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PREK

in RESOURCES

Guidance for Families on:

September 28, 2023
389

Recommendations before changing your child care provider: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/

What is the best way to change child care providers?

Finding child care for your baby is difficult the first time, but if you have to change child care, whether due to a move, concerns about care now, or for any other reason, it can bring a whole new set of challenges that can add up to the first things. On the other hand, your little one could transition so easily to his new caregiver that you forget your child hasn’t been there the whole time. It can be hard to know how your baby will respond to a new situation, but there are steps you can take to ease the transition, whether your little one arrives at the new place like a duck to water or needs to learn to swim again.

Give notice

If you’re moving, your little one probably already has an idea that some big changes are coming, but if you change child care providers for any other reason, the change may come as a surprise. If it may seem easier at the time to avoid the possibility of disturbing him before you need your little one, it probably won’t help the transition from having closure to saying goodbye to a place or people your little one has probably spent a significant amount of time with. Since your little one is quite young, and their sense of time is still developing, too many warnings may not help, but starting to talk to your little one about the change at least a few days in advance can give them a bit of reassurance. Time to adjust, and even time to start getting excited about the new child care provider. If you wait shortly before transition to talk to your little one about changing child care providers, don’t forget to let your current provider know you’re waiting to talk about it, so he or she doesn’t accidentally tell your little one first before you have the opportunity to do it yourself. Reading books and telling stories about characters facing big changes in their lives can also help give them a framework for thinking about change, especially if your little one is closer to one year of age.

General rehearsal

Before taking your little one to the new place, it may help to take him/her on a tour with you a few days before your little one starts there, so they won’t be completely unfamiliar with the area, or the provider, before their big first day.

Mark the occasion

On the last day with the old child care provider, consider doing something to make the day feel a little special, like sharing your little one’s favorite snack with the child care provider and any classmates or friends he/she might have there, and taking a walk through the daycare to say goodbye to the places and people that have been such a big part of his/her life for so long.

To be there

On your little one’s first day, if you can, plan your day so that you can stay there with him/her while they get used to the new environment. With you there to help him/her feel safe, your little one may be more willing to explore, to be social, and in doing so, to find things about the new place that he likes.

Send your little one prepared

If your child has a teddy bear or comfort object, its presence can help them feel comfortable in the new place. If your child has a favorite toy or object associated with the previous child care provider, and you are in a position where you feel comfortable asking the provider if your child can take it if you get a replacement for the daycare or provider, having a piece of your child’s old routine might help to adjust.

Be prepared

Even if your child is basically happy, secure, social and has never had a problem with child care before, there may be an adjustment period as your child gets used to the new daycare or child care provider. If your sweetie hasn’t started to settle into a routine after a week or two, consider talking with your provider about any issues your baby and the center are having getting along, or ways to improve the transition.

Courtesy of Precious Moment Child Care

in RESOURCES

Preparation of the environment in daycare centers at home.

September 28, 2023
430

Make your home into a safe multi-age learning environment for a group of 8 children at the same time.

You can create a high-quality infant-toddler environment by planning and creating spaces that support development, participation, and overall well-being. For example, a comfortable chair that is spacious enough for a nursing adult to meet the needs of the infants and toddlers in your care.

Design spaces for babies and young children that guarantee safety and promote health, developed, positive relationships, where you can implement activities in different areas.

Blocks area, manipulative area, music area, dramatic area, language area.

Courtesy of Precious Moment Child Care

in ACTIVITIES

Didactic Design in your Child Care

April 16, 2023
263

Many times we have spacious rooms with a lot of material which we rarely use. We can use every corner to implement didactic design that promotes the cognitive development of children. Remember, your teaching design can be simple or elaborate. It doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s, because what works for others won’t necessarily work for you.

It is important to highlight that an educational learning method is that set of steps to follow to generate a change in the student, so that they can learn and enhance their skills.

It is important that all furniture such as tables and chairs are suitable considering the size of children and preschool children.

Appropriate didactic ideas to implement in lesson plans:

  • Dramatic, sensory, linguistic, mathematical and cultural.
  • This will allow you to do thematic activities per day at different work stations, in which the children can rotate and maintain their constant attention.

1. Corners or an area where you have didactic spaces: Balls that can bounce off while learning. If you have enough space, you could install a small swing, a mini handrail, or a ladder with a slide.

2. Reading area: Large pillows are ideal for a moment of reading

3. Creativity area: Use the table, place a paper and a sheath cover with different temperatures, and seal it with adhesive tape. The little ones can use it to practice writing at the table.

4. Play station for the little ones: A kitchen with wooden toys, a painting easel, building blocks, materials with different textures, are some of the activities that you could implement here.

5. Music territory: Teaching through music wooden musical instruments, multicultural music discs for children.

6. Number space: stacking blocks are great for teaching counting, stacking, sorting by color, and other math-related activities.

Characteristics of the Didactic Material

The characteristics of a didactic material can vary according to the objectives, the characteristics of the students and the study conditions, as well as the infrastructures and access to technologies. For example, a teaching material for the area of mathematics cannot be prepared in the same way as for art history.

Among some characteristics, the didactic material:

  • It can be adapted to be used with or without the help of the teacher.
  • It can be used individually or in groups
  • It’s versatile. A didactic material can be designed for different contexts.
  • It is oriented to motivate. Its design should arouse interest and curiosity for the topic raised.
  • It is a source of information.
  • Establish a work rhythm. A didactic material can mark a rate of evolution or progress in the cognitive development, abilities, interests and other aspects of the student.
  • It allows the student to be able to develop strategies to evaluate, plan and organize their own learning.
  • Proposes a revision or reflection of one’s own knowledge, modifies schemes.
  • It must be available when it is needed.

Courtesy of Precious Moment Child Care

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