Why Pretend Play When We're Trying to Build Readers?

I love the following blog as it makes the connection between early pretend play and reading. Reading is really a task of decoding symbols, taking these meaningless squiggles and understanding that they represent something.  So when children engage in pretend play at a very young age, they are really taking those first steps down that path to becoming a reader. To learn more, follow the link below.

http://notjustcute.com/2014/11/07/why-play-pretend-when-were-trying-to-build-readers/

Ten Ways to Support Early Literacy Development Prior to Entering Kindergarten!

             It is March and schools everywhere are celebrating and holding events to highlight the importance of reading.  We know that children who learn to read by third grade are better able to then read to learn throughout the remainder of their life.  Developing a strong foundation for learning to read starts well before a child enters kindergarten.  The road to becoming a reader starts from birth.  The following are some ways all members of the community can support our youngest citizens in learning to read.

1. Join the Read Aloud Campaign www.readaloud.org  and read to your child 15 minutes every day!
2. Make a dinner date with the Cat in the Hat for the Magnificent Mondays at McDonalds in March.  A percentage of sales from 3pm-7pm will be donated to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ionia County.  The dates are March 16th in Ionia and March 23 in Belding.  The Cat will be there from 5-7!  Drive thru sales count too!
3. Donate to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ionia County.  It costs only $27.00 for a child to receive a book a month for an entire year!  What a great gift to a young child. All donations are tax-deductible.  Make checks payable to Ionia ISD-DPIL and send to the Ionia ISD, 2191 Harwood Rd, Ionia, MI 48846 or check us out online at ioniaisd.org/dpil. You can also donate via United Way and earmark your donation for the DPIL program in Ionia.
4. Check out what your local library has to offer for preschool and toddler story programs or plan an outing with your child to the local library to pick out some books to take home to read.
5. Buy raffle tickets to win a one-of-a-kind Green Eggs and Ham quilt.  All proceeds benefit DPIL. You can view the quilts and see where to purchase tickets at ioniaisd.org.
6. Drink coffee and support DPIL!!  Biggby Coffee in Ionia is donating a dollar for every Grande or specialty coffee sold during the month of March.  Vouchers are available right at the check-out.
7. “Like” the Ionia Imagination Library Facebook page to learn more about the program and events that may be coming up.  Like it today and tell us if you have seen one of the billboards we have up in the community!
8. Get children connected to preschool! Fill out the collaborative preschool application to see if your child may be eligible for Head Start or the Great Start Readiness Preschool Program.  The application can be found at ioniaisd.org.   Just click on the preschool application button.
9. Join the Ionia Reads …from Birth campaign and buy a T-shirt to help support and advertise the DPIL program.    Contact Jeannine Brown at jbrown@ioniaisd.org or call 522-1409 to place an order today.  Shirts are $15.00!  T-shirts can be viewed on the Ionia Imagination Library Facebook page.
10. If you are a parent of a child under the age of 4, consider participating in one of our parent child playgroups next fall.  The playgroups have a very strong literacy component and are designed to teach parents how they can promote early literacy skills at home.  You can learn more about the playgroups ioniaisd.org/earlychildhood/playgroups.php or by contacting Jenny Playter at 1-616-527-4900 Ext. 1462 or jplayter@ioniaisd.org.

This article was contributed by Cheryl Granzo, Director of Early Childhood Programs at Ionia ISD.

Does it Matter if I Send my Child to Head Start?

                   

This is a question that I asked myself when I was approached by the school. Does it matter? I was apprehensive to say the least, and was very unsure of the unknown. I didn’t see a point in sending my child who was three, to be with people that I didn’t know. What could she possibly learn??  I had heard about other peoples experiences with Head Start, and thought that it was basically daycare. Boy was I ever wrong!!  That was the farthest thing from the truth!!

When I actually read through the information, I was shocked at how little I really knew. There were so many programs and opportunities out there for my child, and I was just letting them pass us by. I learned very quickly that it was much more than “daycare”. It is actually a very beneficial program for children and it prepares them for kindergarten. I was surprised at all the programs and activities that were offered for parents as well, to participate and engage with their children. How awesome is that?!?! I enrolled my daughter the very next day.

There is no better feeling than the one I get when my daughter comes home and tells me all the new things she has learned! She is so excited to be in school, and to be able to be around other children her own age. It’s amazing to watch her grow and see her progress. I never really realized how much of a difference it would make for her to be around other kids her age. She is learning social skills that I would never be able to teach her fully. Some things can only be learned by doing, and experiencing. I am learning right along with her.

The experience that I have had, and the growth that I have seen in my child since enrolling her, have far exceeded my expectations! Once I put my own “ideas” aside, I came to learn that YES…it most definitely does matter!!

What is Head Start?  

Head Start is a federally funded program that provides free services for prenatal women and families with children up to five years of age.  Head Start promotes the school readiness of young children from low-income families through agencies in their local community. The Head Start program is authorized by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007.

Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the mental, social, and emotional development of children from birth to age 5. In addition to education services, programs provide children and their families with health, nutrition, social, and other services. Head Start services are responsive to each child and family's ethnic, cultural, and linguistic heritage.

Head Start encourages the role of parents as their child's first and most important teachers. Programs build relationships with families that support positive parent-child relationships, family well-being, and connections to peers and community. Head Start began as a program for preschoolers. Three- and 4-year-olds made up over 80 percent of the children served by Head Start last year.

Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants, and toddlers. Early Head Start programs are available to the family until the child turns 3 years old and is ready to transition into Head Start or another pre-K program. Early Head Start helps families care for their infants and toddlers through early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive services.

For more information about local programming, call 866-754-9315 ext. 3369 or visit the website at: http://www.8cap.org/

This blog post was contributed by Patricia Coira a parent of a child in a local Head Start program as well as Head Start staff, Danielle Moy and Melissa Stevens.

WHAT MAKES YOUR CHILD LAUGH?

My children are older now but I have many wonderful memories from their childhood.  Those memories often include roaring laughter.  When my children were infants it seems that everything was funny.  Tickling, singing, crumpling paper, shaking rattles, funny faces, bouncing on daddy’s knee were all reasons to giggle.  A baby’s laugh is contagious and when a young child laughs, everyone in the room laughs.   

As my children grew into toddlers the fun and laughter continued.  We played chase games outside, made up funny songs, told stupid jokes.  Anything that was silly and outrageous was a reason to chuckle.  While playing on the teeter totter we used to sing the song:

Teeter totter,

bread and butter,

wash your face in dirty water.

Then we took turns singing again and changing the words to “wash your feet in sticky water” or “wash your hair in muddy water” and on and on.  Over the years my children discovered many different funny things to laugh at and so through them, I have rediscovered some of the joys this world has to offer.

I wanted my children to laugh and have fun, so I looked for the things that they found funny.  I played with my children and wasn’t afraid to be silly.  We bonded while playing basketball in the driveway, riding bikes around the block, and running through the sprinkler.  It was easier to discipline my children, when needed, because they knew that I cared about them and was willing to be silly.  Through laughter and fun we developed a strong and lasting relationship.

Now my children are adults and when they come home we make new memories.  We sit around the dinner table and tell stories of when they were young.  Sometimes one of them tells an especially stupid joke or shows us a new game or video that makes us all laugh.  I am so grateful that I spent time with my children when they were young so that they laugh with me now.  

What makes your child laugh?  What are you willing to do to have fun and giggle with your child?