I AM GROWING UP North West Region Early Childhood Family Resource Guide Fairview-Clearhills | Manning & District | Northwest Peace NW Region EC Family Resource Guide | 1 CONTENTS I Am Growing Up: Peace River & Area Family Resource Guide 4 . Regional Early Childhood Coalitions Published in partnership by 5 . Development Skills Fairview Clearhills Early Childhood Coalition, Manning & District Early Childhood Coalition, 8 . I Am New and the Northwest Peace Early Childhood Coalition 10 . I Am One I Am Growing Up Text & Concept Jeff A. Johnson 12 . I Am Two Developmental Description 14 . I Am Three Adapted from: Early Child Development Mapping Project. (2014). 16 . I Am Four How are our young children doing? Community profiles of early childhood development in Alberta. 18 . I Am Five Edmonton, AB: ECMap, Community University Partnership for the Study of Children, Youth 20 . Health Services and Families, University of Alberta. 22 . Community Libraries Parents & Caregivers Role & Developmental Areas Age Specific Milestones 23 . Toy Lending Libraries Adapted from: Alberta Health Services (2013). “Healthy Parents, Healthy Children: 24 . Schools The Early Years” Alberta. 25 . Family & Community Support Services Nutrition Information Alberta Health Services 26 . Services for Families Layout & Design 29 . Choosing Quality Child Care & uc communications Early Learning Programs www.uccommunications.com 30 . Children & Healthy Eating 2 | NW Region EC Family Resource Guide NW Region EC Family Resource Guide | 3 Early Childhood Coalitions Through the Early Child Development Mapping Project (ECMap) with the help of funding provided by Alberta The first five years of a child’s life are the most critical period in Education, coalitions were formed across Alberta. Coalitions are groups of individuals who have come togeth- development and have a lifelong impact on learning, health, work, er to plan and promote community-based supports for young children and families. relationships and well-being. By five years old a child should show age-appropriate knowledge and behaviours in the following Northwest Peace Early Childhood Community Coalition five areas of development: The Northwest Peace Early Childhood Coalition includes Peace River, Grimshaw, Berwyn, Brownvale, Dixonville, St. Isidore, 1. Social Competence Nampa, Reno, Red Earth Creek and surrounding areas. 2. Language & Thinking Skills 3. Physical Health & Wellbeing Our Vision: To increase awareness of services and connect parents, caregivers and service providers with researched Northwest Peace 4. Emotional Maturity based developmentally appropriate information. Early Childhood Coalition 5. Communication Skills & General Knowledge Manning & District Early Childhood Coalition The Manning & District Early Childhood Coalition includes Manning, Deadwood, Keg River, and Paddle Prairie. development skills Our Vision: To enhance quality early child development programs and support to families with young children. Our Mission: To coordinate services in a proactive and responsible These include: manner that enhances the social, cultural, health and wellness of the children in our communities • Plays and gets along with other children • Able to follow rules and instructions Fairview Clearhills Early Childhood Development Coalition • Able to follow routines • Accepts responsibility for actions The Fairview Clearhills Early Childhood Development Coalition • Shows respect for others includes Fairview, Cleardale, Worsley, Hines Creek, Whitelaw, Social Competence Bluesky and surrounding areas. What you can do as your child grows: Our Mission: The Fairview Clearhills Early Childhood Development • Hold your baby close and provide skin-to-skin contact Coalition aims to endeavor to keep our children and families • Provide a safe environment so your child can explore connected to each other, strengthen them by creating program • Work on establishing a routine for sleeping, feeding Emotional Maturity awareness, parent empowerment, and educational resources. and playtime • Play turn taking games such as peek-a-boo and Our Goals: SOCIAL ensure turn-taking by saying “my turn” and “your turn” • Promote and educate parents and our community on the importance of Early Childhood • Provide opportunities for your child to be with other Development and its lifelong impact COMPETENCE children • Provide parents and community members education on Early Childhood Development • Support Early Childhood Development knowledge, planning, and action in our community 4 | NW Region EC Family Resource Guide NW Region EC Family Resource Guide | 5 Language and Thinking Skills Physical Health and Well-being Communication Skills and General Knowledge Social Competence Emotional Maturity Language and Thinking Skills Social Competence Emotional Maturity Physical Health and Well-being Social Competence These include: These include: • An interest in reading, writing and language-related • Ability to communicate needs and wants in socially Emotional Maturity activities appropriate ways • Age-appropriate reading, writing and counting skills • Ability to tell stories • Recognition of shapes, sizes and colours • Can say words clearly Language• Can easily remember and things Thinking Skills • Age-appropriate knowledge about life and the world What you can do as your child grows: • AbilityCommunication to take part in imaginative play Skills and General Knowledge • Read to your child every day. Name the objects you What you can do as your child grows: see in books and in his environment • It is important to respond to your crying baby. Her cries are • Provide quiet opportunities for play without interruptions her way to communicate that she needs something • Provide age-appropriate toys such as ring stacks, • Talk to your baby; describe what you’re doing and name nesting cups, farm animals, puzzles, blocks, etc. familiar objects • Provide only one or two toys at a time. Alternate them sev- • Reply when your baby babbles to encourage her to take a LANGUAGE eral times a day COMMUNICATION turn to communicate & THINKING • Limit screen time (time spent with TVs, computers) SKILLS & GENERAL • Praise your child’s attempts to speak and repeat the word • No screen time for children under 2 years correctly when pronounced incorrectly SKILLS • Less than 1 hour per day for children 2 - 4 years Physical HealthKNOWLEDGE and Well-being• Take time to talk to your child and ask open ended • Less than 2 hours per day for older children Languagequestions that start and with who, Thinking what or where Skills These include: These include: • Fine and gross motor skills (can hold a pen, crayons or • Able to deal with feelings at an age-appropriate level brush, can climb stairs, etc.) Social• Able Competence to separate from parent/guardian • Independence in looking after own needs (able to go to the • Not too fearful or impulsive washroom most of the time) • Able to focus • Physically prepared for school (dressed appropriately, well nourished and rested) What you can do as your child grows: • Able to sustain energy levels througout the day Physical Health and Well-being • Get close and make eye contact with your child when you Emotional Maturity feed, talk, sing, and read to him What you can do as your child grows: • Help baby self soothe by offering a pacifier and • Provide supervised tummy time to help strengthen providing a comforting environment Communication Skills and General Knowledgebaby’s neck, back, upper trunk and arms • Name your child’s feelings so he learns the words • Provide a variety of healthy foods for meals and snacks • Creating art allows children to express themselves. Provide • Ensure your child has adequate sleep and encourage good clay, paints and building materials. These items can be used sleeping habits by keeping a regular sleep routine in a dark- to recreate things children experience in their world ened, quiet place • Maintain consistent expectations for your child’s EMOTIONAL • Provide plenty of outside play and activity such as PHYSICAL HEALTH behaviour and tell them in advance about changes in their MATURITY walking, bike riding, etc. & WELLBEING routine or when you are going somewhere • Encourage fine motor activities such as reaching, grasping, beading, drawing and cutting 6 | NW Region EC Family Resource Guide NW Region EC Family Resource Guide | 7 Communication Skills and General Knowledge Language and Thinking Skills Physical Health and Well-being Communication Skills and General Knowledge Social Competence Emotional Maturity 3 Months 6 Months 9 Months Social Competence Emotional Maturity Recognizes and prefers Enjoys and interacts with Enjoys turn-taking games Social Competence I familiar faces and voices own reflection in a mirror such as peek-a-boo Language and Thinking Skills Emotional Maturity Makes pleasure sounds; Responds to own name Responds to simple AM Language and Thinking Skills Physical Health and Well-being coos, giggles verbal requests; waves bye-bye Language and Thinking Skills Physical Health and Well-being NEW Social Competence Cries to signal needs Says “mama” and “dada” Babbles a lot; imitates CommunicationEmotional Skills Maturityand General Knowledge sounds and actions nonspecificallyPhysical Health and Well-being (nurture me) Social Competence Communication Skills and General Knowledge Generally quiets when Seeks comfort when Starts to read emotions of Emotionalcomforted; mayMaturity be times upset others when can’t stop crying I’m a bundle of potential and need. Language and Thinking Skills Communication