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June 25, 2014
Consultants Connection
In This Issue
Daily Schedule
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Dear Great Start to Quality Providers,

This is your bi-weekly touchpoint with the Great Start to Quality Consultants! The focus will be a shared topic that will provide support to each of you in your daily work with young children and families.  Enjoy!

Angie, Dawn, Heather
Quality Improvement Consultants - Eastern Region

 
Daily Schedule
A daily schedule orders the events that will take place throughout the day.  As busy teachers, and parents many of us rely on our phones, email, and electronic calendars to visually alert us of  what we will be doing throughout the day.  Infants, Toddlers and Preschool aged children also benefit from a visual display or schedule. 

A visual daily schedule outlines how the events are expected to flow, the order in which they happen, and for how long (although not necessarily the exact times). Schedules are important because they:
  • provide consistency and predictability, which helps children develop a sense of trust and security
  • gives teachers a framework for planning and, making good use of time spent with children
  • provide a link between home and school, and reassure families about what their children are doing throughout the day
While consistency and predictability are important characteristics of schedules, flexibility is just as important. This means that schedules can be modified in the moment to meet individual children's needs or group needs, take advantage of "teachable moments," and maintain a consistent and an unhurried pace. 
 
When developing a visual daily schedule for your program please consider:
  • major events occurring in the same order every day
  • sufficient time for routine care and transitions from one event to the next
  • balance between quiet and active times
  • opportunities for children to be engaged in learning alone, with a familiar adult, and with a small group of children, and
  • opportunities to spend time outdoors.
As you design the visual schedule for your program consider using photographs of the children engaging in the parts of the day.  Display the finished schedule at the children's level so that they can refer to it as they transition. The visual schedule should be a tool that works for both the teachers and the children. Be creative and have fun when designing your schedule!


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Interested in learning more about Great Start to Quality?

Take advantage of quarterly webinars hosted by Great Start to Quality!  The webinars will keep you informed about Michigan's tiered quality rating and improvement system.

The next webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 20th
1:00 - 2:00pm
Topic:
  TBD

Did you miss a webinar?  You can view recorded webinars anytime at: 

If you haven't already, please sign up for the Great Start to Quality listserv at http://greatstarttoquality.org/.  Click the "Sign Up" link at the bottom of the home page to get updates and answers to frequently asked questions.


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Need help with the Great Start to Quality STARS system?
Please contact the Resource Center's support team.
  • Toll Free support is available: 1-877-614-7328
  • Our Quality Improvement Specialists are available to help you! 

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 The PQA...


 
The PQA, Program Quality Assessment is the assessment tool identified by the Great Start to Quality program to be used when assessing a program/provider.  The standards listed in the PQA have identified high quality program practices for all children. 
 
Infant Toddler PQA:
II.  Schedules and Routines
II-A.  The overall daily schedule is predictable yet flexible. 
 
II-C.  Choice times (play times, awake times) focus on child-initiated exploration and play.
 
 
Preschool PQA:
II.  Daily Routine
II-A.  Adults establish a consistent daily routine. Children are aware of the routine. 
 
 
Family Child Care PQA:
I.  Daily Schedule 
I-A.  Providers establish a consistent daily schedule or sequence of events, and children are aware of the schedule. 
 
 
***Check your PQA booklets for all Level 5 Indicators***

 ***Contact your local Lending Library to check out a PQA booklet***

  

Pinterest Find of the Week....
                   
             


Take painting projects outside! Check out this link:
 
Looking for Training? 


Below is a list of trainings offered for each county.  Trainings are being added often so for more detailed information and to register, go to:

  

Arenac/Bay Counties:

  

Transforming the Difficult Child:  The Nurtured Heart Approach

Making a Healthy Home for Children

Small Group Time & Time for Child Recall

CPR/First Aid

  

Huron County:

  

CPR/First Aid

Developing a Parent Handbook

  

Lapeer County:

 

Understanding Children's Behaviors

CPR/First Aid

Partners with Children-Planning and Learning Together

  

Saginaw County:

    

Learning Through Play-The Active Learning Way
Working with Infants and Toddlers
Primary Caregiver Professional Development Training

Saint Clair County:

 

Transforming Aggression:  Helping Those Who Hurt

Creative Curriculum Intentional Teaching
Using Teaching Strategies GOLD Lab Session for Preschool Teachers
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and ASQ Social-Emotional Training
CPR/First Aid

 

 

Sanilac County:
 
Shooting for the STARS; Self Assessment Survey Computer Lab
FLIP It; Don't FLIP Out
Team Teaching & Using Data to Inform Instruction
CPR/First Aid

  

Tuscola County:

  

Praise vs Encouragement

Small Group Time & Time for Child Recall

CPR/First Aid

 

Mail Correspondence and Online:

 

Schedules & Routines (Tier 2)
Building Positive Relationships (Tier 2)
Science for Young Children (Tier 2)
Math is More Than 1..2..3..

 

 

  

 

 
Have you visited your Lending Library lately?
 
The Eastern Resource Center's Lending Library is a FREE educational resource available to parents and early childhood professionals. We offer themed bins and CARES bags full of learning materials to enhance your classroom or childcare environment for children birth to age 5! Stop by your local Lending Library to check out something new today!  

  

Not sure where your local Lending Library is located?  

  • Click on "Great Start to Quality Resource Centers". 
  • Click "Eastern Resource Center" on the map to find the Lending Library near you!
 
Featured Lending Library Resource
Teacher Resource 

  

  

  

  

  

      

Daily Schedules and Caregiving Routines DVD:

Eating, napping, playing, exploring objects and people - all infants and toddlers do these things but have varying personal routines from day to day. When caregivers provide consistent but flexible daily schedules and caregiving support, they let children know their needs are met, freeing the children to investigate their world.

 

Part 1 of this program gives you an overview of an infant-toddler daily schedule that includes arrivals and departures, group times, feedings and mealtimes, personal care times, and choice time.

  •  Part 2 offers strategies for creating a daily schedule that is stable yet flexible enough to meet young children's needs.
  •  Part 3 shows caregivers supporting children throughout the daily schedule in a series of unnarrated scenes from authentic High Scope settings.

90 minutes, viewer guide included

  
How to contact your Consultant:

Angie Pearcy
(Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola)
Cell:  989-280-0979
  
Dawn Kalkman
  (Lapeer and St. Clair )
  Email:  [email protected]
  Cell:  989-280-1103

  Heather Rousseau 
  (Arenac, Bay, Saginaw)
  Email:  [email protected]
  Cell:  989-284-2250