Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween
Happy Halloween!
I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween.
If you are going out tonight, remember that kids are twice as likely to be struck by an automobile on Halloween than any other night of the year.
Hey, let's be careful out there.
I hope that everyone has a safe and happy Halloween.
If you are going out tonight, remember that kids are twice as likely to be struck by an automobile on Halloween than any other night of the year.
Hey, let's be careful out there.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Halloween for young children...
Halloween for young children can be frightening with all the costumes, masks, witches, ghosts, and monsters. Here is an excellant article about how to keep it fun...
Halloween for young children can be frightening with all the costumes, masks, witches, ghosts, and monsters. Here is an excellant article about how to keep it fun...
Follow these tips to keep Halloween fun and age appropriate. You want the holiday to be a "treat" for the young children in your care.Halloween can scare little kids. Here's how to keep it fun.
by Susan SchoenbergerAndrew was a 3 1/2-year-old Winnie-the-Pooh when I took him trick-or-treating for the first time last Halloween. He was having a terrific time knocking on doors and filling his plastic pumpkin with candy. Then we happened upon a block where a street show was going on. A group of adults were pretending to be monsters playing in a band.
While I was chuckling at a Frankenstein Elvis, I felt my son grip my hand tighter. "I don't like this, Mommy," he said. What to me was just a bunch of adults dressed in goofy costumes was not at all benign to my preschooler. From his perspective these monsters weren't just unfamiliar—for all he knew, they were capable of harming him.
Halloween, much beloved for its dress-up parades and candy collecting, can also
manage to scare the wits out of many preschoolers. But you can help your child
cope with his fears if you understand them.THE PERCEPTION OF EVIL
The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget found that children aged three to seven tend to react to things exactly as they appear. Piaget called it concreteness; this suggests that very young children believe a character is nice if it looks nice, and evil if it looks evil.Most preschoolers also can be frightened by someone wearing a mask, even if they watch the mask being put on. "The fantasies evoked by Halloween characters can be very disturbing to young children," says Joanne Cantor, Ph.D., professor of communication arts at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, who has used Piaget's theories as a basis for her studies on the emotional effects that the media has on children. "A young child may not know that make-believe objects can't come and get you." By around age six or seven, however, children start to comprehend the difference between pretending and reality.
TAKING THE BITE OUT OF HALLOWEEN
Fortunately, parents can make Halloween less scary and more enjoyable for their preschool children. Here's how:
- Paint a nonthreatening picture of monsters, ghosts, and witches.
"Describe such creatures as being exciting and intriguing, but relatively harmless to children," suggests Albert J. Solnit, M.D., professor emeritus of pediatrics and psychiatry at Yale. "The key is not to invest the monsters with powers that are beyond a child's control," Dr. Solnit says.- Help preschoolers make their own costumes.
This will help them see how make-believe is created, says Dr. Solnit. "If you purchase a costume from a store, stick with nonthreatening characters," he adds. "The emphasis at Halloween should be on play, rather than on shock value."- Avoid blatantly scary activities.
Skip the local fair's house of horrors, for instance, or don't watch the Halloween horror-movie-of-the-week. "Once your child has seen something frightening, it's extremely difficult to undo the effect," says Dr. Cantor. "You can explain and explain, but for a young child that vivid image may continue to haunt him."- Help allay any fears that arise during Halloween.
"If your child seems terrified by a mask," says Dr. Cantor, "let him examine it, put it on, and look in the mirror. This will help demonstrate that the person underneath doesn't change."- Try not to get overly concerned by a child's fearful reaction.
In most cases, experts agree, positive memories of Halloween—as an exciting time during which you can pop in on neighbors, dress up, eat piles of candy, and so on—make the longer-lasting impression.I know that's been true for my son Andrew. Despite last year's mishap at the monster show, for months he's been saying he can't wait for Halloween.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Child Care Scholarships...
On the NPR today...
Minnesota Plan Gives Scholarships for Child Care
by Larry Abramson
Child development experts say high quality child care can help children avoid problems later in life — from low achievement in school to arrest records. The problem is that the children who need this care the most can't get to it.
Minnesota is trying a new approach by turning to the marketplace and betting that well-funded scholarships for poor children will attract high-quality daycare. The program is not the brainchild of an early childhood expert, but rather of an economist who says this is a good investment that will save the state money.
From Ballpark to Playroom
From his office in the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, economist Art Rolnick will almost be able to see construction of the new baseball stadium which the city has agreed to build. And if the Vikings get their wish, there will also be a football stadium. As for the economic gains the Twin cities will reap from these projects? "For stadiums, the public return is virtually zero," Rolnick says.
As the director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Rolnick believes there is a much better way to invest those hundreds of millions of dollars: Give the money to city's youngest and poorest residents.
That way, Rolnick says, they can send their 3- and 4-year-olds to a high-quality early-education program in their community.
The government already invests in early education through Head Start, but according to Rolnick, the Head Start program has brought only a limited return on investment because the quality isn't high enough.
Rolnick wants to spend a large amount of money on scholarships — about $10,000 per child. It's not welfare, he says, but rather an economic effort to seed the clouds, to lure the very best daycare — the kind middle-class parents take for granted — to the city's poorest neighborhoods.
Rolnick and others convinced local corporations they had a stake in improving outcomes for poor children. The private sector is chipping in $15 million dollars to fund the scholarships.
Enabling Child Care Through Scholarships
On a rundown corner in St. Paul's North End, there is a tired-looking cinder block building that currently houses the Empire Clock Co. It doesn't exactly look like prime real estate, but this building will soon be transformed into the newest location of New Horizon Academy, a childcare chain with 51 locations in Minnesota.
New Horizon Academy CEO Chad Dunkley says the main reason he's thinking about opening a center here is that parents in the neighborhood will soon be able to afford good daycare, thanks to the early learning scholarships.
In recent years, Dunkley has had to close programs because state reimbursement for child care has dropped. But for Art Rolnick's vision, Dunkley's company is the poster child of how to increase the supply of quality childcare.
Dunkley says this North End neighborhood has one of the highest densities of children below the age of 5. "But because current existing state funding resources don't allow families access to high-quality programs, we want to provide [it] in this community," he says. "We know the kids are here, they just couldn't get to us until this scholarship program became available."
Other daycare providers say they are also considering opening new programs in the parts of the city covered by the scholarships. During its initial phase 1,200 kids in targeted neighborhoods will benefit from the program.
But in order to prove Art Rolnick's theory correct, this program has to do more than spend money: It has to reap a huge return by making a big difference in kids' lives. According to the research, that means the quality of care must be very high.
Improving Education Quality
In St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood, places like the Wilder Child Development Center are hard to find and tough to get into, but the scholarships are supposed to change that.
Director Judy Ohm hopes there will be more centers that offer children what they need, such as sensory tables that change routinely from water to sand, for example. She says there should be "opportunities for children to freely explore things that they don't have to ask permission for."
The scholarship program, offered through the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation, will also try to improve quality by measuring it. Kathryn Tout, a local consultant, is developing standards that program overseers will use to measure quality.
As a group of 3-year-olds buzz around her, Tout says there are a lot of basic differences between a center like this one and the homecare settings that many low-income residents use.
"Something that you see a lot is maybe beautiful materials, but not a teacher sitting here on the floor, helping the children look through them, talking with them, having conversations with them," she says.
If Rolnick's experiment works, children who get scholarships and better care will be less likely to need special education, less likely to get arrested and less likely to have all sorts of expensive problems years down the road. Expanding the program state-wide or nationwide will require a lot more money. But the question remains: Will those promised benefits impress citizens and lawmakers the way a new stadium would?
On the NPR today...
Minnesota Plan Gives Scholarships for Child Care
by Larry Abramson
Child development experts say high quality child care can help children avoid problems later in life — from low achievement in school to arrest records. The problem is that the children who need this care the most can't get to it.
Minnesota is trying a new approach by turning to the marketplace and betting that well-funded scholarships for poor children will attract high-quality daycare. The program is not the brainchild of an early childhood expert, but rather of an economist who says this is a good investment that will save the state money.
From Ballpark to Playroom
From his office in the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, economist Art Rolnick will almost be able to see construction of the new baseball stadium which the city has agreed to build. And if the Vikings get their wish, there will also be a football stadium. As for the economic gains the Twin cities will reap from these projects? "For stadiums, the public return is virtually zero," Rolnick says.
As the director of research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Rolnick believes there is a much better way to invest those hundreds of millions of dollars: Give the money to city's youngest and poorest residents.
That way, Rolnick says, they can send their 3- and 4-year-olds to a high-quality early-education program in their community.
The government already invests in early education through Head Start, but according to Rolnick, the Head Start program has brought only a limited return on investment because the quality isn't high enough.
Rolnick wants to spend a large amount of money on scholarships — about $10,000 per child. It's not welfare, he says, but rather an economic effort to seed the clouds, to lure the very best daycare — the kind middle-class parents take for granted — to the city's poorest neighborhoods.
Rolnick and others convinced local corporations they had a stake in improving outcomes for poor children. The private sector is chipping in $15 million dollars to fund the scholarships.
Enabling Child Care Through Scholarships
On a rundown corner in St. Paul's North End, there is a tired-looking cinder block building that currently houses the Empire Clock Co. It doesn't exactly look like prime real estate, but this building will soon be transformed into the newest location of New Horizon Academy, a childcare chain with 51 locations in Minnesota.
New Horizon Academy CEO Chad Dunkley says the main reason he's thinking about opening a center here is that parents in the neighborhood will soon be able to afford good daycare, thanks to the early learning scholarships.
In recent years, Dunkley has had to close programs because state reimbursement for child care has dropped. But for Art Rolnick's vision, Dunkley's company is the poster child of how to increase the supply of quality childcare.
Dunkley says this North End neighborhood has one of the highest densities of children below the age of 5. "But because current existing state funding resources don't allow families access to high-quality programs, we want to provide [it] in this community," he says. "We know the kids are here, they just couldn't get to us until this scholarship program became available."
Other daycare providers say they are also considering opening new programs in the parts of the city covered by the scholarships. During its initial phase 1,200 kids in targeted neighborhoods will benefit from the program.
But in order to prove Art Rolnick's theory correct, this program has to do more than spend money: It has to reap a huge return by making a big difference in kids' lives. According to the research, that means the quality of care must be very high.
Improving Education Quality
In St. Paul's Frogtown neighborhood, places like the Wilder Child Development Center are hard to find and tough to get into, but the scholarships are supposed to change that.
Director Judy Ohm hopes there will be more centers that offer children what they need, such as sensory tables that change routinely from water to sand, for example. She says there should be "opportunities for children to freely explore things that they don't have to ask permission for."
The scholarship program, offered through the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation, will also try to improve quality by measuring it. Kathryn Tout, a local consultant, is developing standards that program overseers will use to measure quality.
As a group of 3-year-olds buzz around her, Tout says there are a lot of basic differences between a center like this one and the homecare settings that many low-income residents use.
"Something that you see a lot is maybe beautiful materials, but not a teacher sitting here on the floor, helping the children look through them, talking with them, having conversations with them," she says.
If Rolnick's experiment works, children who get scholarships and better care will be less likely to need special education, less likely to get arrested and less likely to have all sorts of expensive problems years down the road. Expanding the program state-wide or nationwide will require a lot more money. But the question remains: Will those promised benefits impress citizens and lawmakers the way a new stadium would?
Friday, October 26, 2007
Halloween Tips for Child Care Providers...
Keep the 'Boos' From Becoming 'Boo-Hoos'
Child care providers often find themselves in the throes of Halloween excitement and fall fun. What are some tips for child care providers in regard to trick or treat or the tradition of Halloween? Halloween tips for child care providers:
If possible, know the parents' wishes or expectations for their kids for Halloween when in your care. Obviously, this is easier for a provider in a home setting with fewer children than in a daycare with many. For some families, Halloween is not observed; others may insist on "non-scary" only. Still others look forward to costumes and Halloween-type activities and encourage provider activities.
Some providers work Halloween festivities into a storybook day, in which kids are invited to come in costume of their favorite storybook.
Others may have children make simple masks out of paper plates or fun foam, and have a fall party. One provider asks some of her closest neighbors to allow her childcare kids to trick or treat in the morning in costume; kids then return to the home for some special fun. Another has parents bring a special treat for all kids (which can be as simple as a plastic spider ring).
Providers are so creative, and can make the time around Halloween special and memorable, whether or not Halloween is officially celebrated.
Providers can utilize some of the Halloween themes into a fun and enjoyable learning experience. Learning about bats and their habits, and then making a bat out of construction paper, perhaps with red glitter for eyes, can be lots of fun. So can watching a pumpkin be carved, and then the seeds be baked. One provider plants pumpkin seeds and then children enjoy watching the pumpkin "patch" grow and flourish in time for fall harvest. Some adventurous providers take children to pumpkin patches for free fun; others make arrangements for a short hay ride or visit to the apple orchard.
If costumes are to be worn, providers should insist that parents bring a change of clothing and also understand that accidents can and will happen on occasion. One provider lamented that parents of a 3-year-old brought her to child care in an exquisite princess costume, then became outraged when she tripped and ripped the hem. If parents don't want any possible harm to come of a costume planned for evening trick or treat, then perhaps an alternative should be brought instead. Costumes are often itchy, uncomfortable, or warm, and after the initial excitement of seeing friends in costumes diminishes, providers often change kids back into playclothes and perhaps celebrate with a fun fall frolic at a neighborhood park.
One provider makes the day's lunch a special "unscary" and exciting treat, such as "finger" sandwiches, goblin juice (colored juice, witches noses (carrot sticks), and bats (jello molds). She says it is her favorite day of the year. Another has a special treat with the caramel apples, in which she carves out noses and face to look like a mini-jack-o-lantern and offers caramel dip with some sprinkles for kids.
Other providers may opt to not do anything different and save the sugar-highs and costumes for parents entirely. Regardless of whether you are a parent of a young child, a resident who most likely will be inundated with happy ghosts and goblins, or a child care provider, the key to Halloween is to stay safe, have fun, and make it a "spook-tacular" activity for all.
Keep the 'Boos' From Becoming 'Boo-Hoos'
Child care providers often find themselves in the throes of Halloween excitement and fall fun. What are some tips for child care providers in regard to trick or treat or the tradition of Halloween? Halloween tips for child care providers:
If possible, know the parents' wishes or expectations for their kids for Halloween when in your care. Obviously, this is easier for a provider in a home setting with fewer children than in a daycare with many. For some families, Halloween is not observed; others may insist on "non-scary" only. Still others look forward to costumes and Halloween-type activities and encourage provider activities.
Some providers work Halloween festivities into a storybook day, in which kids are invited to come in costume of their favorite storybook.
Others may have children make simple masks out of paper plates or fun foam, and have a fall party. One provider asks some of her closest neighbors to allow her childcare kids to trick or treat in the morning in costume; kids then return to the home for some special fun. Another has parents bring a special treat for all kids (which can be as simple as a plastic spider ring).
Providers are so creative, and can make the time around Halloween special and memorable, whether or not Halloween is officially celebrated.
Providers can utilize some of the Halloween themes into a fun and enjoyable learning experience. Learning about bats and their habits, and then making a bat out of construction paper, perhaps with red glitter for eyes, can be lots of fun. So can watching a pumpkin be carved, and then the seeds be baked. One provider plants pumpkin seeds and then children enjoy watching the pumpkin "patch" grow and flourish in time for fall harvest. Some adventurous providers take children to pumpkin patches for free fun; others make arrangements for a short hay ride or visit to the apple orchard.
If costumes are to be worn, providers should insist that parents bring a change of clothing and also understand that accidents can and will happen on occasion. One provider lamented that parents of a 3-year-old brought her to child care in an exquisite princess costume, then became outraged when she tripped and ripped the hem. If parents don't want any possible harm to come of a costume planned for evening trick or treat, then perhaps an alternative should be brought instead. Costumes are often itchy, uncomfortable, or warm, and after the initial excitement of seeing friends in costumes diminishes, providers often change kids back into playclothes and perhaps celebrate with a fun fall frolic at a neighborhood park.
One provider makes the day's lunch a special "unscary" and exciting treat, such as "finger" sandwiches, goblin juice (colored juice, witches noses (carrot sticks), and bats (jello molds). She says it is her favorite day of the year. Another has a special treat with the caramel apples, in which she carves out noses and face to look like a mini-jack-o-lantern and offers caramel dip with some sprinkles for kids.
Other providers may opt to not do anything different and save the sugar-highs and costumes for parents entirely. Regardless of whether you are a parent of a young child, a resident who most likely will be inundated with happy ghosts and goblins, or a child care provider, the key to Halloween is to stay safe, have fun, and make it a "spook-tacular" activity for all.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Parent Aware...
I have written about Parent Aware before. Designed by child care providers, early learning professionals and parents, Minnesota’s voluntary Parent Aware Rating Tool is intended to support our state’s children by creating a rating system which identifies, recognizes and celebrates quality in early education
The Parent Aware Rating Tool program is now in the pilot phase for licensed child care providers/early educators in five locations: Blue Earth and Nicollet counties, the City of St. Paul, areas of North Minneapolis and areas of Wayzata.
Child care providers/early educators in these pilot areas may volunteer to participate in the program at no cost. A provider resource specialist will be assigned to help you through the process. Please contact Valerie Peterson at valeriep@mnchildcare.org or 651-290-9704, ext. 107.
The following supports for the Parent Aware project are now being offered:
(1) Trainings on the Environmental Rating Scales (ERS) and Classroom Assessment and Scoring System (CLASS) offered by Center for Early Education and Development’s (CEED’s) Assessment and Training Center. Modules are:
* Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale (ITERS)
* Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS)
* Family Child Care Environmental Rating Scale (FCCERS)
* Classroom Assessment and Scoring System (CLASS)
These trainings are for any family child care providers or center based child care staff in North Minneapolis or within the Wayzata School District, which are Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) pilot areas.
(2) SEEDs: SEEDs to Emergent Literacy is a professional development opportunity for child care providers to help prepare toddler to preschool age children for kindergarten. The free trainings give childcare providers information about how a SEEDS quality teacher can create a literacy rich classroom or home for children. The trainings can be enhanced through on site coaching opportunities with an Early Childhood Coach.
Training: Free training in SEEDs for any providers and center staff in the Minneapolis and Wayzata schools MELF pilot areas, and all Strong Beginnings sites.
Coaching: Limited opportunity for on-site consultation, technical assistance, and early literacy materials
All services and training are free and specific to the neighborhoods and communities that are piloting Parent Aware. Again, these areas are North Minneapolis and the Wayzata School District.
Details for registration:
I have written about Parent Aware before. Designed by child care providers, early learning professionals and parents, Minnesota’s voluntary Parent Aware Rating Tool is intended to support our state’s children by creating a rating system which identifies, recognizes and celebrates quality in early education
The Parent Aware Rating Tool program is now in the pilot phase for licensed child care providers/early educators in five locations: Blue Earth and Nicollet counties, the City of St. Paul, areas of North Minneapolis and areas of Wayzata.
Child care providers/early educators in these pilot areas may volunteer to participate in the program at no cost. A provider resource specialist will be assigned to help you through the process. Please contact Valerie Peterson at valeriep@mnchildcare.org or 651-290-9704, ext. 107.
The following supports for the Parent Aware project are now being offered:
(1) Trainings on the Environmental Rating Scales (ERS) and Classroom Assessment and Scoring System (CLASS) offered by Center for Early Education and Development’s (CEED’s) Assessment and Training Center. Modules are:
* Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale (ITERS)
* Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale (ECERS)
* Family Child Care Environmental Rating Scale (FCCERS)
* Classroom Assessment and Scoring System (CLASS)
These trainings are for any family child care providers or center based child care staff in North Minneapolis or within the Wayzata School District, which are Minnesota Early Learning Foundation (MELF) pilot areas.
(2) SEEDs: SEEDs to Emergent Literacy is a professional development opportunity for child care providers to help prepare toddler to preschool age children for kindergarten. The free trainings give childcare providers information about how a SEEDS quality teacher can create a literacy rich classroom or home for children. The trainings can be enhanced through on site coaching opportunities with an Early Childhood Coach.
Training: Free training in SEEDs for any providers and center staff in the Minneapolis and Wayzata schools MELF pilot areas, and all Strong Beginnings sites.
Coaching: Limited opportunity for on-site consultation, technical assistance, and early literacy materials
All services and training are free and specific to the neighborhoods and communities that are piloting Parent Aware. Again, these areas are North Minneapolis and the Wayzata School District.
Details for registration:
- ERS and CLASS trainings are being offered through CEED. To register, contact Tracy Morgan, CEED's Assessment and Training Center Project Coordinator, at 612-625-8656 or tmorgan@umn.edu.
- SEEDS trainings are offered through Resources for Child Caring.
Training Schedule, SEEDS to Emergent Literacy Trainings
http://cehd.umn.edu/ceed/projects/atc/SEEDStrainingschedule.pdf
Registration Form, SEEDS to Emergent Literacy Trainings
http://cehd.umn.edu/ceed/projects/atc/FamilyandCenterRegistration.pdf
If you are a child care provider in the pilot area and are looking for free training and the potential to improve the reputation of your business, I suggest that you look closer at this opportunity. To learn more, visit the Parent Aware website.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
TV Movie 'Dora Saves The Mermaids'
Preschoolers will join the world's most beloved little Latina heroine on a fin-tastic adventure, cleaning up the ocean to save the underwater Mermaid Kingdom on Dora the Explorer's new hour-long, primetime TV movie "Dora Saves the Mermaids" premiering Monday, November 5, from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. After more than seven years on the air, Nick Jr.'s Dora the Explorer continues to reign as one of the top-rated preschool series on commercial television.
An international phenomenon, Dora the Explorer is broadcast all over the world, teaching the majority of her viewers English rather than Spanish. Syndicated to TV broadcasters in 125 markets and translated in 24 languages, Dora the Explorer is among one of the top rated preschool shows in nearly every major television market around the world across broadcast and cable.
"Preschoolers will delight as Dora dons a set of fins in her next big primetime movie filled with infectious songs and a fantastical undersea world," said Brown Johnson, Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon Preschool. "And, as always, the stakes are high -- she's a mermaid on a mission to save the ocean from pollution! Environmental messages are important at every age, and Dora empowers kids to feel that even the littlest hands, and fins, can make a difference."
In support of "Dora Saves the Mermaids," beginning Monday, October 22, Nick Jr. will premiere a new on-air PSA featuring Cameron Diaz, Dora, and real kids encouraging the viewers at home to help keep our oceans clean. In addition, beginning Monday, October 29, Nick Jr. Video, Nick Jr.'s broadband video service available on Nickjr.com, will feature a never-before-seen music video and 2-minute "sneak peek" from the "Dora Saves the Mermaids" TV movie. The exclusive content will also be available on wireless carriers, beginning Monday, October 29.
It's Clean-Up the Beach Day, and Dora and Boots are cleaning up garbage when they find a singing clam, who tells them the story of Mariana the Mermaid. Mariana lives in the Mermaid Kingdom at the bottom of the ocean and one day, a mean octopus dumped garbage on the kingdom, making all of the mermaids and mermen sick. When Mariana found a magic crown, she wished the garbage away and the kingdom was beautiful again. But after a huge storm washed the crown away, the octopus returned, dumping more garbage over their beautiful home. Dora and Boots want to save the Mermaid Kingdom and with the viewer's help, they find the crown washed ashore on the beach.
After checking the Map, the duo set off on a magical adventure to Mermaid Kingdom. They travel across the Sea Shell Bridge, join the pirate piggies in a conga line through Pirate Island, and call upon animal rescuer Diego to help them ride dolphins across the Silly Sea. Even Swiper helps them swipe garbage along the way. When Dora and Boots finally make it to the Mermaid Kingdom, Mariana gets captured by the octopus. So Dora puts on the crown and upon being granted her one wish to save the Mermaid Kingdom, she turns into a mermaid, herself!
The recent DVD release Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids, created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, is currently available in retail stores nationwide. The Dora Saves the Mermaids DVD will feature the title hour-long TV movie, two additional Dora the Explorer adventures, "Fish Out of Water" and "Treasure Island," plus music videos from Nick Jr.'s newest music series Yo Gabba Gabba!
Nick Jr.'s award-winning website (www.nickjr.com ) will feature an interactive game and activities to complement the premiere of "Dora Saves the Mermaids." Beginning Wednesday, October 17, Nick Jr.com will feature the "Dora's Mermaid Adventure" game where kids help Dora find the magic crown that will turn her into a mermaid. Players pick up garbage on the beach and in the sea with her special vacuum pack to restore order in the Mermaid Kingdom. Additionally, NickJr.com will feature a photo gallery of kids in Dora Mermaid outfits, plus mermaid-themed printables, eco-friendly activities and more.
Dora the Explorer is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora, a seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.
In every episode, Dora and Boots invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches a Spanish word or phrase to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and her best friend, Boots, triumph, and the story always ends with a "We Did It!" anthem.
As always... use television with care and limitation with preschoolers. Make sure the shows they watch are of educational value.
Preschoolers will join the world's most beloved little Latina heroine on a fin-tastic adventure, cleaning up the ocean to save the underwater Mermaid Kingdom on Dora the Explorer's new hour-long, primetime TV movie "Dora Saves the Mermaids" premiering Monday, November 5, from 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. After more than seven years on the air, Nick Jr.'s Dora the Explorer continues to reign as one of the top-rated preschool series on commercial television.
An international phenomenon, Dora the Explorer is broadcast all over the world, teaching the majority of her viewers English rather than Spanish. Syndicated to TV broadcasters in 125 markets and translated in 24 languages, Dora the Explorer is among one of the top rated preschool shows in nearly every major television market around the world across broadcast and cable.
"Preschoolers will delight as Dora dons a set of fins in her next big primetime movie filled with infectious songs and a fantastical undersea world," said Brown Johnson, Executive Vice President, Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon Preschool. "And, as always, the stakes are high -- she's a mermaid on a mission to save the ocean from pollution! Environmental messages are important at every age, and Dora empowers kids to feel that even the littlest hands, and fins, can make a difference."
In support of "Dora Saves the Mermaids," beginning Monday, October 22, Nick Jr. will premiere a new on-air PSA featuring Cameron Diaz, Dora, and real kids encouraging the viewers at home to help keep our oceans clean. In addition, beginning Monday, October 29, Nick Jr. Video, Nick Jr.'s broadband video service available on Nickjr.com, will feature a never-before-seen music video and 2-minute "sneak peek" from the "Dora Saves the Mermaids" TV movie. The exclusive content will also be available on wireless carriers, beginning Monday, October 29.
It's Clean-Up the Beach Day, and Dora and Boots are cleaning up garbage when they find a singing clam, who tells them the story of Mariana the Mermaid. Mariana lives in the Mermaid Kingdom at the bottom of the ocean and one day, a mean octopus dumped garbage on the kingdom, making all of the mermaids and mermen sick. When Mariana found a magic crown, she wished the garbage away and the kingdom was beautiful again. But after a huge storm washed the crown away, the octopus returned, dumping more garbage over their beautiful home. Dora and Boots want to save the Mermaid Kingdom and with the viewer's help, they find the crown washed ashore on the beach.
After checking the Map, the duo set off on a magical adventure to Mermaid Kingdom. They travel across the Sea Shell Bridge, join the pirate piggies in a conga line through Pirate Island, and call upon animal rescuer Diego to help them ride dolphins across the Silly Sea. Even Swiper helps them swipe garbage along the way. When Dora and Boots finally make it to the Mermaid Kingdom, Mariana gets captured by the octopus. So Dora puts on the crown and upon being granted her one wish to save the Mermaid Kingdom, she turns into a mermaid, herself!
The recent DVD release Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids, created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, is currently available in retail stores nationwide. The Dora Saves the Mermaids DVD will feature the title hour-long TV movie, two additional Dora the Explorer adventures, "Fish Out of Water" and "Treasure Island," plus music videos from Nick Jr.'s newest music series Yo Gabba Gabba!
Nick Jr.'s award-winning website (www.nickjr.com ) will feature an interactive game and activities to complement the premiere of "Dora Saves the Mermaids." Beginning Wednesday, October 17, Nick Jr.com will feature the "Dora's Mermaid Adventure" game where kids help Dora find the magic crown that will turn her into a mermaid. Players pick up garbage on the beach and in the sea with her special vacuum pack to restore order in the Mermaid Kingdom. Additionally, NickJr.com will feature a photo gallery of kids in Dora Mermaid outfits, plus mermaid-themed printables, eco-friendly activities and more.
Dora the Explorer is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora, a seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. Dora explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.
In every episode, Dora and Boots invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches a Spanish word or phrase to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and her best friend, Boots, triumph, and the story always ends with a "We Did It!" anthem.
As always... use television with care and limitation with preschoolers. Make sure the shows they watch are of educational value.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Child Care Reduces Risk of Asthma....
Here is an interesting benefit for children in child care... This is contrary to the argument that I've always heard about child care being unhealthy for chidren.
Here is an interesting benefit for children in child care... This is contrary to the argument that I've always heard about child care being unhealthy for chidren.
Early Day Care May Lower Asthma Risk
Day Care Attendance Before Age 3 Months May Cut Asthma Risk for Some Children
Attending day care from early infancy may help protect high-risk children from developing asthma, new research suggests.
Regular day care attendance by 3 months of age was linked to lower levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies in the University of Arizona study, but the association was seen only among children whose mothers had asthma or had positive skin tests for allergies.
IgE antibodies trigger the inflammatory responses that cause allergies and related asthma. Researchers found that the IgE levels of children who started day care in early infancy remained low for at least the first three years of life.
The findings add support to the 'hygiene hypothesis' suggesting that early exposure to germs from different environments helps protect against allergies and asthma caused by allergic responses, researcher Anne L. Wright, PhD, tells WebMD.
"This study doesn't prove cause, but it adds to the evidence suggesting a protective effect by linking day care to this early predictor of asthma risk," she says.
Early Day Care Exposure Is Key
Asthma is the most common chronic disorder in childhood, affecting an estimated 6.2 million children in the U.S. under the age of 18, according to the American Lung Association.
Allergies are important asthma triggers in children, but they are not the only ones. Respiratory infections, secondhand cigarette smoke exposure, exercise, and stress are also important triggers. In the study, the researchers examined the timing of day care exposure and the specific aspects of exposure that might influence a child's risk of developing allergic asthma.
They found that entering day care before the age of 3 months was associated with decreased IgE levels three years later in high-risk children (those with mothers who had asthma or allergies), but entering day care later in infancy or childhood was not protective.
The finding supports the idea of a "critical window of vulnerability" during which exposures influence the developing immune system, Wright says.
Being outside the home seemed to be a more important predictor of lower IgE levels later in life than the number of other children a child was exposed to.
This finding led the researchers to speculate that regular exposure to germs from two separate environments may play a greater role in immune response than early exposure to other children. The study is published in the latest issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Longer Follow-up Needed
Allergist David Tanner, MD, of the Atlanta Allergy & Asthma Clinic, calls the findings interesting but preliminary.
"The unanswered question is, 'What happens to these kids five years later?'" he says. "This study assumes that [lower IgE levels] correlate with some degree of protection against developing allergies later on."
Tanner advises parents of high-risk children to avoid day care early on if possible because of the known link between day care and an increased risk for viral infections.
"In the long run day care may protect against asthma, but we can't really say that yet," he says. "What we can say is that young children with a family history of asthma or who have already experienced wheezing with a viral infection will have more viral infections if they are in day care."
Monday, October 22, 2007
Clinton Wants $200 Million for Child Care Providers
What are your thoughts on the following article?
It is good to see politicians finally begin to address early childhood education and care issues...
What are your thoughts on the following article?
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday introduced legislation that would allocate $200 million of federal money to fund benefits and training for professional child care providers.
"Too many child care workers today cannot even afford to stay in the profession," Clinton said at a news conference in Washington, D.C. "The average child care worker earns $18,820 a year, well below the poverty rate. We ask them to take care of our children for a salary that often makes it nearly impossible for them to support and care for their own children."
Clinton introduced the Quality Child Care for America Act, which she said would "create a $200 million fund for child care centers and home-based providers to improve quality as well as compensation for child care professionals." Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the same legislation the House.
"Let's provide the resources that we need to attract and keep good people in the field, to get licenses, to improve training, and to give our children the very best start," Clinton said, amending her famous slogan, "It takes a village to raise a child," by adding that "it certainly takes a village that has child care providers."
"They often do not have fully paid health benefits," DeLauro said of child care providers. "Not surprisingly, many of these workers do not have paid sick days."
She said the proposed legislation would create an "annual $200 million funding stream for workforce development, quality initiatives that child care provides. States can use the funds toward critical workforce needs, such as health insurance coverage, retirement benefits and paid sick days.
DeLauro called the proposal "a first important step to work within and strengthen the federal framework for child care assistance."
A bill number for the legislation was not available Wednesday, because it had not completed the introduction process. A spokeswoman for DeLauro did not provide Cybercast News Service with a copy of the proposal by press time Wednesday.
According to Clinton and DeLauro, the $200 million would be part of the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which authorized $5 billion in 2006 to help low-income families obtain child care so that parents can work or go to school.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families, which runs the Child Care and Development Fund, the 2006 appropriation included $170 million for "quality expansion" and $98 million to "improve the quality of care for infants and toddlers.""
It is good to see politicians finally begin to address early childhood education and care issues...
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Survey for Minnesota Child Care Providers...
Just a quick note today...
Child Care Resource & Referral is partnering with Redleaf National Institute to gather your valuable feedback on the Child Care Assistance Program. The goal is to develop a tool that will help you better understand the Child Care Assistance Program so you can best serve CCAP families. To do this, they need your feedback. Please click on the survey link below and take a few moments to share your thoughts about the Child Care Assistance Program.
http://www.redleafinstitute.org/index.cfm?page=newslink&category=ccapvote
Just a quick note today...
Child Care Resource & Referral is partnering with Redleaf National Institute to gather your valuable feedback on the Child Care Assistance Program. The goal is to develop a tool that will help you better understand the Child Care Assistance Program so you can best serve CCAP families. To do this, they need your feedback. Please click on the survey link below and take a few moments to share your thoughts about the Child Care Assistance Program.
http://www.redleafinstitute.org/index.cfm?page=newslink&category=ccapvote
Friday, October 19, 2007
Discipline Techniques...
There is always much discussion about spanking as a form of correction. This is obviously not allowed for child care. But I do not beleive in corporal punishment as a form of discipline even in dealing with your own children. What other tools do we have in our parental bag of tricks?
And when it gets hard to keep your cool, always keep in mind the 2 year old's thought process...
There is always much discussion about spanking as a form of correction. This is obviously not allowed for child care. But I do not beleive in corporal punishment as a form of discipline even in dealing with your own children. What other tools do we have in our parental bag of tricks?
This article from Suite 101 share some good ideas...
Parenting is not easy – and even though our children don’t often believe it, when wehave to discipline, it is in sorrow. The hardest thing to do as a parent is to keep your cool and remember to stay true to the goals of discipline while under stress and providing continuity and consistency while doing so.
When that consistency is adhered to, you will be able to decrease the amount of disciplinary measures needed after the ages of 3 or 4 when the child develops an internal self-control. ntil self-control is developed, you, as the parent, must provide the control externally. If an 8-year-old insists upon acting like a 4-year-old, then discipline must once again drop to that age level.
What are the goals of discipline?
1.) To protect the child from danger
2.) To teach right from wrong
Disciplinary Techniques:
1.) Provide Natural Consequences. A child who does not put his clothes away might have to put the siblings clothes away or help you in the laundry.
2.) Put the child in isolation - NOT in their room! Too many rooms are like miniature amusement parks!
3.) Physically move or escort a child from trouble.
4.) Delay privileges
5.) Remove a cherished possession until compliance is achieved
Guide to no-fuss parenting:
1.) Pick your battles: Not everything is worth fighting about! Did your 8-year-old come home from a friend’s house with purple hair? It will grow out. Greet her individuality with a smile. On the other hand, if your 8-year-old is showing signs of disrespect, this is a battle you should choose to take part in!
2.) Don’t yell – often: It decreases your believability – save the yell for something important – like an oncoming train or car!
3.) Take Breaks: Everyone has a moment in time where they need to stand down and get a grip on an emotion threatening to wash over reason. Don’t be afraid to put yourself in your room and think about the best way to proceed before reacting to a child who is goading you on by his behavior.
4.) Be positive: Not only does it make you a much nicer person to be around, it protects your sanity as well as those around you!
5.) Sit and Talk – do not negotiate! Calmly discussing a behavior problem with your child is not a problem, negotiating is. If you want a child to pick up his toys, don’t tell him and leave him to his own devices if he seems sluggish about doing as you’ve asked. Stay with him and either help him do the assigned task or stay there until he does so. Sometimes parenting means you have to get up off the couch and play an active part in parenting!
6.) Protect self-esteem: Above all else, be respectful of your children in everything you do from the moment they are born.One day, you’ll be amazed at the self-confident, loving person you’ve raised!
And when it gets hard to keep your cool, always keep in mind the 2 year old's thought process...
Doodle by Lee. The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at
Thursday, October 18, 2007
The Issue of Quality Child Care...
An interesting opinion piece in the New York Times....
None Dare Call It Child Care
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: October 18, 2007
In the last presidential candidate debate, Chris Matthews of MSNBC asked whether this country would ever get back to the days when a young guy could come out of high school, get an industrial job “and provide for a family with a middle-class income and his spouse wouldn’t have to work.”
Given the fact that more than two-thirds of American mothers have been working outside the home since the 1980s, Matthews could just as easily have demanded to know when we’ll get back to using manual typewriters and rotary phones.
Still, it might have been a great conversation-starter. While it’s becoming virtually impossible to support a middle-class American family on one parent’s salary, we never hear political discussion about the repercussions. In a two-hour debate that focused on job-related issues, the Republican presidential candidates managed to mention the Smoot-Hawley tariff and trade relations with Peru but not a word about child care for America’s working parents. John McCain, who was on the receiving end of Matthews’s question, chose instead to focus on the fact that “50,000 Americans now make their living off eBay,” that the tax code is “eminently unfair” and that Congress wastes too much money studying of the DNA of Montana bears.
We live in a country where quality child care is controversial. It was one of the very first issues to be swift-boated by social conservatives. In 1971, Congress actually passed a comprehensive child care bill that was vetoed by Richard Nixon. The next time the bill came up, members were flooded with mail accusing them of being anti-family communists who wanted to let kids sue their parents if they were forced to go to church. It scared the heck out of everybody.
Right now, the only parents who routinely get serious child-care assistance from the government are extremely poor mothers in welfare-to-work programs. Even for them, the waiting lists tend to be ridiculously long. In many states, once the woman actually gets a job, she loses the day care. Middle-class families get zip, even though a decent private child care program costs $12,000 a year in some parts of the country.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, or Naccrra, (this is an area replete with extraordinary people organized into groups with impossible names) says that in some states the average annual price of care was larger than the entire median income of a single parent with two children. For child care workers, the average wage is $8.78 an hour. It’s one of the worst-paying career tracks in the country. A preschool teacher with a postgraduate degree and years of experience can make $30,000 a year. You need certification in this country to be a butcher, a barber or a manicurist, but only 12 states require any training to take care of children. Only three require comprehensive background checks. In Iowa, there are 591 child care programs to every one inspector. California inspects child care centers once every five years.
“You have a work force that makes $8.78 an hour. They have no training. They have not been background checked, and we’ve put them in with children who don’t have the verbal skills to even tell somebody that they’re being treated badly,” said Linda Smith, the executive director of Naccrra. “What is wrong with a country that thinks that’s O.K.?”
We aren’t going to solve the problem during this presidential contest, but it is absolutely nuts that it isn’t a topic of discussion — or even election-year pandering. The Democratic candidates for president happily come together to tell organized labor about their unquenchable desire to have a union member as secretary of labor. The Republican candidates flock to assure the National Rifle Association about their dedication to Americans’ constitutional right to carry concealed weapons in churches. But you do not see anybody racing off to romance child care advocates.
The only candidate who talks about child care all the time is Chris Dodd of Connecticut. He has been the issue’s champion of the Senate forever. People who work in the field know he’s their guy, but it’s hard to see what good it does him out on the campaign trail. “They aren’t inclined to be the kind of people who engage in the political process,” he admitted. “They don’t have the money.”
This is Hillary Clinton’s Women’s Week. On Tuesday, she gave a major speech on working mothers in New Hampshire, with stories about her struggles when Chelsea was a baby, a grab-bag of Clintonian mini-ideas (encourage telecommuting, give awards to family-friendly businesses) and a middle-sized proposal to expand family leave. Yesterday, she was in the company of some adorable 2- and 3-year-olds, speaking out for a bill on child care workers that has little chance of passage and would make almost no difference even if it did. Clinton most certainly gets it, but she wasn’t prepared to get any closer to the problems of working parents than a plan to help them stay home from work.
At least she mentioned the subject.
An interesting opinion piece in the New York Times....
None Dare Call It Child Care
By GAIL COLLINS
Published: October 18, 2007
In the last presidential candidate debate, Chris Matthews of MSNBC asked whether this country would ever get back to the days when a young guy could come out of high school, get an industrial job “and provide for a family with a middle-class income and his spouse wouldn’t have to work.”
Given the fact that more than two-thirds of American mothers have been working outside the home since the 1980s, Matthews could just as easily have demanded to know when we’ll get back to using manual typewriters and rotary phones.
Still, it might have been a great conversation-starter. While it’s becoming virtually impossible to support a middle-class American family on one parent’s salary, we never hear political discussion about the repercussions. In a two-hour debate that focused on job-related issues, the Republican presidential candidates managed to mention the Smoot-Hawley tariff and trade relations with Peru but not a word about child care for America’s working parents. John McCain, who was on the receiving end of Matthews’s question, chose instead to focus on the fact that “50,000 Americans now make their living off eBay,” that the tax code is “eminently unfair” and that Congress wastes too much money studying of the DNA of Montana bears.
We live in a country where quality child care is controversial. It was one of the very first issues to be swift-boated by social conservatives. In 1971, Congress actually passed a comprehensive child care bill that was vetoed by Richard Nixon. The next time the bill came up, members were flooded with mail accusing them of being anti-family communists who wanted to let kids sue their parents if they were forced to go to church. It scared the heck out of everybody.
Right now, the only parents who routinely get serious child-care assistance from the government are extremely poor mothers in welfare-to-work programs. Even for them, the waiting lists tend to be ridiculously long. In many states, once the woman actually gets a job, she loses the day care. Middle-class families get zip, even though a decent private child care program costs $12,000 a year in some parts of the country.
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, or Naccrra, (this is an area replete with extraordinary people organized into groups with impossible names) says that in some states the average annual price of care was larger than the entire median income of a single parent with two children. For child care workers, the average wage is $8.78 an hour. It’s one of the worst-paying career tracks in the country. A preschool teacher with a postgraduate degree and years of experience can make $30,000 a year. You need certification in this country to be a butcher, a barber or a manicurist, but only 12 states require any training to take care of children. Only three require comprehensive background checks. In Iowa, there are 591 child care programs to every one inspector. California inspects child care centers once every five years.
“You have a work force that makes $8.78 an hour. They have no training. They have not been background checked, and we’ve put them in with children who don’t have the verbal skills to even tell somebody that they’re being treated badly,” said Linda Smith, the executive director of Naccrra. “What is wrong with a country that thinks that’s O.K.?”
We aren’t going to solve the problem during this presidential contest, but it is absolutely nuts that it isn’t a topic of discussion — or even election-year pandering. The Democratic candidates for president happily come together to tell organized labor about their unquenchable desire to have a union member as secretary of labor. The Republican candidates flock to assure the National Rifle Association about their dedication to Americans’ constitutional right to carry concealed weapons in churches. But you do not see anybody racing off to romance child care advocates.
The only candidate who talks about child care all the time is Chris Dodd of Connecticut. He has been the issue’s champion of the Senate forever. People who work in the field know he’s their guy, but it’s hard to see what good it does him out on the campaign trail. “They aren’t inclined to be the kind of people who engage in the political process,” he admitted. “They don’t have the money.”
This is Hillary Clinton’s Women’s Week. On Tuesday, she gave a major speech on working mothers in New Hampshire, with stories about her struggles when Chelsea was a baby, a grab-bag of Clintonian mini-ideas (encourage telecommuting, give awards to family-friendly businesses) and a middle-sized proposal to expand family leave. Yesterday, she was in the company of some adorable 2- and 3-year-olds, speaking out for a bill on child care workers that has little chance of passage and would make almost no difference even if it did. Clinton most certainly gets it, but she wasn’t prepared to get any closer to the problems of working parents than a plan to help them stay home from work.
At least she mentioned the subject.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Halloween Crafts & Activites...
Yesterday I talked about pumpkin carving. Today is all about Halloween crafts, activities, and fun things to do with the kids in your care.
Yesterday I talked about pumpkin carving. Today is all about Halloween crafts, activities, and fun things to do with the kids in your care.
- One of the best sites for crafts and activities geared specifically for the the preschool set is KidsSoup.
- My favorite craft and activity site is Crayola.com. I like the Monster Mixer to create my own coloring sheets!
- DLTK Crafts for Kids has it all... coloring pages, games, recipes, activities, puzzles, songs, and more.
- The Family Corner also has crafts, foods, costume tips.
- The Teacher's Corner has activities and lesson plans for things to do with the kids.
- Apples 4 the Teacher is a favorite website for crafts and activities.
- Enchanted Learning always has a lot of craft ideas.
- Where else would you expect to find tons of information and crafts about Halloween but on the website - Halloween.com.
- Kaboose should not be the last site you check for holiday ideas, tips, food, activities, and crafts.
- Hershey's website has some Halloween treats (no, not chocolate!)
- Making Friends has lots of craft, costume, and decoration ideas.
- Don't forget to check out all the fun Halloween things at Billy Bear 4 Kids.
- Some great kids games for a Halloween party.
- The Idea Box is a great source of... well, ideas!
- Fun and games and coloring pages at the Kidz Page.
- Kids Turn Central is the self proclaimed Halloween headquarters with everything you need.
- More Halloween games and activities at ESL Kidstuff.
- Some of the best party ideas come from Amazing Moms.
- And Parents always know best about Halloween.
Whew... There should be enough ideas here to keep the little goblins busy for the next couple weeks. Is there a website that is your favorite that I missed? Please let me know.
I hope you enjoy your holiday season with the children.Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Halloween Pumpkin Carving...
Halloween is coming soon. Whatever your feelings are about this holiday, it can be a great time with young children. (I love the Halloween parties and kids' costumes every year.) I'll share some Halloween tips and ideas over the next few days, but let's first start out discussing pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns...
Did you ever want to become a pumpkin expert... There's more to pumpkins than meets the pie (sorry). You can learn the history of pumpkin carving, and build your basic skills with pumpkincarving101.com. Learn the best lighting techniques, tools to use and how to best preserve your carved pumpkin. Did you know that pumpkins are not a vegetable? They are a fruit! Pumpkins, like gourds, and other varieties of squash are all members of the Cucurbitacae family , which also includes cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.
If the actual carving seems like it would be a bit too messy for you... Use this virtual pumpkin carver, you can carve and animate your creation for the Halloween party. And the best part is, if you make a mistake, you can start over again until it’s just right. Check it out here.
A great activity for kids that I do every year is to buy the minature pumpkins (they're actually a gord that looks like a pumpkin) for each of the children in your care. Then the kids can paint faces on them instead of carving. After drying, each child can take their personal jack-o-lantern home at the end of the day.
Here are a couple more "pumpkiny" sites to visit:
Crafts, carving patterns, activities, and more at the Family Fun website.
The Ben & Jerry's website (yep, the ice cream company) has games, coloring pages, and more.
I'll share some more Halloween sites tomorrow... And after you have made your best effort at pumpkin carving... check out what the experts can do!
Halloween is coming soon. Whatever your feelings are about this holiday, it can be a great time with young children. (I love the Halloween parties and kids' costumes every year.) I'll share some Halloween tips and ideas over the next few days, but let's first start out discussing pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns...
Did you ever want to become a pumpkin expert... There's more to pumpkins than meets the pie (sorry). You can learn the history of pumpkin carving, and build your basic skills with pumpkincarving101.com. Learn the best lighting techniques, tools to use and how to best preserve your carved pumpkin. Did you know that pumpkins are not a vegetable? They are a fruit! Pumpkins, like gourds, and other varieties of squash are all members of the Cucurbitacae family , which also includes cucumbers, gherkins, and melons.
If the actual carving seems like it would be a bit too messy for you... Use this virtual pumpkin carver, you can carve and animate your creation for the Halloween party. And the best part is, if you make a mistake, you can start over again until it’s just right. Check it out here.
A great activity for kids that I do every year is to buy the minature pumpkins (they're actually a gord that looks like a pumpkin) for each of the children in your care. Then the kids can paint faces on them instead of carving. After drying, each child can take their personal jack-o-lantern home at the end of the day.
Here are a couple more "pumpkiny" sites to visit:
Crafts, carving patterns, activities, and more at the Family Fun website.
The Ben & Jerry's website (yep, the ice cream company) has games, coloring pages, and more.
I'll share some more Halloween sites tomorrow... And after you have made your best effort at pumpkin carving... check out what the experts can do!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Child Development Resources...
One of the most requested topics, from both child care professionals and parents that I train, is child development. Today I would like to share a few child development resources with you.
However, before I share these resources, I cannot emphasize enough that developmental milestones are simply guidelines. Each child is an individual and will develop at his or her own pace. The milestones just give us areas to watch and possibly aid in a child's development, not to create undo alarm if they are not met exactly.
First: A great online resource for children for ages 1 to 5 is the PBS Parents' Guide to Child Development. There is a great deal of information here. You can look up ages and see tips, information, and developmental milestones. There are also book recommendations and activities to promote child development.
Second: The website for The Whole Child is a good resource of child development information. This is an excellent program. (I also teach the 13 class series workshops if you are really interested in more information about in-depth child development. These classes are currently being presented by the CCR&R in several locations.)
Third: The National Department of Health and Human Services gives us the "Healthy Start, Grow Smart," health education series is intended to improve early childhood education for America’s youngest children by providing easily understood information to parents and caregivers about best practices in early childhood development.
"Healthy Smart, Grow Smart" offers 13 issues, one for the newborn and one for each of the first 12 months of the new infant's life. Published in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, these booklets have been developed by health experts to provide valuable age-appropriate information about health, safety, nutritional needs and early cognitive development.
This is a tool you can provide to assist parents in raising healthy children, and it is absolutely free. You can order the 13 booklets or download them at this website. (Note: This is a great resource about children less than 1 year old. I have boxes of these booklets that I give away at my developmental classes.)
There are many more resources, but this is a start. Remember, as the PBS website states so well...
A child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has.
One of the most requested topics, from both child care professionals and parents that I train, is child development. Today I would like to share a few child development resources with you.
However, before I share these resources, I cannot emphasize enough that developmental milestones are simply guidelines. Each child is an individual and will develop at his or her own pace. The milestones just give us areas to watch and possibly aid in a child's development, not to create undo alarm if they are not met exactly.
First: A great online resource for children for ages 1 to 5 is the PBS Parents' Guide to Child Development. There is a great deal of information here. You can look up ages and see tips, information, and developmental milestones. There are also book recommendations and activities to promote child development.
Second: The website for The Whole Child is a good resource of child development information. This is an excellent program. (I also teach the 13 class series workshops if you are really interested in more information about in-depth child development. These classes are currently being presented by the CCR&R in several locations.)
Third: The National Department of Health and Human Services gives us the "Healthy Start, Grow Smart," health education series is intended to improve early childhood education for America’s youngest children by providing easily understood information to parents and caregivers about best practices in early childhood development.
"Healthy Smart, Grow Smart" offers 13 issues, one for the newborn and one for each of the first 12 months of the new infant's life. Published in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese, these booklets have been developed by health experts to provide valuable age-appropriate information about health, safety, nutritional needs and early cognitive development.
This is a tool you can provide to assist parents in raising healthy children, and it is absolutely free. You can order the 13 booklets or download them at this website. (Note: This is a great resource about children less than 1 year old. I have boxes of these booklets that I give away at my developmental classes.)
There are many more resources, but this is a start. Remember, as the PBS website states so well...
A child's development is unique and complex. Although children develop through a generally predictable sequence of steps and milestones, they may not proceed through these steps in the same way or at the same time. A child's development is greatly influenced by factors in his or her environment and the experiences he or she has.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Snactivity Tool Kit...
Here's a neat tool for child care... the Snactivity Box: Activities for promoting healthy eating and active living habits for young children Idea of the Snactivity Box:
http://static.scribd.com/docs/sy9s5ilfsjd3.pdf
Childhood is an optimal time for helping children to develop healthy eating and safe active living
habits for life. Developing healthy eating and safe active living habits early in life helps provide a
foundation of wellness to help children grow up healthy.
Thje people that put these activities together consulted with Early Childhood Professionals to develop the “Snactivity Box: Activities for promoting healthy eating and active living habits for young children”. This box contains a series of “Snactivities” or activities that Early Childhood Professionals can use to promote healthy eating and active living to children ages 2-6 within their childcare settings. These activities are to be delivered by Early Childhood Professionals, who are encouraged to help children take the healthy eating and active living messages home.
Do a “Snactivity a Day”! Children need to eat several times throughout the day and should be physically active every day. Therefore, there are many opportunities for teaching children about healthy eating and active living.
Help the Snactivity Box grow!! Add in your own ideas to the Snactivity Box! Have fun!
Here's a neat tool for child care... the Snactivity Box: Activities for promoting healthy eating and active living habits for young children Idea of the Snactivity Box:
http://static.scribd.com/docs/sy9s5ilfsjd3.pdf
Childhood is an optimal time for helping children to develop healthy eating and safe active living
habits for life. Developing healthy eating and safe active living habits early in life helps provide a
foundation of wellness to help children grow up healthy.
Thje people that put these activities together consulted with Early Childhood Professionals to develop the “Snactivity Box: Activities for promoting healthy eating and active living habits for young children”. This box contains a series of “Snactivities” or activities that Early Childhood Professionals can use to promote healthy eating and active living to children ages 2-6 within their childcare settings. These activities are to be delivered by Early Childhood Professionals, who are encouraged to help children take the healthy eating and active living messages home.
Do a “Snactivity a Day”! Children need to eat several times throughout the day and should be physically active every day. Therefore, there are many opportunities for teaching children about healthy eating and active living.
Help the Snactivity Box grow!! Add in your own ideas to the Snactivity Box! Have fun!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Article about the high price of child care in Minnesota on TwinCities.com...
Minnesota / State ranks fifth in child care costs
Staff-child ratios, teacher pay add to price
Minnesota's child care centers are among the most expensive in the nation, according to a report released Tuesday ranking states by the percentage of income a family spends on child care.That's bad news and good news for parents.
The bad news is that centers in Minnesota now charge an average of $12,000 per year for full-time infant care, more than tuition at the University of Minnesota.
The good news is that the higher costs reflect Minnesota's tighter licensing requirements, lower staff-to-child ratios and better pay - all indicators of better quality.
"Most people don't have a clue of what child care costs until they have their first child," said Anne McCully, executive director of the Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral Network. "Then the sticker shock sets in."
The average infant fee at Minnesota centers accounts for 45 percent of the median annual income for a single parent in Minnesota and 15 percent of median income for a household with two parents. Only Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Washington and Pennsylvania are more expensive, according to "Parents and the High Price of Child Care: 2007 Update" from the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.
The average cost for a preschooler at one of the state's 1,600 licensed child care centers is only slightly lower, at $9,200 per year, which still represents 35 percent of the median single-parent income and 12 percent of a two-parent household income.
Affordable child care is considered to be about 10 percent of a family's income, said McCully.
"Yes it's expensive," said Sarah Youngerman, a St. Paul mother who got on the waiting list for one of the 84 slots at the University of St. Thomas Child Development Center before she was even pregnant with her first child. The center's annual fees range from $12,500 for preschoolers to $16,500 for infants.
Youngerman figures about two-thirds of her salary goes to day care for her 1-year-old son and her 2½-year-old daughter. "But we see this as an investment in early childhood education," said Youngerman, who noted that her daughter gets weekly music classes and will be going on a field trip to an apple orchard this month. "We love the staff-to-student ratios. We love the philosophy of how they treat children there and the relationships they develop with parents."
Staff salaries and benefits account for 60 percent of Minnesota child care center costs, according to a 2006 report from the state Department of Human Services that looked for ways to curb rising child care fees. And salaries in the field are notoriously low.
For example, the starting salary for teachers at the University of St. Thomas Child Development Center is $27,500, and teachers there consider themselves lucky to receive benefits such as health care, disability insurance, sick leave and vacation, said director Becca Swiler. Facilities claim about 20 percent of costs, with the remainder going to items such as food and programming. Profit margins are extremely low.
"It's not that child care providers are getting rich. They're not. It costs a lot to take care of children," said McNully.
About a third of Minnesota parents use center-based care as their primary arrangement, including child care centers, preschools, Head Start and before- and afterschool programs, according to a 2004 Wilder Research survey.
The child care cost update also noted that in Minnesota, the average fee for putting one infant and one preschooler in a center ($1,447 per month) was greater than the average mortgage payment ($1,351). And it noted that the cost of child care is increasing faster than inflation.
I've heard the comment before that child care is more expensive than college education. My response is that not only is early care and education just as important as a college education, but children that get the proper start in brain development, learning readiness, and early educational opportunities can actually do better in school and perhaps reduce future college costs.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Early Childhood Encyclopedia...
A new online resource... The Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. This one looks pretty interesting.
The early years are undeniably important to a child's subsequent development. For this reason, the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD) has created the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. A virtual resource, the Encylopedia was launched today in the presence of several dignitaries, including Jean-Louis Caya, Regional Director, Public Health Agency of Canada; Richard E. Tremblay, Director of the CEECD; Andre Chagnon, Chairman and CEO of the Lucie et Andre Chagnon Foundation; and Dr. Guy Rouleau, Director of the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center.
Compiled by distinguished international experts, the Encyclopedia makes easily available the best knowledge on the social and emotional development of children, from birth to five years of age, to parents, educators, service planners, services providers and policy makers.
The Encyclopedia covers a wide range of early development topics, such as aggression, language development and literacy, tobacco and pregnancy, and parenting skills. Over 270 authors from 11 countries, including Canada, have contributed to this unique, accessible and free resource, which is designed to be expanded and updated as new knowledge on early childhood emerges.
"The early childhood experience serves as the foundation of an individual's development, learning, health and well-being," Richard E. Tremblay, Director of the CEECD, noted in his introduction. "The Encyclopedia empowers us to make enlightened decisions to help children achieve their full potential and to assist families and communities in supporting the development of their children."
"The new government of Canada is committed to investing in early childhood, a crucial phase in human development. We are accordingly very pleased to have played a role in the realisation of this resource, which will have a positive influence on the well-being of our children and their development in all aspects of their lives," said Tony Clement, federal Minister of Health Canada.
The Editorial Board of the Encylopedia consists of four Canadian experts: Richard E. Tremblay, Universite de Montreal; Ray DeV. Peters, Queen's University; Michel Boivin, Universite Laval; and Ronald G. Barr, University of British Columbia.
The Encyclopedia is available in English at www.child-encyclopedia.com and in French at www.enfant-encyclopedie.com.The Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development is a consortium of Canadian organizations that promote the best knowledge on early childhood development among the public, professionals and policymakers to help them have a positive impact on children's development.
The Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development is one of four Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being set up by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
A new online resource... The Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. This one looks pretty interesting.
The early years are undeniably important to a child's subsequent development. For this reason, the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD) has created the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. A virtual resource, the Encylopedia was launched today in the presence of several dignitaries, including Jean-Louis Caya, Regional Director, Public Health Agency of Canada; Richard E. Tremblay, Director of the CEECD; Andre Chagnon, Chairman and CEO of the Lucie et Andre Chagnon Foundation; and Dr. Guy Rouleau, Director of the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center.
Compiled by distinguished international experts, the Encyclopedia makes easily available the best knowledge on the social and emotional development of children, from birth to five years of age, to parents, educators, service planners, services providers and policy makers.
The Encyclopedia covers a wide range of early development topics, such as aggression, language development and literacy, tobacco and pregnancy, and parenting skills. Over 270 authors from 11 countries, including Canada, have contributed to this unique, accessible and free resource, which is designed to be expanded and updated as new knowledge on early childhood emerges.
"The early childhood experience serves as the foundation of an individual's development, learning, health and well-being," Richard E. Tremblay, Director of the CEECD, noted in his introduction. "The Encyclopedia empowers us to make enlightened decisions to help children achieve their full potential and to assist families and communities in supporting the development of their children."
"The new government of Canada is committed to investing in early childhood, a crucial phase in human development. We are accordingly very pleased to have played a role in the realisation of this resource, which will have a positive influence on the well-being of our children and their development in all aspects of their lives," said Tony Clement, federal Minister of Health Canada.
The Editorial Board of the Encylopedia consists of four Canadian experts: Richard E. Tremblay, Universite de Montreal; Ray DeV. Peters, Queen's University; Michel Boivin, Universite Laval; and Ronald G. Barr, University of British Columbia.
The Encyclopedia is available in English at www.child-encyclopedia.com and in French at www.enfant-encyclopedie.com.The Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development is a consortium of Canadian organizations that promote the best knowledge on early childhood development among the public, professionals and policymakers to help them have a positive impact on children's development.
The Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development is one of four Centres of Excellence for Children's Well-Being set up by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Fire Prevention Week...
This week, October 7th through 13th, is Fire Prevention Week.
Learn more about Fire Prevention Week at the National Fire Protection Association website. "Practice Your Escape Plan!" is the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2007. It's not enough to have a home fire escape plan. To escape safely, you've got to make sure that everyone in the home has practiced the plan.
According to an NFPA poll, the majority of Americans have a fire escape plan, but most haven't practiced it. From October 7-13, fire safety advocates will be spreading the word that when it comes to escape plans, practice is key. Let's get started!
Fire Prevention Week is the perfect time to help your students and their families create a home fire-escape plan and teach valuable lessons about fire and fire prevention. A well-practiced home fire-escape plan is essential to providing guidance for every family in the event of fire. Use Fire Prevention Week to keep fire safety in your children’s minds. Here is a great slide show to remind you of what to do in case of a fire.
What do you do for Fire Prevention Week? I always go through a fire safety video and a fire drill with the children in my child care. (Lots of fun to practice stop, drop, and roll!) Then we usually have a visit from a fireman and firetruck from our local fire station. The kids really enjoy that!
Some other ideas that you could use...
This week, October 7th through 13th, is Fire Prevention Week.
Learn more about Fire Prevention Week at the National Fire Protection Association website. "Practice Your Escape Plan!" is the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2007. It's not enough to have a home fire escape plan. To escape safely, you've got to make sure that everyone in the home has practiced the plan.
According to an NFPA poll, the majority of Americans have a fire escape plan, but most haven't practiced it. From October 7-13, fire safety advocates will be spreading the word that when it comes to escape plans, practice is key. Let's get started!
Fire Prevention Week is the perfect time to help your students and their families create a home fire-escape plan and teach valuable lessons about fire and fire prevention. A well-practiced home fire-escape plan is essential to providing guidance for every family in the event of fire. Use Fire Prevention Week to keep fire safety in your children’s minds. Here is a great slide show to remind you of what to do in case of a fire.
What do you do for Fire Prevention Week? I always go through a fire safety video and a fire drill with the children in my child care. (Lots of fun to practice stop, drop, and roll!) Then we usually have a visit from a fireman and firetruck from our local fire station. The kids really enjoy that!
Some other ideas that you could use...
- Some good activities and reproducibles from Scholastic.
- Games, stories, activities, and coloring pages at Sesame Street Workshop.
- A few more coloring pages...
- Activities, songs, rhymes, cards, and more at DLTK Kids.
- Lots of great stuff, inforamtion, fun, and games at US Fire Administration for Kids website.
- My generation related more to Smokey the Bear.
- Of course, you really can't have Fire Prevention Week without visiting Sparky.
This week is part of National Fire Safety Awareness Month, which is celebrated in October, and in keeping with the noble cause, here are top 10 tips for teaching kids about fire safety along with fun fire-safety activities. Experts stress that while the awareness is heightened this month, fire safety teachings should be a year-round lesson.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Child Care Environment...
So how was your weekend? I spent most of the weekend rearranging and reorganizing my child care facility. The recent rainy weather has reminded me that soon we will be having more "indoor time" than "outdoor time". It was time to make some changes, bring out some different toys, and adjust the "space". I am lucky to be able to do this because my child care facility is our walk-out basement and the space is used exclusively for my business.
I don't often make a lot of changes to the child care environment because children like consistency and familiarity, but occasional change can create some excitment and keep things fresh, interesting, and inviting.
If you are looking for some suggestions for improving various environments in your learning center, I recommend checking out the information at Discount School Supply. I am not necessarily promoting their products (though good), but their website contains a wealth of information about classroom environments and how you can make a big difference in the look and efficiency of your classroom for less money than you'd expect.
The plus to the extra work? I think they say it best...
By the way... Happy Columbus Day! Some quick activity links...
So how was your weekend? I spent most of the weekend rearranging and reorganizing my child care facility. The recent rainy weather has reminded me that soon we will be having more "indoor time" than "outdoor time". It was time to make some changes, bring out some different toys, and adjust the "space". I am lucky to be able to do this because my child care facility is our walk-out basement and the space is used exclusively for my business.
I don't often make a lot of changes to the child care environment because children like consistency and familiarity, but occasional change can create some excitment and keep things fresh, interesting, and inviting.
If you are looking for some suggestions for improving various environments in your learning center, I recommend checking out the information at Discount School Supply. I am not necessarily promoting their products (though good), but their website contains a wealth of information about classroom environments and how you can make a big difference in the look and efficiency of your classroom for less money than you'd expect.
The plus to the extra work? I think they say it best...
Once you begin to create an environment that focuses on the needs, personalitiesAND it makes me feel better! It helps keep things interesting and fun for me as well.
and interests of your children, you may notice other changes. Children may begin
to demonstrate more responsibility by caring for materials. They may begin to
interact in news ways with each other and be more interested in the activities
and materials provided. Whether it is a space for quiet reflection or an open
space in the room for growing minds and projects, the environment will reflect
your expectations for how daily learning occurs.
By the way... Happy Columbus Day! Some quick activity links...
- Columbus Day - About.com
- Columbus Day Activities - ChildFun
- Columbus Day - Kids Domain
- Columbus Day Crafts and Activities - Enchanted Learning
- Columbus Day Coloring Pages - Preschool Coloring Book
- Columbus Day Activities - DLTK
Friday, October 05, 2007
Suite 101...
Need to get ready for my son's football game tonight so just a quick resource to share today. I promise to write more for Monday...
With 10 years online, over 95,000 articles and 900 professional, paid contract writers, Suite101 is dedicated to delivering quality expertise and writing increasingly rare in the online world.- At the Day Care topic you will find information for parents and child care providers on seeking quality nursery or preschools, daycare centers, and teachers that provide safe, nurturing environments for toddlers and preschoolers.
- Find answers to your questions about finding a good center, developing a working relationship with your child's teachers, issues facing day care providers, and many more ideas that affect parents of young children in need of day care.
- Parents, daycare providers, and other caregivers are invited to ask questions, share frustrations and post in the discussion section.
Some great articles and information relating to child care at http://daycare.suite101.com/
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Minnesota Parents Know...
Minnesota Parents Know is a resource filled with convenient and trusted child development, health and parenting information. The Minnesota Parents Know Website is founded on the belief that parents are the first and most important teacher in a child's life. Parents are likely to benefit, however, from the aid and support of experts' information on child health, development, nutrition and safety in raising strong and healthy children.
The site has been developed for parents with extensive input of parents and provides up-to-date research-based information on children from birth through grade 12, strategies to support children's learning, newsletters, expert tips, an interactive early childhood and child care search, connections to Minnesota services and resources, video clips, a parent Web literacy tutorial and a customized search function of high quality, non-commercial child development and health Websites.
One of Governor Tim Pawlenty's early childhood initiatives, Minnesota Parents Know, was funded by the 2006 Minnesota Legislature. This site is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Education and is provided for parents following extensive parent input and research.
Check out the website. There is some great child development information presented. In addition to the developmental milestones, there are some great parenting articles, tips, and other information.
Some other parenting helps in Minnesota that you should be aware of are:
Minnesota Parents Know is a resource filled with convenient and trusted child development, health and parenting information. The Minnesota Parents Know Website is founded on the belief that parents are the first and most important teacher in a child's life. Parents are likely to benefit, however, from the aid and support of experts' information on child health, development, nutrition and safety in raising strong and healthy children.
The site has been developed for parents with extensive input of parents and provides up-to-date research-based information on children from birth through grade 12, strategies to support children's learning, newsletters, expert tips, an interactive early childhood and child care search, connections to Minnesota services and resources, video clips, a parent Web literacy tutorial and a customized search function of high quality, non-commercial child development and health Websites.
One of Governor Tim Pawlenty's early childhood initiatives, Minnesota Parents Know, was funded by the 2006 Minnesota Legislature. This site is hosted by the Minnesota Department of Education and is provided for parents following extensive parent input and research.
Check out the website. There is some great child development information presented. In addition to the developmental milestones, there are some great parenting articles, tips, and other information.
Some other parenting helps in Minnesota that you should be aware of are:
- Call the FREE Parent Warmline 612.813.6336 (Twin Cities) or 1.866.916.4316 (Greater Minnesota) anytime
Parent Warmline is a FREE telephone service sponsored by Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. The Warmline provides you with person-to-person support, practical advice and resources about parent- child relationships and the behavior and development of children from infants to teens.
Leave your name, day and night phone numbers, your questions and a good time to reach you. A trusted parent educator will return your call to listen, support you, give information and suggest resources. You will receive individualized and confidential attention. Translators are available. - Minnesota Department of Health
Call 651.201.3650 or 1.800.728.5420, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Call this FREE line if your child has problems or difficulties with development or if you are concerned about your child's growth, learning or development. - Minnesota 2-1-1
United Way telephone referral service Call 2-1-1 available 24/7 (Cell phone users can call 651.291.0211)
Minnesota 2-1-1 is a FREE service that connects you with community services in Minnesota including childcare, counseling, food, health, housing, legal help, mental health, transportation and youth services.
Telephone lines for English, Spanish, Hmong and Russian speaking parents are available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. For English, Spanish or Hmong call 211 or 651.291.0211 (cell). Russian speaking parents call 651.698.9167. - MinnesotaHelp.info Website
Find information, in both English and Spanish, on programs and services in your community to help with health care, child care, job training, education, recreation, retirement, disability and social services for yourself or other family members on the MinnesotaHelp.info Website.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Coming Soon to a County Near You...
Minnesota Parent Aware... Have you seen this site yet? Currently a pilot program in just a few areas, this is the evolution of the QRS (Quality Rating System) that was initially proposed. I encourage you to take some time looking over the website and getting familiar with what is happening, even if you are not in one of the pilot areas. I believe it will soon be across the state.
What is Minnesota’s Parent Aware Rating Tool?
Designed by child care providers, early learning professionals and parents, Minnesota’s voluntary Parent Aware Rating Tool is intended to support our state’s children by creating a rating system which identifies, recognizes and celebrates quality in early education. The rating tool will recognize early educators for the quality of care they deliver and build on this quality by supporting their efforts at program improvements.
The Parent Aware Rating Tool is built upon the understanding that providing high-quality child care and early learning are not easy tasks and the pressures placed on our providers are many. The rating tool is designed to recognize early educators for the quality of care they deliver and build on this quality by supporting their efforts at program improvement.
Bringing together the latest research on children’s learning and the current needs of our community, the Parent Aware Rating Tool will build upon the good work completed by earlier quality rating system planning efforts.
Where will the pilot program take place?
The three-year pilot of the Parent Aware Rating Tool will include licensed child care providers/early educators in five locations: Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties, the City of St. Paul, neighborhoods of North Minneapolis and the Wayzata School District.
How will the pilot program work?
Programs will receive ratings using a point system. Program features in the following areas will be recognized:
Learning environment and curriculum
Adult/child interaction
Staff/provider education
Tracking child progress
Children’s health and safety
Family partnerships
For more information, download the Complete Quality Indicators for child care centers or for family child care documents. These documents outline the rating criteria for the Parent Aware Rating Tool.
Will there be a cost to participate?
There is no cost to participate in the Parent Aware Rating Tool.
When will the pilot program begin?
Applications will be available in pilot areas beginning July of 2007. Be sure to visit the enrollment page to request an application or more information.
Why is a quality rating system needed?
A kindergarten readiness study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Education found that only 50 percent of Minnesota children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. The good news is that mounting research demonstrates that quality child care can reverse this trend and offer our youngest citizens lifelong benefits. The Parent Aware Rating Tool is designed to raise the number of Minnesota children fully prepared for learning success by empowering child care providers/early educators.
I'm sure that there will be much more information and discussion about this as time goes on. I beleive that it is in your best interest as an early care professional in Minnesota to stay informed about this topic.
Minnesota Parent Aware... Have you seen this site yet? Currently a pilot program in just a few areas, this is the evolution of the QRS (Quality Rating System) that was initially proposed. I encourage you to take some time looking over the website and getting familiar with what is happening, even if you are not in one of the pilot areas. I believe it will soon be across the state.
What is Minnesota’s Parent Aware Rating Tool?
Designed by child care providers, early learning professionals and parents, Minnesota’s voluntary Parent Aware Rating Tool is intended to support our state’s children by creating a rating system which identifies, recognizes and celebrates quality in early education. The rating tool will recognize early educators for the quality of care they deliver and build on this quality by supporting their efforts at program improvements.
The Parent Aware Rating Tool is built upon the understanding that providing high-quality child care and early learning are not easy tasks and the pressures placed on our providers are many. The rating tool is designed to recognize early educators for the quality of care they deliver and build on this quality by supporting their efforts at program improvement.
Bringing together the latest research on children’s learning and the current needs of our community, the Parent Aware Rating Tool will build upon the good work completed by earlier quality rating system planning efforts.
Where will the pilot program take place?
The three-year pilot of the Parent Aware Rating Tool will include licensed child care providers/early educators in five locations: Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties, the City of St. Paul, neighborhoods of North Minneapolis and the Wayzata School District.
How will the pilot program work?
Programs will receive ratings using a point system. Program features in the following areas will be recognized:
Learning environment and curriculum
Adult/child interaction
Staff/provider education
Tracking child progress
Children’s health and safety
Family partnerships
For more information, download the Complete Quality Indicators for child care centers or for family child care documents. These documents outline the rating criteria for the Parent Aware Rating Tool.
Will there be a cost to participate?
There is no cost to participate in the Parent Aware Rating Tool.
When will the pilot program begin?
Applications will be available in pilot areas beginning July of 2007. Be sure to visit the enrollment page to request an application or more information.
Why is a quality rating system needed?
A kindergarten readiness study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Education found that only 50 percent of Minnesota children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. The good news is that mounting research demonstrates that quality child care can reverse this trend and offer our youngest citizens lifelong benefits. The Parent Aware Rating Tool is designed to raise the number of Minnesota children fully prepared for learning success by empowering child care providers/early educators.
I'm sure that there will be much more information and discussion about this as time goes on. I beleive that it is in your best interest as an early care professional in Minnesota to stay informed about this topic.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
2007 KIDS COUNT data books now available...
I talk about this every year when the new edition is released. But this really is a valuable resource for all child advocates, human services staff and administrators, researchers, policymakers, and interested citizens! The 2007 Minnesota KIDS COUNT data book. KIDS COUNT is produced by Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota, is now available for download through the website.
KIDS COUNT is THE source of data on the status of Minnesota’s children for:
2007 Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book: Seven Basic Needs
The number of Minnesota children living in extreme poverty has increased by 63 percent since 2000, and the number without health insurance has climbed to 79,000. These are among the numerous findings in the 2007 data book, Seven Basic Needs. The book focuses on needs that contribute to every child’s well-being: Family & Caregivers, Economic Security, Food & Nutrition, Healthy Development, Early Care & Education, School-age Care & Education, and Safe Homes & Communities. Within these need areas, we provide 115 data indicators of well-being, including 40 indicators at the county level. Available online at www.cdf-mn.org/kidscount.htm.
2007 National KIDS COUNT Data Book
The 18th annual National KIDS COUNT Data Book supplements the Minnesota data book with a national and state-by-state perspective on the conditions of America’s children and families. New this year is information on child well-being in Puerto Rico. This year’s essay examines the child welfare system and challenges the country to make lifelong connections for children and youth in foster care a national priority. Available online at www.kidscount.org.
I talk about this every year when the new edition is released. But this really is a valuable resource for all child advocates, human services staff and administrators, researchers, policymakers, and interested citizens! The 2007 Minnesota KIDS COUNT data book. KIDS COUNT is produced by Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota, is now available for download through the website.
KIDS COUNT is THE source of data on the status of Minnesota’s children for:
- Public Policy Decisions
- Program Planning & Evaluation
- Social Policy Research
- Advocacy Campaigns
- Reports & Presentations
- Grant Applications
2007 Minnesota KIDS COUNT Data Book: Seven Basic Needs
The number of Minnesota children living in extreme poverty has increased by 63 percent since 2000, and the number without health insurance has climbed to 79,000. These are among the numerous findings in the 2007 data book, Seven Basic Needs. The book focuses on needs that contribute to every child’s well-being: Family & Caregivers, Economic Security, Food & Nutrition, Healthy Development, Early Care & Education, School-age Care & Education, and Safe Homes & Communities. Within these need areas, we provide 115 data indicators of well-being, including 40 indicators at the county level. Available online at www.cdf-mn.org/kidscount.htm.
2007 National KIDS COUNT Data Book
The 18th annual National KIDS COUNT Data Book supplements the Minnesota data book with a national and state-by-state perspective on the conditions of America’s children and families. New this year is information on child well-being in Puerto Rico. This year’s essay examines the child welfare system and challenges the country to make lifelong connections for children and youth in foster care a national priority. Available online at www.kidscount.org.
