News Bulletin

November 2013 Elgin Child & Family Resource Center A program of One Hope United 210 National St., Elgin, IL 60120 847.697.7100

Monthly

Healthy Lifestyles Curriculum

OVERALL HEALTh EXERCISE NUTRITIon EnVIRonMEnTAL SUSTAInABILITY

Raising Confident Kids
It takes confidence to be a kid. Whether going to a new school or stepping up to bat for the first time, kids face a lot of uncharted territory. Naturally, parents want to instill a can-do attitude in their kids so that theyll bravely take on new challenges and, over time, believe in themselves. While each child is a little different, parents can follow some general guidelines to build kids confidence. Self-confidence rises out of a sense of competence. In other words, kids develop confidence not because parents tell them theyre great, but because of their achievements, big and small. Sure, its good to hear encouraging words from mom and dad. But words of praise mean more when they refer to a childs specific efforts or new abilities. When kids achieve something, whether its brushing their own teeth or riding a bike, they get a sense of themselves as able and capable, and tap into that high-octane fuel of confidence. Building self-confidence can begin very early. When babies learn to turn the pages of a book or toddlers learn to walk, they are getting the idea I can do it! With each new skill and milestone, kids can develop increasing confidence. Parents can help by giving kids lots of opportunities to practice and master their skills, letting kids make mistakes and being there to boost their spirits so they keep trying. Respond with interest and excitement when kids show off a new skill, and reward them with praise when they achieve a goal or make a good effort. With plentiful opportunities, good instruction, and lots of patience from parents, kids can master basic skills like tying their shoes and making the bed. Then, when other important challenges present themselves, kids can approach them knowing that they have already been successful in other areas.

Four Components of the

Source: http://kidshealth.org

YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER In EARLY CARE AnD EDUCATION

Give Me Five!
Children learn many of the skills they need for reading long before they begin school. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers can learn about books and print and begin to learn letter names and letter sounds. Letters are all around us! Embrace the opportunity to develop your childs reading skills by using print found in your everyday environment. One easy activity to try is to encourage your child to read familiar signs. As you are walking or driving through town, point out and read road and business signs to your child. You might be surprised at the number of signs your child can read to you (i.e. Stop or McDonalds). Another fun way to encourage your child to read familiar signs is to give him or her printed materials such as magazines, grocery store ads and restaurant menus to play with. A meaningful way to begin letter recognition is to help your child recognize his or her own first name in print. Make a name card for your child using an upper case letter to write the first letter and lower case letter for the remaining lettersfor example Matthew. Encourage your child to first become familiar with the letters in his or her name. Try simple activities such as matching magnetic letters to his or her name card or searching for the letters on his or her name card in books or signs. Another way to encourage letter recognition is to look at the alphabet, and have your child touch each letter as you slowly sing the alphabet song. Lastly, read, read, read! It is never too early to read to your child. As soon as he or she is born, a child begins to learn. Just by talking to, playing with, and caring for your baby everyday, you help your baby develop language skills necessary to become a reader. As a parent, you are your childs first and most important teacher. Without a doubt, reading with your child spells success for early literacy!

Welcome New Staff!

The Center would like to welcome Maria to Infant Room 107. We are also excited to welcome back Jamie, who will be taking on the role of Support Staff.

Thank you!
Thank you to all the children and parents who took part in our Curriculum Nights. We enjoyed sharing examples of daily learning activities your children participates in. We hope this gave you some insight of how the children are busy learning each day while at the Center. It was great to see the participation in all the activities that were provided.

Pink Out!
On Oct. 30, the Center celebrated Breast Cancer Awareness month by dressing in pink and included pink-related activities in the classroom. Thanks to all who participated in support of this worthy cause.

Focus on Infant Room 107

The infants in Room 107 have been busy learning about fruits and vegetables. The teachers in the unit planned a variety of activities that centered on this theme to enhance the childrens curiosity, fine-motor strength, coordination and sensory skills. The children had the opportunity to explore apples that were cut in half. This allowed them to feel the smooth texture on the skin and the coarser texture on the inside. Some of the children also went a step further and decided to smell and taste their apples! The children continued to explore the way their apples felt by using it to paint with by choosing red or green paint. During this art experience, the children used a variety of techniques to move their paint around with their apple. The children explored the bumpy texture of corn on the cob as they sat with their teacher and maneuvered it with their hands. Once they were done exploring it with their teacher, they were given an opportunity to paint with it as well. To promote Healthy Lifestyles, the teachers brought in pineapples, apples, oranges and celery and juiced them to make a healthy snack for all to taste. As the children engaged themselves in the activities, they were introduced to a variety of textures, tastes and opportunities to develop sensory skills, social skills and eye/hand coordination. They showed curiosity and motivation to learn new things through their exploration.

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December 2013
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Jan. 1 Jan. 2 Center closed (Happy New Year!)

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