April 2021
Activities aligned with the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards to help your preschooler prepare for Kindergarten. 
Let's Play and Learn
Did you know that when preschoolers play, they learn? It's true! Use these activities to encourage your preschooler to play.

We're learning Language and Literacy Skills 
Do it! 
Give your preschooler two-step directions, like, "Get your coat and go to the door." Or "Take off your socks and put them in the hamper." Use pictures, words and numbers to make a chart or schedule of tasks so your preschooler can visualize the steps. As they finish each step, move the task to the complete side of the schedule. Many tablets and computers have templates and apps to help you create a personalized system.
Read it! 
How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes.

We're learning Mathematical Thinking and Expression
Do it! 
Encourage your preschooler to use tongs or tweezers to pick up objects from one bowl and transfer them into another. Cotton balls or other small items are good objects for them to use. Holding their hand with yours, demonstrate and assist them with the skill. As you move the items, use words to describe what it looks like. Listen together for the sounds the objects make as it is grasped and transferred. Hold, feel and explore the objects and describe them as you play.
Read it! 
How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? by Jane Yolen. If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty.

We're learning Social Emotional Development 
Do it! 
Talk with your preschooler about things that make them nervous, scared, excited, sad and happy. Tell them things that make you feel those ways, too. Find photos of feelings in books magazines and on the web. Practice making the different faces and help them describe the feeling. Use your preschooler's hand to feel your face expressing an emotion. Discuss ways they can recognize when others may be experiencing the same feelings. 
Read it! 
Lotta on Troublemaker Street by Astrid Lindgren. The Way I Feel by Janan Cain.

We're learning Social Studies Thinking
Do it! 
Ask your preschooler to help you plan a family meal. Together make a list of things needed from the store. Let them help you find the items at the store. Draw pictures of the grocery lists so they can recognize the foods. Provide opportunities for them to see and feel the items in many ways--canned, frozen and fresh. Point to the names and match the picture with the products. Explore the size options available. Talk about dietary restrictions and feeding concerns. When possible, help them reach, grasp and hold items along the way. 
Read it! 
SuperDuper Teddy by Johanna Hurwitz. Lunch by Denise Fleming.
Let's 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!
 
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.
Helping Parents Be Parents
Parenting can be challenging. There's no such thing as a perfect parent, and there's no one set way 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.
Did you get this from a friend?  Sign up to get next month's enews to your email!
The 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