CHILD Herald February 2020
CHILD, Inc. Centers 160 Draper Ave Warwick, RI 02889 TO CH 401.732.5200 COME ILD, WEL INC. 849 Centerville Road We would like to welcome our three newest members to our management Warwick, RI 02886 team! Ashley Laing, Mental Health Manager. Amanda Hall and Breanne 401.823.3777 Murphy, Child Development Managers!
28 Payan Street West Warwick, RI 02893 401.828.2888
23 Cady Street Coventry, RI 02816 401.823.3228 www.childincri.org
facebook.com/ChildIncRI
Like us on FaceBook for more Parent events Ashley can be seen at Draper Ave and Breanne can be seen at Centerville Road Centerville Road and Payan Street
Amanda can be seen at Draper Ave
Winter 2019 Edition Program Governance
Table of Contents The Policy Council met on January 28th, those in attendance: Cady St...... 3 Centerville Rd...... 4 Cady St: Mandy Hey and Erica Esteves Payan St...... 5 Draper Ave: Nancy Crosby and Kendra Pennington Draper Ave ...... 6 Parenting Workshops...... 7 Payan St. Barkisu Cole, Morgan Ortiz and Jacyln Santerre, Early Intervention...... 8 Board Liaison: Joe Morrison K. Activity Calendar...... 9 Math...... 10-16 The Policy Council review the finance report and shared center reports. Health...... 17-18 Mental Health...... 19-21 Dad’s Corner...... 22-23 The policy also reviewed an email from National Head Start Association Volunteer Tax Info...... 24 announcing a large sum of funding to be used for program quality Parent Resources ...... 25-26 improvements and cost of living adjustments. Family Fun...... 27-30 Reading Fun...... 31-36 We also talked about the upcoming spring conference to be held in April. Mandy, Joe, Kendra and Erica expressed an interest in going.
Getting to know the new CHILD, Inc. Managers:
Ashley Laing: Hi my name is Ashley Laing, and I am the new Mental Health Manager, who will be overseeing some Centerville and Draper classrooms as well as the Home Base Program. I graduated college in 2013 from Denver, CO with a degree in Human Services, working with various populations from youth to geriatrics. After graduating I moved to Massachusetts to pursue my Masters in Social Work from Boston College with a concentration in children. youth and families. Soon after graduating, I began my career as a Social Worker/ Service Coordination at Family Service of Rhode Island in their Early Intervention program promoting the growth and development of children from birth to three for the last four and half years.
Breanne Murphy: My name is Breanne Murphy. I am one of the new Child Development Managers. I will be working at Centerville and Payan with the Infant and Toddler classrooms. I have a Master’s degree in Early Childhood from Wheelock College and have been in the Early Childhood field for seventeen years. The past sixteen years I worked in Early Intervention as an Educator/Service Coordinator doing home visiting with children who have developmental delays and their families. I am very excited to begin my new journey here at CHILD Inc.
Amanda Hall: My name is Amanda Hall. I am one of the new Child Development managers. I will be working at the Draper Ave location with the Infant and Toddler and Preschool classrooms. I have a Master’s degree in Child Development and Early Childhood Education for students with and without disabilities from Wheelock College. I am also certified in Infant Massage instruction. I have been in the Early Childhood field for fourteen years. My experience has been as a teacher in various private and public classrooms and most recently, as an educator and Clinical Supervisor in Early Intervention. I am very excited to be a part of the CHILD, Inc team.
February 2020 Edition Page 2 Cady St. News
SPOTLIGHT CLASS Head Start Extended Day Ellie, Lorrie & Kerri
Approached to Learning: We have just begun our Pet Study. The children are very excited to learn all about different pets and how to care for them. They show curiosity and motivation as we focus on different aspects of having and caring for pets. We now have a fish bowl with two fish! We will be thinking of names for the fish and learning how to care for them!
Social and Emotional Development: Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing on conflict resolution. The teachers will guide the children as they begin to use their words to express their thoughts and feelings. We will talk about different emotions and feelings and how what we do can effects how our friends feel. Literacy and Language: We Will be drawing pictures in our journals and using “kid writing and inventive spelling” to tell stories about what we have drawn. We will continue with games and activities to help us learn letter and letter sound recognition. Cognition: We will have “News Time” every day. During this time different children will be asked to tell us a story about something that they have done that is important to them. This will help them develop their ability to tell about other times and places with increasing amounts of detail. Perceptual, motor, and Physical Development: To go along with our Pet Study will be learning about how different animals move and trying to imitate their movements with our bodies. We will also continue with music and dance as with learn to move our bodies in a controlled manner. As always we will provide lots of activities throughout the day to help develop strong fine motor skills.
February 2020 Edition Page 3 Centerville Rd. News
SPOTLIGHT CLASS Head Start Pre-K Corey & Sondra
Approached to Learning: Throughout the year we have been introducing concepts from Conscious Discipline into our classroom routines and practices. Each day we talk about who is present in our classroom and who is absent. When a child is absent we wish them well, and often children in the class will make cards and pictures for them and place them in their cubbies for when they return.
Social and Emotional Development: The children in our class love to use our clipboards and smelly markers to write the letters they find around the room. Another literacy activity the children enjoy is receiving post cards from around the country in our class mailbox. Each post card is read and we discuss the similarities and differences, and then we look on our map for the state where the letter is from and talk about the proximity to Rhode Island. The post cards are then posted around our map
Language and Literacy: The children in our class love to use our clipboards and smelly markers to write the letters they find around the room. Another literacy activity the children enjoy is receiving post cards from around the country in our class mailbox. Each post card is read and we discuss the similarities and differences, and then we look on our map for the state where the letter is from and talk about the proximity to Rhode Island. The post cards are then posted around our map
Cognition: Lately, we have been introducing counting stews which involves each child playing to choose a “recipe” card and select the corresponding number of items from the sorting dish and place it in their bowl. Once all the ingredients are added we stir up our stew as we sing a song. This month we are learning about clothes so our stew includes, shirts, pants, shoes, buttons, and hats. This is a fun activity for children to learn to count, match numerals to objects, and identify numerals.
Perceptual, motor, and Physical Development: During the month of January we have been developing our fine motor muscles transferring water beads, using pipettes to mix colors, and smelly markers to make writing and drawing more fun. To develop our gross motor muscles we have been practicing keeping our balance on the balance beam, and refining our hand-eye coordination while throwing bean bags into buckets.
February 2020 Edition Page 4 Payan Street News
SPOTLIGHT CLASS Head Start Extended Day Heather, Tara & Tyra Approaches to Learning: We worked on problem solving on how and why some pets live indoors, outdoors, in water, on a farm, in a shelter, etc.
Social and Emotional Development: Children had the opportunity to play with and re-create shelter cages using boxes and containers as part of dramatic play in the family living area of the classroom.
Language and Literacy: We discussed what animals make safe pets. We displayed photos of domesticated animals, along with wild animals, and identified each of them verbally. Also, we read the books, “Swimmy” by Leo Lionni and “Dear Juno” by Soyung Pak
Cognition: Children will think We explored different kinds of pets, while identifying some characteristics of pets, for example, feathers, wool, scales, fur, and whiskers.
Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development: We imitated different pet movements, such as walking, running, jumping, hopping, galloping, swimming, etc.
February 2020 Edition Page 5 Draper Ave. News
SPOTLIGHT CLASS Head Start Pre-K Lisa & Toniann Approaches to Learning: We began the Creative Curriculum study on Clothes a few weeks ago. We have turned our family living area into a clothing store. Children are learning the different roles of a clothing store, such as store clerk, cashier, and customers. They are learning to pretend play the roles and decide who is going to perform each role each time they play
Social and Emotional Development: We continue to build our peer interactions, taking turns, and solving social issues with peers through conscious discipline techniques and the Second Step curriculum
Language and Literacy: To go along with the Clothes Study, we read Caps For Sale and used props to retell the story. We are currently doing an author study on Jan Brett reading and comparing The Mitten and The Hat
Cognition: Children have enjoyed playing the “What’s Missing” Game and will play memory games as well. We predicted how many friends could fit on the mitten, then tested it out to see if we could all fit on the mitten.
Perceptual, Motor, and Physical Development: We continue to work on our fine motor skills by practicing to cut, recently cutting out mitten shapes. We are practicing balance by using the balance beam and exploring ways to move our bodies by playing the “Exploring Pathways” game
February 2020 Edition Page 6 Effective Parenting in Early Childhood Workshops C.H.I.L.D Inc. will be hosting a six week, parenting workshop! Workshops will meet for one hour, once a week and we will be using the Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (S.T.E.P.) curriculum which requires parents to attend all six workshops. Topics that will be covered are: Week One March 9th: Understanding Young Children and Young Children’s Behavior Week Two March 16th: Building Self Esteem in the Early Years Week Three March 23rd: Listening and Talking to Young Children Week Four March 30th: Helping Young Children Learn to Cooperate Week Five April 6th: Young Children’s Social and Emotional Development Week Six April 13th: Discipline for Young Children
Workshops will be held on Mondays from 5:00 to 6:00 PM at our Centerville Ave building. If you are interested in attending, please sign up in the family service office!
February 2020 Edition Page 7 What can Early Intervention do for you and your child?
Early Intervention (EI) is a voluntary home visiting program that promotes the growth and development of children from birth to three, who may have delays in one or more areas of development. It is important to remember that children grow and develop at their own rate. Rhode Island has 9 different early intervention agencies state wide that provide support to families free of cost, so their children or foster children can develop to their fullest potential. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, the earlier you seek help, the better. How to get early intervention services and what to expect? If you are concerned about your child’s development, begin by talking with your child’s teacher at CHILD, Inc. Anyone can make a referral to early intervention (parents, caregivers, teachers, doctors, etc.). Once you contact an agency, they will get some information from you and schedule a home visit to complete your child’s intake and schedule an evaluation. The evaluation is play based and there will be additional questions for your family. It will look at five different areas of your child’s development. This typically occurs at the family’s home but can be at a relatives or child care setting if need be. The evaluation will determine if your child qualifies for early intervention. What will home visits look like? Early intervention providers use evidence based practices when providing services to children. In the state of Rhode Island, early intervention programs use a coaching model with families to improve existing skills, learn new skills, and increase the abilities to use these skills in everyday routines. Home visits are typically one hour sessions that can happen once a week up to four times a month, depending on the need and families availability. Early intervention providers work around the caregivers schedule in order to successfully meet the child where they are developmentally. Some children may have one service provider to multiple service providers supporting their level of development. If there is more than one provider in the home those two (or more) providers will coordinate on how the family would like to see visits happened effectively for their child. Early intervention providers strive to stay in contact with all providers your family is involved with to keep the coaching strategies consistent. This can include: other family members, pediatrician, day-care facilities, early head start providers, or any other outside community supports. How to make it successful? Early intervention providers know that promoting a child’s development starts with you, the caregiver! You are the most important individual in your child’s life. The real work happens between visits, when families and caregivers use the strategies they learned from the early intervention providers within their daily routine. It is important to stay as consistent as you can with the strategies that are being modeled to you so you can promote your child’s growth. Early intervention providers can also come to your child’s day-care facility or family member’s home (with a signed release) where they are at majority of the day to carry over those coaching strategies. For those families who would like early intervention to work with their child’s childcare, it is also important to also meet in the home once a month to learn and use the same strategies in all settings.
February 2020 Edition Page 8
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Winter 2019 Edition Page 9 SPOTLIGHT ON MATH
10 Things to Know About Math By Allison Master, NAEYC
Math knowledge is useful for all of us—from children to adults—in all aspects of our lives. When parents and teachers get excited about math, then children get excited about math. When we emphasize learning, and embrace mistakes, then children get excited about learning.
1. Math is important and it’s important to help young children develop their mathematical thinking. A child’s math knowledge at the start of kindergarten predicts later academic achievement better than early reading or attention skills.
2. Math is part of children’s everyday lives. Taking advantage of each of these math moments develops math learning. Each math moment is like a charging station that helps children become ready for more math learning.
3. Math is measuring, sorting, building, noticing patterns, making comparisons, and describing the environment, as well as counting and knowing the names of shapes. There are many ways to incorporate math learning into everyday moments.
4. Talking about math is also important and every bit of math talk helps. Research shows a small increase in math talk, such as asking about how many objects there will be if we add one or take one away, brings big results.
5. It’s important to believe your child can get better at math and develop mathematical skills. Growth mindset, the belief that we can keep learning and getting better at math, is very important in supporting children to become mathematicians.
February 2020 Edition Page 10 6. When children focus on problem solving rather than on getting the right answer they learn more.
7. Parents’ mindsets about math influence children. Children notice when adults feel anxious about math or say things like “some people are just not good at math. ” Girls in particular pick up on attitudes held by female adults. Instead of saying “I’m not good at math,” try saying, “Let me try to figure that out.” Focus on problem solving. Your words and attitude matter!
8. You can foster a positive attitude toward math: Find ways to incorporate enjoyable math activities and math talk into regular activities like cooking, setting the table, and going for a neighborhood walk. Find math activities that YOU enjoy and feel confident doing.
9. Change can be hard. If math makes you anxious, accept your feelings and thoughts. Keep working towards your goals. Think about who might have influenced your own math attitude.
10. It’s okay to make mistakes. Mistakes help us learn! Focus on problem solving and using mistakes as an opportunity to promote growth mindset, “Let’s try again.”
Allison Master, PhD, is a research scientist at the Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences at the University of Washington.
February 2020 Edition Page 11
Math in the Bath
By Sarah Erdmann, NAECY
Bath time is perfect for exploring math with your young child! Not only do you have each other’s full attention, but the learning can be hands on, playful, and messy.
These explorations can also be done at a water table, sink, pool, or even a puddle! No matter what water spot you use, safety must be your main focus. Never ever leave your child alone, even for a minute! This is an activity that needs your complete attention.
Make sure that any toys or containers dry out completely between uses, and disinfect toys if several children will use them. Be sure to check toys for mold and replace them when needed. More detailed water safety tips can be found on the Red Cross’s website.
Infants and Toddlers
The very youngest mathematicians are learning what numbers are and that they mean something. Children are also learning to compare the shapes, colors and patterns they see.
Comparing and contrasting
Comparing and contrasting what is happening in the bathtub is a great place to start. It builds children’s math vocabulary and draws attention to what you're doing. “Your arm is dry. Now I’ll pour some water on it and your arm is wet!” “This cup is floating on the water. When we fill it up, it sinks to the bottom!” With these statements, you give your child a
February 2020 Edition Page 12 way to describe and compare those different states and shown them the step by step process for how it happened!
“I’m going to take the red square washcloth and dip it in the water. Now it is all wet so I can wash you!” By mentioning that the washcloth is square and red, your child sees two more ways to categorize it!
Counting
Count as you wash each part of your child's body. “One arm, two arms! You have two arms!” Count their fingers and toes, gently wash each ear. This repeated, concrete exposure to numbers will help her understand the concept of counting.
Exploring
Toddlers who are able to sit up and grasp objects can do some hands-on math learning as well! Offer different sized containers and encourage your child to use them to dump and pour water. “Now there is a lot of water in the red cup! The yellow cup has less water!” Your child is building her awareness of volume, while also strengthening her fingers and hands.
When you ask her to hand you something, describe the item. “Please hand me the hard, little, cup.” You can also ask your child to wash different parts of her body and help you count as she goes.
Without a lot of extra equipment or time, you’re showing your infant or toddler that math is useful and fun to explore.
Preschool
As children grow to preschool age, they build up their understanding of numbers. They are measuring, finding shapes and patterns, and even beginning to explore the concept of time. They’re also continuing to use math terms as they talk and categorize objects by different characteristics like shape, size and color.
A lot of the math play previously described for infants and toddlers is still great for preschoolers.
Give your child the washcloth and ask him to wash and count his body parts. Not only is he counting, but he's also using one-to-one correspondence, matching one object to another object, to make sure he washes all of his fingers and toes. Give your child containers of all shapes and sizes and let him pour, drip and measure. Ask him to describe what he's doing, the types of containers he has, and which ones have more or less water. You can even start to help him understand that if you pour water from a wide container into a skinny one . . . the amount of water doesn’t change! This is an idea that may be hard for young children to understand, so don’t worry if they don’t quite believe you. February 2020 Edition Page 13 At this age, children are more comfortable with the idea of measuring, so you can go farther with it. Give your child an old ruler so he can see how deep the water is. Discuss temperature and whether the water feels hot or cold. Have him see how many rubber ducks it would take to go across the whole tub.
Bath toys can be sorted or put into patterns. They can also be props in math games. For example, line up several rubber ducks and reenact the “Five Little Ducks” song:
Five little ducks went out one day, over the hills and far away
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack, quack”
But only four little ducks came back . . . (Keep the song going until you reach zero ducks)
Math in the bath (don’t you like how that sounds?) is a chance for your child to play with math concepts and ideas. It also shows them what math can look like in the real world and how they might use it. And as an added bonus? They are squeaky clean by the end of the lesson!
Sarah Erdman is a mom, museum professional and early childhood educator. She teaches at FB Meekins Cooperative Preschool and is the founder of Cabinet of Curiosities LLC.
February 2020 Edition Page 14 Support Math Readiness Through Math Talk
By Dr. Eugene Geist, NAEYC
A father and 3-year-old son, Clark, walk through the supermarket. Clark asks, “Can we get donuts?” “How many should we get?” his father responds. “A hundred!” Clark exclaims. Dad counters, “Wow, that’s a lot of donuts! How many do we need so Mommy, Daddy, your sister, and you can have one?” Clark proceeds to think, count, and problem solve as the father continues to prompt him to use math to decide how many donuts to purchase.
Talk is a fundamental way children learn, even before they understand what is being said. Children who come from homes where there are a lot of books and where family members talk about what they have read, for example, have been shown to have better literacy outcomes in kindergarten and successive grades1. This same principle holds true for mathematics. The more parents talk with their child about math at home, the more a child’s mind is stimulated to think about math. Here are five ways to use math talk with your child.
1. Use age appropriate math talk. Math talk grows with your child. Math talk is simply talking to your child about the math that they experience. Here are a few examples for each age and stage.
• Infants: When a dad hides his face behind his hands and says, “One, two, three, peek-a-boo!” his baby learns to anticipate seeing his dad’s face as a result of the counting (even as an infant).
• Toddlers: An aunt walking down the street with her toddler nephew says “Let’s count the light poles! I see one light pole! OH! I see another! That is two! Do you see another one?” That’s math talk.
• A mother cooking with her child says, “How many more times do I need to stir the brownies?” and then “OK, I stirred them five times. How many more times do I need to stir?”
• Preschoolers: Preschool children are capable of some amazing mathematical thinking. Parents can discuss simple addition problems—such as “I wonder what four plus four is”—and let the child think about it and work it out. The key here is to engage in discussion, not rapid-fire question and answer sessions. Preschoolers need time to work out the problem on their own. Soon they will begin February 2020 Edition Page 15 asking you questions. One morning my 4-year-old told me that eight plus eight was sixteen. I asked him how he knew, and he showed me using his fingers.
• Even wrong answers provide opportunities. Another time my son told me three plus three was five. I said, “Really, show me.” Then he put up three fingers on each hand and began to count. As he started to count his fingers, he stopped and said, almost to himself, “Whaaaaaat?? It’s six!” Letting children talk through their solutions and math thinking is very important. Try not to correct them or interrupt them. Sometimes just being quiet and listening is the best thing we can do.
2. Look for opportunities to count or add. Count the number of green tiles on the floor of the grocery store or the number of cracks you walk over on the sidewalk. Once children are able to add, look for opportunities to allow them to do this. On a drive or a walk you might say, “I see two geese on this side of the lake and three geese on the other side. How many geese does that make?”
3. Look for opportunities to problem solve. One of my favorite places to ask my 4- year-old son questions about math is the grocery store. The problem solving involved in an everyday discussion about how much of a specific food our family needs involves a lot of math concepts and content. For example, I’ve asked my son “How many apples do you think we need to buy?” If he tells me we need six, I ask “Why do we need six?” His answers often involve explanations about the number of days in a week, how many people we have in our house, who likes apples and who does not, whether we usually cut the apples up into smaller pieces or eat them whole, and how many apples each of us usually eat in one sitting.
4. Ask open-ended questions to sustain math talk as long as possible. The goal of math talk is to keep the child talking. Instead of simply telling my son how many apples I think we need and putting them in a bag and moving on, I take the time to stop and ask open-ended questions and listen carefully to his responses. Math talk means being ready with follow-up questions that can extend and deepen your math discussions. For example, during my discussion about apples with my son I could ask him, “Should we buy the bag of apples or buy individual apples?” Sustaining the talk as long as possible is the key.
5. Be prepared to take extra time for math talk. Discussion about something like how many apples we need to buy takes time, but these types of interactions are wonderful opportunities for learning.
Dr. Eugene Geist is an Associate Professor in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services at Ohio University. Dr. Geist has taught in the Early Childhood Education program, the Curriculum and Instruction graduate program and the Teacher Education Honors Program. His areas of expertise include child development, constructivism, and the development of mathematical knowledge in young children.
February 2020 Edition Page 16 Rhode to Health Medical Mobile Van
MONDAY SOUTH PROVIDENCE 10 am – 5 pm Kenwood & Waverly Streets 401-477-0041 (By Messer Street Fire Station) • Crisis Stabilization and Assessment TUESDAY WOONSOCKET & PAWTUCKET • General Medical care 9:30 am –NOON Woonsocket Motor Inn: • Rapid HIV Testing 333 Clinton Street • Rapid Hepatitis C Testing 12:30 pm – 4:30 pm Dexter Street & Andrew D. Ferland Way, Pawtucket • Opioid Treatment • Medication for Cocaine, Alcohol and THURSDAY SOUTH PROVIDENCE Tobacco Use 10 am – 5 pm Potter’s Avenue & Puritan Street • Substance Use Counseling • Blood Sugar Checks • High Blood Pressure Check • Insurance Initiation • Health, Behavioral Care and Social Services Linkage
Page 17 National Children’s Dental Health Month February is National Children’s Dental Health Month providing a great opportunity to raise awareness regarding the benefits of good oral health to children, adults, and caregivers. Attitudes and habits established at an early age are critical in maintaining good oral health throughout life. Read on to learn more about the importance of good oral health for your child from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Did you know more than 40% of children have tooth decay by the time they reach kindergarten? Children with cavities in their baby teeth are also at much greater risk for cavities in their adult teeth. Steps to prevent tooth decay should begin prenatally and continue after birth. Work with your pediatrician to establish good oral health within the first weeks of your baby’s life and protect tiny teeth.
5 General Guidelines for Early Dental Health: • Fluoride and Your Child: Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is found in many foods, and it also is added to the drinking water in some cities and towns. It can benefit dental health by strengthening the tooth enamel, making it more resistant to acid attacks that can cause tooth decay. It also reduces the ability of plaque bacteria to produce acid. Check with your local water utility agency to find out if your water has fluoride in it. If it doesn’t, ask your doctor if you should get a prescription for fluoride drops or chewable tablets for your child.
• Check and Clean Your Baby’s Teeth: Healthy teeth should be all one color. If you see spots or stains on the teeth, take your baby to your dentist. As soon as your child has a tooth begin to use a smear (size of a grain of rice) of fluoride toothpaste. Clean the teeth at least twice a day. It’s best to clean them right after breakfast and before bedtime. Once your child turns 3 you can begin to use a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste. When your child is able, teach him to spit out the excess toothpaste, but don’t rinse with water. As your child gets older let her use her own toothbrush. It is best if you put the toothpaste on the toothbrush until your child is about age 6. Until children are 7 or 8 years old, you will need to help them brush. Try brushing their teeth first and then letting them finish.
• Feed Your Baby Healthy Food: Choose drinks and foods that do not have a lot of sugar in them. Give your child fruits and vegetables instead of candy and cookies. Be careful with dried fruits, such as raisins, since they easily stick to the grooves of the teeth and can cause cavities if not thoroughly brushed off the teeth.
• Prevent Tooth Decay: Do not put your baby to bed with a bottle at night or at naptime. (If you do put your baby to bed with a bottle, fill it only with water). Milk, formula, juices and other sweet drinks, such as soda, all have sugar in them. Sucking on a bottle filled with liquids that have sugar in them can cause tooth decay. During the day, do not give your baby a bottle filled with sweet drinks to use like a pacifier. If your baby uses a pacifier, do not dip it in anything sweet like sugar or honey. Near his first birthday, you should teach your child to drink from a cup instead of a bottle.
• Talk With Your Pediatrician About Making a Dental Home: Since your pediatrician will be seeing your baby from the first days and weeks of life, plan to discuss when and how you should later develop a “dental home”—a dentist who can give consistent, high-quality, professional care—just as you have a “medical home” with your pediatrician. Usually, your dentist will want to see a child by his first birthday or within six months of the first tooth’s emergence. At this first visit, your dentist can easily check your child’s teeth and determine the frequency of future dental checkups.
February 2020 Edition Page 18 If Kids Could Make the Rules of Divorce
The ending of a relationship with someone you have loved can be extremely hard. When there are children involved, it is even harder! Often, children get swept up in the adult emotions of a break up or divorce; sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose. Kara Bishop has written and studied how children are affected by divorce and how they cope when their parents separate and adjust to being single parents. She also runs a support group for children effected by divorced and over her years of work with children and their parents she has put together the Top Ten Most Wished for Things children ask from their parents during a divorce.
1) “Don’t say bad things about the other parent to us.” 2) “Keep us out of adult stuff.” 3) “Don’t make me feel bad for loving the other parent and wanting to spend time with them.” 4) “Learn to get along for big events.” 5) “Don’t ask me to choose sides.” 6) “Please do not fight in front of us.” 7) “Don’t make me a messenger or put me in the middle.” 8) “Don’t share or take your anger out on me.” 9) “Don’t ask me to spy.” 10) “Give me one on one time with both parents.”
Often, parents and adults who spend time with children are concerned with how a child will handle the ending of a marriage. These simple ideas and actions can help a child living with parents during a divorce. So, if you or someone you know has children and is going through a divorce, these ten things are important ideas to remember when helping your children through the adult process of divorce. For more information or ideas around children dealing with divorce, please feel free to contact one of the mental health managers here at CHILD Inc.
February 2020 Edition Page 19 Managing Changes: Dealing with Divorce Age 0 -6
During changes and transitions, it’s more important than ever to remind children that there are some things—like daily routines and loving relationships—that will stay the same.
Routines • Keeping up simple activities and routines will provide children with a sense of security and stability in their everyday lives. • Take photos of children doing an everyday routine that will stay the same, such as a bedtime routine. Then make a slideshow on your phone to look at together each night. This will remind children of the things they can expect to happen each day—no matter where they are. • Try saying: “I know some things have been changing, but lots of routines will stay the same. Every night, you’ll eat dinner and then get ready for bed. You’ll brush your teeth, change into your pajamas, and read a book before lights go out.”
Care • With changes in routines and living arrangements, children might begin to worry that everyone will be too busy to take care of them. Reassure them that no matter where they are, someone will always be there to support them. • Let kids know who they can expect to drop them off at school, pick them up from a play date, or put them to bed. Find opportunities to remind them that there are so many people, in addition to their parents, who love them and will take care of them. • Try saying: “Mommy and Daddy might not live together anymore, but we will always be your mommy and daddy. No matter what, that will never change, and we will always take care of you.”
For more ideas go to: https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/divorce/
February 2020 Edition Page 20 Parent, Family & Community Engagement
FAMILIES AS LEARNERS and FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN TRANSITIONS *
When parents and families observe, guide, promote, and participate in the everyday learning of their children at home, school, and in their communities they help support a child’s learning. When this happens, a child has the opportunity to continue to build skills through practice and repetition through different opportunities and in different settings. Children are encouraged to learn more when adults are involved in and support the time to explore and learn new things and practice things they have already mastered. When children see adults engaged in and embrace learning, it can provide reassurance and encouragement to a child when learning becomes more challenging or difficult.
As parents, we are our children’s cheerleaders and advocates, encouraging them as they learn and making sure they have everything they need to succeed at school and in life. Advocating can take many forms including, having your child screened at school or at a specialist if needed, attending open houses, joining school committees, meeting with your child’s teacher and/or participating in multidiscipline meeting around your child’s educational goals. When parents and families support and advocate for their child’s learning and development as they transition to new learning environments, they allow a child the best opportunity to be the most successful they can be in everything they do!
C.H.I.L.D Inc. tries to provide information through the FPA process, center base activities, newsletter information, educational home visit and/or parent conference with your teachers, to help parents learn more on how to best support their child’s educational journey and to have the best tools so they can advocate for their children and family.
*Each month we will focus on one area in an article in the monthly newsletter to better understand each one of these and how it connects to your child’s school readiness! Parent and Family engagement at C.H.I.L.D Inc. is all about building relationships with families that support a family’s overall well-being; supports strong relationships between parents and their children; and nurtures ongoing learning and development for both parents and children to support school readiness for both the child and their family. When a child is ready for school they can succeed in growing and learning! Research has found that these seven focus areas for parents and families helps to lead to school readiness for their children.
February 2020 Edition Page 21 RHODE ISLAND FATHERHOOD INITIATIVE
RIFI
LEADERSHIP, EQUALITY, ADVOCACY
JOIN US Fathers, Are you tired of feeling like When you're not being heard? 1st Wednesday & 3rd Wednesday of every month Can't find the resources and 5:30-7:30 PM support you need? Where Get involved with the RIFI! Parent Support Network RI Where fathers support 535 Centerville Rd, Suite 202 Warwick, RI 02886 fathers! Contact 401.467.6855 February 2020 Edition www.psnri.org Page 22 Dad’s Corner Kids & Tech: Tips for PArents in the Digital Age
• Make your own family media use plan. Media should work for you and within your family values and parenting style. When used thoughtfully and appropriately, media can enhance daily life. But when used inappropriately or without thought, media can displace many important activities such as face-to- face interaction, family-time, outdoor-play, exercise, unplugged downtime and sleep. Make your plan at HealthyChildren.org/MediaUsePlan. • Treat media as you would any other environment in your child’s life. The same parenting guidelines apply in both real and virtual environments. Set limits; kids need and expect them. Set limits and encourage playtime. Media use, like all other activities, should have reasonable limits. Unstructured and offline play stimulates creativity. Make unplugged playtime a daily priority, especially for very young children. • Screen time shouldn’t be alone time. Co-view, co-play and co-engage with your children when they are using screens—it encourages social interactions, bonding, and learning. Watch a show with them; you will have the opportunity to introduce and share your own life experiences and perspectives—and guidance. • Be a good role model. Because children are great mimics, limit your own media use. In fact, you’ll be more available for and connected with your children if you’re interacting, hugging and playing with them rather than simply staring at a screen. • Know the value of face-to-face communication. Very young children learn best through two- way communication. Engaging in back-and-forth “talk time” is critical for language development. Conversations can be face-to-face or, if necessary, by video chat with a traveling parent or far-away grandparent. Research has shown that it’s that “back-and-forth conversation” that improves language skills—much more so than “passive” listening or one-way interaction with a screen. • Limit digital media for your youngest family members. Avoid digital media for toddlers younger than 18 to 24 months other than video chatting. Limit screen use for preschool children, ages 3 to 5, to just 1 hour a day of high-quality programing. Co-viewing is best when possible and for young children. They learn best when they are re-taught in the real world what they just learned through a screen. So, if Ernie just taught the letter D, you can reiterate this later when you are having dinner or spending time with your child. • Create tech-free zones. Keep family mealtimes, other family and social gatherings, and children’s bedrooms screen free. Turn off televisions that you aren’t watching, because background TV can get in the way of face-to-face time with kids. Recharge devices overnight—outside your child’s bedroom to help him or her avoid the temptation to use them when they should be sleeping. These changes encourage more family time, healthier eating habits, and better sleep. • Don’t use technology as an emotional pacifier. Media can be very effective in keeping kids calm and quiet, but it should not be the only way they learn to calm down. Children need to be taught how to identify and handle strong emotions, come up with activities to manage boredom, or calm down through breathing, talking about ways to solve the problem, and finding other strategies for channeling emotions. • Apps for kids – do YOUR homework. Look to organizations like Common Sense Media for reviews about age-appropriate apps, games and programs to guide you in making the best choices for your children. February 2020 Edition Page 23 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Sites in Rhode Island
Low and modest-income Rhode Islanders may qualify for free help filing their taxes and applying for tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. Below is information on Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Site(s) in Rhode Island. Please be aware that certified volunteers can only prepare certain returns for which they are trained and certified.
Appointments are highly recommended. You must also bring picture identification for both the applicant and spouse and social security cards for everyone listed on the return.
In Kent County: West Bay Community Action Inc. 218 Buttonwoods Avenue, Warwick, 02886 401-921-5350 January 29 – April 16
February 2020 Edition Page 24 Parent Support Groups at Bradley Hospital
Bradley Hospital Parents Support Group
Bradley Hospital’s Parents Support Group is a support group for parents and families of children with emotional, behavioral, psychiatric or developmental disorders. Events are free and open to the public. Free babysitting is available. Preregistration is required.
Meeting Time: Second Thursday of each month, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Meeting Location: Bradley Hospital Pine Room Contact: Chris Brown, 401-432-1205 or email [email protected]
Social Support Group for Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger/Autism Network, Rhode Island Chapter
This support group is facilitated by Arthur Mercurio of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at Bradley Hospital. It is free and meets the second Monday of each month. The group may cancel on holidays or in bad weather. Please call for more information and to verify the meeting date and time.
Meeting Time: Second Monday of each month, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Meeting Location: Bradley Hospital Pine Room Contact: Roseanne at CADD, Bradley Hospital 401-432-1189
Asperger/Autism Network, Rhode Island Chapter, Parent Support Group
This support group is for parent of adults or older children with Asperger’s Syndrome. It is free and meets the second Monday of each month during the school year. The group may cancel on holidays or in bad weather. Please call for more information and to verify the meeting date and time. Pre- registration required. For more information visit www.aane.org.
Meeting Time: Second Monday of each month during the school year, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Meeting Location: Bradley Hospital Staff Dining Room Contact: Barbra Whalen 401-762-1763
February 2020 Edition Page 25 Parent Support Groups at Bradley Hospital
RI ADDult Support Group
This group for adults with ADD/ADHD meets the third Thursday of each month (except July, August and December) in the Pine Room at Bradley Hospital. A safe, positive, educational environment for those dealing with the daily issues of ADD/ADHD is provided. The group is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. For more information visit www.riaddults.org.
Meeting Time: Third Thursday of each month except August and December, 7 - 9 p.m. Meeting Location: Bradley Hospital Pine Room Contact: 401-782-4286 [email protected]
CHADD of RI (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
CHADD of RI is the local chapter of the national non-profit organization CHADD, which seeks to promote and provide education and support regarding attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults and children. Visit http://www.chadd.org/ or http://www.help4adhd.org/ for more information.
Meeting Time: First Wednesday of the month, 7 - 9 p.m. Meeting Location: Bradley Hospital Pine Room Contact: 401-369-0045
About Bradley Hospital Bradley Hospital is the nation’s first psychiatric hospital for children and offers a wide range of resources, supports and treatments for a number of mental health concerns young children and their families face.
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About the Providence Children’s Film Festival The annual Providence Children’s Film Festival takes place in February at multiple venues within walking distance of downtown Providence, with over ten days of screenings, filmmaking workshops, and free activities, along with post-film conversations that help deepen the film-watching experience and foster critical thinking skills. During the festival, PCFF screens an average of 18 feature-length and over 100 short films—including live-action, documentary, and animation—made by filmmakers from around the world. Since 2014, PCFF has included the Youth Filmmaker Showcase, a juried program of films made by youth, followed by an opportunity for young filmmakers to talk about both the fun and the challenges they face during the creative process.
For more details visit https://www.providencechildrensfilmfestival.org
Adventures in STEM during February School Vacation February 20 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday, February 15, – Friday, February 21, 2020 Experiment, tinker, build, observe, problem solve, explore and create with fun, hands-on activities at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium throughout February vacation week. Science, technology, engineering and math are the focus during this week of family fun! Special STEM Week Happenings: 10am-4pm: STEM Family Fun Cost: Free with museum admission Activities include: physics experiments with balance and motion, explore concepts of flight, test your engineering skill with a building challenge and special STEM museum quest. 1pm and 2pm: Flight Adventures Full Dome Planetarium Show Cost: $3.00 per person/includes museum admission. Children must be age 4 and older to see a planetarium show. Discover the science of flight through the eyes of a young girl and her grandfather as they explore how birds, kites, planes and models fly. Learn about the history and future plans of flight and how NASA is discovering new and safer ways to travel with the help of future engineers and aviators – like YOU! The program is followed by a brief tour of the night sky, using the planetarium’s Zeiss star projector. (General Audience) February 2020 Edition Page 27
36 Ways Children Can BEAT the Winter Blahs !!!!
1. Visit a friend 19. Write a letter to someone 2. Draw 20. Dress up like other people 3. Make a robot 21. Help make dinner or lunch 4. Dance 22. Arrange a play date with friends or family 5. Put together a puzzle 23. Look at or make a photo album 6. Make a kite with a grown up 24. Plan a party 7. Roll down a hill 25. Go to the library 8. Make a castle from Box 26. Sing children’s songs 9. Bake cookies with a grown up 27. Jump rope 10. Read a book with a grown up 28. Make fruit cubes 11. Play with a pet 29. Play Cat’s Cradle 12. Help Mom and Dad 30. Listen to music 13. Play with clay or playdough 31. Make a wish list 14. Go to the playground 32. Plant a box with seeds 15. Write a story with a grown up 33. Make an inside fort with bed sheets 16. Play follow-the-leader, Simon Says, or Red Light/Green Light 17. Make a paper chain 34. Study a globe or map 18. Make up songs 35. Take a walk with a grown up 36. Make your own Boredom Buster List!
February 2020 Edition Page 28 7 Fun games to practice self-regulation skills! Adapted from: https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog 2017 Self-regulation skills help children to control emotions, thinking, behavior and motor actions in different situations. Throughout the day, children need the ability to tolerate sensations, situations and form appropriate responses. It requires that children control their impulses to stop doing something if needed and to participate in something even if the children does not want to do it. For example, children need self-regulation skills to sit for a period of time to engage in an activity (playing a game, imaginary play, drawing etc.) or mealtime even if they are not highly interested in the activity or meal. Research indicates that self-regulation in children is a predictor of academic abilities. Children with higher levels of self-regulation have achieved higher scores in reading, vocabulary and math. In addition, some research has shown that the ability for young children to self-regulate is associated with higher, future education levels. The ability to self-regulate is an extremely important skill that needs to be taught to children.
And guess what? Playing games help children to practice and learn those skills! Think about it. Playing games help us to learn to: wait, follow rules and to tolerate losing. Here are 7 FUN games that require no preparation or equipment to practice and learn self-regulation skills that you can do at home with your kids: 1. Red Light, Green Light – kids move on the green light and stop on the red light. Don’t get caught moving on the red light. Let ever one take a turn at calling out the color.
2. Mother May I – one person is the leader. The rest of the people playing ask: “Mother May I take….” a certain amount of steps, hops, jumps or leaps to get to the leader. The leader approves or disapproves. Let ever one take a turn at being mother.
3. Freeze Dance – turn on music. When music stops everyone has to freeze in place. In the house or yard you can move in different ways. In the car it could be making faces.
4. Follow My Clap – The leader creates a clapping pattern. Everyone playing has to listen and repeat. Let ever one take a turn at being the leader.
5. Loud or Quiet – Children have to perform an action either loud or quiet. First pick an action i.e. stomping feet, clap or snap. The leader says loud or quiet and the children stomp feet louder or quieter. You can also do this by picking an action and saying ‘a little bit louder now, a little bit louder now or a little quieter now, a little quieter now etc.
6. Simon Says – Children have to perform an action only when the leader says “Simon Say do…”. i.e, if the leader says “Simon Says touch your toes” and all the children touch their toes. If the leader says “Touch your toes”, no one should touch their toes.
7. Follow the Leader – The leader performs different actions and the children have to follow the actions exactly. Let ever one take a turn at being a leader. February 2020 Edition Page 29 Winter activities for the whole family in Rhode Island
Sledding — with all that snow, one of your favorite pastimes has to be sledding. There are plenty of places nearby to go sledding like Diamond Hill State Park and Mercymount Country Day School in Cumberland or Chase Farm in Lincoln. Skiing & Tubing — If you prefer to head north to the mountains...great, but Yawgoo Valley offers a good beginner learn-to-ski program and is small enough to give kids a little independence on the slopes. When it is snowy enough, they also offer snow tubing. Ice Skating — indoor skating is available at rinks like Thayer Arena, but at least one trip to the outdoor skating rinks at Kennedy Plaza in Providence or in Newport is a new favorite. If you want to drive a little further, Foxwoods offers a fun outdoor rink and winter patio and you could also hit the bowling alley or the arcade inside. Museum Hopping — the Providence Children’s Museum offers a great afternoon, but can easily spend an afternoon exploring the treasures at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum. Sealife Watching — two aquariums, the Mystic Aquarium in CT and the New England Aquarium in Boston, are just a short distance away. However, if you want to learn more about local sealife closer to home, you can also visit the Biomes Marine Biology Center in North Kingstown or the Save the Bay Aquarium in Newport. Or you can go on a seal watching tour. Providence Children’s Film Festival — family-friendly movies are always a great way to beat the cold but there is none better than the selections at the Providence Children’s Film Festival. The hardest part is picking which movie(s) to see. Indoor Play Places — the local YMCA is fun for some weekend physical activity like swimming, basketball or rock climbing, but if we want to change things up, there is always bowling, roller skating, or jumping at an indoor trampoline park like Launch. Library — our local library has a great program of activities for kids and teens including book groups, chess clubs, coding clubs, storytimes, family movies and more. It is a perfect place to play and explore for a while. Kids also enjoy checking at the Providence Athenaeum, one of America’s oldest libraries. Local Sports — there are plenty of local and college sports events to entertain the kiddos. While even the semi-tame Providence Bruins might be a little rough around the edges, the Brown University hockey teams offer a perfect family outing for hockey fans. Basketball fans can take in a game at URI, Rhode Island College, or Providence College. Destination shopping — we have spent many hours at Bass Pro Shops in nearby Foxboro, MA, looking at the fish, climbing on boats, crawling into tents and having scavenger hunts. They even have a cafe and snack bar on site. Jordan’s Furniture in Warwick offers a free water and laser light show, while Jordan’s locations in MA offer other attractions like ropes courses and laser light shows. Comfort Food — of course, the cold weather also makes one crave comfort food and a cozy place to snuggle up or sit by the fire. Some of my favorite places to warm up from the inside are burgers or chowder and clam cakes!!!!
February 2020 Edition Page 30 Warwick Public Library Story Time
February 2020 Edition Page 31 West Warwick Public Library Story Time
February 2020 Edition Page 32 Celebrating 23 Years of Diverse Readers!
Who doesn't love a good book? NEARI is celebrating reading and literacy at our annual event called Read Across America!
Come read with the ‘People In Your Neighborhood’!
Leap Day, Saturday, February 29 - 10am - 4pm at Warwick Mall
We will have celebrity readers all day for a read-a-thon, a book giveaway, raffle prizes, crafts, an opportunity to visit and pose with characters, courtesy of Custom Costumes Entertainment Productions.
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Learning to read takes practice. Loving to read takes enthusiasm. Read with your child often and create a sense of enjoyment, wonder, and a passion for reading.
Read together every day You can read the morning news at breakfast, share a story after supper, or cuddle up for a book at bedtime. A daily reading routine is something everyone can look forward to.
Talk and build vocabulary Interesting conversations build vocabulary, language skills, and knowledge about the world. Talk is a child’s best source of exposure to new words and ideas.
Model reading Kids want to do what the grownups do. Make sure your kids get to see you reading and hear you talk about it.
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Point out print Read and talk about the words you see in the world around you. There’s lots to read—si ns recipes cereal boxes instruction anuals bus schedules news aps and enus.
Visit the library a e ad anta e of all the boo s aterials stor ti es pro ra s and resources our local librar has to offer.
Create a reading-rich home ind boo s at the boo store or ard sales. ro ide a special shelf or bas et for ids to eep their own boo s and one for librar boo s. a e sure there are uiet co fortable places to read.
Encourage your child’s reading raise the efforts of a soon to be or be innin reader. a e sure schedules of older readers include ti e for readin for pleasure.
Keep books handy tash boo s in our ba to read aloud when ou tra el or ha e to wait at restaurants or for appoint ents. r eep e oo s on our phone.
Start reading traditions e ond bedti e stories consider a special birthda boo holida fa orites or a re ular fa il read aloud ni ht.
Let kids choose books Offer titles that explore your child’s interests, expand horizons, and offer exposure to different kinds of writin . how the there are boo s where the can see the sel es and boo s where the can see the worlds of others.
February 2020 Edition Page 35
a e e eryone co or a le ind a spot to read to ether where you are both co fortable. o eti es kids ha e to o e around to be co fortable.
e an ac i e reader se expressi e oices for characters, ake sound effects, and point thin s out in the text and illustrations when you read aloud.
iscuss ha you read i e your child enou h ti e to absorb the story and look at the pictures as you read. Think aloud about what you are readin and lookin at and encoura e your child to do the sa e.
s ues ions hen you read sk your child to uess what co es next. sk open ended uestions that help the relate to characters or e ents in the book. et your child et in ol ed and ask uestions too–interruptions are okay
Encourage re reading Repetition helps kids learn. Re readin fa orite books and poe s helps kids ake eanin ful connections between the sel es and books.
onnec reading and ri ing rite your own readin aterial, like a story about your life, a story featurin your kids, or a story kids ake up.
a e edia a er onnect kids with appropriate technolo y— ideos, apps, or a es that help the learn new words and interestin thin s about the world.
e hel If you have concerns about your child’s language development, hearing, or vision, see your child’s teacher or pediatrician as soon as possible.
a e reading an e erience ink life experiences with books, like a trip to the zoo and books about ani als, or plantin a arden and readin The Ugly Vegetables by race in.
a e un our idea of fun ay differ fro your child’s, so appreciate your child’s special joy for learning new thin s. Try different approaches, such as ha in the read to you or actin out a fa orite story. en so ethin as si ple as a story ti e outside can ake readin to ether li elier and ore e orable for you and your child.
https www.readacrossa erica.or raisin readers what parents can do
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