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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: "Once children have the elements they need to develop, it's like seeing a flower blooming. I just sit and observe the beautiful moment when they open up and show their petals." ~ Unknown early educator
Tips for Early Educators and PractitionersNational Provider Appreciation Day is May 11, 2007!
Provider Appreciation Day is a special day to recognize child care providers, teachers, and educators of young children everywhere. How will you celebrate? Start by working with your colleagues to decide what kind of event you want to plan. Whether you plan a small event, like a continental breakfast for staff, or a large event like a banquet or community walk-a-thon, you will be most successful when your ideas emerge from within your group. For more ideas, visit www.providersfirst.com
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! Email Christine at crb16@psu.edu or contact the Better Kid Care Program at 814-865-7894 or 800-452-9108 (within PA).
by Christine Belinda
*This is part 1 of a two-part article on "Transitions." Part 2 will be in the May E-Newsletter.
In caring for children, one thing you can be certain of is change. To change means to transition: changing from one state, stage, place, or subject to another. Take a look at the words associated with transition:
Change, evolution, conversion, shift, move, switch, alteration, modification
As you read these words, you can almost see the actions of children changing, moving, shifting, or evolving. Transitions require young children to put forth great amounts of effort, not only physically, but emotionally, socially, and cognitively; all areas of development. No wonder transitions can be challenging! There is a lot of skill needed to be able to transition.
Transitions: predictable, unpredictable, and emotional
To understand how transitions affect children, think of how transitions affect you. Imagine what it feels like to be told to stop doing something when you may not be ready; when it is someone else's idea and not your own. Think also how it feels to make several changes in your day—it can be exhausting! When you understand what you are asking of children, you are better able to make developmentally appropriate decisions.
Take a look at the transitions in your program. Make a list of the predictable transitions in your day, such as arrival, free play, eating times, clean-up, or going outside. Next make a list of unpredictable transitions that may arise, such as a child not feeling well, a child taking another child's toy, a block building falling down, an unscheduled visitor, fire drill, bad weather, and so forth.
Review the number of times you ask or expect children to make transitions and reflect on whether or not the number of transitions needs to be changed. If you have children who often fall apart when transitioning, or possibly have challenging behaviors before, during, and after transitions, you may want to lessen the number of transitions in your programming or plan for more support.
Another important concept to consider is emotional transitions. Emotional transitions are when a child's emotional state is altered for some reason (the transition may even be what alters the emotion!). Examples might be a child missing her parent, frustration with an activity or toy, fear of new experience, too many stimuli, or the child's inability to express himself with words. Emotional changes can be present in many transitions, especially in unpredictable transitions or transitions that are too hard for a child.
Unpredictable or challenging transitions often remind children they miss their parents. Children are used to being comforted by their parents in stressful situations. Children in child care must learn to trust their caregiver to provide comfort while parents are gone. Building nurturing relationships sets the foundation for children to be comforted by their caregiver; these relationships are a wonderful support to transitions.
Transition preparations
Children transition better when they are prepared: They know what is about to change, they know what they will need to do, they have information and materials to help them through the process, and they have caring adults to help. Look to the following for some ideas on preparing for transitions:
Being well prepared allows you to be attentive to the children and the experience at hand. Try to have all items needed for the child care experience ready the night before. For example, have your choice of stories to be read, have all art materials ready, snack supplies available, special activity materials ready, and the environment set up for play before the children come in. Having written plans and goals can help this process.
Part 2 on "Transitions" will be in the Better Kid Care May E-Newsletter
Enjoy the following highlights from one of the many Better Kid Care Distance Education Lessons.
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How to Work with Active ChildrenProfessional Development Code K2C1 CDA 3 |
The distance education lesson How to Work with Active Children opens with a discussion about the labels used to describe active children, pointing out how active children are often described in negative ways. The lesson includes a developmental look at children from infants through preschoolers and the need for varied levels of activity at different ages. You'll also hear from an expert about AD/HD (Attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder) and its relationship to children's activity levels.
Preview and order the distance education lesson How to Work with Active Children.
To view a complete listing of all Distance Education Lessons and additional information and resources, visit the Better Kid Care Distance Education page.
New Distance Education Lessons
Five new one-hour lessons are now available to complete online as web-based lessons. Preview new One-Hour lessons by selecting titles
Update Forms and Instructions -- If you have received educational materials prior to November 1, 2006, please download REQUIRED updated forms to use when submitting assignments and also check the list of discontinued lessons that are no longer accepted for professional development.Learning Through Play with Table Toys (K2C1) CDA 8
Fun Ways to Improve Behavior (K2C1) CDA 5
Kitchen Science (K2C1) CDA 2
Health and Safety Tips |
NIIW; National Infant Immunization Week, April 21 - 28, 2007
National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is an annual observance to promote the benefits of immunizations and to focus on the importance of immunizing infants against vaccine-preventable diseases by age two.
Join in the celebration and create your own NIIW event to help ensure that all children have a healthy and safe childhood free from vaccine-preventable diseases. For more information and printable materials, such as pocket-size immunization records, visit www.cdc.gov/nip/events/niiw/default.htm
Great Books to Read with Children
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 on"tweet" bird stories.
Baby Bird's First Nest, by Frank Asch, published by Gulliver Books, ISBN 0152017262. Baby bird falls out of her nest and is met with several friends ready to help. Lots of courageous adventures take place trying to get baby bird back into the nest.
Mole and the Baby Bird, by Marjorie Newman, published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, ISBN 1582347840. Mole finds a baby bird who has fallen out of his nest. Not seeing a mother bird in sight, Mole decides to take the baby bird home. Should he keep the baby bird? Read how Mole's grandfather helps Mole know what he must do.
Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell, published by Candlewick, ISBN 1564029654. Discover the warm loving family of owls: Sarah, Percy, and Bill, who are looking for their mama. Love and reassurance are abundant!
More "tweet" stories:
Mama Bird, Baby Birds, by Angela Johnson, published by Orchard Books, ISBN 053106848X
My Nest Is Best, by P.D. Eastman, published by Random House Books for Young Readers, ISBN 037583267X
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.
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Angry Feelings Click on graphic to view publication |
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.
April 26, 2007
How to Turn Good Play into GREAT Play
K2C2 - Topic Code 15 / CDA 2
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.
CDA News! (Child Development Associate credential)
For information regarding Child Development Associate, visit the Better Kid Care CDA information page. For help in getting started or to find out more information about the CDA, contact Christine at 814-865-7894 or by e-mail crb16@psu.edu..
Better Kid Care offers professional development training accepted by the Council for Professional Recognition to meet the 120 hours of formal early childhood education required to obtain a CDA credential. These one- and two-hour distance education lessons (both mail and web-based) are coded and categorized for CDA content areas. To view a complete listing, please visit the Better Kid Care Distance Education page.
"The eligibility requirement for CDA Candidates to have 120 clock hours of formal child care education may be met through participation in the wide variety of training available in the field, including in-service. While the formal education hours can be credit or noncredit, the hours must be through an agency or organization with expertise in early childhood teacher preparation. The agency or organization must provide verification of the Candidate's education in the form of a transcript, certificate, or letter." *All other remaining steps to obtaining a CDA credential are stated in the CDA application packet and are available at www.cdacouncil.org
More CDA News: The Council for Professional Recognition has updated its Web page www.cdacouncil.org Updates include Live Support which allows live text messaging 9 AM - 5 PM EST.
The Council has also updated their contact information. The following is the only way to contact and order materials from the Council. Please change any prior references you may have to:
Council for Professional Recognition
2460 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009
Only toll-free number to use is: 800-424-4310
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 specifically designed for new staff members in child care centers. Meets the Keystone STARS Performance Standards. Order at no cost by calling 800-452-9108. Prepayment for review of each Orientation is $5.00. If you received materials before November 1, 2006, please download new Instructions and REQUIRED Forms.
Home-Based Caregiver Orientation - Meets the Keystone STARS Core Series Training Requirements. Order at no cost by calling 800-452-9108. Prepayment for review of each Orientation is $5.00. If you received materials before November 1, 2006, please download new Instructions & REQUIRED Forms.
Interested in professional development opportunities? Take a look at the following professional development training available for early childhood practitioners:
For more professional development opportunities, visit the PA Keys online calendar.
April is Child Abuse and Prevention Month - In 1998, CWLA (Child Welfare League of America) launched a public awareness campaign to direct attention to the tragedy of violent child deaths as part of a national initiative to reduce child mortality.
National Playground Safety Week - April 23-27 www.playgroundsafety.org
Earth Day is April 22 - Since the first Earth Day in 1970, people around the world have been creating their own ways to celebrate Earth, to observe the beauty and vitality of nature—and to renew their commitment to saving our living planet. Find ways to celebrate Earth Day at http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthday/index.cfm
National Playground Safety Week, April 23 - 27 www.playgroundsafety.org
Week of the Young Child is April 22 - 28! Check out resources and start planning ways to build better futures for all children! Visit the National Association of Education of Young Children's (NAEYC) Web site to learn more.
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, May 6 - 12
Attention Early Learning Program Directors: Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts could be for you! As part of his budget proposal for FY 2007-2008, Governor Rendell proposed a public investment of $75 million in Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, as a new component of the Accountability Block Grant, that will provide funding for more than 11,000 of our 3- and 4-year olds to attend quality half- and full-day pre-kindergarten in schools, Head Start, child care and nursery schools in the 2007-2008 school year. This is an unprecedented opportunity for early learning programs to provide quality pre-kindergarten at no cost to families.
If we want our children to reach their promise, we need to provide them with quality early learning opportunities. This initiative will require broad support among the community and within the legislature in order to become a reality. Help spread the word! Share your thoughts about Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts with your local school district superintendents and state legislators. You can find contact information for superintendents on school district Web sites. For contact information for your state legislators and more ideas on how to share your thoughts, visit the Pre-K Today website at www.prektoday.org. |
Did you know? In order to receive Act 48 credits, you need to access the PA Department of Education Web site at www.pde.state.pa.us to receive your PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. Bring this number to your professional development workshops and conferences.
New subscribers can join by sending an email to:
BetterKidCareNews-subscribe-request@lists.psu.edu.
View archived Better Kid Care E-Newsletters
Upcoming May E-Newsletter:
Transitions: How Can You Help? - Part 2
Reflections…
We would love to hear from you! E-mail your ideas to crb16@psu.edu or call 814-865-7894.
Disclaimer: Where trade names appear, no discrimination is intended, and no endorsement by Penn State Cooperative Extension is implied.