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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2016)
Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, February 3, 2016 A7 Umatilla-Morrow Head Start Head Start is a comprehensive child development program which serves children age 3 to 5 and their families. It is a child-focused program that has the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families. Head Start grantee and delegate agencies provide a range of individualized servcices in the areas of education and early childhood development, medical, dental and mental health, nutrition and parent involvement. In addition, the entire range of Head Start services is responsive and appropriate to each child’s and family’s developmental, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage and experience. Umatilla-Morrow Head Start in John Day is now accepting applications for the upcoming year. Applications are available at DHS, Families First, and the Health Department. Read below for some tips on keeping your children happy and healthy. Reading With Your Children Tips for parents of toddlers Being a toddler is all about ACTION. Encourage continued language development and interest in books and reading by keeping things lively and engaging. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week, see what works best for your child. Pretty Poisons Warning: Two popular plants, philodendron and dumb cane, are highly toxic if eaten. For Safety: Don’t keep these plants if there are preschool children in your home. And place all plants out of toddlers’ reach. Recommended: Keep the number of your local poison control center by the phone for quick references in case of emergency. Don’t expect your toddler to sit still for a book. Toddlers need to MOVE, so don’t worry if they act out stories or just skip, romp or tumble as you read to them. They may be moving, but they are still listening. Recite rhymes, sing songs and make mistakes! Pause to let your toddler finish a phrase or chant a Philodendron refrain. Once your toddler is familiar with the rhyme or pattern, make mistakes on purpose and get caught. Choose engaging books. Books featuring animals or machines invite movement and making sounds. Books with flaps or different texture to touch keep hands busy. Books with detailed illustrations or recurring items hidden in the pictures are great for exploring and discussing. Parent and Child Activity: “Let the Sun Shine In” Looking for something to do on a rainy day? Let the sun shine in! Keep reading short, simple and often. Toddlers frequently have shorter attention spans than babies. Look for text that is short and simple. Read a little bit, several times a day. What you need: 1. Construction paper in a variety of colors 2. At least one paper plate 3. Safety scissors 4. Glue 5. Markers Encourage play that involves naming, describing and communicating. Set up a zoo with all the stuffed animals. Stage a race with the toy cars. Put your toddler in charge and ask lots of questions. Every day is an adventure when you’re a toddler. Choose books about everyday experiences and feelings. Your child will identify with the characters as they dress, eat, visit, nap and play. Ask questions. Take time to listen to your toddler’s answers. Toddlers have strong opinions and interesting ideas about the world. Encourage your toddler to tell you what he or she thinks. You’ll build language skills and learn what makes your toddler tick at the same time. Play to their favorites. Read favorite stories again and again. Seek out books about things your toddler especially likes - trains, animals, the moon. These books may extend a toddler’s attention span and build enthusiasm for reading. Not having fun? Try a different story or a different time during the day. Reading with a very young child is primarily about building positive experiences with books, not finishing every book you start. Here are two classic books you can try: Dumb Cane What to do: Put a nickel on the table. Give your child a piece of yellow construction paper and show them how to tear the paper into small pieces to match the size of the nickel. After your child has torn several pieces of paper, have them glue their pieces to the paper plate so that they are overlapping, or at least touching. They should continue tearing and gluing until the entire paper plate is covered and very few white spaces show. (This project might not be complete in one “session”). This yellow collage will be the base for your child’s sun. Now it is time to add the details. Draw a set of triangles on orange construction paper (enough to go around the paper plate), give your child a pair of safety scissors and ask them to cut more. When finished, have them glue the triangles to the back of the paper plate to create the rays of the sun. Ask your child to use markers to decorate the sun. Hang on the window to let the sun shine in! Wash’em! Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Eric Carle Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown In a recent study, children who washed their hands four or more times a day in school had 25% fewer sick days due to colds and flue and 50% fewer days lost because of stomach problems. 03377
