Parents

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math for Preschoolers?

Lately, everyone seems to be talking about STEAM. It’s a hot topic in the world of education, but what does it really mean?  STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. You may think some of these subjects seem lofty for young children to grasp - and in some ways, that’s true. But young children can build a strong foundation for future learning by exploring STEAM preschool skills and concepts through play.  And there are lots of STEAM activities that you can do with children to keep them engaged and learning using simple household items!

Being a Dad in Canada – Available in 7 Languages

The Being a Dad in Canada tips sheets, video, and facilitation guide are part of the Family Life in Canada resource series. The goal of this series is to help newcomers adjust to life in Canada and encourage them to access information, programs, and services in their community. All you have to do is sign up to get access to the free resources that are available in 7 languages - making them easy to use with the newcomer families you work with!

Free Toolkit: Engaging Families in Healthy Development

Parents are their child’s first teachers—and when they’re actively involved in promoting early development, the results are better outcomes and stronger parent– child bonds. Children with involved parents are more likely to get the support they need and be prepared for school and future success. Adapted from the trusted Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ®) family of products, you can use this toolkit of resources to help you engage families in nurturing their child’s development - and help them get their children off to the best start in life!

Parenting Resources in Languages Other Than English

This Australian parenting website shares a variety of multilingual parenting resources on topics like daily care, nutrition, sleep, special needs, and more.

CMAS Tutorial: What is Executive Function?

For many of us, executive function sounds like a really abstract term that might not hold much meaning. But executive function is actually an incredibly practical, useful and important set of skills that children start to develop in the early years.

In this tutorial, we’ll help you to understand what executive function is, and why it’s important. We’ll also share some resources and ideas for how we can support the development of executive function for the children in our programs.

At the end of the tutorial, you’ll also find resources, references, a facilitator guide and added group discussion questions so that you can easily facilitate your own team training. 


New resource for caregivers: Your Guide to Caring for a Child with Food Allergy

Food Allergy Canada has a new resource just for caregivers that explains what food allergy is, how to avoid having reactions and what to do in case there is one.  “Caring for a child with food allergy: What you need to know” is very visual, making it easy to follow along and understand, even if English is not your first language.

Active Start

From 0-6 years, children need to be engaged in daily active play. Through play and movement, they develop fundamental movement skills and learn how to link them together. At this stage developmentally appropriate activities are important to help children feel competent and comfortable participating in all kinds of fun and challenging play!

Preschool Activities that Explore Emotions

Socio-emotional development in the preschool years strengthens independence, self-regulation, and cooperation. These are valuable skills to ease their transition into school and build a foundation for success later in life. Here are some activities to include in your programming to help children explore their emotions.

Sesame Street in Communities: Resettlement

Resettling can be a long, challenging process. Big changes bring big feelings, too. But children and adults can learn ways to cope with their big feelings and adapt to a new way of life, all while finding strength and comfort in the many memories, practices, and traditions they bring with them. Sesame Street in Communities has put together this collection of resources to support families as they find strength in their own stories and begin a new, hopeful chapter.

Ask, explore and discover: How STEM begins in the early years

Children are natural, curious learners, and the way they explore and discover the world is inspiring. They have an innate desire to gather information, explore everything, and test theory after theory. Nurturing these skills and characteristics early in a child’s life builds a solid foundation for their continued growth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).