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Discoveries for those caring for children…
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Notable Quote
“What you do about what you don't know is, in the final analysis, what determines what you will know. ” — Eleanor Duckworth, The Having of Wonderful Ideas And Other Essays On Teaching and Learning
Feature Article
Energize Your Program and Each Other with New Ideas
By Christine Belinda, Early Childhood Program Specialist
Although consistency and routine are profoundly important in our work with children, new ideas and opportunities are vital as well. Simple additions and modifications in our programs, routines, and ourselves can inspire interest, invite learning, and invigorate our work. Whether you are a one-person operation or part of a large program, consider implementing a few new ideas and opportunities to energize your program and each other.
Distance Education Highlights
Building Relationships with Children and Youth Who Challenge Us (Includes new On Demand Review)
Are you aware that Better Kid Care provides comprehensive curricula in early childhood development?
The Better Kid Care curriculum follows the Pennsylvania Core Body of Knowledge and offers multiple course titles to choose from. Each course offers numerous Distance Education lessons, providing a well-rounded approach to meet your professional development needs. View the entire Better Kid Care Distance Education curriculum on line at www.betterkidcare.psu.edu and choose your course of study today!
Building Relationships with Children and Youth Who Challenge Us
This distance education lesson focuses on what you can do to build positive relationships with all children – even the ones who challenge you. Learn about temperament traits and how to use them as a tool to help you understand behavior and develop ideas to meet the needs and interests of children and youth. Available as a two-hour Web lesson. To complete this lesson online and receive credit and comments, you will need to register.
NEW! On Demand Review: The assignment questions for this lesson provide On Demand Review. You will receive immediate feedback as you complete each question. When you have successfully completed all questions, click the submit button. Better Kid Care will process your certificate and mail it to you within one week of completion.
Click here to preview the lesson materials.
View Better Kid Care's comprehensive list of web based and mail based professional development lessons here.
Research Collections:
Neuro Myths
Neuro Myths: Separating Fact and Fiction in Brain-Based Learning - New research on educational neuroscience tells us how kids learn -- and how you should teach by Sara Bernard, originally published 12-1-2010 © Edutopia.org; The George Lucas Educational Foundation - With the great popularity of so-called brain-based learning, however, comes great risk. "So much of what is published and said is useless," says Kurt Fischer, founding president of the International Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) Society and director of the MBE graduate program at Harvard University. "Much of it is wrong, a lot is empty or vapid, and some is not based in neuroscience at all." Still, there are some powerful insights emerging from brain science that speak directly to how we teach in the classroom: learning experiences do help the brain grow, emotional safety does influence learning, and making lessons relevant can help information stick. The trick is separating the meat from the marketing. So what's an educator to make of all these claims? Read more.
Why Business Should Support Early Childhood Education, a report developed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for a Competitive Workforce - Early childhood education has emerged as a critical issue for many Chamber members, with a growing number actively supporting early learning initiatives in their states. Read the report here.
Inspirations
Let It Shine
Light is a source of ever-changing wonder for children. Simple moments exploring light can grow into explorations in science, math, art, and language. At very young ages children begin to realize that light can change, make shadows, and have direct sources such as the sun. Think about adding light resources to your environment, for instance, mirrors, see through containers such as water bottles filled with colored water, and mobiles made of materials that sparkle and bounce light, such as glass, shiny papers, and metals.
Turn the Page
Winter
Here's a list to take to the library.Family Time / Work Time
Are you looking for articles to share with your families? Do you need information for your parent/family bulletin board? Family Time / Work Time shares easy-to-read articles for busy parents and caretakers with a focus on Building Strong Families.
You are welcome to print and share these publications with your friends, family, and other childcare providers.
What All Children Need
By Nancy Wilson, Early Childhood Program Specialist
As a working parent your schedule is probably hectic and this can be difficult. It’s good for you to take time to think about what your child needs most. Mimi Brodsky Chenfeld, an inspiring teacher, author, and advocate for children states it so well in the following guidelines. “To nurture creativity and happy learning for a lifetime: let your home be a safe, loving, and nonpressured environment where children can be children. Don’t over program. Don’t minimize the importance of simply sharing your time. Stay in touch with nature. In general, trust your instincts. You know when your children are happiest and most receptive to learning.” Read more.
View archived Family Time/Work Time articles here.
NEW! Caring I.D.E.A.S. for Children from Military-Connected Families:
Information,
Developmental understanding,
Educational resources,
Action ideas, and
Supportive practices
Caring for children from military-connected families requires a comprehensive understanding of their unique needs and strengths. Each month, Caring I.D.E.A.S for Children from Military-Connected Families will feature research-based information to support and increase the quality of caring for children from military-connected families. This month’s highlight is: Let’s Talk: Embracing Language Development
Let’s Talk: Embracing Language Development
Language is a tool all children need. It’s not just the words learned that matter, but also the social connections made through language interactions, such as reading a favorite story with a small group of friends and their teacher. Language provides voice and meaning to our thoughts, enhances our conversations, and provides the ultimate mechanism in thoughtful, engaging communication. Research indicates that children who grow up surrounded by rich and meaningful language have better communicating skills.
Language and communication are critical in caring for children from military connected families; language helps all of us in understanding each others’ stories and unique situations. Whether it is a child facing the deployment of a parent/family member, or the child who is proud of her mommy’s work in the military, language helps give voice to their stories and feelings. As adults who care for children, we are instrumental in guiding language development as well as sharing important ideas with children’s families so they can do the same. Below are four research based articles to support your work with children and to share with families.
School Age childcare
Practices to Foster in Out of School Time
Practices to Foster in Out of School Time, by Kristin Anderson Moore, Ph.D., Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew, Ph.D., and Ashleigh Collins, M.A., A Research to Results Brief from Child Trends - Efforts to improve outcomes for children and youth in out-of-school time programs can benefit from implementing proven practices from the field. In this brief, they draw from research, as well as a series of Roundtables1 with practitioners and youth, to identify 10 practices that can foster positive outcomes for participants in out-of-school time programs.
Program Practices to Foster:
Read the full brief here.
More School Age Resources!
Visit the Better Kid Care School Age link here.
CDA Notions
NEWS from the CDA Council
Cultural Diversity Appreciated through Holiday Celebrations
In the December CDA CounciLINK newsletter, the CDA Council states, “Good early childhood care and education programs consistently demonstrate awareness and respect for cultural diversity. Holidays provide wonderful opportunities to help children learn about many different traditions. In the winter months, many early childhood programs include children whose families celebrate Hanukah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Day, Christmas, and other holidays. Some programs thoughtfully choose to retain their typical program curriculum rather than incorporate activities planned around holidays — the idea is to provide a predictable and calming environment during a time when children can easily be over-stimulated and anxious.” Read more from the CDA Council.
Uncover more CDA Information from Better Kid Care:
Penn State Better Kid Care and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Programs are teaming up to bring you "Go Green for Kids," a monthly tip to help you provide a healthier and safer environment for the children in your care. This month focuses on pest prevention.
Not in my building!
The weather is cold outside and pests are looking for a warm place to live. This is a great time of year to practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to keep pests from becoming a problem. IPM is an economical, effective, as well as health and environmentally sensitive way to manage pests. The focus of IPM is on pest prevention. When pests come inside, they are looking for food, water, and shelter. Removing these items can dramatically reduce and at times eliminate pest problems. Here are several steps you can take today to prevent pests from becoming a problem.
For more information about IPM and steps you can do to prevent pests, check out the IPM brochure and visit the website of the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program (www.paipm.org).
Professional Development Highlights
The following information highlights upcoming professional development opportunities available for early childhood practitioners:
PA Keys to Quality - Professional Development Training Calendar
Are you looking for training specifically in your area? Visit the PA Keys to Quality web site to locate and search the professional development training calendar. Go to PAKEYS.ORG and Log in, Click on Calendar, Search the Calendar, and Contact the Pennsylvania Early Learning Keys to Quality office with any questions at 800-284-6031.
January 22 - Color Me Healthy, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
January 22 – Early Years Are Learning Years…Make them count! The Penn Stater, State College, PA 914-355-4897
February 5 - The Power of Light as a Language for Exploration: Children, Science and Creativity, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, ted.coe.wayne.edu/reggio
February 5 - Lullabies to Literacy, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
February 19 - Story Time and Beyond, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
February 26 - Classroom Management Techniques & Ways to Work with Personality Plus Kids!, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
March 2-4- Early Education and Technology for Children™ (EETC), Salt Lake City, Utah, http://www.eetcconference.org/
March 5 – Families in Society: Handling Stress, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
March 15-19 – National Association of childcare Resource and Referral Agency, Making Connections: All Children, All Families, All Settings, Washington, D. C. http://www.naccrra.org/conferences/symposium/2010-nps.php
March 19 – Across the Curriculum with Nursery Rhymes, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
March 30-April 2 – Addressing Challenging Behavior: National Training Institute of Effective Practice/Supporting Young Children's Social Development, Clearwater Beach, Florida
April 2 – 1-2-3 Magic Part 1, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
April 7-10 – National Association for Elementary School Principals, Tampa, FL, http://s15.a2zinc.net/clients/naesp/naesp11/public/enter.aspx
April 16 - 1-2-3 Magic Part 2, WQLN, Erie, PA, contact 814- 217-6001 or kcarducci@wqln.org
April 16 - A Child’s Right to Invent, Imagine and Observe: Constructing and Deconstructing the Language of Drawing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, ted.coe.wayne.edu/reggio
May 2, 2011 - May 5, 2011– Greensboro, NC – The National Smart Start Conference is hailed as the nation's largest conference devoted to early education systems and strategies.
May 5-7 – DVAEYC (Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children) Conference, Philadelphia, PA http://www.dvaeyc.org/events/annual-conference
June 12, 2011 – NAEYC National Institute for Professional Development, Providence, Rhode Island
July 10-13 – National Principals Conference: Strengthening Communities through Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Learners, Orlando FL
July 19-21, 2011– Save the Date! PA Infant-Toddler Symposium, Blair County Convention Center, Altoona, PA contact Karen at 717-526-4646 or karen@paheadstart.org
July 21-23 – Save the Date - The 19th Annual Children and Youth Garden Symposium "Digging into the Art & Science of Gardening", Lansing, Michigan, 4-H Children's Garden and the Frederik Meijer Botanic Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Great Resources
By topic: Early Education, Families, Nature, Health and Well Being, Grants, Funding, and OpportunityYour Brain at Work: Learning how you Learn Best – You've got a lot on your mind at work these days. Changing technology and a challenging economy mean that learning on the job is more important than ever for people of all ages. This site shows you how you learn, and gives you tips for learning better.
Early educators and families need to follow new oral health recommendations for children. Experts no longer recommend that children take fluoride tablets and liquid supplements. Instead, children should brush their teeth twice a day with fluoride-containing toothpaste. The amount of toothpaste should be appropriate for the child’s age. Infants use a smear of toothpaste. Children 2-5 years of age use a pea-sized amount. From then on, a small ribbon is appropriate. By 12 months of age, or 6 months after the first tooth appears, children should visit a pediatric or child-friendly dentist. Thereafter, children should visit a dentist every 6 months. The dentist should apply fluoride varnish to their teeth at the visits. Medicaid and some private health insurance will pay for these preventive dental services. The child's pediatrician may b! e able to temporarily provide these services to healthy children up to age 5 if dental services are not available.
More details about preventive practices for oral health for children will be in the Winter 2011 issue of Health Link ONLINE. Go to the ECELS home page at www.ecels-healthychildcarepa.org
Finding My Forest Program – You Can Help Your Students Connect with Nature while Teaching Science, Language Arts, Social Studies and More! Register for Finding My Forest today. It's FREE from the US Forest Service! When you register, you will have access to the downloadable program materials by clicking here. The first 10,000 registrants will automatically receive a printed kit. www.findingmyforestkit.org.
Environmental Kids Club – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Kids Club is our Web site for kids. We'll help you explore your environment and learn how to protect it. The Environmental Kids Club has games, pictures, stories, and more! Visit here.
Greening Early Childhood Centers: A Resource Guide – This ring bound guide is the latest in a series of educational resource guides developed by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation's Community Investment Collaborative for Kids (CICK). It details environmentally-sound building design and facility management practices tailored specifically to the needs of childcare centers. It cites the advantages of green design, including reduced operating costs and enhanced health protection and provides detailed advice on design, maintenance, financing and ownership of green facilities.
Top Tips for Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Safe Kids USA – Young children are especially vulnerable to the effects of carbon monoxide, because of their smaller bodies. Children process carbon monoxide differently than adults, may be more severely affected by it, and may show symptoms sooner. You won't know that you have a carbon monoxide leak, without a working detector. If you burn any fuels for heat or cooking, be sure that you have a working carbon monoxide detector and deter this silent killer. Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and tips for preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. Visit http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/carbon-monoxide/
Fast Food F.A.C.T.S. Releases new report – Children as young as age 2 are seeing more fast food ads than ever before, and restaurants rarely offer parents the healthy kids’ meal choices, according to a new study from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. The report’s authors studied marketing efforts of 12 of the nation’s largest fast food chains, and examined the calories, fat, sugar and sodium in more than 3,000 kids’ meal combinations and 2,781 menu items. Read the full report and visit http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org/ for additional info and resources.
Grants, Funding, & Opportunity
Exploravision Award - Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association have teamed up to create the Exploravision Award. The competition is open to kindergarten to grade 12 students and according to the award Web site, "encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science." Entries are due February 2, 2011.
2011 Welch’s Harvest Grant – Deadline: February 11, 2011
As a family farmer owned company that is proud to grow and nurture grapes, Welch's values the importance of healthy eating. In partnership with Scholastic and the National Gardening Association, Welch's will award 95 garden packages worth $500 and 5 packages worth $1,000. Recipients may choose between indoor or outdoor gardening supplies. Visit http://www.scholastic.com/harvest to complete the online application.
Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program – Register by March 1, 2011
Each year, Bonnie Plants distributes free cabbage plants to third graders across the country to foster an interest in gardening and the environment. Cabbages are delivered to students whose teachers have signed up to participate. Students in these third grade classrooms each get their very own cabbage to plant, take care of and harvest. The cabbages produce oversized heads, making the process even more exciting for kids. As part of the program, Bonnie gives a $1,000 award to one student in each state. Find out more.
The got breakfast? Silent Hero Grant program was launched to encourage schools and nonprofit organizations to expand the reach of under-utilized child nutrition programs, most notably the National School Breakfast Program. Award: Multiple awards of $5,000 each are available. Eligibility: Public schools, nonprofit private schools and nonprofits that participate in the National School Breakfast Program are eligible to apply.
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Reflections…
Let's hear from you! Email your ideas to crb16@psu.edu or call 814-865-7894.
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