Encouraging Parents to Use the Child’s Home Language
While children are learning English in your Care for Newcomer Children program, it’s important that you encourage parents to continue using the child’s native language at home. There are many benefits to doing so, which include improved fluency in both the native language and in English, strengthened family bonds and more. This tip sheet is available in
English and
French.
Infant Resources
Infant Resources
Building a Permanent Collection – Ann Hutchings
Ann Hutchings has developed a presentation on Building a Permanent Collection, to showcase the flexible and collaborative environment that her team of caregivers at Graybridge Malkam has created to adapt to the diverse and changing needs of the children in their care.
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Growing Up in a New Land
This guide is for service providers who work with newcomer families who have children aged zero to six. It will help service providers understand the special needs of families that are new to Canada. The resources include programming suggestions.
Growing Up in a New Land
Enhancing a sense of belonging in the early years
We invite our readers to reflect on how the theme of a sense of belonging relates to young children. After a conceptual overview by Martin Woodhead and Liz Brooker which philosophically roots the subject firmly in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, this edition of ECM goes on to include contributions from the field in Israel, Germany, Turkey, the Netherlands, Mexico, Lebanon and Australia, together with an interview with Cameroonian academic A Bame Nsamenang and reflections on promoting a sense of belonging in the especially challenging circumstances of conflict zones and refugee camps.
Enhancing a sense of belonging in the early years
Building on Every Child’s Abilities
We all have things that we are good at and challenges that we need to work on. Too often, the strengths and abilities of newcomer children are overlooked or overshadowed by their needs. By focusing on the strengths that newcomer children bring to your program you will encourage the development of healthy self-esteem that will be the foundation for their successful transition to life in Canada. This tip sheet is available in
English and
French.
Planning for Successful Transitions
A transition is the change or movement from one activity or space to the next activity or space. Transitions can be challenging for all children, but they can be especially difficult when you don’t share a language with all the children in your care. If you were to take a step back and observe your program, you would find that transitions are often a source of behaviour disruptions. This is especially true when children don’t understand why the change in activity is happening or what is likely to happen next.
This tip sheet, available in
English and
French, offers suggestions to help you plan ahead, minimize disruptions, and create a safe, predictable program.
Creating Language-Rich Environments For Infants
Speech is one of the most important and complex skills a child will learn. It seems to happen naturally but, in fact, as a caregiver, you have a very important role to play. The more you talk to an infant, the more you facilitate their language development—in both their home language and in any new language!
This tip sheet is available in
English and
French.
Managing Separation Anxiety in Infant Care
One of the main goals in the infant program is to establish a sense of trust between one primary care staff and a maximum of three infants. Consequently, the way separation anxiety is handled is very important. A strong emotional bond is essential for early learning. This tip sheet is available in
English and
French.
