Resources

HiMama Webinar: Four Music Strategies to Boost School Readiness”

Can music really boost school readiness? During this session, participants will explore how music can boost social-emotional development while also building foundational skills for deep literacy and letter learning. The strategies in this webinar are designed to support all early childhood professionals in incorporating a wide range of musical tools and techniques in the classroom!

20 Shared Reading Tips to Share with Parents

Shared storybook reading is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child. At its best, this one activity can promote strong parent-child attachment, nurture key early language and literacy skills, strengthen a child’s pride in their cultural and personal identity, expand their knowledge of the world, and help them process strong emotions and deal with life’s challenges. Share these 20 practical shared reading tips with families, and help them make the most of their special storytimes with young children.

Cultural Competence Self-assessment Checklist

Developed by Central Vancouver Island Multicultural Society, this cultural competence self-assessment tool provides an opportunity to explore your cultural competence, reflect on your skills, knowledge, and self-awareness, and think about ways to improve your interactions with others.

Preschool All About Me Activities

Preschoolers love to talk about is themselves! In fact, it's developmentally appropriate for them to be egocentric and find it challenging to take on a perspective that isn’t their own. It’s such an important phase in their development, so it's important to nurture socio-emotional skills such as self-esteem and identity formation so that children grow into kind and confident adults. Here are some great activity ideas to help!

New Developmental Milestones

Did you know that the CDC has developed new developmental milestones and tips for parents? This insightful article explains why the CDC made these changes. It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the new milestones - especially for the age group that you work with - so that you can incorporate appropriate developmental goals into your programming, and share up-to-date information and resources with parents.

12 Spring Traditions Around the World

Spring is a time of rebirth, renewal, and warm-weather activities. Baby animals are born, flowers bloom, and families around the world welcome spring with their own traditions. Through food, festivals, and various activities, the spring celebrations are endless. Here’s a list of how 12 different countries welcome spring.

National Poison Prevention Week

Parachute is working with partners across Canada to provide resources and activities to raise awareness about poisoning, which is now the third-leading cause of injury-related death in Canada, according to the 2021 Cost of Injury Report. There are lots of great resources available on our Poison Prevention Week webpage for National Poison Prevention Week, March 20 to 26, 2022.

Mind Mapping for Ideas in Early Childhood Programs

Have you ever used mind maps? Mind mapping is a process that helps organize emerging ideas and build connections in your programming. Referred to webs as they resemble a spider’s intricate creations, mind maps have so many possibilities. This interactive webinar explores mind mapping in an engaging and exciting way!

Video: Cultural Humility

"Cultural Humility: People, Principles and Practices," is a 30-minute documentary by San Francisco State professor Vivian Chávez, that mixes poetry with music, interviews, archival footage, and images of community, nature and dance to explain what Cultural Humility is and why we need it. The film describes a set of three principles that guide the thinking, behavior and actions of individuals and institutions to positively affect interpersonal relationships as well as systems change.

Playful Math: Webinar

How can we make learning math fun for children? An easy way is through play! In this webinar, Scholar's Choice will be sharing activities and ideas that encourage early numeracy, mathematical comprehension, and a love of numbers! Participants will also hear about ways to nurture a sense of curiosity related to mathematical concepts that engage children in a playful way!