Weather Update

The Commonwealth Family Child Care Vans 

WILL NOT be running on January 22nd.

Enhance Language Development – Looking at Books & Turning Pages

Get those families READING! Support learning experiences at home:Loan a familiar book to an infant’s family. Copy and paste the following information into a document and send it home as well to encourage and facilitate reading at home.

Language Development

Young infants are born with many communication skills, abilities and responses.

They cry to communicate pain or distress. Soon they smile and coo, respond to voices and watch facial expressions. Within a few months they use all types of sounds, listen to conversations and begin to recognize the names of familiar people and things.

By knowing these special things about young infants, families and caregivers can better understand how to promote their language development.

When families and other caregivers help young infants learn to communicate the young infants use their inborn abilities to begin to express needs and wants without using words. Young infants respond to verbal and nonverbal social interactions with others. Young infants begin to imitate the sounds they hear when they are talked to and sung to.

Activity

Before you begin:

Turn off distractions such as the TV or CD player.

Hold your baby on your lap, holding the book so she can see it.

Remember to notice what your baby is looking at, listen to any sounds the baby makes and use clear descriptive words to describe what is on the pages. “Look, Listen, and Say!”

Try this nurturing ritual!

Observe the infant’s interest in the book. Offer to read the book by asking, for example,

“Laurie, would you like to read the book?” “We can read together.”

Read the book if she shows interest. If she doesn’t show interest, just watch and wait a little while.

Show her the pictures. Name and point to each object on the page.

Make comments about the pictures and make the animal sounds. Listen for a response. Respond to any babbling sounds or gestures. For example say, “Laurie, that’s a cat. A cat says ‘meow’.” Pause. “It’s a big yellow cat.”

Watch what your child does with the book. Let her handle and explore it. It’s okay for young infants to mouth books just as they do other toys and objects.

Encourage the infant to continue repeating the behavior. You might say, for example, “Laurie, you touched the cat. Daddy will touch the cat too.”

Continue the activity as long as both you and your child are interested. Even if the baby is not yet responding with sounds or gestures, if he is calm and relaxed and occasionally looking toward you or the book he is learning from the experience.

From the Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education

READ! READ ! READ!

And the 2013 Caldecott Medal Winner is..........

This Is Not My Hat, written and illustrated by Jon KlassenIn this darkly humorous tale, a tiny fish knows it’s wrong to steal a hat. It fits him just right. But the big fish wants his hat back. Klassen’s controlled palette, opposing narratives and subtle cues compel readers to follow the fish and imagine the consequence. 

2013 Honor Books

Creepy Carrots!, illustrated by Peter Brown, written by Aaron Reynolds

Jasper the rabbit loves carrots until he notices they are everywhere. He is convinced they’re coming for him! Pronounced shadows, black borders and shaded edges enhance this ever so slightly sinister tale with a distinctly cinematic feel. This is one serving of carrots children will eagerly devour.

Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett

A selfish archduke threatens to halt a little girl's transformation of a colorless town and steal her box of magical yarn.  Klassen's innovative digital technique results in shifts of color that signal character change and critical turns of plot -all done with just the right stitches of humor.

Green, illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

In this original concept book, Seeger engages all the senses with her fresh approach to the multiple meanings of “green.” Using thickly-layered acrylics, word pairings and cleverly placed die cuts, she invites readers to pause, pay attention and wonder.

One Cool Friend, illustrated by David Small, written by Toni Buzzeo

Energetic line and dizzying perspective combine for a rollicking tale of Father, Elliot and a highly improbable pet (or two). Buzzeo’s text, brimming with sly wordplay, earns its perfect counterpoint in Small’s ink, watercolor and pencil illustrations with chilly details and visual jokes that invite many repeated readings.

Sleep Like a Tiger, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Mary Logue

Surrounded with dreamlike images of crowns, ornate patterns and repeated visual motifs, her parents coax her into bed. Using mixed media artwork on wood enhanced with computer illustrations, this is a whimsical story with universal appeal.

CFC Family Childcare Educator Support Groups

YOU'RE INVITED!!!!
Commonwealth Family Child Care, Inc. is EXCITED to announce EDUCATOR SUPPORT GROUPS!!!!!

Many Educators have expressed the need to:

• Share Ideas
• Get input
• Ask questions
• Network
• Discuss curriculum and activities
• Share positive experiences
• Discuss difficult situations and gain feedback
• GET TOGETHER!!

We heard your request and we encourage you to become a part of our Support Groups!!!!!! 

 If you have not had time to view the December/January Newsletters here is the information below: 

“Two groups will be organized in which Brockton will have a network and Middleboro, Taunton, and New Bedford area programs will have a combined group. I anticipate that the groups will grow and require reorganizing but for now I am very pleased with the start-up. “ ~ Sarah

Raynham, Taunton, Middleboro, or New Bedford area Educators:

Raynham Public  Library 1/28/2014 

6-7:30 (RSVP by 1/24)

Brockton Educators:

Brockton Public Library, 304 Main St., 2/24/14 , 6-7:30 (RSVP by 2/21)

Don’t forget, if you know of an FCC Educator who would benefit from meeting our group bring them along! We do need you to RSVP so please send an email or call our  office! S.borges@comfamcc.com or call 508-880-3556 EXT 13