An Award of Distinction for
Exceptional Products for Young Children
As a winner in the Music category, "Smart
Moves 3" was selected among
numerous applicants to receive a
2006 Directors’ Choice
Award from
Earlychildhood NEWS, an Excelligence Learning
Corporation publication. The Directors’ Choice Awards, acknowledging
outstanding design and manufacture of educational products for young
children, were announced today. This prestigious distinction, now in its 17th
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.
In 2006, (16) products were honored in four categories
including audio/video, furniture and play equipment, toys and games, and
teachers' resources and children's books. 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.
According to 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 included:
Tom Simons, Director
of Education & Public Programs, Omaha Children's Museum
Lori Ann Seal,
Executive Director/National Association of Child Care Professionals 2006
Child Care Director of the Year
Karen Ponder,
President, North Carolina Partnership for Children
Karen Krische,
Program Specialist, Division of Special Education/Infant/Preschool Support
Services and
Darlene Jensen, Early
Childhood Director, Center for Jewish Education.
An adjunct of Directors’ Choice, the annual Judges’
Selection Awards will be announced at a reception held at the National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference in
Atlanta, GA, November 9. 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, 5 products will receive this special award.
More information about the 2006 Directors’ Choice
Award winners will appear in an upcoming feature on
EarlychildhoodNEWS.com
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