Positive social and emotional development in the early years provides a critical foundation for lifelong development and learning.

The school year is starting in the woods, but Chester Racoon doesn't want to go. To eliminate Chester's fears, Mrs. Raccoon reveals to him a family secret called The Kissing Hand, which will provide him with the peace of mind of her love whenever he feels a terrifying fear in the world around him.

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Guide: Getting Ready for Kindergarten

April 18th - May 13th

Emergent Planning

April 11th - 15th

April 17th to May 27th

Head Start

Goal: Children will demonstrate improved awareness of self and social and emotional understanding.

Objective: Children will develop an understanding of people’s behaviors, feelings, and thoughts as well as an increasing awareness of self as distinct from others.

Many of us have fond memories of kindergarten. What we might not remember is the anxiety and excitement we may have felt leading up to our entry into elementary school. The final weeks of school can be scary, fun, and exciting all at the same time, and not just for children! It’s understandable for you to experience a range of emotions about your child moving from preschool to kindergarten.

As we implement the guide Getting Ready for Kindergarten, children will learn concepts and skills of physical development, literacy, math, science, social studies, arts, and technology. We will also develop social-emotional skills to dispel any anxiety students may feel.

• Acknowledge your child’s feelings. Know that some behaviors may be because of anxiety about the transition.
• Keep your home routines and rituals consistent. This will help your child feel a sense of security and stability at home.
• Read books about moving on to kindergarten, and talk with your child about the characters and their feelings.
• Encourage older siblings to share their kindergarten experiences, and share your own fond memories.

Families may:

• Name different emotions and talk about the possible feeling’s children may experience, such as sad, mad, angry, disappointed, grumpy, frustrated, etc.
• Plan a family activity or tradition where one night a week parents will allow their child to take turns planning a fun night. Parents can stick to a theme, like choosing which food to eat, movie to watch, or game to play.
• Play games which involve turn-taking, such as have a family singing or dance competition.
• View family photos with your child identifying themselves and each family member by name. invite your child to express their feelings and to consider what others might be feeling.
• Ask questions such as, “What was the first thing you did after you woke up this morning? What did you do before lunch? What did you do between school and dinnertime?” Developing the concept of time can be challenging. Start by incorporating time-related words such as today, tomorrow, before, and after.
• Model behavior and attitudes that are warm, respectful, and caring. Give their child full attention when their child is communicating with them and show interest in their child’s perspective.
• Families can implement a “FIRST-THEN” board to model for younger children. Example: FIRST- eat lunch, THEN- we can go outside.

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Digital Experiences to Support Kindergarten Readiness

Early Head Start

Goal: Infants and toddlers will demonstrate improved understanding of symbolic and sociodramatic play and social and emotional understanding.

Objective: Infants and toddlers will develop the capacity to use objects to represent other objects and develop and understanding of people’s behaviors, feelings, and thoughts.

Guide: Containers

April 18th - May 27th

Emergent Planning

April 11th - 15th

Have you noticed your infant or toddler playing with a container? Maybe you've seen them play, for example, with a bucket, a lunch box, or a bottle. Many infants and toddlers are fascinated with containers, as they use them every day they play, create, eat and drink. We have noticed that infants and toddlers carry and empty the containers, stack them, explore the sand and water, also use them to do their chores such as throwing garbage in the trash can and using an atomizing bottle with water to clean the table. The curiosity that infants and toddlers show in the containers they use at school, has inspired us to present this study of containers.

During our study of containers, infants and toddlers will develop language and literacy skills as they name and describe containers by color, shape, size, and function; practice math skills as they count containers and explore how much they can hold; and experience a growing sense of independence as they do new things for themselves.

Look for similar materials at home to explore with your child, such as containers you use to cook, store toys, or clean. Invite your child to explore the containers and discuss what they look like and how you use them. Containers are also a wonderful addition to dramatic-play activities. Using clean and empty food storage containers, cartons, cereal and oatmeal boxes, yogurt cups, etc., during play encourages your child to explore containers with you.

Families may:

• Respond to children’s bids for attention.
• Provide comfort and reassurance.
• Respond to and play with your child as often as possible.
• Label your child’s feelings and emotions when they are being expressed.
• Adapt energy level and responses to your child’s current state of emotion.
• Join child in looking through pictures in a family photo album. Talk together with child, ask questions such as "Who do you see in the picture?”
• Create a cozy space in your home to spend one on one time with your child.
• Use toy telephones to engage in pretend phone calls with your child