Congratulations to Jennifer Smallwood, The winner of the $20 dollar supply card drawing to the Middleport, Ohio Family Dollar Store.
To be eligible to win a Supply Card your family must be enrolled in Gallia Meigs Community Action Agency's Help Me Grow Program. You will need to keep a daily record of one or two things you and your child do together each day that promotes appropriate infant/toddler development. Then you can give it to your Service Coordinator, drop it off at HMG, or mail it to us.
April is a good month to talk about how things grow and a great way to fill up your calendar by checking on it every day and recording the process. A fun activity is to take a Styrofoam cup and draw a face on it. Then help your child fill it with potting soil. Place grass seed on top of soil and water or mist lightly. Your creation will have hair in a matter of days. You can give it a hair cut and it will grow more. You could even plant sprouts and then have them on a sandwich or in a salad. This will provide hand and eye coordination, language development, and movement just to name a few learning domains.
Don't forget that April is Get Caught Reading Month and Children's Book Week. Contact your local Library for special programing to celebrate. Story Hour is a good place to practice socialization skills, listening skills, large motor control, and learn some new songs and finger plays.Call your library today!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Need Help Potty Training?
Try this dance with your kids. It might make the subject more fun for both of you!
Here is another Potty Dance video:
Here is another Potty Dance video:
Tips for Reading to Infants and Toddlers
It's never too soon to start reading to your children! If your child learns early to associate reading with pleasure, she is more likely to enjoy reading on her own when she is older.
Try these successful reading tips for reading to infants and toddlers:
Snuggle with your child with her favorite blanket or toys as you read.
Read with expression using different voices for different characters.
Emphasize rhythms and rhymes in stories. Give your toddler opportunities to repeat rhyming phrases.
Use pictures to build vocabulary by varying objects and their colors.
Use pictures to develop speaking vocabulary by talking about what is shown.
Encourage your child to repeat what you say or comment on it.
Encourage your child to ask questions. Provide models of interesting questions and examples of possible answers. "I wonder what is going to happen next? I think the rabbit will get lost because he is not paying attention to where he is going. What do you think?"
Look for books that are about things that interest your toddler. For example, does your child like cars, insects, or animals?
Make reading a habit for bedtime, after lunch, or after naptime.
Give your child a chance to choose his own books. If your toddler chooses a book that is too long to hold his attention, read some and skip some, discussing the pictures and how they relate to the story.
Read stories again and again. Your toddler enjoys repetition and it helps him become familiar with the way stories are organized.
Here are some books to read together about Spring. You can find them at your Public Library. Happy reading! Consider attending Story hour at your local Library.It will help your child with socialization and listening skills while having fun. Call for time and days.
Pomeroy Public Library-992-5813,
Middleport Public Library-992-5713
Eastern Public Library-985-3747
Racine public Library-949-8200.
1. I Can Eat A Rainbow
Annabel Karmel
2. From Egg to Chicken
Gerald Legg
3. The Wind Blew
Pat Hutchins
4. Bunny Cakes
Rosemary Wells
5. The Grouchy Ladybug
Eric Carl
Try these successful reading tips for reading to infants and toddlers:
Snuggle with your child with her favorite blanket or toys as you read.
Read with expression using different voices for different characters.
Emphasize rhythms and rhymes in stories. Give your toddler opportunities to repeat rhyming phrases.
Use pictures to build vocabulary by varying objects and their colors.
Use pictures to develop speaking vocabulary by talking about what is shown.
Encourage your child to repeat what you say or comment on it.
Encourage your child to ask questions. Provide models of interesting questions and examples of possible answers. "I wonder what is going to happen next? I think the rabbit will get lost because he is not paying attention to where he is going. What do you think?"
Look for books that are about things that interest your toddler. For example, does your child like cars, insects, or animals?
Make reading a habit for bedtime, after lunch, or after naptime.
Give your child a chance to choose his own books. If your toddler chooses a book that is too long to hold his attention, read some and skip some, discussing the pictures and how they relate to the story.
Read stories again and again. Your toddler enjoys repetition and it helps him become familiar with the way stories are organized.
Here are some books to read together about Spring. You can find them at your Public Library. Happy reading! Consider attending Story hour at your local Library.It will help your child with socialization and listening skills while having fun. Call for time and days.
Pomeroy Public Library-992-5813,
Middleport Public Library-992-5713
Eastern Public Library-985-3747
Racine public Library-949-8200.
1. I Can Eat A Rainbow
Annabel Karmel
2. From Egg to Chicken
Gerald Legg
3. The Wind Blew
Pat Hutchins
4. Bunny Cakes
Rosemary Wells
5. The Grouchy Ladybug
Eric Carl
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
March Of Dimes Walk
GMCAA and Help Me Grow are very excited to be a part of March for Babies this year and hope you will join our team, The Cheshire Cats! We will be walking for Tri-County March of Dimes on May 2, 2010 at the Krodel Park Clubhouse on Route 2 N & Route 62 in Point Pleasant WV and would like for you to join us!
Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. We're walking because we want to do something about this.
The money we raise will support March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.
If you can't walk with us, please help the team reach our goal by making a donation. You can do that online as well. Just click below
Thank you for helping us give all babies a healthy start!
Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. We're walking because we want to do something about this.
The money we raise will support March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care.
If you can't walk with us, please help the team reach our goal by making a donation. You can do that online as well. Just click below
Thank you for helping us give all babies a healthy start!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Fun With Saint Patricks Day
Here is a fun way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with your children. To tell a story about leprechauns and build a story. go here:
http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/WritingCorner/StoryBuilder/ALeprechaunStory.html
Have your children help you decide on the names, bugs and containers in the story. Read the story to your child. Find the container that you used in the story and build up suspense by talking about trying to catch a leprechaun like they did in the story.
That evening after your child has gone to bed make little leprechaun feet by making a loose fist with your hand and using the side dip in green finger or tempera paint. Then add five little toes across the thickest part.
You can do this on your counter tops. Leave a bit of sugar or cookie crumbs where he might have tipped over the sugar or eaten a cookie, pull things out of the drawers and leave cabinet doors open making a trail of little leprechaun feet. Put out what ever kind of container you have decided on for your story and set it out to catch the leprechaun. Don’t forget the footprints on it. Leave a note in the container that says better luck next year. Make a big deal about almost catching a leprechaun and listen to your child tell everyone he knows about his or her big adventure. It will be priceless.
http://www.squiglysplayhouse.com/WritingCorner/StoryBuilder/ALeprechaunStory.html
Have your children help you decide on the names, bugs and containers in the story. Read the story to your child. Find the container that you used in the story and build up suspense by talking about trying to catch a leprechaun like they did in the story.
That evening after your child has gone to bed make little leprechaun feet by making a loose fist with your hand and using the side dip in green finger or tempera paint. Then add five little toes across the thickest part.
You can do this on your counter tops. Leave a bit of sugar or cookie crumbs where he might have tipped over the sugar or eaten a cookie, pull things out of the drawers and leave cabinet doors open making a trail of little leprechaun feet. Put out what ever kind of container you have decided on for your story and set it out to catch the leprechaun. Don’t forget the footprints on it. Leave a note in the container that says better luck next year. Make a big deal about almost catching a leprechaun and listen to your child tell everyone he knows about his or her big adventure. It will be priceless.
Monday, March 1, 2010
How to Encourage Language in Young Children Webinar
A Webinar for ALL Families in Help Me Grow
March 19, 2010
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
We often take language for granted and anxiously await our child’s first "mama" and "dada." But not every child talks according to our timeline. On March 19 at 1:00 p.m. Abbie McCauley, Ph.D. and Lindsay Thatcher CCC/SLP will be doing a 90-minute live online presentation "How to Encourage Language in Young Children" for families in Help Me Grow. The Webinar is being coordinated by the Family Information Network (FINofOhio).
How to register? Simple! Email finofohiowebinar@ymail.com. In your email, please indicate the date of the Webinar: March 19 and that you are a family in HMG. Several days before the Webinar you will receive an email with information on how to log on and join this very informative and practical presentation.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Abbie and Lindsay! Sign up now
March 19, 2010
1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
We often take language for granted and anxiously await our child’s first "mama" and "dada." But not every child talks according to our timeline. On March 19 at 1:00 p.m. Abbie McCauley, Ph.D. and Lindsay Thatcher CCC/SLP will be doing a 90-minute live online presentation "How to Encourage Language in Young Children" for families in Help Me Grow. The Webinar is being coordinated by the Family Information Network (FINofOhio).
How to register? Simple! Email finofohiowebinar@ymail.com. In your email, please indicate the date of the Webinar: March 19 and that you are a family in HMG. Several days before the Webinar you will receive an email with information on how to log on and join this very informative and practical presentation.
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Abbie and Lindsay! Sign up now
January Supply Card Winner
Congratulations to Danielle Foley, The winner of the $20 dollar supply card drawing to the Middleport, Ohio Family Dollar Store.
To be eligible to win a Supply Card your family must be enrolled in Gallia Meigs Community Action Agency's Help Me Grow Program. You will need to keep a daily record of one or two things you and your child do together each day that promotes appropriate infant/toddler development. Then you can give it to your Service Coordinator, drop it off at HMG, or mail it to us. Here are some ideas for you to get started.
March would be the perfect month to talk about the color green. Soon everything around us will be green. There are many times during the day where you can point out the color green. You could say things such as "Let’s put on our green socks today. Let’s find the green ball. Look at the green leaves on the tree." Don’t forget about play dough. You and your child can make play dough together and tint it green. Not only will you be reinforcing the color green to your child, you will be modeling those all important language skills.
To support your child in learning the color green, try celebrating Dr. Suess’s birthday (March 2nd) all month long. Read the book Green Eggs and Ham, pointing out all the green things. For a meal have green eggs and ham! Just add a little green food coloring to the food. Kids love thinking they are having the same food that Sam I Am agrees to eat. Try serving other green foods, green beans, celery, and avocado’s. Have your child help to pick out the green foods in the store and have them help you prepare them, keeping safety in mind. They will want to try something they picked out and help "cook."
Don’t forget Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17th) and the "Wearin’ of the Green". It is a good opportunity to put on green and have a parade. It could be as simple as walking through the house, to "parading" in the yard. Learning can and should be fun.
Try not to drill your child by asking him, "Is this green?" They will soon tire of that and move on to something else quickly. Instead use repetition like reading Green Eggs and Ham over and over and pointing out the color many times through out the day. Soon your child will be pointing out the color green to you! Remember you are your child's first and best teacher!
To be eligible to win a Supply Card your family must be enrolled in Gallia Meigs Community Action Agency's Help Me Grow Program. You will need to keep a daily record of one or two things you and your child do together each day that promotes appropriate infant/toddler development. Then you can give it to your Service Coordinator, drop it off at HMG, or mail it to us. Here are some ideas for you to get started.
March would be the perfect month to talk about the color green. Soon everything around us will be green. There are many times during the day where you can point out the color green. You could say things such as "Let’s put on our green socks today. Let’s find the green ball. Look at the green leaves on the tree." Don’t forget about play dough. You and your child can make play dough together and tint it green. Not only will you be reinforcing the color green to your child, you will be modeling those all important language skills.
To support your child in learning the color green, try celebrating Dr. Suess’s birthday (March 2nd) all month long. Read the book Green Eggs and Ham, pointing out all the green things. For a meal have green eggs and ham! Just add a little green food coloring to the food. Kids love thinking they are having the same food that Sam I Am agrees to eat. Try serving other green foods, green beans, celery, and avocado’s. Have your child help to pick out the green foods in the store and have them help you prepare them, keeping safety in mind. They will want to try something they picked out and help "cook."
Don’t forget Saint Patrick’s Day (March 17th) and the "Wearin’ of the Green". It is a good opportunity to put on green and have a parade. It could be as simple as walking through the house, to "parading" in the yard. Learning can and should be fun.
Try not to drill your child by asking him, "Is this green?" They will soon tire of that and move on to something else quickly. Instead use repetition like reading Green Eggs and Ham over and over and pointing out the color many times through out the day. Soon your child will be pointing out the color green to you! Remember you are your child's first and best teacher!
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