Helping children become brave, informed and thoughtful about race
EmbraceRace is a multiracial community of parents, teachers and experts who identify, organize and create tools, resources, discussion spaces, and networks. Their goal is to nurture resilience in children of colour, nurture inclusive, empathetic children and programs, and support a movement of advocates for all children. Their
website is full of information, videos and tip sheets for caregivers like you.
Relationships matter: How you can support positive parenting in the early years
This resource was originally written for health care providers, but it's relevant to your work in CNC too! Find out more about the ‘ABCs’ of
how you can help strengthen relationships with—and within—the families you work with each day.
Culturally Appropriate Positive Guidance with Young Children
Many parenting approaches and children's behaviours have cultural roots, and while it's important for early childhood educators to foster each child’s developing identity, it's also important to
share cultural lessons and help cultivate shared norms for your program. This article is full of examples and strategies for helping culturally diverse children and families to understand and negotiate differing norms and social expectations.
Activities to Promote Preschool Cognitive Development
Preschoolers are eager to learn how the world works, and the best way for them to learn at this age is through play. But not all preschool cognitive development activities are created equal! If you’re wondering how to help the children in your CNC program improve their cognitive skills,
here are some examples of activities to incorporate into your daily routine to promote preschool cognitive development.
What Is Early Childhood Development? A Guide to the Science
Healthy development in the early years (particularly birth to three) provides the building blocks for educational achievement, economic productivity, responsible citizenship, lifelong health, strong communities, and successful parenting of the next generation. What can we do during this incredibly important period to ensure that children have a strong foundation for future development? The Center on the Developing Child created this Guide to Early Childhood Development (ECD) to help parents, caregivers, practitioners, and policymakers understand
the importance of early childhood development and learn how to support children and families during this critical stage.
New National Program to Help Newcomers Navigate Paediatric Healthcare
Immigration officials have picked the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario to create a new national network to
help newcomers to Canada overcome linguistic and cultural hurdles to care and understand our health system. A nationwide Newcomer Navigator Network aims to ensure standardized service delivery by health-care organizations serving both children and adults and by workers helping newcomers.
Spaghetti & Meatballs….A Fine Motor Toddler Twist!
Spaghetti and meatballs is a new
toddler game that offers opportunities to practice fine motor skills, balance, coordination and a little gross motor play all at the same time!
CNC in Action: A Small Gesture Makes a Big Impact on Newcomers
When Syrian refugees arrived in our nation’s capital a few years ago, Immigrant Women Services Ottawa (IWSO) was a first stop for many families. At the centre’s CNC program, a special welcome was waiting for the children in the form of a beautiful wordless book. The award-winning Sidewalk Flowers, by JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith, pays tribute to the importance of small things, small people, and small gestures.
And, this small gesture has made a big impact on the newcomers—both young and old.
Communication is Key: Quick Tip Sheet
The
Center for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation has developed this great tip sheet and
reminder of how important is for us to choose our words carefully when we're communicating with young children in our CNC programs!
A Guide to Executive Function
Executive function and self-regulation skills are like an air traffic control system in the brain—they help us manage information, make decisions, and plan ahead. We need these skills at every stage of life, and while no one is born with them, we are all born with the potential to develop them. But, how do we do that?
Here's a Guide to Executive Function to walk you through everything you need to know about these skills and how to develop and practice them.
