at the Annual NAEYC History Seminar with a tribute acknowledging his fortieth consecutive year participating in the NAEYC Annual Conference.