Parents as Teachers

April 2014 Newsletter

For more information about Parents as Teachers or to receive visits for your child,
contact Nancy Holtwick at 660-728-3686 or holtwicks@gmail.com.

PAT & Community Events

Open Play Center*
Wednesdays, 9:00-10:30 am
3rd Friday of each month, 9:00-10:30 am
You may drop in and play anytime during play
center hours. Toys, books, CDs and videos are
always available to be checked out from the play
center.
The play center is located in the lower level of Fayette High
School on Hwy. 5 across from McDonalds.

Vision Screenings*
Monday, April 7; 8:00-11:00 a.m.
New Franklin Elementary School
The Lion's Club KidSight program will be at New
Franklin Elementary School to offer free vision
screenings for children from 6 months to 6
years old. Using a Plusoptix photoscreening device,
trained technicians quickly and noninvasively take a
picture of each childs eyes, and the device
produces an immediate pass or refer result.
KidSight provides parents with timely, accurate, and
free health information so they can preserve their
childrens sight.
Children will be seen on a first-come, first-served
basis. Screenings take only a few minutes.

Fayette Screenings
Kindergarten
Thursday, April 3 by appointment
Friday, April 4 by appointment
Kindergarten Screenings will be held at the First
Christian Church multipurpose building (next to
Sams Drug Store). If youre child is eligible to
attend kindergarten in the fall, you should receive a
letter in the mail with instructions for scheduling
your childs screening and the documentation you
need to take to the screening. If you do not receive
a letter, you may call Daly Elementary School
secretary Sandy Boulden, at 248-3800.
3 Months 3 Years
If your child aged 3 months to 3 years has not been
screened this school year, please contact Kristin
Himmelmann
at
660-537-1131
or
kristinhimmel@sbcglobal.net.

Activities marked with * are for

Fayette and New Franklin families.

Read from the Start Part II*

Tuesday, April 1, 6:00 p.m.
New Franklin Elementary School
If you missed the first session but would like to attend,
please contact Kristin Himmelmann at 660-537-1131.

This free workshop for parents of young children,

facilitated by a certified Read from the Start
facilitator, will help parents explore different ways
to read to their children. Ideas for activities,
games, and reading aloud will be discussed as ways
to help children become active readers. Pizza will
be served. The workshop is for parents only, and
childcare will not be provided.
Each family
attending this Parents as Teachers sponsored event
will receive free children's books.

New Franklin Screenings

Preschool
Monday, April 7 by appointment
Preschool screenings for all three and four year olds
will be held at the New Franklin Elementary School.
If you are interested in your child attending the New
Franklin preschool, you should plan to attend.
Please call 848-2112 to schedule an appointment.
3 Months 3 Years
Monday, April 7 by appointment
If your child aged 3 months to 3 years has not been
screened this school year, please make an
appointment to have them screened. Screening will
be at the New Franklin Elementary School in
conjuction with the preschool screenings.
The
purpose of screening is to make certain that your
child is developing as expected and, if not, to
connect you with appropriate resources to assist in
your childs development.
To schedule an
appointment, contact Kristin Himmelmann at 660537-1131 or kristinhimmel@sbcglobal.net.
Kindergarten
Monday, April 14 by appointment
Kindergarten screenings for children who will be 5
years old before August 1, 2014 will be held at the
New Franklin Elementary School. Please call 8482112 to schedule an appointment.

Children are not a distraction from

more important work. They are the most
important work, John Trainer, M.D.

Community Events
Mr. Stinky Feet
Saturday, March 29; 7:00 p.m.
Central Christian College Auditorium, Moberly

Admission: FREE
Jim Cosgrove knows what kids like to laugh and
sing about, and hes taken that knowledge along
with his guitar and a box full of instruments
around the country and the world, singing his
songs for kids of all ages.

Book Fair
Fayettes Daly/Clark Library will be hosting a
buy-one-get-one-free Scholastic Book Fair on
Thursday, April 3 from 5:00-7:00 pm. Books for
all ages will be available for purchase and each
purchase helps the school library earn free
books.

Story Time
Fridays at 10:00 a.m. through April 18
Boonslick Regional Library, Boonville
Story time for ages 3-5. Stories, songs, crafts
and fun!

Items of Interest
Grandma Says Book of the Month
The Dark
By Lemony Snicket, Illustrated by Jon Klassen
Available at Howard Co, Boonville, & Columbia Public Libraries

If there is a child on the face of this earth who

does not have, at the very least, some feelings of
discomfort about being in the dark, I would love
to meet him or her.
Since we all realize that this is a common kid
concern, we might as well bring it out into the
open, as has been done in this well-illustrated
story about Laszlo.
Right away we hear that Laszlo is afraid of the
dark, and learn that the dark lives in the same
house as Laszlo, a big place with a creaky roof,
smooth, cold windows, and several sets of stairs.
We see how small Laszlo seems, as he peers into
the closet and behind the shower curtain, where
the dark sometimes hides, though it mostly stays
in the basement. But at night, of course, the
dark went out and spread itself against the
windows and doors of Laszlos house.
Children usually develop a fear of the dark
around the time they develop an imagination,
about age two or three.

Items of Interest
At this time, they can imagine things, but not yet
distinguish fantasy from reality, so the unknown
can be really scary, especially at night, when the
imagination can take over in the childs brain.
But in the morning the dark would be back in
the basement, where it belonged. Children who
are fearful of the dark need a sense that they can
handle the fear.
Laszlo tries to do this by peeking at the dark
every morning, and saying Hi to the dark in the
basement, thinking that if he visited in the darks
room, maybe the dark wouldnt come visit him in
his room a great example of young kids
thinking, making the dark into something like a
real person.
And then Laszlos worst fear comes true But
one night it did come into his room. Laszlo,
the dark said in the dark. Laszlo clutches his
flashlight, as the dark tells him it wants to show
him something.
With illustrations that look as though they are
illumined by flashlight and Laszlos big eyes
telling us the tale, they look in all the scary
places all around the house No, no, not there
and then finally the dark leads him to the
basement. Laszlo had never dared come to the
darks room at night.
Finally the dark leads him to a bottom drawer in
the dresser. I wont tell you what is there, just
that it empowers Laszlo to go back to his room,
with the dark no longer there.
The things children imagine in the dark are
fantasy, but the fear is real. Children need adults
who are sympathetic to the fear, not minimizing
its importance even as we understand the fearful
objects are imaginary.
They need adults who can support them as they
work to overcome the fear, giving them comfort
items to help them face it, like flashlights and
night lights, and stuffed animals for company.
They dont need adults who use the fear to
control childrens behavior, or even give in to it,
by letting children believe they are only safe
when they are in the parents bed.
They dont need parents who will check under the
bed or in the closet for monsters, because this is
confusing to the process of sorting out fantasy
and reality, but instead they can use parents who
support them as they do what they need to feel
comfortable and safe in their rooms at night.
The dark kept on living with Laszlo, but it never
bothered him again. Enjoy this book to help your
child also learn to coexist with the dark.
From Grandma Says - Receive your free subscription of
Grandma Says at blog.growingchild.com or contact Growing
Child customer service atservice@growingchild.com.

Items of Interest
Choosing Books
for Infants and Toddlers
Written by the National Center for Family Literacy

Even very young children benefit from interacting

with print and books and, of course, with their
parents! Here are some tips about choosing good
books for infants and toddlers.
Infants: Birth to Six Months
Content. Choose books with large pictures or
bright and bold illustrations set against a
contrasting background. Look for books that
have simple pictures, one per page.
Language. Infants will enjoy looking through
wordless picture books, or books that have just
a single word along with a big picture. But also
try books that contain phrases or short
sentences. Its important for infants to hear
language. Nursery rhymes and verse books are
good for this age, too.
Design. Books for infants should be interesting
and appealing to look at. Try stiff cardboard
books, books with fold-out pages that create
colorful panels, cloth or soft vinyl books, and
books with handles.
Reading
Aloud. Infants
want
your
full
attention, so try reciting rhymes and songs that
you remember by heart. Also, try reading to
your infant while she has a toy to hold. Reading
at bedtime is always a nice way to end the day!
Infants: Seven to 12 Months
Content. Children this age will enjoy books with
medium to large photos and bright, bold
illustrations. Look for books that have simple
drawings of familiar things, actions and events.
Language. Children begin to key into content
and can relate pictures to their world. While
they still enjoy picture books, try some books
with simple stories that have one line of text per
page.
Design. Infants this age like to handle cloth
and vinyl books and cardboard books with stiff,
thick pages.
Reading Aloud. As your baby gets older, try
this four-part interaction sequence:
1. Get your babys attention by pointing out
something in a book. ("Look!")
2. Ask a labeling question. ("Whats that?")
3. Wait for your baby to respond, verbally
or non-verbally. If necessary, provide
the
answer
yourself.
("Thats
a
monkey!")
4. Acknowledge your babys response.
("Yes" or repeat your babys word.) If
your baby mislabels the picture, correct
him in a positive manner. ("Yes, its
brown like a dog, but its a monkey.")

Keep in mind that you may not get through a whole

book in one reading. As your child starts to explore
books, support her progress by watching, listening
and acknowledging.
Infants: 12 to 18 months
Content. For children this age, try books with
pictures of familiar characters, like animals,
children, TV characters or adults in familiar roles.
Look for books that have action pictures your
baby is starting to be able to enjoy pictures with
more details.
Language. This is a great age to try books with
songs and repetitive verses. Books that have a
simple story line that relates to your childs own
experiences will also have appeal. You might also
look for theme books that show a series of related
pictures and a few words. These books follow a
progression of simple activities, but dont try to
introduce a plot or complex storyline.
Design. Even though your baby is growing fast,
shell still enjoy playing with books with handles and
books with stiff, thick pages. And she'll still like
having these books read to her. Books with thinner
pages that are plastic-coated are also a good choice
for this age.
Reading Aloud. Your infant will probably still enjoy
reading with you as he sits on your lap or close to
you in a comfortable chair. This helps your baby
associate reading with feeling secure. Connecting
sounds with the pictures he sees in the books will
make reading together even more fun. Make your
own sounds, and dont be surprised if your baby
joins in! You may also notice your child looking
through the book alone and making noises
(sometimes called "book babble").
Toddlers: 19 to 30 Months
Content. Toddlers will continue to enjoy books with
familiar characters, but they also will begin to take
interest in pictures filled with information, action
and detail. Try some short stories, cause and effect
stories, and fictional books that describe a problem
or circumstance to overcome.
Language. Try predictable books with repeated
text, words that rhyme, and pictures that
correspond to the text. Books with songs and
repetitive verses are still a good choice for this age.
Design. Toddlers can enjoy books with paper
pages-but will still like books with a picture on
every page and just a little bit of text.
Reading Aloud. Let your toddler decide if she
wants to sit on your lap while you read, or next to
you on the couch or floor. Follow her cues. Talk
about the characters and events in the story,
relating them to your childs own experiences.
Pause when you read aloud to let your child fill in a
word or phrase. This works great with rhyming and
repetitive books.

Items of Interest

Boost Early Brain Development

Nina Chen, Ph.D., CFLE, Human Development Specialist,
University of Missouri Extension

Scientists have discovered how childrens earliest

experiences affect the way the brain is shaped.
They have also learned how early brain
development and the parent-child relationship
interact to create a foundation for future
learning.
Research on early brain development suggests
the following guidelines to help children build
their brain power and healthy patterns for lifelong learning.
Talk, read and sing to children. Talk to your child,
make eye contact, read aloud, play rhyming and
word games, describe what is happening during
daily routines, ask them questions, respond to
their clues and cues, and sing songs. These
ongoing interactions and conversations help
young children build a foundation for later
learning.
Be warm, loving and responsive. Childrens early
attachments affect how their brains grow. They
need to feel secure by receiving care and
attention in a warm, loving and responsive
environment.
Encourage safe exploration. Exploration and play
are important learning experiences for children.
Provide them opportunities to move around,
explore and play. Opportunities to interact and
play with their peers can help children explore
relationships and learn problem solving.
Establish routines and rituals. Daily routines and
rituals such as nap time, bedtime and mealtime
with positive feelings are reassuring for children.
When children have consistent and predictable
routines, they know that they can count on you
with a sense of security.
Limit television viewing. Avoid using television as
a babysitter. Research shows that children who
were raised in families that limit television
viewing time and were selective as to the types
of programs they watched learned the best in
school.
Ensure health, good nutrition and safety. Have
regular prenatal care, have routine child checkups, get timely immunizations, safety-proof play
areas, make sure everyone eats a balanced diet
and gets sufficient rest.
To view this article online, go
to http://missourifamilies.org/features/parentingarticles/pare
nting104.htm

Helping Children Develop

Good Health Habits
Linda S. Rellergert, MS, Nutrition and Health Education
Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

Parents play an important role in helping their children

develop good health habits. Healthy children eat well,
live a physically active life and feel good about
themselves and others. Children need encouragement
from parents and other significant adults to develop
healthy habits and attitudes.
Eating well
Parents help their children develop good eating habits
when they:

Regularly provide family meals and snacks

Do not pressure kids to eat foods they do not like

Encourage children to stop eating when full

Offer meals and snacks that are nutritious and

good tasting

Keep mealtimes pleasant

Teach children how to deal with uncomfortable

feelings without eating

Allow children to decide whether or not to eat and

how much to eat

Keep the TV turned off during meals

Living actively
Here are some ways parents can get their children
moving:

Be physically active role models

Encourage children to be moderately active at least

60 minutes on most days

Move the TV out of bedrooms

Set limits on the amount of time the family

watches TV, works on the computer and plays
video games

Teach children games that you liked as a child

Make opportunities for active family recreation like

playing ball, hiking or camping

Volunteer to help with your childs after school

activities or sports
Feeling good
To encourage children to feel good about themselves
and others, moms and dads can:

Show love and acceptance for every family

member

Refrain from making negative comments about

ones own body or others bodies

Give children time and attention

Really listen when children talk

Help children develop talents and skills through

hobbies and helping with chores and projects

Offer sincere words of praise and encouragement

Be an advocate for your child with teachers,

relatives, religious leaders and other adults
To view this article online, go
to http://missourifamilies.org/features/nutritionarticles/nut10
1.htm

Books to Read Together

Wordless Books (or nearly so)

Good Dog, Carl P H B C

by Alexandra Day

Goodnight Gorilla P H B C
by Peggy Rathman

Carl leads his infant mistress on a romp through the house, causing chaos
and destruction, but restoring order just before Mother returns home!

An unobservant zookeeper is followed home by all the animals he

thinks he has left behind in the zoo.

Black on White and White on Black P H C

by Tana Hoban

10 Mintues Til Bedtime C

by Peggy Rathman

Black illustrations against a white background depict objects & vice versa.

A boy's hamster leads an increasingly large group of hamsters on a

tour of the boy's house, while his father counts down the minutes to
bedtime.

Flotsam H C
by David Wiesner
The story of what happens when a camera becomes a piece of flotsam.

Rosies Walk P H B C
by Pat Hutchins

The Lion and the Mouse H C

by Jerry Pinkney

On a winter's night under a full moon, a father and daughter trek into
the woods to see the Great Horned Owl.

Aesop fable, an adventuresome mouse proves that even small creatures

are capable of great deeds when he rescues the King of the Jungle.

Pancakes for Breakfast P H B C

by Tommie de Paola

Chalk C
by Bill Thomson

Several animals sleep snugly in Nicki's lost mitten until the bear
sneezes.
Availability:
P play center

Columbia (Daniel Boone Regional Library)

Three children go to a park on a rainy day, find some chalk, and draw
pictures that come to life.

Howard County Public Library

B Boonville (Boonslick Regional Library)

Rhymes, Songs & Fingerplays

Where are Babys Fingers?
Where, oh where are babys fingers? (touch fingers)
Where, oh where are babys toes? (touch toes)
Wheres the babys belly button? (tap belly button)
Round and round it goes (make circle around belly)
Where, oh where are babys ears? (touch ears)
Where, oh where is babys nose? (touch nose)
Wheres the babys belly button? (tap belly button)
Round and round it goes. (make a circle around belly)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear (Do actions as indicated)
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear that will do!
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights
Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!
Here Comes A Bunny
Here is a bunny with ears so funny.
(hold up index and middle finger on one hand)

And here is his hole in the ground.

(make hole by cupping other hand)

When a noise he hears he picks up his ears.

(extend index and middle finger for ears)

And hops in his hole in the ground.

(place fingers from bunny hand into hole)

Open, Shut Them (Do actions as rhyme indicates)

Open, shut them.
Open, shut them.
Give a little clap.
Open, shut them. Open, shut them.
Lay them in your lap.
Creep them, creep them,
Creep them, creep them,
Right up to your chin.
Open up your little mouth,
But do not let them in.
Houses
Here is a nest for a robin,
(cup hands)

Here is a hive for a bee.

(make a fist and wrap other hand around it)

Here is a hole for a bunny,

(make circle with thumb and finger)

And here is a house for me.

(put arms above head with fingers touching like a roof )

The Train
Choo, choo, choo, (slide hands together)
The train runs down the track. (run fingers down arm)
Choo, choo, choo, (slide hands together)
And then it runs right back. (run fingers up arm)
From mdpls.org

Activities to Try at Home

Playful Patterns
Edible Patterns
What You Need: Fruit Loops or other loop-shaped
cereal in a variety of colors, small bowls/cups, scissors,
yarn or string, masking tape
What You Do: Start by sorting the cereal by color, into
separate containers. Help her cut a piece of yarn, just
over one foot long. Wrap one end of the yarn with
masking tape to create a needle.
Have her gather groups of cereal pieces in two or three
different colors, depending on the pattern you choose
(AB, ABC, AAB, etc.). Help her lay out a pattern and
get started threading this pattern onto the yarn.
Encourage her to thread at least 6 repeats. Repeat the
process with different patterns.
When you're finished, strung cereal can be hung
outside for the birds or unstrung and munched by your
young pattern maker.
Use the Oat Cereal Spire activity below as a scaffold
for fruit loop patterns.
Musical Patterns
What You Need: Fillable clear plastic holiday
ornaments (available at craft stores) or other plastic
containers (Easter eggs, baby food containers),
buttons, sand, sequins, paper clips, small corks, dry
beans, other small household items, tape
What You Do: Fill each container with a few of one of
the chosen items then close the container and secure it
with tape. (This is especially important when working
with young children.)
Invite your child to shake each one, comparing the
sounds. Use one shaker to create a rhythm and

encourage your child to imitate you. Then invite him to

come up with his own rhythms! This will improve his
math skills as he learns to recognize the different
patterns hidden in beats.
Movement Patterns
What You Do: Body movements can include (but are
not limited to) clapping, jumping, wiggling, stepping,
snapping, shaking, tapping, and hopping. The point of
the game is to create a series of movements your child
can copy.
Start by creating a simple pattern and actually doing
the movements. (For example, clap, jump, clap,
jump) Keep this going and ask your child to get in on
the action. Tell them that whenever they're ready,
they should tell you what the pattern is (a clap, jump
pattern).
Once they've mastered this pattern, you can mix
things up with something a little more complex, such
as AAB (jump, jump, clap), ABB (jiggle, hop, hop), or
ABC (hop, clap, snap). Continue to challenge your child
as he learns more patterns such as AABC or ABBCC.
Assuming everyone's still having fun, you can move on
to another key skill: extending patterns. Basically, this
means being able to pick up a pattern where someone
else left off. To incorporate it into your game, start a
pattern and then stop and see if your child can tell you
what comes next. For example: clap, clap, hop, clap,
clap, hop, clap, clap, ______?
Once your child has the hang of it, it's time to step
aside. Reverse roles and let her make up the
movements and try to "stump" you. A parent may be
their child's "first teacher", but don't forget: children
love to be teachers too!
From education.com