Head Start and Early Head Start programs support the mental health of children, families, and staff every day. Early childhood mental health is the same as social and emotional well-being. It is a child’s developing capacity to express and regulate emotions, form trusting relationships, explore, and learn—all in the cultural context of family and community. The mental health of children and the adults that care for them is essential for school readiness.
Ongoing research continues to show us how adversity and toxic stress in early childhood can have a negative impact throughout a person's life. Toxic stress can impact a child's health, behavior, and ability to learn. These videos appeal to Head Start staff and health care professionals. They are designed to help them understand what toxic stress is, what it does to a person, and easy things to do to help prevent it.
This workshop provides the opportunity to explore a resource designed to support the use of books with social-emotional themes in Circle Time, the Tell Me A Story Book Guides. In addition, as the final offering in this training series, it also provides the opportunity to integrate the lessons and reflections from the first two workshops.
Many early childhood professionals work with children and families with first languages that are different from their own. In these cases, early childhood professionals may find it difficult to create engaging learning environments for children who come to class without understanding English.
Often in our work with families, we encounter difficult topics. A child may initiate a conversation about something that has happened at home that takes you by surprise. Or, you may see and hear children exploring a sensitive topic in their play. However it happens, topics such as birth, death, divorce, loss, illness, violence, substance abuse and domestic abuse are bound to emerge in early childhood programs.
Tell Me A Story (TMAS) is a literacy-based emotional expressiveness program designed to help preschoolers, their parents, and teachers discuss difficult emotions associated with challenging situations.
In many preschools, teachers and staff make daily efforts to include families in their child’s education. Often, teachers are left feeling like their efforts are in vain, as days pass without parent participation.
Tell Me A Story (TMAS) is a literacy-based emotional expressiveness program designed to help preschoolers, their parents, and teachers discuss difficult emotions associated with challenging situations.
Parent engagement in a child’s education is essential to optimum learning and wellbeing. Parents who communicate with care providers, participate at school or in childcare settings, and promote learning with activities at home help to create a vibrant and successful learning community for children.
As early childhood teachers, we are in the unique position for children to tell us about themselves every day. Through play, drawings, story-telling and many other activities, we invite children to express their feelings and ideas.