July 29, 2013
Great Start to Quality Resource Center Newsletter
In This Issue
Quality Mealtimes
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Dear Great Start to Quality Providers,

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

Dawn and Heather
Quality Improvement Consultants - Eastern Region

 


                                                                                                                                                                  

Quality Mealtimes

Mealtime is an important part of a child's day.  Snacks and mealtimes are part of the child's curriculum as these parts of the day provide many learning opportunities.  One way to provide quality mealtimes is by implementing a family style mealtime, which includes adults and children sitting down together at the table with food that is served in bowls and dishes and eating together. Children have child-sized dishes, utensils, cups and pitchers to use to pour a drink.  Children are encouraged to serve themselves or, if needed, to serve themselves with adult help.  Children build relationships by participating in meaningful conversations with the adults and other children at the table.

Family style mealtime:
  • reinforces social skills as children practice taking turns, passing food in dishes to others, saying "please" and "thank you" and helping set the table.
  • strengthens fine and gross motor skills by using utensils to serve and pass food.
  • gives children control of their eating by choosing which foods and how much to put on their plate.  This also decreases overeating and food waste over time.  Children learn how much to take and feel confident that if they would like more, more food is available.
  • encourages children to try new foods.
Family style mealtime takes a lot of PRACTICE!  Fun ways to PRACTICE include:
  • opportunities for children to help set the table.  Practice with placemats that give children an outline of the dish, cup, eating utensil.  Children will learn where things go on the table and practice one to one correspondence skills.
  • providing opportunities for children to practice picking up things with serving utensils, such as tongs, in other learning areas of the classroom.
  • practicing serving pretend food by passing serving dishes and using serving utensils.
  • practicing pouring skills in other learning areas of the classroom, such as pouring water during outside play, pouring beans or sand in the sensory area.  You could start with children pouring milk from the individual carton to the cup.  Once that pouring is mastered then transition to the small pitcher for pouring and passing.
It is important to remember that all children develop the skills necessary for passing, serving, and pouring at different rates.  Some will master these skills quickly and others may need adult assistance for some time before mastery.  Spills will happen, be patient and understanding, and include children in the clean-up process.  These are lifelong daily living skills children are learning!

The following links have important information for specific program types, such as Head Start/Early Head Start and GSRP preschool:

Head Start/Early Head Start

GSRP Implementation
          


Interested in learning more about Great Start to Quality?
Take advantage of monthly webinars hosted by Great Start to Quality!  The webinars will help keep you informed about Michigan's tiered quality rating and improvement system. The webinars are scheduled for the third Wednesday of each month from 1:00 - 2:00 and will include a variety of topics and updates.

The next webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21st and the topic is 
"Quality Improvement Resources/Support".

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.

Need help using the Great Start to Quality STARS system?
Please contact the Mosaic Network's support team.

**********************************************

Trainings to improve your PQA scores...

"How to Support Children in Resolving Conflicts" is coming to Saginaw County!!!
Training will be held on September 20th at Saginaw ISD Transition Center, 3860 Fashion Square Blvd., Saginaw. 

"Scaffolding Children's Learning at Small Group Time" is coming to Lapeer County!!!
Training will be held on August 17th at Lapeer ISD, 1996 W Oregon St., Lapeer.
 
These trainings are being offered by High Scope at a cost of only $25 for 6 hours of training.  Spots are filling fast so don't delay in enrolling at: www.greatstartCONNECT.org


Mealtimes and the PQA...
 
Infant Toddler PQA:
II.  Schedules and Routines
II-F.  Feedings and mealtimes are child centered and leisurely.
*Check your PQA booklet for Level 5 Indicators.

  

Preschool PQA:
II.  Daily Routine
II-K.  The program has a time each day for snacks or meals that encourage social interaction.
*Check your PQA booklet for Level 5 Indicators.
 
Family Child Care PQA:
I.  Daily Schedule
I-E.  The program has a time each day for snacks or meals.
*Check your PQA booklet for Level 5 Indicators.
 

Pinterest Find of the Week...

  Fun Food Activities for Children  Have a picky eater? �Tired of mealtime battles? �Including children in choosing, preparing, and cooking is always a good idea as it teaches lifelong skills and allows them to be part of their own healthy eating process. �Try these fun suggestions for a learning experience that promotes healthy eating at the same time.

 

Including children in choosing, preparing, and cooking is always a good idea as it teaches lifelong skills and allows them to be part of their own healthy eating process.  Try these fun suggestions for a learning experience that promotes healthy eating at the same time.


 

 

 
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:

 

Working with Infants and Toddlers
Transforming Aggression:  Helping Those Who Hurt
Promoting Social Emotional Competence
 

Huron County:

Child Initiated Learning
Child Abuse & Neglect Reporter Training
Battling or Balancing with Co-Workers
Creative Curriculum Overview and Interest Areas Workshop
Using Teaching Strategies GOLD Lab Session
Creative Curriculum Intentional Teaching 

Lapeer County:

 

Scaffolding Children's Learning at Small Group Time
Thriving or Surviving?

Saginaw County:

 

Building Positive Relationships
Boys and Girls Learn Differently
AHEAD:  At Home & At Daycare:  Working with Children with Special Needs
Beyond Sandy Hook:  Talking Trauma and Children
Addressing Challenging Behavior with Positive Behavior Support
How to Support Children in Resolving Conflicts (High Scope)

Saint Clair County:

 

***Shooting for the STARS:  Self Assessment Survey Computer Lab Open House (No training hours, no cost but Resource Center Staff will be present to support providers in uploading their documents in STARS 2.0)

 

Creative Curriculum (2 day training with Teaching Strategies)
Adults as Partners in Children's Development
FLIP It; Don't FLIP Out (Day 1)
FLIP It; Don't FLIP Out (Day 2)
Praise vs. Encouragement

 

Sanilac County:
 
***Shooting for the STARS:  Self Assessment Survey Computer Lab Open House (No training hours, no cost but Resource Center Staff will be present to support providers in uploading their documents in STARS 2.0)
 
Child Abuse & Neglect Mandated Reporter Training
Battling or Balancing with Co-Workers
 
Tuscola County:

  

***Shooting for the STARS:  Self Assessment Survey Computer Lab Open House (No training hours, no cost but Resource Center Staff will be present to support providers in uploading their documents in STARS 2.0) 
 
Addressing Challenging Behavior with Positive Behavior Support
The Colorful World of Literacy
Creative Curriculum (2 day training)

Mail Correspondence and Online:

 

Using and Extending Lending Library Materials
Behavior Expectations & Classroom Rules
Behavior Expectations & Classroom Rules
Safe Sleep & Shaken Baby Syndrome
 
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 Lend
ing Library Experience Bin:
 
Castle PreK  
 
The above picture features all the items included in the preschool aged "Castle" experience bin that can be checked out at your local lending library.  These items are FREE for you to borrow and use with the children in your care.  What a fun and exciting way to temporarily add new items to the classroom without breaking your budget! For a list of all the available items that can be borrowed, contact the Resource Center.
How to contact your Consultant:

  Dawn Kalkman
  (Huron, Lapeer, Sanilac, St. Clair, Tuscola)
  Email:  dkalkman@sisd.cc
  Cell:  989-280-1103

  Heather Rousseau 
  (Arenac, Bay, Saginaw)
  Email:  hrousseau@sisd.cc
  Cell:  989-284-2250