Click here for text only.
A Newsletter for Parents of Toddlers, Preschoolers and Beyond!
Click on a topic to go directly to it.TODDLER TOPICS PLUS… a learn-at-home newsletter created by Penn State Cooperative Educators welcomes you. We hope you will find helpful tips and techniques to improve your family's time together while providing you with information that will enrich your child's learning process. Contact the Penn State Cooperative Ext. office in your county for information on other educational programs of interest to you and your family.
Ellen Meanix Helfrick, Editor
(TV) TV and Literacy
Nancy E. Crago, Ph.D., C.F.C.S.
Senior Extension Educator, PSCE
Television (TV) is a big influence on children's development and behavior. Studies show that 26% of children between the ages of 2 and 4 have televisions in their bedrooms!
Children may learn some skills, such as letter names and sounds, from watching educational TV programs. However, TV learning is passive. The opportunity for learning by discovery is not there. Time spent watching TV takes away from children's active play, going on outings, and reading. In these kinds of activities, children are motivated to interact with other people and objects. They can carry on conversations. There is the opportunity for children to experiment with the ideas they have about language.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents limit children's viewing to one to two quality hours per day. NO television viewing is recommended for children ages two and below.
It's not too late to establish good TV habits for your child. Start by taking a look at your own TV viewing habits. How much time do you spend watching TV? Remember that you are a role model for your child. Limit your child's viewing to mostly educational programs. Watch a program with your child. Afterwards, turn off the TV and talk about it.
Planning for College?
Robin L. Kuleck, MSED, CFCS
Extension Educator, Elk County
Research continues to indicate that parents are children's first and best teachers. Reading to your children, interacting with them, limiting TV time, and exposing them to a wide variety of new experiences are just a few ways to help instill in them a love of learning.
Once they enter day care, preschool or kindergarten, continue to encourage their learning, ask about what they learned that day and stay involved in their education. Help them identify their strengths and build on them, as well as weaknesses that need to be strengthened.
Let your child know your expectations of high academic achievement and they most likely will strive to meet your goals.
Financially, the sooner you begin to save, the more options you have, plus there is more time for growth. Take a critical look at your current expenses to see if there are ways you could economize to come up with $25, $50 or more each month to set aside for this very worthy goal. Small amounts really do add up over time.
A realistic view of your current and future financial situation will help you determine if, when, and how much you can begin to set aside for what can be an extremely expensive undertaking.
Recognize that even if you want to fully pay for your child's college education, it may not be realistic for your family's situation. Most students finance their education with a patchwork of funding sources.
Is your family trying to maximize eligibility for financial aid or the most tax-efficient way to pay for college? This is a complex decision based on numerous factors such as family size, income, net worth, institution enrolled in, as well as several others.
If you are able to set aside money toward college, the following investment vehicles could meet your needs. Each has pros and cons and the rules can change immensely from today until graduation. Take some time to do additional research before purchasing anything geared toward college savings. Generally ownership should be parents, not the student, in order to maximize eligibility for financial aid.
Mind Your Manners
Cheryl Miller, Extension Educator,
Family Consumer Science, Perry County
"Mabel, Mabel strong and able,
get your elbows off the table."
Do you feel like you are harping at your children to chew their food with their mouth closed, sit still at the table, and do not interrupt? Avoid becoming the etiquette police.
Manners are the socially correct way of acting. Keep the goals realistic when training children to behave in the appropriate way. Focus on the idea of manners and the way to behave. Manners make mealtime pleasant and shows consideration and respect for others.
Be realistic as you teach the basics. Behavior is tied to their stage of develop-ment. For example, an infant learns about their world through play. They get their hands in their food and smear it. By the age of two, start setting limits. When she begins to play with her food, instead of eating it, remove it from the table.
Be a good role model. Teach by using good examples. Demonstrate manners by using a napkin to wipe your mouth or by passing the food around the table. It is important to explain the importance of using manners: When we wipe our mouth with the napkin we don't look messy. When we pass the food around the table everyone gets something to eat.
Start slowly. Two and three year old children are very active. It is more successful to set small incremental goals and increase expectations as the child achieves the goal.
Play Games. Young children love to pretend. While role playing, Mommy and Daddy show them how to act.
Having a tea party or a formal meal with place settings and party dress is a fun way to practice good manners.
Preschool children enjoy word play. Instead of nagging, exaggerate the word you want them to say. For example, "I would be 'P-L-E-A-S-E-D' to pass you the crackers."
Try the "Manners Game," give each child 10 peanuts at the beginning of each meal. The goal of the game is to keep as many of the peanuts as you can by the end of the meal. When you observe the child using poor manners, courteously explain the appropriate behavior before asking for one of the peanuts. Record the peanuts that each child has at the end of each meal. Tally the peanuts weekly; let the "winner" choose a special dessert for using good manners.
Use loving reminders. When attending special events lay out your expectations and know that you will have to prompt children. Be realistic and don't overload - work with these first: Say please and thank you, remain seated until finished, and ask to be excused.
Recycled Art!
Sue Giachero, Extension Educator
Berks County
Save empty containers, boxes, fabric scraps, tubes, etc. Create a craft box where you can gather a variety of items for your child to create with. (This is the perfect thing to take out when you have a day at home!) Add to it some glue, markers, tape, paper, paint, etc. and you have a great art area for your child.
Allow your child to use these items to create whatever their imagination allows. It is the process of creating that is important for your child, not the product. Resist the temptation to direct or "assist." Of course, if your child asks for your help, be willing to do just that, help!
Here are some suggestions, but remember, your child is having fun and learning when they are involved in the creative process.
The Story Lady's Tip
Ellen Helfrick (A.K.A.: Miss Ellen)
Attend Programs
Begin taking your child to the library at a young age. Find out if the local library has story programs for toddlers. If not, suggest they begin one and offer to help them spread the word in order to assure attendance. If needed, seek out another library that holds story sessions for children in your child's age range.
Once you know where and when, make attending story time a part of your weekly routine. If you can't attend each week, then visit the library often so that your child can become familiar with the staff. Help your child enjoy her time at the library by making friends with the story lady. Make visiting the library and borrowing books a fun part of their day and they'll begin a love for reading that will last a lifetime.
Math and Preschoolers
Phyllis Wright, Extension Educator,
Warren County
Math is not just counting. It is relationships, comparisons, and record keeping. That is what today's world is all about! Sequencing is understanding what follows another for problem solving. Here are some examples of activities that will give preschoolers a good start for school readiness.
Have five objects to weigh on a small scale:
What do they weigh? (identifying numbers)
Print the numbers. (recognizing numbers)
Let's lift the three heaviest. (sorting and comparing)
Let's line them up by putting the heaviest one first and lightest one last?
(relationships)
Ideas to do with playing cards:
How many red cards are there?
How many heart shaped cards are there? (sorting & counting)
Let's put the heart shaped cards in their numerical order. (relationships)
Let's count backwards. (relationships)
Let's take all the cards and find the ones that have two objects on the cards. (identifying shapes and printed numbers)
With many board games you have at home, let the toddler roll the cubes (dice is the old word) and have the toddler count spaces for Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, etc. Older kids can read the directions. Try playing UNO, which can be scaled to any level of learning plus it's a great group game. Get creative and use items you have at home to teach basic math skills everyday.
Gifts to Give your Children
Karen Bracey, County Extension Director
Wyoming County
THE GIFT OF ANTICIPATION:
Waiting for something is part of the joy of finally getting it. We deprive our children of this gift when we give them what they want, when they want it.
"Getting there is half the fun!"
What's to Eat?
Fran Alloway, Nutritional & Family Living Educator, Delaware County
As babies grow into young people, the food they eat differs less from what the rest of the family eats. As teeth appear, toddlers no longer need pureed baby food and can eat "table food." Their nutritional needs are also very similar to adults. Each day toddlers should eat foods from each of the five food groups: grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy and protein sources. If you serve this taco with juice, you will include all of these food groups in one meal.
One flour or corn tortilla, about 9"
¼ cup grated cheese
or 2 slices American cheese
1 slice of ham lunchmeat
1 spear of cooked broccoli (can be steamed quickly in the microwave)Place the ham and cheese on the flat tortilla, then the broccoli spear. Roll the tortilla with the broccoli in the center. Place the tortilla on a napkin in the microwave, with the rolled side down. Microwave about 20 seconds or until the cheese melts. Cut in half or smaller slices and let children feed themselves.
Open the original version of this page.
Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.