March 2025

Here's "The Scoop!"

TA Tip: March is Literacy Month

As we March into Literacy Month it is an exciting time of year to freshen up your preschool environment. Take this time to let the sunshine in and open the windows for fresh air if possible. Plan to set aside time to assess your preschool learning environment and to make some small or big changes to promote literacy development for the preschoolers in your care.  

The Bureau of Child Development & Head Start Collaboration purchased copies of the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS) books. ECERS is a standardized assessment tool used to measure the quality of a preschool or childcare setting by evaluating various aspects of the environment, including physical space, activities provided, teacher-child interactions, routines, and overall program structure which allows observers to score different elements of a classroom and identify areas for improvement. Beginning on Page 37 you will find a great section on Language and Literacy.

We encourage you to set a goal to review this section during March Literacy Month. If you are a licensed child care program and would like a copy of the ECERS, please write to ccrrta@caphr.org and we will be happy to deliver one to you. It will allow us an opportunity to stop by and say hello!  

This TA Tip was graciously shared by Julie Choiniere ,

Training and Technical Asssistance Specialist

Child Care Aware of NH is here to assist you! To learn more about how we can support your practices, please refer to our Services and Supports Guide

Resources for Providers

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) posted a blog titled: "Look at fun and playful opportunities to support literacy development." Early childhood educators can intentionally plan and implement playful activities that support early literacy. Intentional practice supports children's emergent literacy development.

Brain development and literacy are closely linked. Research shows that reading and exposure to language during early childhood significantly impacts the structure and function of a child's brain, laying the foundation for strong literacy skills later in life.

Resources for Families

March is literacy month and brain development month. Try out some of these Vroom tips. These are fun activities you can do with your child that also make connections in the brain. Also, here's a great webpage from First Things First that really links both literacy and brain development.