Parents As Teachers
Osage County, R-3 Westphalia, MO 65085 573-455-2375 x176 / August 2012- 1 -
Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year!
P.A.T Special Events
08/24–Big Wheels
6:30 - 8:00 p.m. / Fatima Parking LotChildren will be able to explore and learn all about the big vehicles from their community.
9/13–WildHeart Musical Adventure
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. / Fatima Multipurpose RoomJan and George Syrigos are Emmy Award winning recording artists and conservationists who combine their conservation experience and training with their professional award-winning music. WildHeart brings the heart of the wild to the heart of the child.
10/25–Halloween Spooktacular
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. / Fatima Multipurpose RoomThe Fatima FACS class will be hosting this hands on event with many arts and crafts.
Reading To Our Kids
Why you need to start reading to your child early. You’re probably wondering at just what age you should start reading to your child. The answer: IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY.
Studies have shown that even newborn infants benefit from the sound of language. The sound of your voice, the time you spend together, the association of books-as-friends all serve as a wonderful stepping stone to making tomorrow’s next reader. And that can mean the difference between an average student and an excellent student. “Good readers are more likely to become good writers, leaners, and thinkers. Reading is the foundation of all good learning, “ says Elaine Landry, reading specialist at Round Hill Primary School in Roanoke. “Students who are early readers will have more success academically.
A cute little board book may seem like just entertainment, but it’s amazing how many concepts even a tiny baby can grasp from the wonderful act of sharing that book with an adult. Colors come to life, objects become familiar; and letters and numbers start to take shape even earlier than experts ever thought before. “I can clearly see in my class which child has been exposed to reading early. These are the children who are active participants in our read-alouds, and are the most advanced readers, writers, and learners in my school today.”
What’s the first step in making your child a lifelong reader? “Parents who read. Parents who read to their kids before the kids reach school age. Parents who read…so that children see them reading. Parents who take an active constructive interest in their children’s development as readers.” The answer is YOU. If you’re a reader, if you let your child see how important reading is, you set an example that lasts a lifetime. It’s as easy as opening and reading a book a day to your child. When you think of all that can be accomplished by this one simple, enjoyable, shared act, it’s hard to believe a parent wouldn’t choose to make that a priority.
“Education research on literacy shows that the single most important thing parents and caregivers can do to help children succeed in school is to surround them with books in the home – and read, read, read! Exploring books and discovering the joy of reading is the first step to becoming a lifelong learner.” So your habits become your child’s habits. Whether it’s eating right, being considerate of others, picking up after yourself, or sitting down to enjoy a great book, the lessons your child learns from you are invaluable to a successful future.
Secrets of a Happy Home
Family Dinners:
Have dinner as a family as many nights of the week as possible. Dinner provides a crucial chance for the family to come together every evening and share what went on during the day.
Home Cooking:
Nutrition aside, living on take-out food conveys powerful subliminal messages to our families, most of them negative. When my children discover wonderful smells coming from the kitchen, one of the messages they are getting is that I care enough to make them a good dinner every night; that they are worth the effort.
Turn Off the Television:
Nothing interferes with communication like the TV. At the very least, keep it turned off during dinner and homework. The more that you can limit your family’s television watching, the better off everyone will be.
Bedtime Stories:
In addition to opening up the magic of reading, this nightly ritual provides yet another chance for family togetherness.
Snuggle Time:
After stories are over, give each child a few minutes with either parent to hug and snuggle in your arms. Many secrets can be revealed at this particular time. Snuggle time is our best opportunity to talk things through and put our children to bed with untroubled minds and the certainty that they are loved.
Family Rituals:
Predictability and structure are crucial tools in giving children a sense of security, and family rituals help build memories that will last a lifetime. Holidays are the obvious time, but even ordinary days can become times to look forward to with anticipation if you make them special in some way: an extra bedtime story on Saturday nights, for example or a special dessert on Sundays.
Love Notes:
Don’t forget to say, “I love you.” There are countless ways to do this. It is particularly helpful to remind your children, at times when they might otherwise be feeling forlorn, of just how much you love them. Whenever you are going away overnight, or out for the evening, leave them notes with little drawings (simple things like hearts and stars and flowers) under their pillows, so that they will go to sleep remembering that they are cherished.
A Surprising Cause of Bedwetting
Constipation may be the culprit, according to researcher Steve J. Hodges, M.D., author of It’s No Accident. In his study of 30 kids, ages 5 to 15, who wet the bed, 83 percent were cured after treatment with laxatives. The reason: When children chronically put off having a bowel movement, stool becomes stuck in the rectum and presses on the bladder. Children with this problem called (we kid you not) “megarectum” – don’t seem constipated and may have regular and normal-looking bowel movements. But over time it can stretch out the colon, which may also lead to an overactive bladder. If you’re concerned about your child, ask your doctor for an X-ray to check for megarectum or inquire about trying a mild laxative such as MiraLAX. Daily treatment with MiraLAX can resolve the condition (and bedwetting) in about three months, says Dr. Hodges.
An Autism Red Flag
When researchers at Kennedy Krieger Institute, in Baltimore, studied babies with an older sibling who has autism – a risk factor for the disorder – they found that if you pull a 6-month-old up to sit and his head lags behind, he’ll be more likely to be diagnosed with autism at age 3 than a baby whose head doesn’t fall back. If you try this test at home, make sure your baby is looking at you before you pull him up, says lead research Rebecca Lands, Ph.D., director of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at Kennedy Krieger, or he might hold his head back to look at something else in the room. Try not to panic if your child’s head does lag, says Dr. Landa. “But it’s worth telling your pediatrician.” These findings, to be published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy this fall, may help identify babies who are at risk, so they can begin getting help sooner.
Infantsee
InfantSEE® is the American Optometric Association's public health program designed to ensure that eye and vision care becomes an integral part of infant wellness care to improve a child's quality of life. Under this program, participating optometrists provide a comprehensive infant eye assessment between 6 and 12 months of age as a no-cost public service. The recommended age is 9 months. Visit the website at to learn more and locate a doctor in your area who can provide the free infant assessment. You can call Central Missouri Eyecare Associates at (573) 659-5560.
The Little Things“We can be so busy that we miss the little things that sweeten life, the way a pet waits to be noticed, the way an owl…hoots in the woods, and a bluejay chortles in the middle of winter. It is a lovely thing to turn away from busy work to pay attention to our loved things andloved ones. We know how we wait to be told we are important. We should never wait to say or think something beautiful that will make someone’s day easier and more secure.
-Joyce Sequichie Hifler, A Cherokee Feast of Days
Road Rules
Is your child ready to move up to the next level of passenger safety? Use this table to find out!
Safety Equipment / RequirementsRear-facing car seat / The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in rear-facing car seats until at least age 2.
Forward-facing car seat / Once they have outgrown rear-facing car seats, children should sit in forward-facing seats with a harness until they reach at least age 4 or 40 pounds.
Booster seat with traditional seatbelt / Children older than 4 years and up to 4 feet 9 inches in height should sit in a booster seat, making sure their heads are supported.
Harness / If children outgrow their forward-facing seats with harnesses, there are car seats available with higher harness weight limits.
Seatbelt / Children taller than 4 feet 9 inches can usually use traditional seatbelts.
Language
Your child’s speech will develop over time. A baby makes noises around two or three months, babbles around six months, and uses jargon from about 18 months to 30 months. Although he may not use all sounds correctly, your child should be understood by strangers by age three.
Summary of speech sound development:
Age / Consonants2 – 2 ½ / M, P, W, B, N
3 – 3 ½ / D, T, G, K, F
4 ½ - 5 / V, L, J, SH, CH
5 - 6 / Z, S, R, TH, blends
You can help your child’s speech development by:
- Being a good speech model for your child. Don’t use baby talk.
- Pronouncing words clearly, slowly, and correctly for your child to hear and imitate.
- Letting your child watch your face, lips and tongue as your form sounds and words prolonging the speech sound the child has difficulty saying, such as ‘where is your sssock?”
- Trying to look at your child when you are talking.
- Repeating new words and sounds over and over. Use them often in your conversation with your child.
- Making a scrapbook with your child. Cut out and paste pictures and have your child name each one.
- Praising your child when sounds are correct, especially if the sounds were previously difficult for your child.
Nutrition
Can’t get your finicky toddler to eat much of anything, let alone a balanced meal? Luckily he doesn’t need to get all his vitamins and minerals in one sitting, says Bridget Swinney, R.D., author of Healthy Food for Healthy Kids. Spread the wealth with these nutrient-dense foods.
YOGURT – rich in calcium, protein, and vitamin B12; contains bacteria that may protect against diarrhea.
EGGS – protein-packed source of riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and vitamin K.
CEREAL – many pack in vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium and folate; look for a low-sugar, high-fiber brand
BEANS – low-fat high-protein source of iron (which helps maintain a healthy immune system) and folate.
TOMATOES – high in vitamin C and lycopene; both nutrients may protect against certain cancers.
Activities
Falling Leaves Fingerplay
Sung to: “Hickory, Dickory, Dock”
Little leaves falling down,
Red, yellow, orange and brown.
(Flutter fingers downward.)
Whirling, twirling round and round,
Falling to the ground.
(Flutter fingers downward in circles.)
Ten Red Apples Fingerplay
Ten red apples growing on a tree,
(Hold hands high with fingers extended)
Five for you and five for me.
(Wave one hand, then the other.)
Let me shake the tree just so,
(Shake body.)
And ten red apples fall down below.
(Lower hands with fingers extended)
One, two three, four, five
(Count fingers on one hand.)
Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
(Count fingers on other hand.)
Look at the apple
Look at the apple I have found,
(Form circle with hands.)
So round and rosy on the ground.
We will wash it and cut it in two,
(Pretend to wash and cut apple.)
Half for me and half for you.
(Hold out one palm, then the other.)
Leaf Magnets
- Collect colorful leaves. Spread them between sheets of paper toweling, newspaper, blotting paper, or between the pages of a thick phone book. Place heavy books on top and let the leaves dry for about a week. Lift the top sheet of paper carefully.
- Make designs on the leaves using non-toxic paint pens, acrylic paints or permanent markers. When dry, paint the leaves with several coats of nontoxic varnish (an adult should do this). Cover one side at a time, allowing varnish to dry between coats.
- Attach two 1”-long strips of self-sticking magnets to the back of each leaf.
- Hang up your artwork using magnet leaves.
Leaf Rubbing
What You’ll Need:
- White copy or tracing paper
- Crayons with paper wrappers removed
- Leaves
Place a leaf, vein side up, on a table. Put a piece of white paper over it. Show your child how to use the side of a crayon to rub back and forth over the leaf area. Use a variety of colors and leaves for a pretty leaf rubbing.
Leaf Prints
What You’ll Need:
- Leaves
- 2 pieces of white paper or light fabric
- Tape
- Hammer or rock
Find a couple of brightly colored green leaves. Lay them between two pieces of paper or white, light fabric and tape the paper down in a couple of places. With a rock or hammer, pound onto the top piece over the area where the leaves lay underneath. When you are done pounding, you will have a pretty, green, leaf design.
Parent Helps
Pediatric Nurse for Parents of Newborns
1-800-678-5437 ext. #4
Call this number for any questions you may have about your newborn baby. They also have a website
ParentLink
1-800-552-8522
This is good for all kinds of questions you may have. From potty training to behavior issues.
Breastfeeding Moms
1-314-362-moms
Answers questions on breastfeeding issues.
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