Neighborhood News

Today on the Neighborhood, we're sharing a new resource developed by the Family Resource Centers Network of California (FRCNCA). The Early Start Community infographic highlights various kinds of community supports for families of infants and toddlers with disabilities. This one-page resource includes links and descriptions for each type of resource, and can be printed or posted online for families to access. Click here to download the PDF directly to your device. To learn more about the FRCNCA, visit their website at www.frcnca.org. 

“Getting Ready: Promoting School Readiness through a Relationship-Based Partnership Model” was published by Sheridan et al in 2008. “In the ‘Getting Ready’ model, collaborative partnerships between parents and professionals are encouraged to promote parent’s competence and confidence in maximizing children’s natural learning opportunities and preparing both parents and children for long-term school success.”* A more recent article by Marvin et al (2019), “Getting Ready: Strategies for Promoting Parent-Professional Relationships and Parent-Child Interactions,” expands on the original text and describes a set of “evidence-based ‘Getting Ready’ practices . . . which highlight daily opportunities” in which the practices can be implemented. Waters & Catlett (2020) review the more recent article and include suggestions for professionals who work with young children and their families as well as instructors and faculty in pre-service programs. The ideas highlighted by Waters & Catlett are sou

The closures of many workplaces, summer camps, and daycares due to the COVID-19 pandemic mean that many families are spending most of their time at home with their young children. The home life of infants and toddlers is rich with learning experiences;  one way that early childhood professionals can support families is by sharing strategies to enhance these natural opportunities for learning.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has many resources designed specifically for families that are perfect for sharing, including “Building Social and Emotional Skills at Home,” which features a handful of low- and no-tech tips for parents on different ways they can regularly support their child’s social and emotional development at home. If you are a professional working with young children with developmental disabilities, review the tips and think about how you might modify them for the families of the children you work with. If you are the parent of a young chi

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) offers earthquake resources, focusing on things that can be done to support children before, during, and after an earthquake. For example, the site recommends that parents be encouraged to “give children factual information about earthquakes in simple terms,” appropriate to their developmental level. They also offer an app they created called Help Kids Cope, which provides information on how to talk with children of different developmental levels. Immediately after an earthquake, parents can “model calm behavior; provide simple but accurate information in a quiet, steady voice; encourage comforting or distracting activities; and practice their own self-care.” The NCTSN article concludes with a host of downloadable resources for both parents and teachers. Be sure to check out the earthquake resources so you can be prepared to support the families you serve. Feel free to leave us a comment below and tell us what you thought of this reso

The Daddy Factor: The Crucial Impact of Fathers on Young Children's Development, from Zero to Three, discusses exciting research evidence that supports the important role fathers play in the lives of their young children. From being involved during pregnancy to nurturing strong attachments afterward and everything in between (e.g., feeding, bathing, and playing together), fathers help children develop confidence which leads to stronger peer relationships as they grow older. The Daddy Factor also helps to raise IQ and improve communication and cognitive skills in the long term. The article summarizes its message by saying that “the more time fathers spend in enriching, stimulating play with their child . . . the better the child’s math and reading scores are at 10 and 11 years old.” So, the impact starts early and has lasting benefits that are evident years later. Join us in celebrating dads and the tremendous supports they have to offer young children.

Click here to view the article

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Wow! What a wealth of information the American Academy of Pediatrics brings to us on their Drowning Prevention page! There are articles to read, videos to watch, and infographics to download. Everything you could ever want or need on the subject from newborns through the teen years. Water safety is always a priority but especially this time of year. Parents share their heartfelt stories of losing a child to drowning, and there other articles and videos about drowning prevention, swimming safety tips, and social media graphics you can use to help promote the Drowning Prevention campaign. Take a few minutes to check out the website and share your thoughts in the comments below. Stay safe out there!

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

During the first few years of their lives, young children are developing communication skills to let the adults in their lives know what they need. These early years are rich with opportunities for caregivers to promote communication and language developing in infants and toddlers. One tool to support caregivers in capitalizing on these opportunities is More Than Baby Talk: 10 Ways to Promote the Language and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers. This resource from the Frank Porter Graham Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill outlines ten simple ways that parents, teachers, and other caregivers can help build the language skills of the infants and toddlers in their care. These low- and no-tech strategies can be implemented during everyday routines and activities. Some examples include:

• Talk through or comment on routines (e.g., when washing hands, “We are washing our hands. We are making lots of big bubbles.”).
• During playtime or mealtimes, introduce new

Did you know that “research shows . . . having a strong foundation in early math . . . can lead to higher achievement in both math AND reading later in school.” That’s the kind of wisdom you’ll find in this tip sheet from the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education. The article defines S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in easy-to-understand terms then offers a long list of tips that families can try in their home language. These tips address such concept areas as measurement, counting, shapes, spatial relationships, patterns, and many more . . . all things inquisitive young minds are interested in learning. Give this tip sheet a read and see what S.T.E.M. skills you can support with children from birth to age three. You might be surprised! Leave us a comment below and let us know what your child found exciting about this important area of education.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start P

NOW AVAILABLE: Online Peer/Expert Networking (OPEN) Source site, a brand new area of Early Start Online dedicated to sharing resources and fostering peer support for California’s Early Start professionals and families during the COVID-19 crisis.

To access OPEN Source with your existing Early Start Online account, OR to visit as a guest, CLICK HERE. (Existing users will need to Sign In to their account to enter a discussion or upload resources.)

Recently added to OPEN Source: Last week, California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris released two Stress Management Playbooks to help Californians mitigate the effects of stress brought on by the massive changes to our daily lives during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. One guide is for parents and caregivers to help recognize and alleviate stress in young children. You can find that resource here:

California Surgeon General’s Playbook: Stress Relief for Caregivers and Kids during COVID-19 (PDF): https://covid19.ca.gov/pdf/caregi

“Winning the Food Fights,” published on healthychildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is a light-hearted yet informative review of the book Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insights, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup, by Laura A. Jana, M.D., FAAP, and Jennifer Shu, M.D., FAAP. In the review the author poses such mind-bending questions as “Why do (toddlers) insist they hate something they’ve never even tried?” then proceeds to describe the “practical, reality-based answers” spelled out in the book. The areas addressed include “palatable peace-keeping strategies,” weight and eating habits, practicing patience, and applying the suggestions outside the home (which may not be helpful right now, but will be in the future). It’s a quick read and one you’ll enjoy if Food Fights is a topic that touches your life or the lives of the families you serve. Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments below.

This resource is related to

Researchers at Zero to Three have developed a guide for early childhood professionals to support parents and caregivers in fostering their child's resilience to adversity. This guide, titled Building Resilience: The Power to Cope with Adversity, offers a brief background on understanding resilience, the four levels where resilience can be recognized and promoted, and actionable strategies for supporting parents to build the resilience of their young children every day.

Read more and download the guide here: https://earlystartneighborhood.ning.com/resources-for-everyone/building-resilience-from-zerotothree-org

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

For nearly four decades, the not-for-profit organization Pathways has been a “positive, trusted, inclusive partner to parents everywhere.” The dedicated staff at Pathways.org provide “free, trusted resources” based on the best available research and the expert opinion of pediatricians and therapists (e.g., OT, PT, SLP). Pathways’ resources include information on milestones; ability descriptions divided by age group; suggested activities to stimulate development; downloadable checklists, in both English and Spanish, that are easy to print and share; and countless video examples of the skills being discussed. Visit Pathways.org and take a few minutes to look around, then leave us a comment about what you found most interesting. We’d love to hear from you!

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

Have you seen the online California Early Start Central Directory of Early Intervention Resources? It's worth a visit! 

A few highlights:

• 24/7 access to some 2,000 early intervention services and resources throughout the state
• An easy-to-use search bar allows users to quickly find their selected service or resource in their county
• Includes comprehensive information about the Early Start system—what it is, how it works, how to get referred, and more
• Features nformation on where to start and how to get help immediately for those concerned about their child or a child in their care
• Users can help keep information current and give feedback about the directory via a link on the site

Access the Central Directory on the Early Start CEITAN website here: https://www.ceitan-earlystart.org/central-directory/

Have you used the Central Directory in your work with families? Let us know in the comments below!

Continuing our theme of early literacy, today on the Neighborhood we’re sharing an article from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) on the impact of sharing books with infants and toddlers to support language, literacy, and other kinds of learning from a very young age. The article summarizes research that suggests that reading books with very young children promotes:

• Understanding print and pictures as symbols of real things,
• Increased vocabulary, and
• Learning the rules and conventions of printed materials in the child’s language.

Click here to read the article in full on the NAEYC website, or visit the following URL: https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/read-together-support-early-literacy

If you need ideas for what books to read with young children that also promote social emotional development, check out our list by clicking here or visiting https://earlystartneighborhood.ning.com/resources-for-everyone/children-s-books-related-to-social-emotio

Our friends at Zero to Three have done it again! In “How to Introduce Toddlers and Babies to Books,” they’ve provided the field with evidence-informed strategies for teaching very young children about the joy of reading.

The first and most important tip shared is to have fun, noting that “when children have positive interactions with books, they are developing good feelings about reading.” What follows is a litany of sage advice—everything from “a few minutes at a time is OK” to “make books a part of your daily routine.” The authors give suggestions for incorporating books into nine different routines that are typical for many families. They also recommend focusing on pictures and print, involving the child by encouraging them to turn pages, and fostering a love of storytelling, all of which are important pre-literacy skills

Check the article out and leave us a comment about ways you’ve shared books with infants and toddlers or strategies you’ve seen parents use. We’d love to hear from

Don’t forget the dads! This is the crux of an article from the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) titled “Fathers: Powerful Allies for Maternal and Child Health.” The article summarizes research on the critical importance of fathers’ role during pregnancy and in a child’s early years, and offers practical recommendations on how to support the involvement of fathers.

Click here to read the article.

Although geared mainly toward health professionals, some proposed approaches are relevant to (or could be adapted for) early intervention professionals and settings. Here’s an example insight from NICHQ President and CEO Scott D. Berns:

“Offering office hours outside of regular work hours, asking families to try to find times when all caregivers can attend when scheduling visits, including working partners through video chat, developing father-focused resources that can be sent home, and sharing information on father-support groups during the well-child visit—these sma

“Self-regulation is the act of managing thoughts and feelings to enable goal-directed actions.” It’s a set of skills we begin working on right after birth and continue refining through adulthood. Self-regulation is an important goal for infants and toddlers as it enables them to shift the focus of their attention, soothe themselves, adjust their behavior, and seek help from others when it’s needed.

This two-page snapshot from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describes ways in which parents and caregivers can observe self-regulation in very young children, strategies they can use to support its development, and the research behind “lessons learned about interventions to promote self-regulation in infants and toddlers.”

It’s a quick read but a very important topic, so check it out and leave your comments below.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neig

Very young children communicate their needs and feelings in ways that sometimes make it difficult for their caretakers to understand them. Parents can’t read minds, but they can learn to read their child’s cues and respond accordingly to their child’s emotions and needs. This resource from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) helps caregivers identify, interpret, and respond to their child’s behaviors.

Do you sometimes find it hard to understand your child, or the young children you work with? Or are you a "baby whisperer"? Let us know in the comments!

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.

The Center for the Developing Child at Harvard University is an excellent resource for information on many aspects of early childhood. In a recent video, entitled “Play in Early Childhood: The Role of Play in Any Setting,” the creators address the science behind “three core principles that can guide what society needs to do to help children and families thrive.”

These principles include “supporting responsive relationships, strengthening core life skills, and reducing sources of stress.”

They recommend play as a means for addressing all three, and describe play as a tool to “foster children’s resilience to hardship.” Through the complex interactions of play, children build their brains and learn skills that will last a lifetime.

Watch the video and leave a comment about your impressions. How do you see this important information impacting your day-to-day practice as an early intervention professional or as a parent.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recomm

Did you know that Zero to Three offers a series of articles on infant and toddler social-emotional development? Designed for caregivers, these articles describe the milestones and skills that young children are developing in the first three years of life, plus strategies for how caregivers can support that development. Information is also available in Spanish. This is a great online resource for parents and other caregivers you work with.

This resource is related to one or more competencies in the ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM). To find out more, visit this resource in the Neighborhood here.