April 2021
Fun activities, aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, to help prepare children for school success!
We're sharing our story!
Babies
Hold your baby and look into the mirror. Point out the different parts of their body (toes, head, fingers) and then point them out on yourself. Use words to describe the different parts of each of you. Tell them what each part does. Read more.

Toddlers
Ask a relative or family friend to make a recording of them reading their favorite children's story, or telling a favorite story of when they were a child. Listen or watch this recording with your toddler and talk about who recorded the story. Follow along in a book which uses pictures, Braille, or sign to tell the story. If none are available, create your book together using personal photos, words, and illustrations. Read more.

Preschoolers
Provide your preschooler with a magnifying glass to look at her hair, nails and skin. What do they see? Have them also look at your hair, nails and skin as well. What is the same? What is different? Is each part the same color, texture, or size? What makes each part different? Using the magnification tool on your tablet or computer, demonstrate how the size changes. You can also feel the texture of hair, nails and skin. Use words like soft, smooth, or bumpy to describe what is felt. Read more.

Kindergartners
Have your kindergartner think of some things they can't do now, but might do when they grow older. Ask them to think of what needs to happen so they can do these activities, like getting taller to drive a car. What are some things they can do now that they couldn't do when they were younger? Ask them what changed. For example, they drink out of a cup now, instead of a bottle, because they can hold a cup better than when they were a baby. Read more.
10 Books About Growing Up
Community Helpers From A to Z  by Bobbie Kalman & Niki Walker
Pretend You're a Community Helper by Karen Bryant-Mole
Hello Benny!: What It's Like to Be a Baby by Robie H. Harris and Michael Emberley
When I Grow Up  by P. K. Hallinan
Jobs People Do by DK
The Berenstain Bears: When I Grow Up by Jan and Stan Berenstain
When I Grow Up by Al Yankovic
When I Grow Up (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer
Grow Up! by Nina Laden
Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling, Deborah Hembrook, Andy Robert Davies


Celebrate Month of the Young Child
During April, let’s celebrate Month of the Young Child! Month of the Young Child focuses public attention on the needs of young children and their families and recognizes the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs. Read stories from families like yours, then share your own!
 
Daily Schedules for Children
Families can use these sample schedules from the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) to plan and create a flexible and consistent daily routine for their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers while learning at home.
Finding Help for Pennsylvanians
Governor Tom Wolf recently announced the launch of a program that will deliver rapid relief to millions of Pennsylvanians at risk of eviction or loss of utility service, but did you know there are also other types of assistance for Pennsylvania families?

Check out the following and share the resources with other families.

  • Emergency Rental Assistance Program 
  • Mental Health or Emotional Support
  • Report Abuse or Neglect
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Pandemic Electronic Transfer (P-EBT) Supplemental Payments
  • Early Intervention Services During COVID-19
  • Medical Assistance
  • Unemployment Compensation

Visit the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services website for more information, including who is eligible and how to apply.
The Role a Sibling Plays in Developing Empathy
There are benefits to having a sibling! Having a brother or sister can impact how confident a child is, how well they do in school, how they interact with friends, can boost a younger siblings language development and their understanding of others point of view. It can even play a role in the development of empathy. 

Empathy is the key to understanding another's perspective and valuing people. Children who kind, supportive and understanding, influence their siblings to act and behave in similar ways. These empathetic traits develop into life-long behaviors towards friends, spouses and parents.

Although siblings can be a good support for helping raise an empathetic child, it's not required! This article from the Making, Caring, Common Project at Harvard shares tips on cultivating empathy. 
PA One Book Update
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) worldwide pandemic has changed the landscape for nearly everything that was familiar to families, caregivers, and their young children. Families and caregivers may have experienced unfamiliar situations and encountered circumstances of which they could never have imagined—all the while attempting to maintain consistent support and guidance for their young children.

To meet the demands of this changing landscape, the Pennsylvania One Book, Every Young Child program for 2021 will be a departure from the traditional program. During 2021, the program will pause and address the needs of families, caregivers and young children in a time that has been difficult. What hasn’t changed is the commitment to support early literacy for Pennsylvania’s youngest learners.

The 2021 Pennsylvania One Book program will emphasize the importance of emotional resilience, social-emotional wellness, and healing through literacy and literature in 2021: Many Books, One Pennsylvania Community.

This year, young readers across Pennsylvania will be exposed to a number of titles through two booklists (for ages 0-2 and ages 3-6), cultivated by youth services librarians and early learning caregivers, with a focus on understanding emotions and feelings. Two family fun guides and two activity guides for librarians and caregivers, all of which contain activities that align with the Pennsylvania Standards for Early Childhood, will also be made available via the One Book website, to encourage family engagement and positive learning experiences. All booklists and guides will be made available via the Pennsylvania One Book website in April 2021.
Don't Wait. Vaccinate
When you're planning summer activities, remember to make an appointment for vaccinations. Scheduling your children now for the vaccines they will need to start the next school year will help you cross one important item off your hectic back-to-school list this fall. 
 
Immunizations should be part of your children's regular school physical before they enter kindergarten. See the schedule of needed immunizations for students attending Pennsylvania schools. For more information regarding vaccines required for your children, please contact your children's health care provider or visit  www.dontwaitvaccinate.pa.gov.
Helping Parents Be Parents
Parenting can be challenging. There's no such thing as a perfect parent, and there are a lot of different ways to be a good one. 
 
The Early Learning GPS has tips, tools, and resources to help when families encounter challenging behavior with their child. Visit the Early Learning GPS website.
 
The Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA) believes that parents love their children and want to be the best parent they can be. Almost every parent can benefit from gaining a better understanding of themselves, their family dynamics, and how they handle their emotions when it comes to parenting and disciplining children. Visit the PFSA website for resources and support.
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The PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) provides families access to high quality services to prepare children for school and life success. 
  
Find more information about Quality Early Learning in Pennsylvania
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