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Discoveries for those caring for children…
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Notable Quote
“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”
— e.e. cummings
Feature Article
The Environment: Keeping Nature A Part Of Our Nurturing
By Roxie Nestlerode, Early Learning Specialist
This month, as we welcome spring and celebrate Earth Day (April 22), it is a good time to look at how nature is included in your curriculum and activities. Is the outdoors only a place for exercise, or is it a place for learning and a place to learn about?
Distance Education Highlights
Backyard Discoveries
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!
Backyard Discoveries
Exploring the natural world just outside your door is fun and a great way to turn children ages three through five on to science. Discover how to make a nature detective tool kit for exploring the outdoors! Preview the lesson here.
Available as a one-hour Web-based Lesson. To complete this lesson on your computer and receive credit and comments, you will need to register.
View Better Kid Care's comprehensive list of web based and mail based professional development lessons here.
Research Collections:
Environmental Education
Nature and Health
As children become more sedentary, health issues have increased. This fact sheet from NEEF outlines the current research on the current state of children's health and the effect of active play and outdoor play on children's health.
Connecting with Nature
Our lifestyles, educational programs, and community designs have decreased the amount of outdoor play for many children. The National Wildlife Federation has developed a policy action plan for increasing the amount of outdoor time for children in today's reality.
Benefit of Environmental Education
Studies are showing that environmental education has a positive effect on children's scholastic performance and personal development, including increased critical thinking skills, grades, motivation, and leadership skills.
Inspirations
The Art of Recycling!
Instead of throwing it away, can you turn it into art? Take a different look at something before tossing it, and see if you can turn trash into a treasure!
What can you do with …
Every day is Earth Day. – Author Unknown
Caution: If you are working with children under three years of age or with mixed age children, do not use small pieces as they may present a choking hazard.
Turn the Page
Spring and Exploring Nature
For children:
For you:
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.
Physical Activity – Indoors and Outdoors and Keep Kids Moving
By Nancy Wilson, Early Childhood Program Specialist
Parents, be aware that state childcare regulations in Pennsylvania require caregivers and teachers to take children outdoors every day except in extreme weather. It's healthy for children to play outdoors and safe if they are dressed properly.
Read more about active play here.
View archived Family Time/Work Time articles here.
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 features research-based information to support and increase the quality of caring for children from military-connected families. This month’s highlight is on … emotional wellness.
Relationships, Attachment, & Self Regulation: It All Matters
Early emotional wellness is important to children's ability to function and adapt in life. There are many abilities connected to emotional wellness, such as the ability to engage well and get along with others, display self-control, identify emotions, and recognize other's emotions. Adults who work with children from military-connected families recognize that relationships, attachment, and self-regulation help to lay the foundation for positive well being and emotional wellness.
Relationship: For children, relationships are the foundation upon which everything grows. Their overall development – intellectual, social, emotional, physical, behavioral, and moral – is affected by the relationships they have with others in their lives. Allow plenty of time everyday for interactions that provide conversations and the exchanges we need to connect with both children and families.
Attachment: Infants and young children rely on predictable, nurturing attachments with the primary adults in their lives – you! Healthy attachment sets the foundation whereby children become aware that their needs are met; as a result, they can feel joy, comfort, and low levels of stress.
Self Regulation: Although most children acquire self regulation through positive early experiences, experts suggest that self regulation is a skill that needs guidance. Help children recognize their feelings and others' feelings by reading stories about friends and feelings or by role playing and acting out scenarios. Chose activities that give children practice controlling themselves in appropriate ways, such as pouring their own drinks or playing stop and go games.
Read more about relationship, attachment, and self regulation:
Self Regulation: Searching intentional practices - Part 1
Self Regulation: Searching intentional practices - Part 2
Relationships: The Essential Ingredient in Caring for Children and How You Can Support It!
Emotional Wellness: Understanding Its Importance
Creating a Sense of Place: Considering Routine, Ritual, and Belonging
Celebrate the Military Child this April! Sponsored by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy, the Month of the Military Child is a time to applaud military families and their children for the daily sacrifices they make and the challenges they overcome. Read ideas about how to celebrate Month of the Military Child from the Real Warriors campaign.
School Age childcare
School Gardens
Gardening with school-age children can be a great way to introduce environmental education and to help children connect to nature. Research is showing that there are health and personal benefits for children who participate in school gardening activities.
How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers by Arden Bucklin-Sporer and Rachel Kathleen Pringle. In this book the authors share ideas for cultivating school gardens from planning to planting to harvesting to preparing foods.
"There is rising concern over a growing divide between children and the ecology that surrounds them. More and more commonly children stay inside sitting in front of computers or video games, exploring virtual reality instead of playing and exploring out of doors. … School gardens provide a space for students to reconnect to the ecology around them. Gardens teach students about agriculture, how we nourish ourselves, the importance of stewardship, and an appreciation for the natural systems that support life on our planet."
Read an excerpt from the book at: http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/community/reconnecting-kids-to-nature-benefits-of-school-gardens.aspx
Yost, B., & Chawla, L. (2009). Benefits of gardening for children, Fact Sheet #3, Aug 2009. Children, Youth and Environments Center for Resarch and Design. Retrieved August 18, 2009 from http://www.peecworks.org/PEEC/PEEC_Research/S03D4BA56-03D4BBCF
In this fact sheet, the authors outline the benefits of gardening as shown through various research studies.
"Gardening provides different forms of engagement for children, including designing, planting, and maintaining gardens; harvesting, preparing, and sharing food; working cooperatively in groups; learning about science and nutrition; and creating art and stories inspired by gardens. The studies summarized below have been selected because they include control groups, pre- and post-measures, well controlled correlations, or in-depth qualitative analyses."
Master Gardeners
Master Gardeners is a program of the American Horticultural Society, conducted throughout the United States and Canada. Gardeners are provided intense home horticulture training, and after completing classes, they volunteer with university extension agents. Master Gardeners assist with garden lectures, exhibits, demonstrations, school and community gardening, and many other projects.
More School Age Resources
National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has a Prescription for Outdoor Activity, in English and Spanish, that is a tool you can use to encourage children to spend more time being active in nature.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides materials for families to support healthy active living, such as their Healthy Active Living Prescription in English and Spanish.
Visit the Better Kid Care School Age link here.
CDA Notions
NEWS from the CDA Council: New Council website launched
The CDA Council has completely redesigned its website. Several new features, such as an online registration system for CDA candidates, will be added in the future. We will highlight changes as they become active in future newsletters. Take a moment to check out the renovated website here. The revised CDA Competency Standards books are now available in the online Council Bookstore.
Read these updates and more in the CDA Council’s February CounciLink newsletter here.
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. IPM works to promote healthy alternatives for pest management to lower children’s exposure to both pests and pesticides through a variety of educational programs. Resources for children, teachers, and parents are available on the IPM website. This month’s focus is on ants — a sure sign of spring!
Contributed by Amber Brunskill, PA IPM Program, abrunskill@psu.edu, 814-865-7994
When the ants come marching two by two…
Warmer temperatures are often the first signal of spring's arrival. However, shortly thereafter a common six-legged pest may be making an appearance inside your building also letting you know spring is here. After being inactive over the winter, worker ants emerge from colonies underground in search of food to feed the newly hatched larvae in the nest. The workers fan out in all directions looking for food and can become nuisance pests if the food is found inside the building. When a good food source is found, the ant leaves a chemical trail so the other workers can find the food source too.
Begin addressing an ant problem with proper identification. Carpenter ants are large black ants that can be destructive to buildings, whereas the many species of small household nuisance ants, such as pavement ants, tend to invade kitchen sinks, cabinets and other places with a variety of food sources, preferably sweets. Then use the steps of integrated pest management (IPM) to manage a nuisance ant problem before it gets out of hand. Key steps are provided below.
Prevention:
Eliminate access to food, water and shelter. Clean up spills and crumbs. Keep food in sealed containers. Don't leave food (or pet food) out overnight. Fix leaky pipes, dripping faucets, and other sources of water. Caulk cracks and crevices. Repair screens.
Control:
Report the pest problem to the facility's director and/or the pest management professional. Follow the ant trails to see how they are getting inside and what foods they are going after. Squish or vacuum up visible ants (be sure to seal and discard the vacuum bag!). Use vinegar and water or soapy water to wipe up chemical trails.
If the prevention and control measures listed above do not solve the problem, talk with your director and/or pest management professional about using a less risky pesticide, such as enclosed, tamper-proof baits. Be sure they are kept out of the reach of children!
For more information about ants and using IPM to control them, download this brochure and visit the PA IPM program at 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.
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
April 26-29 – Family Resilience Conference: Forging Partnerships, Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP), National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Land Grant Universities, the 2011 DoD/USDA, Chicago
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 4-5 – Pennsylvania Head Start, Harrisburg, PA http://www.paheadstart.org/index.cfm?mm_id=11
(May 3 – Pre-Conference Session)
May 5-7 – DVAEYC (Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children) Conference, Philadelphia, PA http://www.dvaeyc.org/events/annual-conference
May 5-7 – 29th Learning and the Brain Conference, Chicago, IL http://www.learningandthebrain.com/
(May 4 - Pre-conference workshops)
May 22-24 – Building Quality: Educational Leadership for a Changing World, State College, PA, contact jenben@berksiu.org
June 4 – Save the Date! Behavior Symposium, Beaver Falls, PA
June 12, 2011 – NAEYC National Institute for Professional Development, Providence, Rhode Island
June 18 – CPR Training & Certification, True United Church, Philadelphia, PA, contact 215-844-1132, ext. 2, or email sdavidheart@aol.com. Registration is due by June 4.
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.
July 21-23 – 2011 National Association of Family Childcare Conference “Quest for Quality: Supporting Happy, Healthy Children”, Henderson NV
NAFCC’s Annual Sue Stevens 4 Star Accreditation Essay Contest – The Sue Stevens 4-Star Contest recognizes an accredited provider who has demonstrated passion for family childcare and for quality care through an essay contest. This contest was created to honor Sue Stevens from Louisville, Colorado who was in the first group of providers to become accredited by NAFCC in 1988 and has remained accredited for 21 years. The winner of this contest is honored and receives an award at the Annual Conference Accreditation Reception and VIP seating with Sue Stevens at the conference luncheon. The contest application is available here.
The 2011 NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Week of the Young Child will be held April 10 through April 16, 2011. The theme for the 2011 Week of the Young Child will be "Early Years Are Learning Years." NAEYC is also offering a variety of sub-themes for the Week of the Young Child. These sub-themes can be used for each day or as a means of tailoring the Week of the Young Child to your specific program, school, or community. Visit NAEYC's web site for useful resources, planning ideas, and to share your celebrations. Go to http://www.naeyc.org/woyc
National Environmental Education Week:
Ocean Connections April 10-16, 2011
"National Environmental Education Week (EE Week), the nation's largest environmental education event held each year the week before Earth Day, inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. EE Week connects educators with environmental resources to promote K-12 students' understanding of the environment. EE Week is a program of the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEFF)."
Visit the EE Week website to view a video message from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco inviting students and teachers to join EE Week in learning about the importance of our oceans and how to protect the health of our oceans.
Great Resources
By topic: Early Education, Families, Nature, Health and Well Being, Grants, Funding, and OpportunityThis article from education.com gives 10 ways to teach children about seasons.
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/10-ways-teach-child-seasons/
The Child Development Tracker from PBS Parents is an informational tool that gives you general developmental expectations for children ages 1 – 8, including science/nature experiences.
Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, provides science-based recommendations to help children and youth 6 – 17 years improve their health through physical activity. Several toolkits to help teachers support the guidelines physical activity are available.
Parents' Primer
This primer will help parents engage with their children through gardening and give them garden-building basic. http://www.kidsgardening.org/primer.asp
Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit
The Tool Kit includes a Quick Start Guide with simple instructions on how to start a local Nature Club for Families. Download the Tool KitOutdoor Play
Let’s G. O.! is a youth-inspired, youth-led Children &Nature Network month-long intergenerational campaign in April 2011 to rally people of all ages to Play, Serve and Celebrate outdoors in nature. Find our more and download the toolkit here. May take awhile to load.
Eating Healthy. Growing Strong.
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) have joined with the best-selling children’s book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle in a book campaign to help families learn about healthy eating habits. Resources for healthy eating that can be used with the book are available at: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and AAP.
Environmental History Screening Tool
The National Environmental Education Foundation has designed an environmental history screening to capture most of the common environmental health hazards that children may be exposed to.
Pediatric Environmental History Screening Form (en Español).
Gardening Safety
This article from kidsgardening.org outlines safety guidelines and common sense rules for gardening with children.
Grants, Funding, & Opportunity
Child Nutrition
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.
Early Childhood Reading
We Give Books – A new digital initiative that provides access to award-winning children’s picture books for reading to young children online. The program was created by the Penguin Group and Pearson Foundation.
Target Community Outreach – Reading grants are awarded to schools, libraries, and nonprofit organizations, supporting programs such as weekend book clubs and after-school reading programs that foster a love of reading and encourage children, from preschool through 3rd grade, to read together with their families. Award: Grants are $2,000. Grant applications are available here. March 1–April 30.
Reading Resource Project Free books for preK-2 literacy programs. Programs only pay for shipping. Deadline: rolling.
Verizon Foundation – Grants for education and literacy programs. Grant applications available here. Deadline: rolling
Arts & Culture in Schools
Target Community Outreach – Schools and nonprofit organizations are eligible to receive Arts & Culture in Schools Grants that bring art experiences to students, inside and outside of the classroom. All programs must have a curriculum component. Award: Grants are $2,000. Grant applications are available here. March 1–April 30.
Field Trip Grants
Target Community Outreach – Educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, and classified staff of these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students. Must have a curriculum component. Award: Grants are up to $700. Grant applications are available here. August 1–September 30.
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View archived Better Kid Care E-Newsletters here.
Reflections…
Let's hear from you! Email your ideas to Roxie or call (814) 867-4687.
Feature article references:
The Environment: Keeping Nature A Part Of Our Nurturing
“Outdoor and Environmental Education”, Clifford E. Knapp, www.education.com
“Redefining Outdoor Education: A Matter of Many Relationships", Simon Priest, Journal of Environmental Education
“Placed-based Curriculum and Instruction: Outdoor and Environmental Education Approaches”, Janice L. Woodhouse and Clifford E. Knapp, ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools
Research Collection papers
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