Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Monday, September 21, 2009

Babies Love Blocks!

To encourage language, motor, social and intellectual skills, take time to play with your baby! Blocks are a great start!


Exploring the blocks



Reaching in



Reaching in is a skill to practice.




Dumping from a container is lots of fun!!




Stack the blocks for baby to knock down. It encourages confidence!




Babies also love to tear paper. Use old magazines and supervise. This activity builds fine motor skills.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Raising Can-Do Kids

Ideas for developing language skills in infants and toddlers:

Repeat rhymes and chants.
Sing songs and lullabies.
Look at and read simple books to them.
Describe to them what they are doing or feeling.
Talk to them about the events and activities in everyday life.
Repeat their speech sounds and expand or translate these sounds into sensible, everyday words.

Ideas for developing language skills in preschoolers:

Encourage them to talk about what they did each day.
Ask them questions that require longer answers than just "yes" or "no".
Read books and talk about the stories.
Encourage them to learn and use new words.
Take time to listen attentively.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Did You Know?


The more television 3-year-olds watch each week, the more they ask for the foods they have seen advertised.


What This Means for You:

Young children are influenced by what they see on television. So limit your child's TV time and try to avoid shows with advertisements. Make sure that what he/she does watch is right for his/her age. And begin teaching your toddler good eating habits by offering healthy snacks and meals. You can also be a role model by eating healthy yourself. Most importantly, keep the whole family active by making time for active play each day.

Source: www.zerotothree.org

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Letter to PAT Families from Mrs. James

I hope you had a wonderful summer full of relaxation and memory making. It's hard to believe that it is time for school to begin. With school beginning that also means that it is almost time for PAT visits and group meetings. We have an exciting year planned for you full of new activities and child development information.

As many of you are aware, I have assumed some new job responsibilities for the 2009-2010 school year. I will be serving as the elementary principal. Unfortunately, with the new responsibility, I will be unable to continue to do home visits. I will still be an active part of PAT. I will continue to plan and attend group meetings and I am always available to speak with you regarding the PAT program or your child's development.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your child's life!

Amy James

Welcome to "Miss Eva"


We have a new parent educator! Eva Edwards has joined our PAT staff & is anxious to begin visiting with families. Eva has completed her teaching degree and has worked in Bloomfield schools for nine years. Eva is married to Chuck Edwards and has two children, Madison and Chase. We welcome Eva to our PAT family!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Encourage Preschoolers to Learn

TIPS:

Answer your child's questions when they ask.
Encourage curiosity by asking them questions.
Notice and appreciate their ideas.
Take time to discover new things together.
Show your own enjoyment in learning new things.
Keep your child's drawing and other special projects on display in a special place.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Remember Parents.....help fight this flu bug with frequent hand washing!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Read From The Start!
Our first group meeting of 2009 was presented by the Missouri Humanities Council. We received lots of reading tips and some great books.





"Happily Ever After is Just the Beginning"

Monday, March 2, 2009

Old Time Rhymes

Nursery rhymes have been around for generations and for good reasons. Rhyming words attract babies’ attention and help them recognize sounds that are similar. The humorous content of nursery rhymes helps older children’s comprehension. And nursery rhymes are just plain fun for children and parents alike! Here are some ways to enjoy nursery rhymes with your child.

With babies: Pick one or two rhymes to croon to your baby before bedtime. She will like to hear the same rhyme over and over and will begin to associate it with being sleepy. This will help her go to sleep.

With crawlers: These little ones are on the move! Hold their hands and clap to the beat of a nursery rhyme, or grasp those little legs and guide them in a bicycling motion! Movement makes muscles strong.

With toddlers: One-year-olds are developing language rapidly. Put lots of inflection in your voice as you say nursery rhymes to children this age. Use a funny voice; draw out the words that rhyme to emphasize them.

With two-year olds: Look for picture books that illustrate classic rhymes. Read these to your child and let him look at the pictures. When he is familiar with the rhyme, pause before saying the rhyming words to let him think, and later to supply the word.

With young preschoolers: These children are nursery rhyme pros! Encourage them to learn rhymes by heart by saying part of a line and letting them finish it from memory. But don’t push your child to perform in front of company. That’s overwhelming for some children. You will know when you have a little ham that loves performing!

With older preschoolers: Leave out a word of a rhyme and let your child think of funny alternatives. For example, you say, “Bah, bah, black sheep, have you any ________? Your child supplies, “Bubble gum!” or something equally silly. Finish the rhyme with lots of laughter, and expect this game to go on for a long time!


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Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Look Who's Listening to You!

Here are some things you can do to help your child listen:

Be sure you have your child’s attention.
Make eye-contact down on his/her level.
Look out for ear infections and treat them promptly.
Pronounce words the way adults do so your child will know what is correct.
Speak a little slower.
Use funny voices when reading a story to interest your child.
Ask your child to make a prediction about a story.
Be a good listener to model for your child.