May 2022
Fun activities, aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards, to help prepare children for school success!
We're Learning in the Grocery Store!
Even though you may not be able to visit the grocery store with your young child at this time, the activities below have been adapted to do at home with grocery items in your pantry, refrigerator or cabinet.

Babies
Select different food items as you prepare a meal and describe to your baby what they are seeing. Use different words to describe the colors, shapes, smells and noises they may experience. Tell them what you plan to do with the items. Use facial expressions to enhance your experiences. Read more.

Toddlers
With items in your pantry or cabinet, have your toddler help you decide which item is largest, smallest, heaviest, etc. For example, compare the size of a lemon and a grapefruit, or a can of soup and a can of tuna, and help them decide which item is larger or smaller. Read more.

Preschoolers
Talk about grocery items that were purchased and are now at home. Help your preschooler describe each item--hard, soft, rough, smooth, red, green, etc. How many different words can they use to describe the item? Create a shopping page on a tablet with pictures and descriptive words. Read more.

Kindergartners
Have your kindergartner create a grocery list. Draw or cut out from a magazine different types of food. Talk about where different foods come from--do they grow in the ground or on trees--and if they are fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. Which item is their favorite to eat? Read more.
11 Books About the Grocery Store
Grandpa's Corner Store  by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan
Out and About at the Supermarket  by Kitty Shea
Put It On the List  by Kristen Darbyshire
A Visit to the Supermarket  by Blake A. Hoena
Our Corner Grocery Store  by Joanne Schwartz and Laura Beingessner
A Busy Day at Mr. Kang's Grocery Store  by Alice K. Flanagan
To Market, To Market  by Anne Miranda
Shopping with Dad  by Matt Harvey and Miriam Latimer
What's in Grandma's Grocery Bag?  by Hui-Mei Pan
Just Shopping with Mom  by Mercer Mayer
Maisy Goes Shopping  by Lucy Cousins



What can you do with the monthly book lists?
Each month  Learning is Everywhere  provides a list of books that compliment the activities. What can you do with this list?
  • Make a short video of your child reading or giving a book review of one of the books on the list. What was their favorite part of the book? Share the video with family and friends. Tag PA's Promise for Children on FacebookTwitter or Instagram!
  • Share the list with your friends who have children. You can forward this email to them or they can sign up to get the email.
  • If you are a teacher, print this list and give it to the families of your students, or post this list where families can see it. They'll know which books are being read in your classroom.
  • If you are an early learning community partner, host a special reading event for families using the monthly book lists. Each month has a different focus--find them at PA's Promise for Children. Include an activity from the monthly list to engage families.
  • Print the list and take it to your local library. Your librarian can help you find the books on the list. Then read the books with your child. Help your child circle or cross out the books on the list as you read them.

How do you use this book list? Share on PA's Promise for Children, the Facebook pageor send it to Mary at marhal@pakeys.org
Enroll Now for PA Pre-K Counts
Quality pre-kindergarten can give your child a strong start in school and in life. Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts provides free half-day or full-day pre-kindergarten for at-risk children throughout Pennsylvania.
 
Each program offering PA Pre-K Counts classrooms will have their own guidelines, but PA Pre-K Counts is designed for children who:
 
  • are between age 3 and younger than the entry age for kindergarten;
  • live in a family earning up to 300% of the federal poverty guidelines; and
  • have a first language other than English, a disability or developmental delay, or other factors that put them at higher risk for failing in school.
 
If your child falls into these categories, they may be eligible for PA Pre-K Counts!
 
There are PA Pre-K Counts classrooms in most of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. To find PA Pre-K Counts programs near you, contact your local Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) and they can help you locate your local PA Pre-K Counts program. Find your ELRC at www.raiseyourstar.org.
Share Your Experiences About Supports for Your Child 
  • Does your child have challenges with their behavior, like anger or impulse control or following directions?
  • Does your child easily make friends?
  • How supported do you feel by your child's early learning program when needing information on how to support your child?
 
Your feedback is needed if your child is between the ages of birth and Kindergarten, and participates in a Pennsylvania early learning program--like child care, Head Start, PA Pre-K Counts, Early Intervention, or home visiting!
 
Researchers from Vanderbilt University and Georgetown University are working with the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) to get your feedback. They’ve created a # question anonymous survey for families for their experiences with social-emotional supports for their child. This survey takes only # minutes to complete, but the information you provide is VERY important! Sharing your experiences means you could help improve the early learning support system for all Pennsylvania children.

The Importance of Independent Play
Sara, 18 months old, stacks blocks on top of each other, then knocks them down, only to build them again.

Chen, two and half years old, takes books off the shelf, looking through pages and sharing the story with stuffed animals.

Jamal, four years old, hooks play trains together and runs them along imaginary paths.

What do all of these have in common? They’re all examples of independent play!

Research has shown the importance of play. Play can enhance brain structure and function and promote executive function (the process of learning). While interaction with adults and other children during play builds important cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills, independent play also has benefits. When a child plays alone, it can foster imagination and creative play, build persistence and problem-solving skills, and teach patience and resilience. Find out how you can help your child develop independent play skills.
Is Your Child Registered for Kindergarten?
It's not too late to register your child for Kindergarten! Registering your child now means that you, your child and your child's school will be ready when Kindergarten begins.

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
Often when we think of children's health, we think of things related to physical health, such as colds and flu, asthma, or broken bones. But children are much more than their physical bodies, and children's health encompasses more than physical health. 

The well-being of the whole child includes a healthy mental and emotional state as well. Just as children suffer from physical illnesses and injuries, they can also suffer from emotional and mental disorders. Your child's health can also affect how well they learn!

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 7, 2022 is a day for everyone to learn about and promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth their families.

Click here to learn why positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. There's also information on how a parent's mental health can affect their baby.

Pennsylvania CHIP offers care for children by providing benefits to cover behavioral health care. Visit www.chipcoverspakids.com for more information on the mental health services covered by PA CHIP and how to apply.
New video series: Dr. Offit Answers Your Questions About Vaccines
The Vaccination Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recently created a new series of short videos in which Dr. Paul Offit responds to common questions from the public about vaccines and vaccine safety. This new series offers up-to-date information and a fresh look and feel for today’s families. 

The  Our Kids....To Infinity & Beyond! on Facebook is for family members who have, and professionals who work with children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The focus is on advocacy, self-advocacy, self-determination. This is a safe place to ask questions, get advice, or share stories!

Join more than 1,000 families connecting and engaging through the Our Kids....To Infinity & Beyond! Facebook Group
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Do you have a preschooler?
Did your child start preschool?  Sign up for the FREE monthly Kindergarten, Here I Come eNews!  Each month get activities, tips and resources you can use to help your child prepare for and transition into their Kindergarten year.
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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