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Discoveries for those caring for children…
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Notable Quote
“A great deal of what we see still depends on what we're looking for.”
— Anonymous
Feature Article
Be Observant – Looking Out for Children and Families
By Roxie Nestlerode, Early Learning Specialist
The well being, health, and safety of children is the core goal for early care and education professionals. It's what brings you to work in child care and why your work brings you joy. But sometimes children and families face difficult situations, and you are challenged to provide extra support, deal with sensitive issues, and become more aware of the children's lives outside of your program. In caring for children you also have a responsibility to provide positive learning experiences, advocate for and protect children, and to help families in their aspirations to provide a good life for their children.
Taking pause …
Better Kid Care is deeply saddened by the events that have occurred at Penn State and remains committed to providing education and support for those caring for our children. Some topics, such as child abuse and neglect, are difficult. Child care providers may need help and support in knowing what actions to take. Better Kid Care has professional development and informational resources to help those who suspect child maltreatment and to get help for children and families. A list of resources is in the “Great Resources” section.
Distance Education Highlights
Are you aware that Penn State Better Kid Care provides comprehensive curricula in early childhood development? The 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. Two types of lessons are offered: on demand web lessons and lessons by mail. You can view the comprehensive list of professional development web lessons and lessons by mail. To access the entire Penn State Better Kid Care Distance Education curriculum on line, visit us at www.betterkidcare.psu.edu and choose your course of study today!
For more professional development lessons, view Penn State Better Kid Care’s comprehensive list of on-demand web lessons and lessons by mail.
New On Demand Lessons:
Available as On Demand web lessons. To complete any of these lessons on your computer and receive credit and a certificate, you will need to register.
Science for Young Thinkers [K2 C1, CDA 2] Find out how to make science exploration and learning fun for children and adults. Discover science basics, activity ideas, and the scientific method. Learn how you can offer hands-on science exploration every day. (2 hours)
What Does Brain Research Tell US About Infant Care? [K1 C1, CDA 2] Knowing more about early brain development helps us understand why high quality infant care is important. Learn how to make everyday routines such as feeding and diapering into caring, sensitive, learning times for the babies in your care. Discover what you can do to provide valuable experiences to help infants grow and develop. (2 hours)
The On Demand system may be unavailable on Sundays from 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. (EST) for system maintenance.
Research Collections:
Transforming Public Education: Pathway to a Pre-K – 12 Future – In their final publication, Pre-K Now outlines a strategy for transforming public education by moving from the current K-12 module to a more effective, evidence-based Pre-K-12 system.
Bilingual Language Development
Two recent studies look at babies’ language development in bilingual environments.
Bilingual language learning: An ERP study relating early brain responses to speech, language input, and later work production– Dr. Patricia Kuhl and associates looked at infant brain development and found variations in the way a babies’ brains developed if they were in a bilingual environment. Babies in a bilingual environment showed a different pattern of development than babies in a monolingual environment.
Patricia Kuhl: The linguistic genius of babies – A video of Dr. Kuhl discussing how babies learn one language over another from Ted Conferences, LLC .
The Roots of Bilingualism in Newborns – Dr. Janet Werker and associates found that babies of bilingual mothers were able to discriminate between the two languages spoken by their mothers and showed equal preference for both languages.
Inspirations
Through our Caring Ideas resource pages – Tip Pages, Activity Pages, and Lunch & Snack Ideas – we share ideas to inspire your work with children. We’d like to know what you think about the Caring Ideas resource pages and how you use them. Please take a few minutes to complete our survey.
Better Kid Care Caring Ideas Survey
Turn the Page
Festival of Light Celebrations
Diwali (Nov. 25 – Dec. 1) – Lighting a Lamp: A Diwali Story (Festival time) by Jonny Zucker, published by Barron’s Educational Series. ISBN: 0764126709
Hanukkah (Dec. 2 – 8) – Light the Candles: A Hanukkah Lift-the-Flap Book by Joan Holub, published by Puffin. ISBN - 0140567577
Santa Lucia (Dec. 9 – 15) – Hanna’s Christmas by Melissa Peterson, published by HarperFestival. ISBN: 0694013714
Kwanzaa (Dec. 23 – 29) – Kwanzaa by Trudi Strain Trueit, published by Children’s Press. ISBN: 0531118399
Christmas (Dec. 25) – Christmas Around the World by Mary D. Lankford, published by HarperCollins. ISBN: 0688163235
Chinese New Year (Dec. 30 – Jan. 5) – Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, published by Holiday House. ISBN: 0823415205
Connecting with Families
Ideas and resources that you can use for involving families in your program, engaging families in early learning, encouraging family time, and supporting families in need. This month our topic is…reading with children.
Research has shown that children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school and children who read regularly become stronger readers. With the growth of media and technology, books and bedtime stories may not be a regular part of family routines. These resources for reading with children can be used to help families develop an enjoyment of reading and develop children’s literacy skills.
Readingrockets.org – Reading Rockets has information and activities for families to promote reading. Parent articles are available as PDFs and in Spanish.
Colorincolorado.org – Colorin Colorado! has resources for bilingual families.
Scholastic.com – Click on the “Parents” tab for a webpage for families with articles, activities, and reading lists for families.
PBS Parents – Part of PBS.org, this website has articles on reading development by age and a book finder search program for families.
National Children’s Literacy Website – The Soho Center has developed a collection of tips for families to help their children read, including tips for using the local public library.
More resources for families:
Bright Futures/Child Care Health Partnership Handouts for Parents – A series of handouts that give parents tips on what is developmentally appropriate for child care programs to be working on with children. Handouts are by age groups from 2 months – 4 years old.
Better Kid Care Resources for Families:
Great I.D.E.A.S. for Children from Military-Connected Families:
New on CYTTAP!
Parent Topics …Giving a helping hand to our military-connected families.
Parent Topics articles cover topics that impact military-connected families. The short, easy-reading articles are great for sharing with families!
More for You:
Visit the CYTTAP website to access a variety of helpful resources, including Great Ideas, Parent Topics, Vodcasts, and more, for supporting military-connected families.
School Age Child Care
Measurement Tools for Evaluating Out-of-School Time Programs: An Evaluation Resource – This guide from the Harvard Family Research Project describes a select set of instruments and tools that can be used by out-of-school time programs to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of the programs.
School-age Child Care Grants, Funding, and Opportunities
Harvard Family Research Project is seeking out-of-school time/expanded learning program directors to pilot Afterschool Evaluation 101: How to Evaluate an Expanded Learning Program, a new tool designed to facilitate OST program evaluations and slated to be released this month. The project is looking for OST program directors that are either in the beginning stages of planning an evaluation or already in the process of conducting one. If you think that Afterschool Evaluation 101 could help inform your evaluation, and you are willing to provide feedback on your experience using it, apply to become one of the pilot organizations. Online application Due date: December 20, 2011.
More School Age Resources –
Penn SACCA - The Pennsylvania School-Age Child Care Alliance is a statewide network of after-school programs committed to the promotion of high quality after-school programs and the professional development of school-time professionals.
PSAYDN - The Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool Youth Development Network promotes sustainable, high-quality out-of-school time youth development programs through advocacy and capacity building.
National Wildlife Federation – Eco-Schools USA, a program of the National Wildlife Federation, has a channel on SchoolTube, a media sharing website for students and educators. Eco-Schools invites programs to share how they are greening their environments.
BOOST – In their November newsletter, BOOST (the Best of Out-of-School Time Collaborative) featured a fun youth activity for school-age children – mosaic self-portraits!
School-Age Resources available from Better Kid Care
CDA Notions
New requirement for CDA Advisors – If you are applying online for your CDA, your advisor will need to have an Advisor ID number, and you will need to enter it for your online application. Advisors can apply for an Advisor ID number on the CDA Council's website.
CDA + Better Kid Care = Success!
Check out our revised materials that reflect recent updates from the CDA Council!
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… roaches, those pesky hitchhikers!
Contributed by Amber Brunskill, PA IPM Program, abrunskill@psu.edu, 814-865-7994
What’s in the cardboard box?
Whether a box is coming into the child care facility because of an order being received or a parent is bringing in something from home, cardboard boxes are one of many ways cockroaches can enter a facility. Cockroaches are found throughout the United States with three species being especially common in Pennsylvania: German,American, and Oriental. German cockroaches, the most common species found inside buildings, are small, tan and have two dark stripes running from their head to their wings. They prefer warm, moist places and will hitchhike from one location to another in items such as bags and boxes, even hiding inside the corrugations of the box! American cockroaches are 1 ½ - 2 inches long and are reddish-brown in color. They usually enter a building by crawling in from outside or up sewers and drains. These roaches can also fly. Oriental cockroaches are very dark brown, almost black in color with a greasy sheen to their bodies. They are 1 ¼ inches long and prefer cool, dark, damp places at or below ground level. These roaches eat decaying organic matter and usually aren’t found in cupboards or higher floors of buildings.
Besides being a nuisance, cockroaches are also a health concern. They can carry disease-causing bacteria and viruses from place to place. Also as cockroaches grow, they molt. These cast skins along with cockroach excrement contain allergens, which can lead to allergic responses such as rashes, watery eyes, sneezing, and asthma in both children and adults. So what can you do to minimize cockroach problems? Use integrated pest management!
Prevention:
Control:
***Talk with your director and your pest management professional about these steps!***
**Remember, it is illegal to bring pesticides from home and use them in a child care facility. Only a licensed pesticide applicator can apply pesticides in a child care facility.
For more information about IPM and steps you can take to prevent pests, check out the attached brochures and visit the Pennsylvania Integrated Pest Management Program website at www.paipm.org. You can now follow us on Facebook and Twitter, too!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.
Dec. 7-9 – Healthy Behaviors Conference: Changing Lives, Saving Lives, San Diego, CA Healthy Behaviors conference information
Dec. 9-11 – 26th Annual National Training Institute: Zero to Three Conference, Washington, DC. Zero to Three Conference information
Dec. 9-13 – 28th Annual Head Start Parent Conference, New Orleans, LA. (Registration open August 1, 2011) Head Start Parent Conference information
2012
Feb. 16-18 – Teaching the Whole Child and Brain: Using Brain Research to Develop Smart, Social, Happy and Healthy Students, San Francisco, CA. Teaching the Whole Child and Brain conference information
Feb. 27-29 – 2nd Annual Green Schools National Conference: Growing Green and Healthy Schools for All Children, Denver CO. Green Schools conference information
Feb. 29-March 2 – 10th Annual NorthWest PBIS Conference, Portland, OR. NWPBIS conference information
March 6-10 – NACCRRA – The National Child Care Policy Symposium, Washington, DC. NACCRRA Symposium information
March 14-16 – Early Education and Technology for Children Conference, Salt Lake City, UT. EETC Conference information
March 28-31 – ACEI 2012 – Annual International Conference: Global Summit on Childhood, Washington, DC. ACEI 2012 Annual Conference information
March 28-31 – 9th Annual National Training Institute on Effective Practices/Supporting Young Children’s Social and Emotional Development: Addressing Challenging Behavior, Clearwater, FL. Addressing Challenging Behavior National Training Institute registration information (Registration is limited)
April 2-4 – 2012 NAA Annual Convention, Dallas, TX. 2012 NAA Convention information
April 18-19 – Save the Date! 2012 PA Council of Children, Youth and Family Services: Lighting the Way to a Brighter Future, Harrisburg, PA. PCCYFS conference information
April 25-27 – Save the Date! 28th Annual NACCP National Conference: How Successful Directors Manage, San Antonio, TX. 2012 NACCP Conference information
April 25-28 – 2012 BOOST Conference: Redefining Leadership in Out-of-School Time, Palm Springs, CA. BOOST conference information
April 26-29 – International Symposia for Contemplative Studies, Denver, CO. Symposia information
April 30-May 3 – Save the Date!2012 National Smart Start Conference, Greensboro, NC. Smart Start conference information Registration to open Dec. 1, 2011
June 10-13 – Save the Date! NAEYC National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, Indianapolis, IN. Institute information
June 18-20 – Save the Date! Head Start 11th National Research Conference: Effective Practices in an Age of Diversity and Change, Washington, DC. Registration to open in February 2012. National Research Conference information
June 27-29 – Save the Date! Military Child Education Coalition 2012 Annual Conference: Military Kids: Shining from Sea to Sea, Grapevine, TX. MCEC conference information
Great Resources
Here are some resources from Better Kid Care to help you respond to suspected abuse of children and to help children understand traumatic events.
Better Kid Care –
Better Kid Care/CYTTAP –
In addition, the following websites provide information on how to respond to suspected abuse of children and helping children understand traumatic events.
With child sexual abuse in the media spotlight, you may be getting questions from families and staff about touch and your care practices. Here is a past e-news article that may be of help in answering questions and reviewing practices.
Touch
by Christine Belinda, Early Learning Specialist
Research demonstrates that children need responsive care and opportunities to build healthy attachments to their caregivers. It's difficult to imagine responsive care without holding an infant, rocking a toddler, or graciously accepting the good-morning hug from a happy three-year-old. Physical contact with others is valuable and a critical component of healthy development, but may be missing or misunderstood in many early childhood programs.
Touch: Do we even need to discuss it?
Touch may be a challenging topic to discuss. There are strong concerns and issues to consider, such as inappropriate touch and abuse, as well as each person's individual feelings and history regarding touch.
To avoid any confusion or misjudgment, many adults in early care programs simply avoid touch altogether. Without proper training, policies, and researched-based information, early educators may simply be confused as to what touch means in their work. But understanding the meaning of touch in regards to healthy child development is important for early educators. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) “Warm, responsive touches convey regard and concern for children of any age.”
Read the rest of Touch article and the related article Teaching Children about Appropriate Touch to learn more about touch and child development.
Grants, Funding, & Opportunity
Community Grants
DoSomething.org – Seed grants for community action projects. One grant is awarded each week. Amount: $500. Deadline: Rolling.
The Wal-Mart Foundation - Grants for education projects and health and wellness projects. Amount: $1,000 - $5,000. Deadline: Rolling.
Creativity
LEGO Children's Fund – Grants for programs with specific, identifiable needs primarily for early childhood education and development that is directly related to creativity and for technology and communication projects that advance learning opportunities. Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis. Amount: Award amounts vary. Deadline: January 15
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.
Reading Resource Project Free books for preK-2 literacy programs. Programs pay for shipping. Deadline: Rolling
Verizon Foundation – Grants for education and literacy programs. Deadline: Rolling
Health and Wellness
The Rite Aid Foundation – Grants for health and wellness projects. Grants are awarded on a quarterly basis. Amount: Award amounts vary. Deadline: January 1
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Reflections…
Let's hear from you! Email your ideas to Roxie or call(814) 867-4687.
Disclaimer: Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.
