Category: Tip Sheets
-
Trauma-Informed Care in the Classroom
Teachers can support students who have experienced trauma using these strategies.
-
Understanding Trauma and Young Children
Trauma is an event or a series of events that have a negative effect on a child. There are a number of ways parents, teachers, and caregivers can support children who have or may still be experiencing trauma.
-
Collaborating with Interpreters and Families
Communicating with families is key in sharing information between home and your school or center.
-
Talking to Your Child’s Teacher
Do you wonder how to build a good relationship with your child’s teacher? Here are some words to help you connect.
-
Dental Health for Babies and Young Children
Strong baby teeth are essential to a child’s health. Families can help promote healthy dental care habits and prevent childhood tooth decay.
-
Supporting Children with Limited Verbal Skills
These strategies are helpful to all children but are particularly helpful for those with limited verbal skills.
-
Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Reviewing Results and Next Steps
When a child is assessed for special education services, first the assessment is conducted and then a meeting is held to review the assessment report results. There are typically two possible conclusions. One is that your child qualifies for special education services and an IEP (Individualized Education Program) is created. The other is that your…
-
Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Participating in the Assessment
When a child is being assessed for special education services, the process can sometimes feel long and confusing. Your local education agency (LEA), usually a local school district, has defined steps and timelines for this process to ensure that a thorough assessment is conducted.
-
What Is an IEP?
An IEP is an Individualized Education Program for a child age 3 through 21 who has been diagnosed with disabilities or developmental delays. IEPs provide a roadmap for special education services. This is especially important for preschoolers, who may be receiving special education services in a variety of settings, such as public preschool classrooms, Head…
-
Special Education Assessment for Preschool-Aged Children: Referral and Getting Started
When a caregiver in a preschooler’s life notices signs of a disability or developmental delay, they may suggest an assessment through the public education system. A diagnosis, or confirmation of a delay or disability, can lead to the child receiving educational services and supports.
-
What Is Assessment?
Families may wonder about assessment for young children. It is common for a child’s caregiver, teacher, pediatrician, or other involved adult to use assessments. Assessment is one way to learn more about a child and their development. Assessment gives families, caregivers, and teachers helpful information about a child.
-
Asthma: Easing the Wheezing
Asthma causes the airways to swell, tighten, and fill with mucus. Asthma episodes can be life-threatening.
-
Food Allergy Awareness
Children can be allergic to any food, but the most common food allergens in young children are milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, eggs, fish, shellfish, and sesame.
-
Keeping Healthy and Safe: Play Time
Young children are learning that sometimes, sharing toys and supplies is not helpful. Adults can support them with simple explanations, visual supports, and practice.
-
Keeping Healthy and Safe: Fighting Germs
Young children are learning the importance of clean hands and clean environments. Adults can support them with simple explanations, visual supports, and practice.
-
Keeping Healthy and Safe: Smaller Group Sizes
Young children are attending programs that may have smaller groups or different groups. Adults can support them with simple explanations, visual supports, and practice.
-
Keeping Healthy and Safe: Arriving at School or Childcare
Young children are learning new procedures for arriving at school or childcare. Adults can support them with simple explanations, visual supports, and practice.
-
Keeping Healthy and Safe: Face Coverings
Young children are learning to wear face coverings and to see others wearing them. Adults can support them with simple explanations, visual supports, and practice.
-
Keeping Healthy and Safe: Physical Distancing
Young children are learning to sit or stand six 6 feet apart from each other, when possible. Adults can support them with simple explanations, visual supports, and practice.
-
Returning to Childcare During COVID-19
Families returning to childcare during the COVID-19 situation may have many questions and concerns.
-
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Thoughtful
Young children are learning to manage their behaviors and feelings. Your responses matter to children in these moments. Sometimes adults need to stop behaviors that are unsafe or extremely disruptive and help children understand how to behave appropriately.
-
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Take a Break and Calm Down
Young children are learning to manage their behavior and feelings. At times, they may be “out of control” and need an adult to help them calm down and learn how to express their emotions in appropriate ways.
-
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Plan Ahead
Young children are curious and actively explore the world.
-
Positive Guidance for Young Children: Be Consistent
Young children are learning to manage their behaviors and feelings. They may need many reminders of what appropriate behavior looks like. Clear directions from adults in a calm, firm tone of voice help children know what to do.
-
Keeping Track of Important Information
-
Rights of Families Experiencing Homelessness
-
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Math Is Everywhere
Keep children engaged when you have to wait
-
Things to Do While You’re Waiting: Music and Movement
Move to the beat. Sing along. Listen. Create sounds.
-
Keep Young Children Safe in the Car
Car accidents are the leading cause of death for young children in the United States. Remember these key rules to keep children safe:
-
Get Ready to Read
Set your young child up for reading and writing by building knowledge, skills, and habits that create a strong foundation for future literacy.
-
Get Them to School Every Day
Preschool is the ideal time to stress the importance of consistent on-time attendance and encourage strong attendance habits.
-
Going to Kindergarten?
Getting required health checks, practicing key skills, and visiting your new school can help your child make a smooth transition.
-
Helping Children Develop “Impulse Control”
Excitement, joy, anger, frustration, and disappointment are all part of growing up.
-
Tech Time for Young Children
Here are some ways families and caregivers can find a healthy balance with technology and electronic media in their daily lives.
-
Tech Time for Infants and Toddlers
Here are some ways families and caregivers can find a healthy balance with technology and electronic media in their lives.
-
SIDS: Back to Sleep
Losing a baby to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a tragedy that devastates parents, family members, friends, and others who care for the child.
-
Out and About with Preschoolers: Visual Arts
Go ahead—take visual arts outside!
-
Choosing Child Care for Infants & Toddlers
Most parents have mixed feelings about having their infants or toddlers in child care. Those first few years of life are critical for growth, development, and learning.
-
Children’s Social Competence Checklist
Social competence refers to a person’s ability to get along with others. The checklist below was created to help teachers and caregivers assess preschool children’s social competence.
-
Bullying Hurts Everyone
Children have the right to feel safe—and adults have a responsibility to provide a safe environment for them.
-
Autism: Be Aware of the Signs
ASDs are developmental disabilities that can cause social, language, and behavior problems. The symptoms and severity of ASDs vary greatly. This can make it hard to define or diagnose them.
-
Children’s Votes Count!
Young children who vote on meaningful issues in a classroom learn to participate in decision making in their society.
-
Healthy Children Eat Right
Good nutrition is basic for supporting preschoolers’ healthy growth while avoiding obesity.
-
When Children Mourn
Though you cannot shield children from grief, you can help guide and comfort them.
-
Work and Play Together
Here are some ways you can help your child learn to get along with others.
-
Talk Together
Everyday conversations are opportunities to help your child learn new words.
-
Talk, Listen, and Learn
Young children are developing their ability to express themselves through language. You can help your child build vocabulary and conversation skills by talking together.
-
Supporting Adult-Child Relationships
Young children thrive when the adults around them show they care.
-
Sorting, Classifying, and Organizing
Sorting and organizing things into sets and groups is an important math skill for young children to develop.
-
Read and Write Together
Understanding stories and information that is read aloud is an important skill for young children.