When parents are involved in their child’s school, children benefit. We all know this, yet very few classrooms have parent volunteers. It’s true, today’s parents are busier than ever, but many parents are eager to get involved in their child’s classroom. They just don’t know how.

A recent article in Early Childhood News turns the table on the parent volunteer concept a little bit and emphasizes how much parent volunteers can help teachers:

Parental involvement through volunteer contributions, either physical or material, can lighten the teacher’s load significantly. And when the teacher has the support of the parents, she finds “her children” come to school better rested and with assignments completed.

The article goes on to lay out a strategy and tips for recruiting volunteers:

Step 1- Extend an invitation- let parents know how important classroom volunteers are. Assure them they are knowledgeable, their time is valued and their participation (at any level) will help the entire class. Give parents an easy way to let you know they are interested.

Step 2- Give parents ideas of some of the many ways they can help out, including:

• Working with students (giving additional support to individuals, leading small groups, chaperoning field trips, reading to the class, leading games, helping at a party, etc.)
• Working with the teacher (making copies, putting together packets, displaying student artwork or projects, collecting recyclables for projects, planning special events, proofing the newsletter, etc.)
• Other- get creative! Some parents might have special expertise to share. A volunteer firefighter parent could come speak with the kids, a handy parent could help put together a bookshelf or fix a sink, an organized parent could help organize your classroom, parents with many social connections can help you find donations or community resources to fit your needs)

Step 3- Treat parents like serious volunteers- set expectations, orient them to the school if necessary and give parents the information theyneed to get the job done.

Step 4- Get feedback- touch base with your parent volunteers periodically. Thank them often and ask them how things are going. Get suggestions for improving the volunteer experience and use the feedback to improve the volunteer experience in the future.

Teachers are notoriously overworked, and to many, the idea of bringing in parent volunteers can seem like one more burden. But parent volunteers can really ease your workload, as well as improve the school experience for children. Don’t sell yourself or your classroom short. Try bringing in parent volunteers!

Some kids love story time, others have a hard time staying focused. Not only is this distracting, but it can make story time a negative experience for everyone involved.

To get and hold the attention of a variety of different learners, try adding rhythm to your story time. I don’t mean sing story-songs (though if you’re comfortable doing that, go for it!) Rhythm exhists in the words we speak. Just make a special effort to bring out the rhythm that is already in the text of a lot of great read-aloud books. There are so many benefits, incluing:

• It emphasizes syllables in words to improve language acquisition
• It encourages controlled movement and coordination for kinesthetic learners
• It brings a musical element to reading for those with a strong musical intelligence
• I promotes the sense of being part of a larger group as children clap or move together to a rhythm
• It enhances children’s understanding story sequencing

Some simple steps you can take to bring rhythm to story time include:

• Choose stories with strong rhythm or repetition in the text such as Dr. Seuss books, I Went Walking, by Sue Williams or Brown Bear, by Bill Martin Jr.
• Encourage children to clap out the syllables of repetitive text or common phrases
• Incorporate simple rhythm instruments (rhythm sticks, maracas, tone blocks) to emphasize parts of the story such as the “clip clop” of the hoofs of the Three Billy Goats Gruff

Many of the language activities in our Activity Binders for preschool include a lot of ideas for bringing rhythm and music into reading language learning. I’ve noticed a big improvement in children’s language skills and ability to retell a story when these techniques are used.

H1N1, or the Swine Flu, has hit schools hard this fall. In many areas, up to  a third of students have been out sick. And while child care centers are often thought of as “germ factories”, a Minnesota newspaper reports that absentee rates have not been nearly as high as in schools.

“Child-care centers have kind of gotten a bad rap,” said Michelle Hahn, a St. Cloud nurse who works with early-childhood programs. The reality, she and others say, is that they tend to be much more vigilant about cleaning and sanitizing than schools — or workplaces.

Hats off to all of the diligent early childhood professionals who have always worked hard to keep germs at bay and our children safe and healthy. I’m happy to see your efforts being recognized!

The vast majority of states (40 out of 50) currently put money towards some kind of preschool program. Many financial annalysts see this as an investment that has the potential to bring back high returns.

There are a lot of statistics showing the effectiveness of a quality preschool program on young children, but the concept of a state-funded preschool program is still relatively new and the actual impact on a state-level has only been speculative, until now.

Started in 2005, New Mexico has one of the newest state funded pre-k programs. Recently the National Institute for Early Education Research completed a three year study on this preschool program. The results are very positive and include these key findings:

New Mexico PreK produces meaningful impacts on young children’s language, literacy, and math development

Overall classroom quality is good, but some improvements are needed, particularly in classroom support for early mathematics

Impacts of PreK and classroom quality are similar for PreK program sites administered by the state Public Education Department and the state Children, Youth and Families Department

An estimated $5 in benefits is generated in New Mexico for every dollar invested in New Mexico PreK

It is the last of these findings that has me most intrigued. According to the report, the dollar benefits are calculated by looking at

• the reduction of the number of children retained in grade
• the decrease in the number of children needing special education services
• an assumed increase in graduation rates

Even more suprisingly, the report estimates that

The benefit to U.S. society is estimated at $6.17 for every dollar invested in New Mexico [because] participants will have better educational outcomes that produce higher earnings. They will be less likely to engage in criminal behavior, to be victims of abuse and neglect, and to use welfare services.

This puts the rate of return of New Mexico’s state‐funded pre-k program at an estimated 18.1 percent for New Mexico and an estimated 22.3 percent to the country as a whole. Wow!

To view the complete report, click here.

I’ve noticed a lot more children coming in to preschool classrooms with food allergies. My daughter was one of them. An article in Health Day News previews a new study put on by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that:

the number of children with food allergies has gone up 18 percent and the number seeking treatment for food allergy at emergency departments or hospitals has tripled since 1993.

As my daughter approached her first birthday we realized she had a severe dairy allergy. She developed hives just by touching food with even the slightest amount of milk in it. Even eating food encrusted with store-bought bread crumbs (which usually contain a small amount of buttermilk powder) would cause hives around her mouth. I was most terrified by the hives and swelling I might not be able to see in places like her tongue or throat.

Our entire household had to adjust our eating habits. Going out to dinner felt like playing Russian Roulette. Most of the wait-staff we encountered seemed annoyed by our in-depth questioning of the ingredients in each meal. It became clear that most people thought that a dairy allergy is the same as lactose intolerance, which may cause some indigestion or other less pleasant discomforts, but not any real harm. We learned to bring food with us where ever we went.

Then came time to put our daughter into child care. Again, I stressed the allergy issue, but only when I had to show the teachers how to use the epipen did they take the situation seriously.

My daughter was fortunate to have a very dedicated teacher who attended a workshop for early childhood educators on food allergies in children. She said the workshop completely opened her eyes to the severity of the situation and gave her a new appreciation for the issue. I immediately noticed changes. It was clear that all teachers were now carefully reading food labels. They were learning the hidden terms for dairy like casein and whey. I was able to sleep better at night.

Apparently I am not alone in my experience. This article goes on to state:

Although many people think of allergies as more of a nuisance than a serious health issue, food allergy in particular can be very serious, even life-threatening. The most common foods that people are allergic to include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, shellfish, fish and wheat, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

By the time my daughter turned three, she had completely outgrown her dairy allergy, but her toddler teacher continues to be an advocate for children with food allergies in child care settings.

Here is a link to the Athsma and Allergy Foundation of America New England Chapter. In it you’ll find all kinds of information and tips for parent and child care providers on this important issue.