2003 Directors' Choice Award Winners Are Announced by Earlychildhood News; 14th Annual Awards Recognize Excellence in Educational Products for Young Children.Business Editors/Education Writers MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 2003 The 2003 Directors' Choice Awards, acknowledging outstanding design and manufacture of educational products for young children, were announced today by Earlychildhood NEWS, an Excelligence Learning Corporation (NASDAQSC: LRNS) publication. This prestigious awards program, now in its 14th year, serves as a resource for child care providers and preschool teachers to assist them in choosing safe, durable, and age-appropriate toys for young children. Directors' Choice differs from many "best of" toy lists because of its focus on evaluating products for use in a professional child care setting. In addition to helping teachers select the best products, Directors' Choice gives manufacturers valuable feedback on new products. This year 34 products were honored in nine categories including arts & crafts, audio, building toys, curriculum, furniture and play equipment, infants and toddlers, storytelling Storytelling Aesop semi-legendary fabulist of ancient Greece. [Gk. Lit.: Harvey, 10] Münchäusen Baron traveler grossly embellishes his experiences. [Ger. Lit. and children's books, and teachers' resources. Items were evaluated based on the following criteria: appropriateness for use in a child care setting, safety, durability, age appropriateness, effectiveness for intended use, and value. Each product is judged on its respective merits, based on the specific criteria. Therefore, there is no limit to the number of winning items in each category, nor is there a guarantee that every category will include a winner. Award winner, Pam Schiller, internationally recognized author and speaker said, "The Directors' Choice Awards are recognized in the child care community as a symbol of outstanding quality. I am proud to be a recipient. When I recommend early childhood products, I take serious note of the products that are among the Directors' Choice recommendations." Pat Phipps, who is co-author of the winning book, The Complete Daily Curriculum with Pam Schiller, is also Executive Director of the California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC CAEYC California Association for the Education of Young Children CAEYC Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children ). Phipps, a supporter of the awards program said, "Earlychildhood NEWS is in tune with the issues facing early childhood educators  This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject.Please help recruit one or [ improve this article] yourself. See the talk page for details. today. They need all the resources they can get their hands on because the work in the field of early childhood education is becoming more and more challenging. The Directors' Choice Awards are a great resource to help preschool teachers locate the best educational products on the market." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Megan Shaw, Editor of Earlychildhood NEWS, "With increasing focus on early education, we are pleased that this program recognizes the work of manufacturers who are designing new and innovative products for young children. The judging process actually opens a dialog between manufacturers and educators, and we hope the result will be more great products to enhance the early education experience." The judges include a group of experts in varying aspects of early childhood education and educational products. They review products using a variety of hands-on techniques: judges use the products according to directions provided, test them rigorously to ensure durability, wash them to determine color fastness and leaks and even taste paints and clay products to be sure they are not "good enough to eat." This year's distinguished panel of judges Panel of Judges is an indie pop band from Melbourne, Australia. Members
-- Chris Byrne Chris Byrne co-founded the band Black 47 with Larry Kirwan in 1989. While still with the band, he created a side project - the "celtic hip-hop" band Seanchai & the Unity Squad. "Seanchai" is Byrne's hip-hop stage name, loosely translated from Irish as 'storyteller'. , as "The Toy Guy," reviews children's toys for The Toy Report, NBC's Today Show, and for A&E, The Arts and Entertainment Network. -- John Funk is the Early Childhood Manager for SLCAP Head Start in Salt Lake City, UT and was selected as the Utah Teacher of the Year in 1996. -- Karen Krische coordinates professional development activities for infant and preschool special education teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District A unified school district is a school district which includes both primary school (kindergarten through middle school or junior high) and high school (grades 9-12). In Illinois, these districts are called unit school districts. . -- Jody Martin, formerly Curriculum Manager for Children's World Children's World is a charity based in the UK It is known internationally (as Children's World International). It was set up by Arabella Churchill in 1981 after the success of the Children's World area at the Glastonbury Festival. Learning Centers. An adjunct of Directors' Choice, the third annual Judges' Selection Awards will be announced at a reception held at the National Association for the Education of Young Children The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest nonprofit association in the United States representing early childhood education teachers, experts, and advocates in center-based and family day care. (NAEYC NAEYC National Association for the Education of Young Children (Washington, DC) ) conference in Chicago, November 5th - 8th. The Judges' Selection Awards are chosen from the Directors' Choice Award winners; the recipients are determined by the judges to be outstanding in some way - innovation, value, versatility - from other winning products. This year, eight products will receive this special award. 2003 Directors' Choice Award Winners Arts & Crafts -- First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos, by Gryphon House, Inc., Ages 1-2, $14.95 -- Mead(R) Academie Jr(TM) Two Color Paper, by MeadWestavco Consumer and Office Products, Ages 5 and up, $3.99 -- SMI (1) (Storage Management Initiative) The initiative developed by the SNIA in 2003 to create a single standard interface for storage management technologies used by multiple vendors and networking communities. Square No-Spill Paint Cups, Set of 10 Assorted, by School Mate Incorporated, Ages 2-10, $11.64 -- Stamping Sticks, by Discount School Supply, Ages 3 and up, $11.40 Audio -- Philadelphia Chickens, by Workman Publishing, All ages, $16.95 -- Inside Out!, by Rounder Records Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts but now based in Burlington, is an independent record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students. , Ages 4 and up, $16.98 -- HandsONmusic, by HearAgainMusic, Ages 2-6, $65.00 -- Pocket Full of Stardust star·dust n. 1. A dreamlike, romantic, or uncritical sense of well-being. 2. A cluster of stars too distant to be seen individually, resembling a dimly luminous cloud of dust. Not in scientific use. 3. , by Rounder Records, Ages 2 and up, $15.98 -- Ella Jenkins - Growing Up with Ella Jenkins, by Smithsonian Folkways folkways, term coined by William Graham Sumner in his treatise Folkways (1906) to denote those group habits that are common to a society or culture and are usually called customs. Recordings, Ages 3-9, $11.98 Building Toys -- Kids K'NEX(TM) Classroom Collection, by K'NEX Education, Ages 3-7, $75.00 -- LEGO Animates, by LEGO Educational Division, Ages 18 months and up, $68.50 -- Supermag 244, by Plastwood Corporation, Ages 4 and up, $10.95+ Curriculum -- The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood, by Gryphon House, Inc., Ages 3-6, $29.95 -- The Creative Curriculum(R) for Pre-School, 4th Edition, by Teaching Strategies, Inc., Ages 3-5, $39.95 -- Let's Tackle Math(TM), by Learning Resources, Ages 3 and up, $44.95 -- Math Magic Curriculum, by Panda Bear Publications, Ages 3-7, $29.95 Furniture and Play Equipment -- Alutrike, by Italtrike USA, Ages 4-6, $219.00 -- Finger Safe Dramatic Play Set, by Nursery Maid(TM), Ages 18 months - 6 years, $432.00 -- Sproutz(TM) Sink, by Jonti-Craft, Inc., Ages 3-9, $179.50 -- Tip-Me-Not Single Storage Unit with Plywood, by Wood Designs, Ages 2-12, $365.00 Infants and Toddlers -- Emergency Evacuation For other uses, see Evacuation. Emergency evacuation is the movement of persons from a dangerous place due to the threat or occurrence of a disastrous event. Examples are the evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire and the evacuation of a district because of a Nanny Crib, by Nursery Maid(TM), Ages Birth - 2 years, $489.00 -- Handle Havlers - Donnie Dump Truck, by Little Tikes, Ages 6 months to 3 years, $9.99 -- Games to Play with Two Year Olds: Revised Edition, by Gryphon House, Inc., Age 2, $14.95 -- Making Toys for Infants and Toddlers, by Gryphon House, Inc., Ages Birth - 2 years, $14.95 -- Tug a Bug Push Toy, by Star Electronics, Ages 1 and up, $14.99 Storytelling and Children's Literature children's literature, writing whose primary audience is children. See also children's book illustration. The Beginnings of Children's Literature The earliest of what came to be regarded as children's literature was first meant for adults. -- Moments in the Wild series, by Moonstone moonstone, an orthoclase feldspar, found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Madagascar (and formerly in the St. Gotthard district of Switzerland). In spite of its pronounced cleavage, it is widely used as a gem. Press, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control , Ages 3-6, $15.00 -- Border Collie border collie, breed of medium-sized, sheepherding dog developed in the British Isles. It stands about 18 in. (45.7 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 45 lb (13.6–20.4 kg). Puppet, by Folkmanis, Inc., Ages 3 and up, $36.00 -- Porcupine porcupine, in zoology porcupine, member of either of two rodent families, characterized by having some of its hairs modified as bristles, spines, or quills. Puppet, by Folkmanis, Inc., Ages 3 and up, $13.00 -- Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos, by Gryphon House, Inc., Ages Birth 2 years, $19.95 -- Storytelling Literacy Sets, by Discount School Supply, Ages 3 and up, $9.97 Teacher Resources -- Creating Rooms of Wonder by Carol Seefeldt, by Gryphon House, Inc., Ages 2-8, $16.95 -- It's Great to be Three, by Gryphon House, Inc., Age 3, $29.95 -- Making Toys for Preschool Children, by Gryphon House, Inc., Ages 3-5, $14.95 -- Polaroid Education Program CD-ROM CD-ROM: see compact disc. CD-ROM in full compact disc read-only memory Type of computer storage medium that is read optically (e.g., by a laser). , by Polaroid Corporation, Ages 3-9, Free More information about the 2003 Directors' Choice Award winners will appear in the October issue of Earlychildhood NEWS. About Excelligence Learning Corporation Excelligence Learning Corporation is a developer, manufacturer and retailer of educational products to child care programs, preschools, elementary schools and consumers. The Company serves early childhood professionals, educators, and parents by providing quality educational products and programs for children from infancy to 12 years of age. With proprietary product offerings and a multi-channel distribution strategy, the Company helps to further children's education and to reinforce the connection between learning at school and at home. The Company is composed of two business segments, Early Childhood and Elementary School. Through its Early Childhood segment, the Company develops, markets and sells educational products through multiple distribution channels to early childhood professionals and parents. Through its Elementary School segment, the Company sells school supplies and other products specifically targeted for use by children in kindergarten through sixth grade to elementary schools, teachers and other education organizations. These products are then resold as a fundraising device for the benefit of a particular school. Excelligence Learning Corporation's headquarters is in Monterey, California For other uses, see Monterey (disambiguation). The City of Monterey is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in central California. As of 2005, the city population was 30,641. and its website is www.excelligencelearning.com. |
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