Houghton Baraga Keweenaw Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties
January Newsletter
Professional Development
Parent Connection
Playing Games with Young Children
(from NAEYC: Young Children April/May 2009 Message in a Backpack )
Waiting can be hard for children and adults. What can you and your child do to have fun and learn while waiting
for your food to arrive in a restaurant, for the bus to come, or in a long line at the store? Try playing one of these
word games. It can make the time pass more pleasantly and help your preschooler build valuable skills. Your
child can learn how to focus on and describe objects, make decisions, solve word problems, persist at a task,
and recognize colors, shapes, numbers, and letters.
They will also learn that different people can see things in different ways.
I Spy. The first player looks around and chooses an object that all players can see
and then provides one clue: “I spy with my little eye something that is green [or round or
striped . . . ].” The other players take turns guessing the object. The player who guesses correctly
starts the next round.
The Rainbow Game. One person chooses a color, and the others look for something of that
color. When everyone spots something of the first color, another player chooses a new one.
Keep playing until you run out of colors. Try playing with shapes, numbers, or letters as well.
Would You Rather? One player starts by asking a simple “Would you rather . . .” question,
such as “Would you rather play Uno or Go Fish?” “. . . eat an apple or a pear?” “. . . take a bath or a
shower?” or “. . . have a picnic with an anteater or a raccoon?” Add explanations for the choices, if
you
wish.
I’m Thinking of an Animal. One person thinks of an animal and gives clues so others
can guess what it is. The best clues narrow the search but still allow for multiple possibilities.
“I’m thinking of an animal that is black and white” works better than “an animal with legs” (although
the
second option is typical of young children’s first clues). If no one guesses correctly, give additional
clues until someone does.
You can change any of these games to fit your child’s age and interests. For younger children, make clues
simpler or choose more obvious items. Adjust your play times to match your child’s attention span or the length
of wait. Playing games makes waiting fun!
http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/MessageV2N4.pdf
Lending Library
The Ever Popular Infant Climbers are Currently
Available!
Call or Email Today to Borrow for a Month and Play!
Call/text: Amy Thill 906-285-2271 to borrow one today
Health and Safety
Everybody Gets Mad: Helping Your Child Cope with
Conflict
Help Children Act Calm
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Let them know that it takes more courage to walk away from a fight than to stay and fight.
Teach them that fights don’t solve problems—they make new ones.
Remind them that when they get mad but don’t fight, they have really won.
Sometimes, getting along with other kids is hard. Some kids:
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Get into fights when they are angry.
Get teased a lot.
Encourage others to fight.
This can make your child feel bad or get in trouble. Teach your child how to deal with anger and stay out of
trouble.
Everyone Gets Mad
Anger doesn’t usually last a long time, but it is a very strong feeling when it happens.
Children get mad when:
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Their feelings are hurt or they can’t do what they want.
Others don’t understand them or lie about them.
They feel left out or others don’t act the way they want.
When children are mad, their bodies react:
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Their hearts beat faster and their faces feel hot and sweaty.
It might be hard to breathe and they can’t think clearly.
They have a lot of energy and want action.
When children are angry, it is:
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Good to put their feelings into words.
Not good to hit someone, break things, or say things that hurt.
Teach Your Child to ACT CALM
When children get mad, they can ACT:
Acknowledge
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Acknowledge angry feelings.
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Notice changes in their bodies.
Calm down
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Breathe deeply, count to 10, or walk away.
Punch a pillow, run, or play music.
Think and talk
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Think about the problem and ways to fix it. If someone doesn’t know what children are trying
to say or do, they need to explain themselves.
Talk with someone about being mad and ways to fix the problem without fighting. If there is
nobody to talk to right away, stop and think, “This is why I’m mad and what I need to do is ...”
If someone tries to start a fight, your child can be the one to stay CALM:
Calm down
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Keep a safe distance from the other person.
Take slow, deep breaths.
Stay alert and stand tall.
Avoid
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Avoid name-calling or returning insults. It only makes things worse.
Avoid other kids who may want to fight. Try to talk in private with the kid who wants to fight.
Listen
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Calmly listen to what the other kid says.
Ask, “What does this person really want?”
Move on
Find ways to solve the problem without fighting.
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Use humor. “I wouldn’t want you to catch my cold.”
Give a reason. “We’ll both get thrown off the team if we fight.”
Walk away. If nothing else works, it’s best to walk away.
Children do what they see others do. You are your child’s most important role model.
If your child is still having trouble getting along with other kids, talk with your pediatrician.
Last Updated: 11/21/2015
Source: Connected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure (Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics)
STE(A)M
Watercolor Resist and Salt:
Two Watercolor Techniques Combined
MATERIALS
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Watercolor paper or poster board
Rubber cement
Liquid watercolor paint
Salt
Find the instructions here:
http://artfulparent.com/2012/08/our-two-favorite-watercolor-techniques-combined.html
Infant-Toddler Experiences
A program goal to help protect and nurture the health and well being of infants and
toddlers:
Infants and toddlers experience environments where they
have opportunities to communicate through the use of
symbols/pictures, signs, and stories.
Examples of Experiences and Strategies:
• Caregivers read books to infants, tell/sign them simple stories, and communicate to them about
objects and pictures.
• Infants are able to feel and manipulate books and to see and handle photographs and pictures.
• Numbers are used in conversation and interactive times (e.g., finger plays, chants); every day
number patterns are highlighted (e.g., two shoes, four wheels, five fingers).
• Caregivers draw attention to concepts (e.g., differences between more and less, big and small).
• The program includes songs, rhymes, stories, books, and chants that repeat sequences.
• Toys with a variety of colors, textures, shapes, and sizes to experiment with and explore freely are
available in the environment.
• Toddlers have many opportunities to play simple games and to use an increasing range of toys
and materials, which feature a variety of symbols/pictures, shapes, sizes, and colors.
• Caregivers’ conversations with toddlers are rich in number ideas, so that caregivers extend
toddlers’ knowledge about numbers.
• Caregivers model the process of counting to solve every day problems (e.g., asking, "How many
children want to go on a walk?").
• Toddlers are encouraged to develop the language of position (e.g., above and below, inside and
outside) and the language of probability (e.g., might, can’t).
• The toddler’s name is written on belongings and any personal space, and names or
symbols/pictures are used to enable toddlers to recognize their own possessions.
• The language of the child’s culture is used as well as the primary spoken and written language of
the program.
• Books are available for the toddler to read and carry about; reading books and telling stories are
frequent, pleasurable, intimate, and interactive experiences.
• Children experience a wide range of stories and hear and practice storytelling.
• Children are frequently exposed to storytelling in their natural/home languages.
From Michigan's Early Childhood Standards of Quality for Infant/Toddler Programs;
for the complete document:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/ECSQ_IT_approved_422341_7.pdf
Quality Rating Improvement System
Are you a child care provider?
Have you updated yourGreat Start to Quality profile?
Have you submitted your Great Start to Quality Self
Assessment Survey?
Not sure where to start? We're here to help.
or call Amy Thill 906.285.2271 or
emailamylouthill@outlook.com
Funding from the Office of Great Start within the Michigan Department of Education supports the
implementation of Great Start.