January 31, 2024 Resources for February Observances Various organizations, states, and nations recognize several observances each month. Resources help parents, caregivers, and childcare professionals acknowledge and navigate them. Here is a list of resources for February observances: Month-Long Observances: Black History Month Let’s Celebrate Black History Song!, Sesame Street I am the Dream, Mr. Pete’s Playhouse Books on Race and Racism, by Age, Recommended by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Kidsburgh Anti-Racism Tools, Trying Together February is Black History Month, Black History.gov Black History Month: 2024 Facts, Themes & Origins, History Channel 2024 Theme: African Americans and The Arts, Association for the Study of African American Life and History 13 Meaningful Black History Month Activities for Kids to Add to Your Lesson Plans, TeachStarter Library Lovers Month Buzzwords & Activities, Buzzword Pittsburgh Locations, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Supporting Families to Foster a Love of Reading, Reading Ready Pittsburgh National Children’s Dental Health Month The Tooth Brushing Song, Queensland Health February is National Children’s Dental Health Month: Posters & Planning Guides, American Dental Association How To Look After Your Babies Teeth: Info & Tips, NHS Week-Long Observances: February 14-20 is Random Acts of Kindness Week Try a Little Kindness, Tori Kelly & Sesame Street Kindness is a Muscle, Peacock Jr. 8 Activities For Teaching Kindness in Your Classroom, Brooke’s Blog Make Kindness the Norm, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation Day Observances: February 2: Groundhog Day Happy Groundhog Day!, Sesame Street Groundhog Day, Curious George Free Groundhog Day Activities, Teachers Pay Teachers February 7: National Girls and Women in Sports Day S is for Sports with Chloe Kim and Big Bird, Sesame Street National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Women’s Sports Foundation Why More Girls Should Play Sports, Play Like A Girl 7 Reasons to Get Your Daughter Involved in Sports, According to Science, Penn State PRO Wellness February 8: Take Your Child to the Library Day Locations, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh #TakeYourChildtotheLibraryDay, Take Your Child to the Library Day Take Your Child to the Library Day, Upstart Promotions Pinterest Board February 10 Lunar New Year Happy Lunar New Year Song!, Sesame Street 12 Ideas to Ring in The Year of The Dragon, Care.com Picture Books to Celebrate Lunar New Year, Brightly 10 Fun Facts About Lunar New Year For Kids, Brightly February 11: National Make-a-Friend Day Billy Porter Sings About Making Friends!, Sesame Street This Is The Way We Make Friends, Super Simple Kids Songs “Share” Activity Book, Buzzword Pittsburgh February 20: World Day of Social Justice World Day of Social Justice, United Nations What is Social Justice? Kid’s Garden Video, Aspen Foundation “Human” Activity Book, Buzzword Pittsburgh Race and Social Justice Books For Kids, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Public Policy Agenda, Trying Together Early Childhood Funding Map, Trying Together February 21: Language Day Buzz Word Explains Why Language Is Important, Sesame Street Spanish Me, English Me Song, Sesame Street Hello Around The World, JunyTony How to Support Language Development in Bilingual Children, Lorilet M | Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist 5 Simple Language Play Ideas for Language Development, Hands On As We Grow February 29: Leap Day Over 17 Leap Year Crafts and Activities, Desert Chica 3 Perfect Leap Year Picture Books to Read Aloud, A Teachable Teacher 12 Title To Celebrate Leap Year, Literacious Happy Leap Day!, The Muppets
September 19, 2023 Poll Reveals Increases in Child Communication Disorders and Need for Early Intervention Services A national poll of audiologists and speech-language pathologists recently revealed an increase in child medical referrals for parental concerns about hearing, speech, and language delays or disorders. Conducted by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the survey investigated early detection, early warning signs, and caregiver knowledge and awareness of communication disorders, and demonstrated a need for early intervention education and services. About the Survey ASHA conducted this survey in February and March of 2023, sending an email invitation to 5,460 ASHA-certified audiologists and 5,534 ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists in the U.S. who are employed as clinical service providers and regularly serve at least one of the following age groups: six months or younger, seven months to two years of age, and three to five years of age The invitation included a link to the survey, which 858 recipients completed. Demographically: 43% of respondents work in schools. 29% work in nonresidential health care facilities. 21% work in hospitals. 79% regularly serve age groups three to five years. 54% regularly serve age groups seven months to two years. 32% regularly serve age groups six months or less. Key Findings Pandemic-Related Trends Backlogs of children who weren’t referred to audiologists and speech-language pathologists during stay-at-home periods, or whose families waited to seek help due to concerns about coronavirus exposure, were a major factor in the increase of referrals. Three-quarters (75%) of audiologists and 62% of speech-language pathologists reported such backlogs. Post-pandemic: 34% of audiologists reported seeing more children with a delayed diagnosis of hearing loss; 36% of audiologists reported seeing more children with untreated ear infections that could interfere with communication development; 84% of speech-language pathologists reported seeing more children with emotional or behavioral difficulties; 79% of speech-language pathologists reported seeing more children with delayed language or diagnosed language disorders, and 78% reported seeing more children with social communication difficulties than before the pandemic. When it comes to factors contributing to increases in referrals beyond backlogs, audiologists and speech-language pathologists point to: limited opportunities for social interaction and play with peers (59%); limited formal pre-K and daycare or interaction with outside adults (57%) such as child care providers, preschool teachers, and extended family; and young children (51%) spending more time using screens and technology such as tablets and smartphones compared with pre-pandemic years. Caregiver Awareness and Need for Early Intervention Services Positive Trends 67% of audiologists and speech-language pathologists said parental awareness of the early warning signs of communication disorders has improved during the past decade. A majority (71%) said that most families with young children are at least “somewhat” aware of the importance of early detection of speech, language, and hearing difficulties when families first see them. Negative Trends Lack of awareness of the early signs of disorders remains the leading factor hindering parents and caregivers from taking action on communication disorders in young children. Less than one quarter (21%) of audiologists said that most parents know the early warning signs of hearing disorders. Only 28% of speech-language pathologists said that most parents know the early warning signs of speech-language disorders. About 40% of audiologists indicated that, on average, symptoms of hearing loss in young children go unrecognized by parents/caregivers for 6 months to 1 year. Similarly, about 41% of speech-language pathologists indicated that, on average, symptoms of a speech-language delay or disorder in young children go unrecognized by parents/caregivers for 1–2 years. Nearly half (48%) of audiologists indicated that, on average, parents/caregivers wait 6 months to 1 year after observing symptoms of hearing loss in their children before acting. Accordingly, 48% of speech-language pathologists indicated that, on average, parents/caregivers wait 6 months to 1 year after observing symptoms of a speech-language delay or disorder to get help. ASHA Recommendations for Families Learn the signs of communication disorders. Connect with early intervention or a private clinician if you have concerns. Find contacts by state at this link: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/parents/states.html. Access a searchable database of private providers at www.asha.org/profind. Additionally, focus on daily interactions with your child. Learn More Visit www.IdentifytheSigns.org to learn more about communication disorders. To find additional information, visit the ASHA website. Source Information for this post was taken directly from the ASHA “Identify the Signs Campaign Survey Results” and ASHA Press Release. Some text may have been added, paraphrased, or adapted for readability and comprehension. Related Content & Resources Developmentally Appropriate Parenting Series: Early Intervention (EI) Family Guide for Early Intervention and Inclusion in Allegheny County Family Guide for Navigating Early Intervention Services Tracking Your Child’s Developmental Milestones When Should a Parent Consider Early Intervention for Their Child? Early Intervention FAQ About the Alliance for Infants and Toddlers
July 19, 2023 New Language Access Training Available for Organizations A new resource is available to help organizations engage more with community members who do not speak English as a first language. About Through All for All and The Global Switchboard, a free one-hour language access training, including resources to foster better relationships with non-English speaking community members, is available for organizations and groups to reserve and schedule. The trainings can take place virtually or in-person. To register, email crich@shimcares.org from South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) to request a training date for your organization or group. Related Content & Resources 2023 Summer Reading Programs for Young Readers Story Time with the Hill District Early Literacy Initiative and Macedonia FACE Hill District Conducting Survey on Parent Engagement in Child Literacy 2023 Virtual Summer Learning and Literacy Road Trip HDELI Wild Family Literacy Night Resources for July Observances
June 12, 2023 WIDA Early Years Program to Sunset in June WIDA and the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) will sunset the WIDA Early Years Membership Program for Pennsylvania on June 30. Consequently, the four current, free, one-hour, self-paced, WIDA Early Years trainings in the PD Registry will no longer be available beginning July 1, and anyone completing WIDA Early Years training coursework must do so by July 1 to receive credit for the training. Still, trainers who completed the WIDA cohort may still offer in-person WIDA courses in the PD Registry for a fee. About the WIDA Early Years Membership Program WIDA Early Years Membership Program promotes equitable early care and education (ECE) opportunities for young, multilingual children through partnerships with state agencies. Though the program will end on June 30, WIDA will continue to make PreK–3 resources available on the WIDA website under “Early Language Development” or “Teaching in PreK–3.” Additionally, OCDEL will make dual language resources available on the Pennsylvania Key website. Future WIDA Offerings Beginning September 1, WIDA will offer two new PreK-3 resources: A new self-paced workshop, “Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions,” will introduce educators to the new WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions. Educators will have an opportunity to build their knowledge and understanding of the Essential Actions and to reflect on their own ideologies, practices, and settings. Access to the course will require a WIDA Secure Portal account. Search the training calendar in the PD Registry for “Exploring the WIDA PreK-3 Essential Actions” or contact Barry Wiestling at bwiestling@pa.gov for information about how to set up a WIDA Secure Portal account and access this and other WIDA self-paced offerings. A new, “Are We Ready?” resource will support PreK–3 educators to promote and provide equitable transitions for multilingual children and their families. This resource will be available on the WIDA website. Learn More Please contact Barry Wiestling at bwiestling@pa.gov with questions. To learn more, visit the WIDA website.
March 2, 2023 Front Porch: Brilliant Bilingual Preschoolers Do you ever wonder how young children can learn, not only one, but two or more languages? Join the Office of Head Start and its National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning for this webinar, and learn about the human capacity to learn multiple languages in early childhood. Attendees will discover the cultural and cognitive benefits of bilingualism and explore strategies and resources that can help support children who are dual language learners during the preschool years. This webinar will have English and Spanish captioning. Session Details Thursday, March 16 | 3 – 4 p.m. Virtual Register Learn More This webinar will feature Marley Jarvis, Ph.D. from the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning, who will explore research findings on early language learning. To learn more about this webinar, visit the Office of Head Start website.
December 4, 2020 Let’s Chat About Early Language and Literacy Join the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) and Early Intervention Technical Assistance (EITA) from January through March 2021 for their 30-minute “Let’s Chat About Early Language and Literacy” webinars. About These 30-minute webinars will be offered at no cost to participants. Each session will be offered at 8:30 a.m. and repeated at 1:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. This series runs from January through March 2021. Chat topics will include the following: Connecting with Children: No Wi-Fi Needed January 8, 2021 | 8:30 – 9 a.m. OR 1:30 – 2 p.m. Using Assistive Technology to Support Literacy Development January 22, 2021 | 8:30 – 9 a.m. OR 1:30 – 2 p.m. Building Vocabulary and Supporting Emergent Talkers February 12, 2021 | 8:30 – 9 a.m. OR 1:30 – 2 p.m. Supporting Children to Understand Language Around Them February 26, 2021 | 8:30 – 9 a.m. OR 1:30 – 2 p.m. Sounds, Sounds Everywhere! March 12, 2021 | 8:30 – 9 a.m. OR 1:30 – 2 p.m. Dual Language Learners Through the Equity Lens March 26, 2021 | 8:30 – 9 a.m. OR 1:30 – 2 p.m. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. Registration closes the Wednesday prior to each session at 4:30 p.m. More Information PQAS, Infant/Toddler, and Act 48 hours are available. Participants must attend two sessions in order to get one credit hour. For questions, contact Jodie Holmberg at jholmberg@pattan.net.
October 30, 2020 Strategies to Support DLLs and Their Families Are you interested in learning strategies to support dual language learners (DLLs) and their families? Join presenters Lea Ann Christenson, Ph.D., and Nadia J. Jones, Ed.D., on November 10 for “Strength in Diversity: Practical Theory and Strategies to Support DLLs and Their Families.” About This webinar will cover practical theory, easy-to-use advice, and strategies to support dual language learners and their families. In addition, participants will learn how to cultivate empathy, perspective, and high expectations for all children. The content of this webinar can also benefit English-only (EO) young children and their families. Time for questions will be provided. Featured Topics Participants will walk away with the conceptual understanding of the content which they can put to use in their classrooms, schools, and centers immediately. Educators will learn: demographics of young DLLs in classrooms today, the basics of second-language acquisition theory, effective teaching strategies and principles of instruction, how and why honoring the home language supports English acquisition, and tips for engaging the families of DLLs. Registration This webinar is best suited for anyone in the early childhood field, including teachers, instructional aides, administrators, and district office personnel. To register, visit the EdWeb website.
September 18, 2020 English Learners: Strategies for Digital Learning Are you interested in learning digital learning strategies to support English Learners in your online classroom? Join Digital Promise on September 30 for their webinar, “English Learners: Strategies for Digital Learning and the Language of Academic Content.” About During this webinar, speakers will share research-based learning strategies and supports that address learner variability, the shift to digital, and the specific challenges and opportunities for English Learners. Additionally, speakers will: provide a framework for teaching the language of content, with a focus on math and science examples; examine how to translate word walls, manipulatives, sentence frames, and many other research-based strategies to a digital-learning environment; highlight the importance of family-teacher-student partnerships that help learning happen; and explore research-based factors of learning that have an impact on all English learners. This webinar is best suited for K-12 teachers and administrators, especially those who teach English Learners; instructional coaches; ELS coordinators; EdTech coordinators; and other school and district leaders. Time for questions will be provided. Registration To register and learn more, visit the event webpage.
September 9, 2020 Feelings Behind the Mask: Building Emotion Vocabulary Are you interested in learning strategies to expand children’s feeling and emotion vocabulary? Join Trying Together on September 30 for our online session, “Connections and Conversations: Feelings Behind the Mask: Building Emotion Vocabulary.” About Connections and Conversations Virtual Check-Ins are biweekly interactive sessions that highlight topics of interest to the field of early childhood education. Participants engage in virtual discussions with child development experts while interacting with early learning practitioners to share questions, experiences, and expertise about the highlighted topic. Sessions offer one hour of PQAS credit. Act 48 credit will not be provided. In this session, participants will learn about strategies to expand children’s feeling vocabulary in order to support their abilities to correctly perceive and respond to feelings in themselves and others. Identifying and expressing emotions are key skills in a child’s development. Children need a large and complex feeling vocabulary to make finer discriminations between feelings, to better communicate with others about their internal affective states, and to engage in discussions about their personal experiences with the world. Session Details Session Date: Wednesday, September 30 | 6 – 7 p.m Instructor: Nancy Loughead CKC: Curriculum and Learning Experiences CDA Subject Area: Social & Emotional Development Registration Deadline: Monday, September 28 Registration To register, visit the course PD Registry page. Space is limited. Participants will receive the course Zoom link via email within 24 hours before the start date for the course. For questions, contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org. Session Rules and Guidelines These virtual discussions are designed to provide educators the opportunity to grow professionally and share knowledge on early childhood topics. During the meeting, participants should follow the guidelines below to ensure a successful virtual meeting for all participants. Please allow all participants a chance to speak. Listen respectfully and actively. Commit to learning about each other, not to debating the topic. Embrace differences of opinion as healthy and support each person’s authentic self-expression. Participants will be muted for the beginning portion of the session. Participants may use the “Raise Hand” feature in Zoom to request an opportunity to comment or ask a question. Individuals will be temporarily unmuted by the moderator. Participants may type a comment or question in the Chat or may send comments or questions directly to the moderator for them to share. To receive PQAS credit, you must complete an evaluation at the end of the session and include your PD Registry number. Have fun, make connections, and engage in the conversations! More Information For questions or more information, please contact Jasmine Davis at jasmine@tryingtogether.org.
June 22, 2020 WIDA Communication Strategies to Support Multilingual Children Are you interested in learning developmentally appropriate strategies to support multilingual children in your early learning program? Join Trying Together Innovative Learning Strategist Mimi Loughead from July 13 through August 3 for a three-week online course, “WIDA Communication Strategies to Support Multilingual Children.” About During this three-week online course, participants will identify and apply developmentally appropriate academic language demands of routines, social interactions, and learning experiences for multilingual learners. Also, participants will learn about language supports to use in their environments to provide multiple meaningful opportunities for multilingual learners to use their own languages through the use of WIDA Early Years resources. Course Details Timeline: July 13 – August 3, 2020 (Three Weeks, Self-Guided) Instructor: Mimi Loughead CKC: K5.3 C2 and K5.7 C2 Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.3 CDA Subject Area: Understanding principles of child development. Three PQAS and ACT 48 hours available. Registration To register, visit the event webpage. All registrations must be submitted by Friday, July 10. Space is limited. More Information For more information, contact Community Engagement Assistant Rosie Hogan at rosie@tryingtogether.org.
