National Reading Month

National Reading Month is celebrated each year in March. We kick it off on March 2 by celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday, which is also Read Across America Day! National Reading Month encourages people of all ages to read more and have fun while doing it!

You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child. - Dr. Seuss

Celebrate National Reading Month Activities

Reading is one of the best habits children can develop and its benefits continue well into the future! Just to name a few of the benefits, reading with children helps strengthen literacy/language skills, increases vocabulary, improves comprehension, encourages imagination, and boosts memory.

Choose a fun theme or topic that the children enjoy, then find books and stories related to that topic.

Read aloud for at least 15 minutes a day.

Encourage families to read together for at least 15 minutes a day.

Consider starting a lending library by pairing a book with an activity and allowing families to “check them out.”

Take a field trip to the library or check out books for the classroom.

Try something new! What inspirations for activities can you find from favorite books (both yours and the children in your care)?

You can find out more about literacy by visiting these websites:

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/read-together-support-early-literacy

https://extension.psu.edu/programs/betterkidcare/news/2020/promoting-early-literacy

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. - Dr. Seuss

Fun Lesson Plan Ideas

Have you ever gotten “stuck” while doing lesson plans? Sometimes it can be overwhelming to fill in all those boxes, include all the developmental domains, make everything work together, and find activities that the children will love.

One way to beat the lesson planning blues is by thinking about literacy first.

Choose a book or books to focus on and build your lesson plans from there. Take a break and read the book. Think about activities that will expand on the themes and ideas found in the story. (Google will help, too!) The possibilities are endless, and soon the ideas will be flowing effortlessly!

Here are examples of two books and fun activities to accompany them:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear:

Read Aloud Book: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? | Fan's Animated Book | - YouTube

Print and make flannel board characters or puppets on popsicle sticks:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See Printable (teaching2and3yearolds.com)

Color Matching Activity:

Color Matching Activity for Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? FREE Printable - No Time For Flash Cards

Gross Motor Ideas:

Brown Bear, Brown Bear Gross Motor Ideas | 3 Dinosaurs

Art Activity:

Brown Bear Brown Bear Inspired DIY Pool Noodle Animal Stamping Book - The Educators' Spin On It (theeducatorsspinonit.com)

Fine Motor Lacing Cards:

Brown Bear Lacing Cards Busy Bag - Preschool Inspirations

Who Am I? Guessing Game:

Brown Bear Brown Bear Printable Language Activity (growingbookbybook.com)

Literacy:

Create a classroom book - ask each child what they see and allow them to create a page for the story! Let them write or help them record.

You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book. - Dr. Suess

Very Hungry Caterpillar:

Animated book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Animated Film - YouTube

Felt board characters/puppets on popsicle sticks:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Felt Board Fun (dltk-teach.com)

Caterpillar Necklace:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Necklace (handsonaswegrow.com)

Tissue Paper Butterflies:

Hungry Caterpillar Style Butterflies | Pre-school Play

Caterpillar Headbands:

Libraryland: Very Hungry Caterpillar Headband (lisaslibraryland.blogspot.com)

Fine Motor Activities:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers (happytotshelf.com)

https://modernpreschool.com/very-hungry-caterpillar-fine-motor-activity/

Sequencing Activity:

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Sequencing Printable | School Time Snippets

Fingerprint Math Activity:

Free Spring Fingerprint Counting Printables | Caterpillar, Ladybug, Flowers (funhandprintartblog.com)

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Activity:

Free Butterfly Life Cycle Printable Book - Fun-A-Day!

Professional Development Training

View the WKU FCCN Training Calendar for more information and to register.

FREE TRAINING

The Family Child Care Network will be offering a 4-part training series focusing on strengthening business practices. The purpose of this training is to strengthen childcare providers’ foundational knowledge of fiscal terms, concepts, and practices. It encourages providers to realize the importance of financial planning to the sustainability of their business. It provides tips and best practices to help break down fiscal processes into manageable steps.

This training is intended to be one part of the learning process to build providers’ understanding of good business practices.

Whenever possible, it is recommended that this training be supplemented with technical assistance and ongoing peer-to-peer sharing opportunities such as communities of practice. During this training, you will be introduced to financial reports that can help you better manage your center’s finances. We will also be helping you understand the concept of internal controls and how they can strengthen your program's fiscal health. Sign up now for the next series that begins in June!

Each month the WKU FCCN provides independent studies. Independent studies are online and work at your own pace. They are available for registration until the 15th of each month. Independent studies must be completed within two weeks.

Topics include:

Being Prepared for Emergencies
Curriculum-based Assessment
Developmental Screening
Evaluating Your Services
Family Engagement
Family Engagement: Literacy Bags
Health, Safety, and Nutrition
Infant and Toddler Development
Early Childhood Environments: Learning through Routines and Rituals
Let’s Get Appy
Preventing Burnout
Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse Neglect and Safe Sleep
Science in an Early Learning Classroom
Social Studies in an Early Learning Classroom
The Stressed Child
The Value of Play

Join us for live training from the comfort of your home!

We strive to provide personal, live sessions that are welcoming to all that allow for networking no matter where in Kentucky you live.

You do not need any special skills to attend, however you do need access to the internet and a free Zoom account.

Upcoming Dates:

March 21, 2023 - Kentucky’s Early Childhood Standards: Social Emotional Development and Health and Mental Wellness

Do you need CPR and First Aid?

FOR A LIMITED TIME GET IT FREE!

The WKU CCR&R offers both hybrid and face-to-face sessions. During hybrid sessions, the session content is online and the skills check is in person. Please make sure you are registering for the session that best meets your needs.

In-Person Class: March 18th

Hybrid Class: March 25th

Training Calendar

Join us along with the Child Care Council of KY in Lexington, KY on March 10-11, 2023, for the Family Child Care Convention! This amazing opportunity is FREE for Family Child Care Providers in Kentucky and includes nine hours of ECE-TRIS approved training.

Limited spots remain!

This Conscious Discipline training is a premium event that combines quality instruction with a uniquely immersive experience. We literally create a School Family classroom environment with all the structures of Conscious Discipline, and then utilize that classroom to teach the powers and skills of Conscious Discipline. Based on brain research and developmentally appropriate practices, the Institute provides inspiration, proven discipline strategies and camaraderie that will promote lasting changes that echo through your organization for years.

A publication of the WKU Family Child Care Network

Funded through Family Childcare Support Award SC 7362100001482

www.wku.edu/fccn