A Simple Way to Connect with Families who have Infants!

Checking in with families and providing them with "at home" tips is always a good idea. Copy and paste the note below into a document and share it with parents and caregivers! 

Sending home this note or a similar one from time to time is a simple and easy way to connect with families and extend curriculum to home!

Dear Families,

At Family Child Care we always try to provide children with words to help them understand and express their feelings. This helps to let children know that we are aware of their feelings and care about them.  It also provides them with words and language that they will need to express themselves as they develop and grow.

Even the youngest infants are listening and starting to absorb language.It is never too early to start!Try to put your infant’s feelings into words. Talk with your infant about the feelings he seems to be expressing. 

Here are some examples of what you might say:

            - Your child starts to cry when you accidentally drop a pan on the floor: “That loud noise scared you. Let me hold you for a little while.”

- Your child kicks her legs when you walk into her room as she is waking from a nap: “You are happy and excited. I think you are ready to play”

            - Your child smiles and coos as you sing with him: “You’re so happy when I sing with you. Are you trying to sing with me?”

            - After you change her wet diaper: “That dry diaper feels good doesn't it?”

            - Your child begins to cry for no apparent reason: “You’re unhappy. Let’s see if we can find out what the problem is.”

            - Your child starts to cry as you leave the room: “You’re sad because I’m leaving. I love you too and will be back to get you.”

Do not deny or trivialize your child’s feelings. Let them know that it is alright to express their feelings, that someone will comfort and care for them. Your baby will learn to comfort themselves.

Ideas from Arkansas Frameworks for  Infant and Toddler Care.

Connecting with Families who have Infants

We encourage you to copy and paste the following "at home" ideas into a document and send it home with families enrolled in your program.                                                                                         

The following resource was found at www.education.com  , be sure to visit their website and view possible resources for families and your Family Child Care program. 

The more you play with your little one, the better prepared he'll be to learn new skills. Check out these nursery games to give your child a developmental head start, and have some fun to boot!

• Peek-a-Boo (0-12 months) This popular pick helps to teach your babe the concept of object permanence; the idea that something will continue to exist even if you don't see it. According to developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, most infants understand object permanence around eight or nine months, but games of peek-a-boo played from early infancy on can help to speed up the process. The game couldn't be easier—simply hide behind your hands (or another object) and then pop out and say, "Peek-a-boo! I see you!" Helping your kid understand this concept can mean the difference between a happy bye-bye and a tearful meltdown.
• Singing games (0-12 months) Singing songs to your sweetie helps to teach the sounds of words, as well as rhythm and music. Classic nursery songs like "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush" and "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" may also help your baby identify everyday tasks and learn farm animal names and their sounds.
• Hide and Seek (3-6 months) This game offers up more object permanence practice. Take a toy, hide it under a blanket, then ask, "Where's the rattle?" Pull the blanket aside and announce "Here it is!" Name the objects as you go; this helps your baby associate words with objects.
• This Little Piggy (3-6 months) Body awareness is the name of this game, as little ones feel each individual toe being manipulated. Taking hold of each little "piggy" in turn, chant this rhyme: "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy went wee wee wee all the way home!"
• Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (3-6 months) This nursery game promotes body awareness, helps develop body part vocabulary and gives your little learner practice with phonological awareness through singing. Sing the following song: "Head, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes, head, shoulders knees and toes, knees and toes, eyes and ears and mouth and nose, head, shoulders, knees and toes," touching each little part as you name it.
• Ride a Cock-Horse (3-6 months) Bouncing games such as this one help your kid develop social relationships, muscle coordination and balance. To play, cross one knee over the other and place your wee one on your top foot. Hold his little hands as you swing your foot up and down, gently bouncing him as you sing: "Ride a cock-horse to Banbury Cross, To see a fine lady upon her white horse. With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes. She shall hear music wherever she goes."
• Open Them, Shut Them (6-9 months) Introduce your tiny tot to the concept of opposites as you demonstrate both open and shut. Sit your baby up facing you and chant the words: "Open them, shut them; open them, shut them. Give a little clap. Open them, shut them; open them, shut them. Put them in your lap," as you guide your baby's hands to mimic the actions as you go along.
• Flying game (7-9 months) Promote trust, strengthen your kid's developing muscles and get more opposite practice with this Superman-inspired game. The directions are simple: swoop your baby up into the air, chanting "Up, up, up," then gently swing him down again, chanting "Down, down, down!"
• Pat-a-Cake (7-9 months) Clapping games help to develop basic listening skills, as well as manual dexterity. Sit your child up so he's facing you, and clap his hands together while you sing, "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man, Bake me a cake as fast as you can!" Roll his hands in circles while you say "Roll it," then pat his palms on his lap as you say "Pat it," and move them to make the shape of a "B" in the air when you get to "Mark it with a "B". Finish up with, "Put it in the oven for baby and me!"
• Itsy-Bitsy Spider (9-12 months) Who doesn't love this childhood classic? Sing this simple song to your baby when he's new, but wait until he's developed some coordination before throwing in the finger movements. Sing, "Itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the water-spout," as you use his thumbs and pointer fingers to "walk" on his tummy. When you reach, "Down came the rain and washed the spider out," wiggle his fingers to mimic rain. During, "Out came the sun and dried up all the rain," raise his arms up above his head. Finally, repeat the first "walk" motion as you sing, "And the itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the spout again."

Promote Literacy Skills

Encourage parents and caregivers of infants to engage their little ones! 

Board Book to Read at Home                                                                                                                     Send home a board book with simple, colorful pictures that maybe you have read in your Family Child Care. Include an idea list of "reading tips and information" along with the book such as the one below: (feel free to copy and paste the information into a document)

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, “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.

Praise 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 are turning the pages by yourself.” “Oh, look at what you can do!”

Continue for as long as you are both interested.

 I hope you and your little one enjoyed the book I sent, DON'T FORGET TO SEND IT BACK to my Family Child Care so that other families may enjoy it too!!! 

Connecting with Families

Connecting learning experiences from your Family Child Care Home to the homes of the children in your group:   

Encourage Families:                           Practice Shape and Color Recognition at HOME

What the Educator will need:

· Pre-cut shapes. (use various colors of card stock, poster paper, or construction paper. If the paper is thin you can laminate it with clear contact paper)

· Optional: A strip of paper with shape outlines for older children to match

· Optional: Send home a few crayons of different colors in the bag too!

Educators can make one for every child to take home and keep, or make just a couple of bags to send home and ask parents to use them over night or for a couple of days and then send them back to your program. Track who has had time to take it home and return it to you so that everyone gets a turn.

You will need something to send home the activity in, so here is a basic idea:

      Use a small paper bag (feel free to decorate the bag or label it – “Shape and Color Activities for Home”)

The information below can be copied and pasted into your own document. Feel free to edit and add information as needed.

Instructions and Ideas for Learning at Home:

· Inside the bag are various shapes of different colors!

· Take out the shapes one at a time and ask your child to tell you what shape it is!

· Extend learning by encouraging following directions and understanding positional words. (up, over, in, out) Spread out all of the shapes on a table or flat surface and ask your child to find the shape!

 “Can you point to the star?” “Can you pick up the square and put it back in the bag?” “Find the triangle and hold it up high!” “Let me see you put the diamond under the table”

· Practice color recognition! “Look, here is the ORANGE shape—Can you find something in the house that is ORANGE?” “This shape is yellow, can you find me something in the house that is YELLOW?”

· (OPTIONAL) Included in the bag is a strip of paper with matching silhouettes of the shapes I have sent home. Work with your child to match the shapes by placing them on the silhouette.

· (OPTIONAL) I have added some crayons, all you will need is some paper to practice drawing shapes and lines at home!

Parents, Don’t forget: Talk to your child! Point out attributes of the shapes! “Look the circle is round, like the clock on the wall” “The Star is yellow like the curtains in the kitchen.” “The square looks like a box.” Opportunities for learning never end! Point out colors and shapes while taking walks, in a store, in the backyard, and during daily routines!!!

Note: This activity is for toddlers and preschool-aged children. Next post will be extending learning for infants and young toddlers!!!!