June 15, 2020 Questions to Ask Early Learning Professionals Type & Quality of Care When a child has access to high-quality early care and learning environments, they have access to certified, experienced professionals who support their development. To learn more about the type and quality of care your child care professional is providing, consider asking the following questions: Program Details What will a typical day for my child look like? Does your program use a play-based curriculum? Can you tell me a little bit about it? Is your facility Keystone STARS certified? If so, what is your STAR level? How does your program contact families? Will there be family engagement events or opportunities? Can you tell me more about them? Health and Safety What is your adult-to-child ratio for each age group? How will I be alerted if there is an emergency? What is your facility’s Emergency Preparedness Plan? Are all staff at your program certified in pediatric CPR and first aid? Are all staff at your program required to complete a PA Child Abuse History Clearance, PA State Police Criminal Record Check, FBI Criminal History Background Check, and National Sex Offender Registry Clearance? Qualifications Is your program state certified? What other qualifications or certifications are staff required to have at your location? What topics are staff regularly trained on or learning about? How often do your staff access professional development courses? Reflection In addition to asking questions, parents and caregivers can benefit from personally reflecting on their visit to the early learning program. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions: What did you notice during your visit to the early learning program? Were caregivers playing with and talking to children at their level? Were caregivers using a warm tone and kind touch to engage with children? Were caregivers responsive rather than reactive? Was the facility clean? Were toys and materials readily available for children to engage with? Print this Resource This list of questions is available as a printable PDF. More Information Looking for additional questions you can ask to learn about your program’s updated procedures and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic? Visit our Questions to Ask Your Early Learning Provider During the COVID-19 Pandemic page.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Caregivers of Infants and Toddlers About At the earliest stages of your child’s life, it may seem like they can’t do too much. But that’s not true! Infants and toddlers are always learning and developing. To learn how you can support the early development of your young child, read the facts and opportunities highlighted below. What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice? Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is the approach early care and education professionals use to teach young children. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: is grounded in research on how young children learn; provides a connection to real-world experiences and opportunities to gain knowledge and skills through hands-on learning; prepares children for future learning; and acknowledges the role of play in learning and development. Facts and Opportunities FACT: All children, including babies, learn through play. Play is an important way that young children bond with their caregivers; develop cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills; and build an understanding of the world around them. Regularly touching, talking, and responding to your child’s sounds and needs will solidify the bond between you and your child. Look your baby in the eyes, sing songs to them, and interact with them regularly through play activities. A simple game of peekaboo not only leaves your baby giggling and smiling, but it also provides a chance for children to make eye contact with their caregiver; practice their arm and head movements; and learn that even if a person or object disappears from their view, it still exists somewhere else. Keep track of your child’s development by using a milestone checklist. An example checklist can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. FACT: Starting from birth, meaningful play experiences help your child build background knowledge, imagination, and rational thought that enables academic skill development. In fact, play is the primary way your child uses language and math concepts. As an infant or toddler, your child is taking in new sights, sounds, smells, and sensations. Broaden your child’s horizon by taking a stroll through nature, narrating what you see, smell, hear, and feel during the journey. This will expose your baby to new vocabulary through a positive outdoor experience. Support your child’s ability to make choices that interest them as a way to guide their math and literacy skills. Start by providing multiple book and activity options to your child and let them choose the one they are interested in. Find a playful way to introduce math concepts. For example, you can use healthy food items like apple slices, grapes, or raisins to introduce concepts of adding, subtracting, and grouping during snack time. Use words like more, less, first, after, rectangle, circle, heavier, and other common math terms. FACT: In addition to learning skills like counting and speaking in sentences, it’s important for children to practice social, emotional, and physical skills that support their future success inside and outside of the classroom. With supervision, give your baby their own spoon at mealtime or give them a child-safe bowl and spoon to play with. You can also give your baby blocks and balls to strengthen their grip, practice their holding skills, and improve dexterity. Be expressive with your face and make eye contact with your child. This will teach them different social expressions that help with non-verbal communication. Use your eyes and hands to point to something to teach the child how to follow other people’s cues. You can also introduce your child to the names of emotions during this time. Encourage social skill development by providing opportunities for your child to meet and play with family members, friends, and caregivers. This allows children to develop relationships with people other than the parent or primary caregiver and helps build feelings of trust. FACT: While caregiver-child play is important, unsupervised child-led play helps children become independent and make decisions. Provide opportunities for your child to practice sharing, teamwork, creativity, and independence by inviting other children over for a playdate (when possible). Gather a box of household items like clothes, child-safe dishes, books, and more and let the children determine how they will use them. Introduce your child to new items and materials. Let them touch the items and work to figure out what they do and how they work. If your child is expressing frustration, provide them with a quick demonstration or how-to. After that, let your child take the lead and try it out themselves. Include times throughout the day where your child must direct their own play. In a safe environment (preferably a location with a baby monitor), leave your child unattended with child-safe play items for a short period of time. Monitor how your child handles the situation and if they play with the items. Each time you leave, stay away for a bit longer to encourage the development of self-regulation skills. Print this Resource To learn more and view the full guide, view the free printable PDF of this resource (English) (Español). Additional information is available. To learn more, please visit our Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Parents page.
Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Part II Childhood Physical Health About Did you know that by age six children achieve over 90 percent of their adult brain volume? This means that a majority of early childhood development happens before a child enters their first elementary school classroom. In fact, during the early years of a child’s life, they develop functional skills such as comprehension, language, emotional regulation, and motor skills that act as a foundation for future learning. When considering the topic of childhood physical health, brain development is influenced by many health-related factors, including nutrition, physical activity, toxic stress, and access to routine medical screenings and wellness exams. Because of this, it’s important for caregivers to create environments that support their child’s health. To assist families in creating these environments, Trying Together developed family resources that explore ways to create and access safe, supportive early environments for young children. Featured Resources Using Play to Support Children’s Physical Health As children’s first teachers, parents and caregivers play a vital role in supporting their children’s healthy development. While it may sound like a big task, the first step is simple: incorporate developmentally appropriate activities into your daily routines! Read this post to learn more. Childhood Physical Health: A Guide for Families Did you know that children’s brain development is influenced by many health-related factors, including nutrition, physical activity, and toxic stress? Read this guide to learn how you can help create a supportive early environment for your young child. Creating a Safe and Supportive Environment According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early childhood development itself is an important determinant of health over a person’s lifetime. Read this post to learn how. The Head Start Program and Its Benefits Did you know that Head Start children have more access to health care and have improved physical health throughout their lifetime? To learn about the benefits of Head Start, read this post. Exercise Together with Darnell Campbell Are you looking for simple but effective exercises to get your family up and moving? Watch this video from Darnell Campbell to learn four exercises your family can do right at home. Play and Physical Activity Guide for Educators and Families The Recess Advocacy Team compiled a list of resources for educators and families to make sure play and physical activity are a part of children’s’ days and serve as a foundation for their learning, growth, and development. Visit this post to view the list. Childhood Physical Health: Resources Trying Together compiled a list of organizations, tools, and resources that share information or provide services related to childhood physical health. To view the list, visit this post. More Information To stay up-to-date on available resources, follow Trying Together on Facebook and Twitter or sign up to receive our newsletter.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Parents About Early childhood is an important time when children experience rapid development, learn important skills, and learn more about the world around them. To learn how you can support the early development of your child, read the facts and opportunities provided below. What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice? Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is the approach early care and education professionals use to teach young children. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: is grounded in research on how young children learn; provides connection to real-world experiences and opportunities to gain knowledge and skills through hands-on learning; prepares children for future learning; and acknowledges the role of play in learning and development. Facts and Opportunities FACT: Meaningful play experiences help your child build background knowledge, imagination, and rational thought that enables academic skill development. Consider: Playing with your child in a water table helps them understand math concepts like shapes and measurements, as well as science concepts like float, sink, and waves. Asking your child questions about observed activities, encouraging experimentation, and helping them understand cause and effect relationships during play. Including playful elements like using reusable materials to create their own inventions. FACT: Play is the primary way your child uses language and math concepts. Consider: Allowing your child to construct stories during imaginative play will later become the foundation for creative writing. Helping your child recreate elements of familiar books during play, demonstrating the understanding of characters, emotions, and empathy. Supporting your child to make choices that interest them as a way to guide their math and literacy skills. Asking what strategies your child’s teacher uses for reading instruction. Asking if worksheet and book activities are made playful. FACT: Dramatic play helps your child develop executive functioning and the ability to self-regulate. Consider: During dramatic play, take turns with your child contributing ideas into imagined scenarios. Asking if your child’s school promotes social and emotional learning. Providing your child with opportunities to make choices in their learning. FACT: Physical movement—including the freedom to play—helps your child improve his/ her behavior and attention. Consider: Giving your child regular opportunities to move their bodies and engage in unstructured physical activities. Asking if your school has a recess policy. Asking your child’s teacher if physical activity is part of the classroom routine. Print this Resource To learn more and view the full guide, view the free printable PDF of this resource (English) (Español). Additional information is available for parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers. To learn more, visit our Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Caregivers of Infants and Toddlers page.
Power of Play: Building Skills and Having Fun, Zero to Three About Children are eager and determined to understand how the world works. But did you know that play is how children learn to communicate, problem-solve, test ideas, and get along with others? In their video “Power of Play: Building Skills and Having Fun,” Zero to Three highlights the importance of play and opportunities to nurture your baby’s development. View the Video To learn more, view the video on the Zero to Three website.
Tummy Time: an Important Child Developmental Milestone, TELI About Tummy time helps to build a foundation for other skills as an infant develops proper alignment of the spine and the postural control needed for sitting, crawling, and walking. It’s also an opportunity to practice visual tracking, which is when your child moves their eyes in a coordinated manner as they turn their head. In their resource “Tummy Time: An Important Child Development Milestone,” the Early Learning Institute (TELI) provides more information about tummy time and highlights opportunities for parents to support. Learn More To learn more, visit the Early Learning Institute website.
June 1, 2020 Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Part I Developmentally Appropriate Practice Early childhood education plays an important role in the learning and healthy development of young children. However, to best support children’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional development, parents, caregivers, and professionals must meet each child where they are at in their personal learning and development. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), a practice well-known in the early childhood field, is based on knowledge—not assumptions—of how children learn and develop. To help guide families in understanding, identifying, and implementing DAP methods, Trying Together developed the following resource content. Use the links below to navigate to each series section and learn more. Featured Topics What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice? Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is a practice well-known in the early childhood field, but what exactly is it? Visit our Developmentally Appropriate Practice post to learn about its benefits and what it looks like in practice. Early Learning: Myths vs Facts There are many misconceptions about early learning, especially when it comes to what early learning looks like. Visit our Early Learning: Myths vs Facts post to view answers to common myths. Creating Play Rich Environments: DAP at Home As children’s first teachers, parents and caregivers play a vital role in children’s healthy development. Visit our Creating Play Rich Environments post to learn how you can incorporate DAP at home. Developmentally Appropriate Parenting: Guides for Parents and Caregivers Early childhood is an important time when children experience rapid development and there are plenty of opportunities for parents to support this growth. To learn more, visit the following posts: Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Parents Developmentally Appropriate Practice: A Guide for Caregivers of Infants and Toddlers Questions to Ask Your Early Learning Provider To better understand the type of care and services your early learning program is providing during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important for caregivers to ask their early learning provider questions. For a list of questions, visit our Questions to Ask Your Early Learning Provider During COVID-19 post. Additional Topics Additional topics and resources are available. To view the full list, visit the Developmentally Appropriate Parenting page. More Information To stay up-to-date on available resources, follow Trying Together on Facebook and Twitter or sign up to receive our newsletter.
May 30, 2020 What is Developmentally Appropriate Practice? What is DAP? Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is an approach that early care and education professionals use to support the learning and development of young children birth to age nine. Benefits of DAP By implementing DAP methods with their young children, parents and caregivers: use strategies and activities that are proven to help young children learn; use hands-on learning activities to help young children develop practical knowledge and skills; and recognize the important role that play has in early childhood learning and development. What DAP Looks Like If your child is enrolled or is enrolling in early learning programs, ask your provider how they incorporate DAP into their day-to-day work. Parents and caregivers are also encouraged to incorporate developmentally appropriate activities and methods with their children at home. In developmentally appropriate environments, your child will: move around rather than wait; speak rather than listen passively; use their creativity to create their own books and art; follow a schedule based on their needs; attempt to solve their own problems; explore their own interests; have opportunities to make their own choices; and learn through experience rather than mechanical repetition. To view the full list, download our printable DAP Guide for Families (PDF). More Information For more information, watch this webinar recording of “Advance Developmentally Appropriate Practice: How Young Children Learn.”
May 29, 2020 Call It Child Care Child care supports children’s healthy development and a lifetime of learning. That’s why we call it child care. In June 2018, the Pennsylvania state legislature passed House Bill 1677 to update Pennsylvania’s regulations and code to use the term “child care” rather than “day care” to reflect the work of early learning programs more accurately. Trying Together worked closely with the bill’s prime sponsor, Representative Jason Ortitay, who represents Allegheny and Washington counties. Thanks to advocates like you, and Rep. Ortitay’s persistence, HB 1677 passed and was signed by the Governor. Why Call It Child Care? Trying Together recognizes that shifting commonly used language can be difficult. However, by using the term “child care” instead of “day care,” you recognize that: 1. The impact of child care is much longer than a day. Early childhood programs support lifelong success for children and families. Research has shown that high-quality child care builds a strong foundation from which children grow and thrive. By having access to early care and education programming, families experience multi-generational benefits, with young children achieving higher test scores and graduation rates, committing fewer crimes, and earning higher wages, to name a few. Caregivers are able to reenter the workforce, increasing the financial stability of the family and the long-term professional success of the caregiver. 2. The words we use matter. The words we use affect the public’s perception of the early care and education field and affect the field’s own accountability in providing high-quality care. Using “child care” rather than “day care” recognizes the important work of these professionals, in addition to the work children put in to learn, develop, and grow. Accurate language is critical to gaining respect, validation, and investments in currently under-resourced systems. 3. “Child care” acknowledges the complexity of high-quality early care and education programs. High-quality child care programs employ, develop, and retain educated credentialed staff. Child care professionals use a curriculum, lesson plans, and family engagement activities to promote the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of the children they serve. How You Can Help Please join us in the coming months as an advocate for the “Call It Child Care” initiative. If you’re an early care and education professional, use the term “child care” when speaking about your work and update your materials as needed. If you’re a family or community member, embrace the term “child care” and use it when referencing your child’s program! DIGITAL RESOURCE TOOLKIT Interested in doing more? Use our digital resource toolkit to advocate for “Call It Child Care” today! Help spread the word about using the term “child care” by having conversations with your colleagues, family, and friends. Use our talking points for help with responding to colleagues, family, friends, and others who use the term “day care”. Share a graphic on social media and tell your followers about the initiative. Write a letter or email to the families in your early learning program. Print Call It Child Care posters and post them around your office or program. Read a letter from the Trying Together Executive Director. Watch This Video Learn More To learn more about the initiative, visit our Call It Child Care page.
Creating Play Rich Environments: Incorporating DAP at Home About As children’s first teachers, parents and caregivers play a vital role in children’s healthy development. While it may sound like a big task, the first step is simple: incorporate developmentally appropriate activities into your daily routines! Consider using the play activities listed below or create your own to turn your home into a play-rich early learning environment! Everyday Play If you are looking for opportunities to play every day, start by looking around your house and identifying items that can be playfully repurposed! Pots, cans, pillows, and curtains. The opportunities are endless! Continue reading below for a few guiding examples. Infant: Household Item Play While babies can’t feed themselves, that doesn’t mean they can’t practice! With supervision, give your baby their own spoon at meal time or give them a child-safe bowl and spoon to play with. You can also give your baby blocks and balls to strengthen their grip, practice their holding skills, and improve dexterity. Preschool: Dramatic Play Instead of getting rid of old clothes or household items, make a costume play box! Try collecting notepads, sleep masks, blankets, or other extra items and watch as your child brings a new character to life right in front of you! For extra fun, ask other household members to join or dress up yourself! Kindergarten: Snack Time During meal or snack time, invite your kindergartener into the kitchen to help you read a recipe, measure, mix, and pour ingredients. Ask your child to try reading the words on ingredient boxes or to try finding ingredients that start with a particular letter, like “e” for eggs! You can even incorporate science by exploring how solid ingredients mix together with liquid ingredients! Outdoor and Nature Play A healthy relationship with nature and the outdoors is important for lifelong physical, emotional, and mental health. To help build this relationship, find play opportunities that are outside, such as: puddle jumping, copying rain sounds, or making rock towers. Continue reading below for more outdoor play opportunities! Infant: Outdoor Observations As an infant, your child is taking in new sights, sounds, smells, and sensations. Broaden your child’s horizon by taking a stroll through nature, narrating what you see, smell, hear, and feel during the journey. This will expose your baby to new vocabulary through a positive outdoor experience. Preschool: Muddy Maneuvers Even though mud is messy and slippery, it provides a lot of great play opportunities for you and your child. Let your preschooler take off their shoes; squish mud between their toes and fingers; make handprints, footprints, and mudpies; and more! Just bring some water and towels to clean up after! Kindergarten: Nature Hunt Take a walk in nature with your child and try to find local animals, plants, and bugs. If you have them, bring binoculars to see how far away you can see and a magnifying glass to get a closer look at bugs and plants. You can research information online about local plantlife and wildlife to create a scavenger hunt and list of fun facts! For example, what type of animal is it? What does it eat? More Information To learn more about opportunities for play, visit the Playful Pittsburgh Collaborative website.
