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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: "For most of us, whatever our age, when we are given a gentle touch on the shoulder or a friendly hug, we feel good about who we are and know we are cared for." ~Frances M. Carlson; taken from Essential Touch
Research-Based InformationSatellite Workshops: 2008-2009 Dates are Here!
Clipboards are a handy device to use with children. Use clipboards for times children want to write or draw, but may need a better writing surface, such as when you are out in the garden, on a walk, or in meeting/circle time. Having a focused area to write or draw on is a nice way to encourage children's fine motor and literacy as well as provide opportunities to express and represent their ideas. Try adding lanyards to the clipboards so children can easily carry them from place to place. You can also attach pencils or pens as well as name tags to each clipboard. Boards can be stored on a shelf or in a basket for easy access. Also think about placing clipboards in a variety of areas in the room, such as block area or dramatic play (adds another dimension to the play). ~ As seen at the Bennett Family Center
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
For an introduction on this topic read the June E-News article Touch
Touch is a means of learning for children. From the very early stages of life, some believing in the womb, touch conveys communication and discovery. Teaching and providing children appropriate touch is part of our responsibilities as early educators. Valuable information can be found to assist teaching children appropriate touch through the use of research, self reflection, and intentional planning.
Finding valuable information and research
It is important to review child development, especially healthy sexuality development, when thinking about the role of touch. Adults who have a clear understanding of children's healthy sexuality development will have a better sense of what is typical in developmental stages or what might be cause for concern. (The National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Child Care Exchange, The Child Welfare League of America, are a few sources that offer information on this subject.)
Learning about children's comfort levels, cultural backgrounds, and individual development will provide helpful information in regards to touch. Asking permission and understanding children's personal feelings (as well as families' feelings) and background helps adults understand what is appropriate for each child. NAEYC (The National Association for the Education of Young Children) states:
"Adults should be sensitive to ensuring that their touches (such as pats on the back, hugs, or ruffling the child's hair) are welcomed by the children and appropriate to their individual characteristics and culture experience." |
References (found at the end of the article)
Distance Education Highlights
Do lessons in your home -- when it's convenient and you have time!
Outdoor Play
With the growing epidemic of obesity among children, child care providers must take special care to make sure the children in their care get adequate physical activity to build both health and fitness. This means that children need regular structured and unstructured active times during their child care day.
This unit will help you understand the importance of outdoor play and will give you tips on how to make it great for the kids. American children are spending less and less time outdoors. This is one of the reasons why there is more obesity among children today. Offering outdoor play daily can help the children in your care develop a healthy mind and body.
To register for the Outdoor Play lesson, visit http://betterkidcare.psu.edu/AngelUnits/OneHour/OutdoorPlay/OutdoorPlayLessonA.html
View a complete listing of all distance education lessons and information about how to register by visiting the Better Kid Care Distance Education page.
Sun Safety
There are many resources available for early learning and school age practitioners in regards to sun safety:
Research Based InformationPromoting Good Nutrition and Physical Activity in Child Care Settings (Research Brief - Healthy Eating Research: Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity) – Child care facilities provide a valuable opportunity to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors in children. Download PDF
New Wildlife Federation Report: Connecting Today's Kids with Nature: A Policy Action Plan (May 2008) - Download PDF
Building the Future of Family Involvement - The spring 2008 issue of The Evaluation Exchange examines family involvement in policy, practice, and research, focusing on where the field is today and where it needs to go in the future.
Talking to Children: Why Some Mothers Do It More (FPG published study) - The May/June 2008 issue of the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology examines how mother and child characteristics might influence the way mothers talk to their infants and demonstrates that mothers can help children overcome some of the risks to language development associated with poverty. Download PDF
Youth Garden Benefits -What are the benefits of school and youth gardens? For a summary of data reported by grant program recipients, visit http://www.kidsgardening.com/grants/2007-evaluation-summary.asp
Recommendations to Promote Quality in PA Regulations Exempt Child Care Settings – A report from the PA BUILD Initiative Task Force on Quality in Regulation--Exempt Child Care Settings (on recommendations to PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning settings). Download PDF to view the report.
RAND Study: Economics Should Steer Early Childhood Policy - A new study by the RAND Corporation uses the economic concepts of human capital theory and monetary "payoffs" from investments in early childhood services to provide policymakers with a primer about how economic analysis can help set agendas for early childhood policy. Programs evaluated according to these economic concepts show, for example, that increased investment in early childhood results in government savings by leading to less need for social services later in life and increased earnings by individuals--which in turn leads to greater tax revenue for the government. "The Economics of Early Childhood: What the Dismal Science Has to Say about Investing in Children" is available at http://rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP227/
PA Higher Education Diversity Institute 2008 (Handouts) - Download Handouts
Early Childhood Assessment for Children from Birth to Age 8 - This report provides information about Pennsylvania's recommendations for assessment and curriculum for young children and demonstrates how closely aligned certain assessment and curriculum materials are aligned with the Early Learning Standards.
The Five Hundred Family Study, 1998-2000 – This study provides descriptive information about how working families make investments in time and resources, how these choices are made, the effects these investments have on the quality of relationships in the household, and the resulting socialization of school-age children and adolescents. Raw data files are now available for download. Additionally, these data may be analyzed through an online analysis system.
The Sun is My Favorite Star, by Frank Asch, published by Voyager Books, ISBN 0152063978. A story about the sun and a little boy.
Sun Up, Sun Down, by Frank Asch, published by Voyager Books, ISBN 015282782X. Lots of sun ideas!
To Be Like the Sun, by Susan Marie Swanson, published by Harcourt Children's Books, ISBN 015205796X. Read reflective thoughts from a little girl who has planted a sunflower seed; concrete images and topics to discuss.
Hello Sun, by Hans Wilhelm, published by Carolrhoda Books, ISBN 1575053489. Can the little hedgehog build a tree house to see the sun?
The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind: An Aesop's Fable, by Heather Forest, published by August House, ISBN 0874838320. Who is stronger, the sun or the wind? Or does it matter?
More Sun Stories:
Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky, by Elphinstone Dayrell, published by Houghton Mifflin, ISBN 0395539633
What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees, by Nancy Tafuri, published by Greenwillow, ISBN 0688144934
Sunny Days, by Jennifer Burke, published by Children's Press, ISBN 0516230468
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.
Homework Before Kindergarten Do you have a child going to kindergarten this year? You want your child to get off to a good start. Here is some homework for you to do to find out if your child is really ready for school. Some things to look for are listed below:
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2008-2009 Satellite Dates Are Here! |
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Mark your calendar now! Topics coming soon! October 16, 2008 December 4, 2008 March 26, 2009 May 14, 2009 |
Satellite workshops offer opportunities for child care providers to learn from experts and to share their experiences with other child care providers nationwide. Professional development hours are available.
Want to share your ideas from past satellite sessions or ideas for future satellite sessions? Contact Better Kid Care by e-mailing us at betterkidcare@psu.edu or by phoning 800-452-9108 to share your comments.
Visit the Satellite Workshop link for more information. Missed a show? Visit the Past Satellite Workshop page to view video online. If you live in Pennsylvania, contact your local extension educator for information to attend a workshop in your area. Live outside of Pennsylvania? Visit the Out-of-State Information link.
The Council for Professional Recognition offers training sessions relative to the CDA Assessment System in conjunction with early childhood education conferences. The types of sessions include:
Participants must register directly with the conference committees. Council representatives planning to attend refresher training sessions must call the Council, Training Services Unit, (800) 424-4310 or (202) 265-9090, to reserve a space.
Currently scheduled CDA Information or Training Sessions:
August 4 - Birth to Three Institute, (CDA general information; Spanish), Washington, DC
August 11-14 - North West Indian Head Start Coalition, (CDA general information, Advisor Training, Council Representative Refresher), Billings, MT
September 25-27 - Early Childhood Association of Florida (CDA general information, Advisor Training, Council Representative Refresher), Orlando, FL
November 5-8 - NAEYC Conference, (CDA general information, Advisor Training, Council Representative Refresher), Dallas, TXFor more information visit http://www.cdacouncil.org/res_cal.htm
Need more CDA help? Visit Better Kid Care's "What is the CDA?" newly revised link and get answers to your CDA questions! Get CDA support! Call Christine at 800-452-9108. E-mail your CDA questions to Christine at crb16@psu.edu.
The following information highlights upcoming professional development opportunities available for early childhood practitioners:
In Pennsylvania:
Outside Pennsylvania:
Children as Victims of Natural Disasters - Download PDF
Two New T.E.A.C.H. Scholarship Models - PACCA has developed two new T.E.A.C.H. scholarships to assist staff in moving through the early care and education career lattice: Practicum/Student Teaching Only Scholarship Model and T.E.A.C.H. Certification Only Scholarship Model. For more information, visit www.pacca.org/TEACH
Free Download of Take a Cloud Walk
The latest addition to the award-winning Take a Walk book series by Jane Kirkland is available as a free PDF download. In this full-color, 30-page book, readers learn the basic names and shapes of clouds, why they move, why they are white, how they affect climate change, the difference between weather and climate, and weather terms and conditions such as hail, lightning, and fog. Get your copy at Jane's new Web site for educators, where you can find many other free resources. http://www.nostudentleftindoors.com/
Teaching with Collections - The two lessons in this issue were created by educators at the Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center (SEEC), a preschool and kindergarten on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. One of the missions of SEEC is to foster critical-thinking skills through "real-world learning," which includes explorations of the Smithsonian's many art, history, and science collections. http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/collections/index.html
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, 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.
Preview notebook contents: Tip Sheets, Activities Pages and 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.
Home-Based Caregiver Orientation - Meets the Keystone STARS Core Series Training Requirements. Order at no cost by calling 800-452-9108.
Do you have questions about caring for other people's children, such as:
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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.
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August E-Newsletter:
Get to Know Your Families
Reflections...
We would love to hear from you! E-mail your ideas to crb16@psu.edu or call 814-865-7894.
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