New school program helps young newcomers feel comfortable in class
A new basic English language
program is helping newcomer students adjust to life at P.E.I. schools. The progress they make in just 4-6 weeks is astounding! The program starts by teaching basics such as how to act in class, what recess is, what lunchtime is, how to ask for help, find school supplies and navigate the library, among other things. Once students can communicate their immediate needs, they move on to colours, the alphabet, reading, spelling and writing.
5 Toddler Transition Tips
Here's a list of
five creative transition activities designed to help make it easier for you to move toddlers from one task/activity to the next!
Have you seen this heartwarming video about refugee parents and children?
This video and photos of children happily playing with the superhero in a Lebanese refugee camp recently went viral. The goal of the video and photos was to show just how important the bond between children and their parents can be, and how the constant stress of war and uncertainty can make it hard to keep that bond strong.
Best Practices for Guiding Children’s Behaviour
Healthy Child Manitoba has developed
a guide is for early learning and child care staff and family child care providers. It provides effective ways to guide behaviours and enhance the social and emotional well-being of all children in your care. The strategies described are research-based and can help all children, not just those experiencing difficulties!
New Research on How Babies Learn Two Languages
In a new study, an international team of researchers, including those from Princeton University, report that
bilingual infants as young as 20 months of age are really good at processing two languages!
6 Quiet Toddler Time Activities
If you have toddlers that have stopped taking afternoon naps, this doesn’t mean you have to replace this once-quiet time with a noisy or intensive activity. Here are
6 quiet, calm activity ideas that can help little ones wind down while other children nap.
Slime Sensory Activity Idea: Video
Sticky, gooey, sensory fun. And it's a safe alternative to borax based slime! Watch
this quick video for a recipe you can easily make with the children in your program.
There’s a Section for Parents on the CMAS Website!
Raising a child is hard work–especially in a new country with different customs, practices, influences, and expectations.
In the
new "Parents" section of the CMAS website, you will find information, tools and multilingual resources on topics like health and safety, parenting and more. You can direct parents to the site, or take a look and see if there are any resources here to support your work with immigrant and refugee parents.
Refugee children have written a book of fairy tales!
Travelling Tales is a beautifully illustrated collection of fairy tales written by Syrian and Kurdish refugee children in Greece. The collection includes a story about chickens fighting an alien invasion and seven other stories. Proceeds from the sale of this captivating collection will go towards alternative housing solutions for refugee families in Greece.
When Children’s Behaviour is Challenging: Online Tutorial Now Available with Facilitator Guide
Sometimes a child’s behaviour challenges us and forces us to step outside our usual comfort zone. Find out what to do when children’s behaviour is challenging you, common mistakes to avoid, and 7 steps to take when behaviour is challenging in your program. We’ve also developed a Facilitator guide that includes 10 Questions for Group Discussion and Personal Reflection to use with your team, extend your learning and help you identify concrete strategies that you can use in your program.
Let’s get started!
