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Welcome to this month's issue of the Better Kid Care E-Newsletter - A newsletter for those caring for children.
Notable Quote: "It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them." ~ Leo Buscaglia
Planning Board
"I like to provide a large, wipe-off board that is available for children to draw and write their ideas on (large paper can be used, too). It is available pretty much at any time. If they have a question, or discover a material they need that we don’t have (more trucks!), or just come up with a great idea (making ice cream!), they write/draw it (or ask me to write it) on the planning board. It helps us at meeting times to plan for the next day (I write my ideas on this, too!). I help children remember by sending them over to the planning board when I see ideas that can be planned and explored further. Not only has this helped us plan great experiences, it has helped in solving problems, too."
-- Contributed by Anonymous Child Care Provider
Where do you find the best ideas on caring for children? From early educators and practitioners, of course! Do you have a great tip or good thing? Send us your best tips in writing and your tip may end up in our newsletter! If your tip is chosen for the newsletter, you will receive a little something from the Better Kid Care Program. Mail tips with your return address, place of work, and the number and ages of those you care for to: Better Kid Care Program, c/o Christine Belinda, 253 Easterly Parkway, State College, PA 16801or E-mail crb16@psu.edu
by Christine Belinda
When we open our doors to welcome the children for the day, it’s important to have a plan. Having a plan allows us to be prepared to care for each child in the best way possible, as well as provide an enriching experience. What strategies can help us develop good plans? And what does it mean to have a rhythm of the day? 
Today’s early educators are discovering many innovative approaches to planning. Research in early education has given us wonderful guides to chart our planning paths. Along with research, there are many other factors supporting the planning of time with young children. Instead of simply writing a "lesson plan of activities," let's take a deeper look at strategies for planning and discovering the rhythm of the day.
Do your homework
Whether our program is one of home child care, center, school, after school, family care, or religious affiliation, we need to know the philosophy. Having a clear vision of what the program believes in and how it goes about supporting children will have a strong influence over how we develop and implement our plans.
We need to do our homework in child development, also. Reviewing principles of child development (cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical) provides a strong base in planning. Are we aware of milestones and the stages of development for the ages we care for? Are we aware of state standards, goals, and current research in child development and related information? Refer to early childhood books, publications, professional organizations/programs, co-workers, and to your professional trainings.
History lessons
Before we can successfully plan for the day, we need to know our children and their families. Gather information from families:
Environmental blueprints
One of the first steps of planning is to create a “blueprint” for the environment. Create a solid, supportive, interesting, and developmentally appropriate plan that the children can then put their spin on. The environment is always included in planning because of its presence and constant direction that it leads children.
Environments represent multiple domains of learning through experience:
Filling the environment with enriching materials, furnishings, space, and aesthetic beauty will spark ideas from the children, which in turn ignites the process of discovery. By carefully watching the children interact in the environment, we may begin to see concepts and connections of how children learn, what they want to learn about, and gather ideas to bring to planning and meeting times with children and staff.
Finding the rhythm
Most plans for the day are based on a time schedule, but what research has shown is that children fare better by following their own time schedules; their own rhythms. Although some of us have scheduling constraints to consider, it is worthwhile to plan and move according to the children, not a clock. 
By carefully watching, listening, documenting, and talking with children, we can gain immense knowledge about their needs, abilities, and interests. It may take time to understand children’s rhythms: Not everyone is hungry at the same time, not everyone is ready to do today’s project, not everyone wants to stop their play to come to a scheduled activity. Consider how you can implement the rhythm of the children in your program.
Involve the children
Encouraging the children to participate in planning brings great rewards. Whether done so in a small group, large group, or individually, planning with children brings forth ideas on what they want know, explore, plan, and investigate. Children become part of the process in developing plans and as a result, real learning occurs. For example, a group of children were playing with toy kittens. At a gathering time, the teacher guided plans by getting out a large sheet of paper and asking the following questions:
The information was documented, discussed, and put into plans by both the teacher and the children. With this information, the adult can add other elements to spark children’s exploration on the topic and the children can see their ideas/plans come to life. The planning becomes responsive to the child’s interest and brings critical thinking skills, problem solving, planning, and wonder from the child.
Write it out
Curriculum planning or daily planning is personal to each adult and program. Discover or develop a suitable format to write out your plans. It is helpful to look at researched curriculum planning forms: those from established programs, other early educators you admire, or your own
. 
Planning forms might include these elements:
Planning strategies are about getting to know the children well and discovering their rhythms to life and their rhythms of learning. Each plan developed will open more doors and reveal more layers of learning and offering the very best we can offer children.
Learn Lots on Your Time
Enjoy the following highlights from one of the many Better Kid Care Distance Education Lessons. Participate in Distance Education training in the convenience of your home.
Better Kid Care Distance Education Program awards:
PA Department of Public Welfare required hours
Click on links for more information
Having a home-based child care means you provide a child care setting that is very much like a family at home. Just like a family, your child care has routine times of doing things as well as free time to explore individual interests. Thoughtful planning will help you maintain routines and provide a variety of things for children to do. 
Maria Sanchez, a new family child care provider, is concerned about how to plan her child care day: “The baby is crawling, and the three-and-four-year-old children have a lot of energy. After we put Kylie on the bus in the morning for kindergarten, we all have a long day ahead of us. What kind of a plan should I have?”
A good plan benefits you, the children, and their families. Planning is important because it gives purpose to the day, provides a sense of order, and allows for plenty of flexibility. Children and parents like to know they can depend on certain daily routines. When children know the routine times, all you need to add are special projects or activities that are interesting to the children. Planning provides opportunities for learning and fun.Need help planning your day? The one-hour Web-based lesson, What's the Plan for Your Day? can help. See what the plans of three child care providers look like. Learn which one is successful and why.
To view a complete listing of all distance education lessons and additional information and resources, visit the Better Kid Care Distance Education page.
Questions or concerns about Distance Education? Contact Patty Wells at plw8@psu.edu or phone (814) 865-9837.
The Child Care Bulletin is published by the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) on a quarterly basis under the direction of the Child Care Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each issue includes practical, informative articles based on current literature regarding topics important to policy-makers, child care providers, and parents. There are currently over 3,000 subscribers, including parents, child care providers, local and state early childhood practitioners, researchers, and federal government administrators. Visit http://www.nccic.acf.hhs.gov/ to view the latest issues of the Child Care Bulletin.
Reading aloud with children is a wonderful activity. Children of all ages love to be read to. Support the love of reading for children in your care by trying the following books:
Tell Me, Tree: All about Trees for Kids, by Gail Gibbons, published by Little, Brown Young Readers, ISBN 0316309036. Discover tree parts and their functions, tree growth, and many types of trees. Soak in the bright watercolors and valuable tree information.
Trees (Eyewitness Explorer), by Linda Gamlin, published by DK Children, ISBN 0789416794. Investigate all about trees in this field style companion book.
Tree-Ring Circus, by Adam Rex, published by Harcourt Children’s Books, ISBN 0152053638. Step right up to the greatest show on . . . a tree? Read this quirky story about a crazy circus in a tree.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, by Lynne Cherry, published by Voyager Books, ISBN 0152026142. Discover the ecological importance of the rain forest by finding out what happens as a man falls asleep under the great kapok tree.
Other Stories:
Meeting Trees, by Scott Russell Sanders, published by National Geographic Children’s Books, ISBN 0792241401
The Bee Tree, by Patricia Polacco, published by Putnam Juvenile, ISBN 0698116986
The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein, published by HarperCollins, ISBN 0060840986
A Tree Is Nice, by Janice May Udry, published by HarperTrophy, ISBN 006443179
A Field Guide to Eastern Trees (Peterson Field Guides), by George Petrides, published by Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0395904552
Contact your local children's library or your local Penn State Cooperative Extension office to find out about more books on making friends and child care. Reading with children creates lifelong readers. Enjoy your time reading with children!
Interested in professional development opportunities? Take a look at the following professional development training available for early childhood practitioners:
Bucks County Community College and Bucks County AEYC, Laugh, Learn, and Grow, October 7, 2006 http://www.bcaeyc.org/
Pennsylvania Home Child Care Providers Association (PHCCPA) 26th Annual Conference, co-sponsored by the Northwest Regional Key: October 13-15, 2006, Erie , PA. Contact 800-294-3324.
Pennsylvania Child Care Association: Continuing Our Journey toward Excellence and Professionalism, October 19-20, 2006. Visit www.pacca.org for more information or call 717-657-9000.
National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference, Atlanta , Georgia , November 8-11, 2006. Visit www.naeyc.org .
42nd Annual PAEYC Conference (Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children), December 2, 2006 Visit www.pghaeyc.org or call 412-421-3889
National Head Start Association 23rd Annual Parent Training Conference, December 15-19, 2006 in New York , New York . Visit www.nhsa.org or contact 703-739-0878.
Send Us Your Questions - Do you have a question on any of the satellite workshop topics listed below? Send them to us! If your question is chosen to be read and answered during a satellite broadcast, you will receive a gift certificate to Redleaf Press. Submit questions two weeks prior to the satellite broadcast date via e-mail (enter Subject Line: Satellite Question), fax 814-865-7893 or mail directly to Better Kid Care, 253 Easterly Parkway, State College, PA 16801.
October 26, 2006
Fighting Children's Obesity Through Active Play
K2C2 - Topic Code 15 / CDA 2
December 7, 2006
Obese Kids: They are what they eat
K7C2 - Topic Code 79 / CDA 1
March 29, 2007
Your #1 Priority: Keeping children healthy and safe
K7C1 - Topic Code 77 / CDA 1
April 26, 2007
How to Turn Good Play into GREAT Play
K2C2 - Topic Code 15 / CDA 2
The Penn State Better Kid Care Program has developed a new and exciting season of interesting, helpful satellite topics for the 2006-2007. Join with other early childhood practitioners in experiencing satellite workshops, offered in Pennsylvania and across the United States. To participate in these workshops, visit the Satellite Workshop link
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 child care providers.
Enjoy the following from Family Time / Work Time: September
Partnering with Your Caregiver
By Nancy Wilson
It’s good to think of your child’s caregiver as a partner. Your child benefits when you share information with each other. This does not have to be private family information, but should include things that might be causing stress for your child that would be helpful for your child care provider to know. This could be both positive and negative things, such as a move, a family vacation, a visit from grandparents, one parent working longer hours, a new sibling, or any issue that may be causing a change in your child’s behavior.
Click on graphic to read entire publication
Providers in the CDA (Child Development Associate) Program
Better Kid Care offers professional development training to help meet the 120 hours of formal early childhood education required to obtain a CDA credential. Better Kid Care Distance Education Lessons (one- and two-hour) provide recognized professional development through Distance Education training. Visit the Better Kid Care Distance Education page for more information.
What is a CDA? For information on the CDA credential visit the Better Kid Care Child Development Associate link or contact Christine at 814-865-7894 or email: crb16@psu.edu.
Do you have questions about caring for other people's children, such as:
Call the Better Kid Care Mentoring Line at 800-859-8340 or e-mail your questions to betterkidcare@psu.edu for information about child care and children's issues.
Better Kid Care Kit - Need ideas in your work caring for children? When you enroll in the Better Kid Care Program and sign up for the Better Kid Care Kit, family child care providers will receive several free publications in the mail. Family home child care providers will also receive The Basics of Caring for Children in your Home notebook to organize and store your Better Kid Care publications. Have you signed up to receive a Better Kid Care Kit yet? Complete our online registration form or call 800-452-9108 to order.
Notebook Contains: Tip Sheets, Activities Pages & Lunch and Snack Ideas
All publications are available online to print and share with your friends, family, and other childcare providers. Select issues are also available in Spanish.
New Staff Orientation curriculum is available to child care centers in Pennsylvania. This curriculum is specifically designed for new staff members in child care centers. Included are a thirty-page workbook and thirty units on seven videotapes. The easy-to-understand information is reinforced with activities and assignments. Units are designed to be used during nap time or other small blocks of time as staff/child ratios permit. Meets the Keystone STARS Performance Standards. Click on the New Staff Orientation link for more information and to view the materials online (also available in Spanish).
Home-Based Caregiver Orientation Meets the Keystone STARS Core Series Training Requirements - This three part series shows how to establish, run and maintain a successful child care business and presents important information about understanding and supporting the developmental needs of each child. Visit: Home-Based Caregiver Orientation to view materials online.
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