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Child Development

Curriculum Plan

Children who participate in Early Head Start/ Head Start will be guided to gain the skills and confidence necessary to be prepared to succeed in their present environment and with later responsibilities in school and in life as directed in the Head Start Standards.  In keeping with the standards, the approach must be developmentally appropriate and inclusive.  BRAD has adapted The Creative Curriculum written by Diane Trister Dodge and Laura J. Colker and the Arkansas Early Childhood Education Framework for three and four year olds, as a means of establishing goals, providing experiences, and selecting developmentally appropriate supplies and materials for children in Head Start.  Infants and toddlers in Early Head Start are screened using the E-Lap and ongoing assessment is completed using Ages and Stages. Caregiver and parental observation regarding the child’s growth and development are recorded and goals are established.  The Early Learning Achievement Profile and Ages and Stages are both used to develop activities for infants and toddlers.  BRAD Head Start/Early Head Start recognizes the critical role that parents and staff have in working together to individualize the curriculum to meet the needs of individual children.  Individualization is based on sound child development practices as well as patterns of growth and development in children and individual differences in children.
 

Goals

Children will develop socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically in a developmentally appropriate manner to achieve the overall goal of social competence.  Competencies include developing relationships with caregivers, teachers and peers, forming a sense of trust and security and the ability to express thoughts and feelings.  Other competencies considered are the ability to identify and solve problems, critical thinking and an increase of self-confidence.  Additional goals for children include the ability to respect the feelings and rights of others, and the ability to use creativity and imagination.  Children will move forward toward the goal of working independently as well as working cooperatively with others.  In an effort to help children form a foundation for school readiness, children will work toward the goals of developing literacy, numeracy, reasoning, problem solving and decision making skills.  B.R.A.D. Head Start has a rich pre-literacy curriculum that is developmentally appropriate and includes letter recognition, book handling skills, phonemic awareness, and language development.
 

Experiences

Experiences are planned and intentionally presented to children.  To support the hands on learning experience that children need to gain understanding, staff create environments and select materials that foster growth and development toward a specific goal.  Classroom activities/experiences are organized around a weekly theme providing individualization of daily activities based on the child’s needs, developmental strengths, interests, cultural background, temperament, and learning style.  Classroom activities/experiences will be a part of a sequential continuum and will be organized to maximize children’s success.  Classrooms are equipped with learning centers/interest areas, which include Blocks, Art, Sand & Water, Pretend and Learn, Library, Science, Writing, ABC and Manipulatives.
 

Roles and Responsibilities

Parents are expected to actively participate in the ongoing educational program by volunteering in the center, attending parent meetings, providing input into the curriculum and serving on various center committees.  Staff will develop individualized activities and experiences to foster each child’s growth toward reaching his/her potential.  An on-going assessment will allow staff and parents to monitor and make modification while directing children toward successful solutions.  The staff will gather data through anecdotal recordings, daily observation notes, portfolio material and checklists.  This information will be used to determine child outcome and it will be shared with the parents.  The child outcome will determine how the child benefited from the time in Head Start/Early Head Start.  Parents and staff working together and a planned, organized, intentional curriculum support child development and education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
 

Materials

Materials are rotated frequently to meet individual goals of children as well as to provide interest and discovery.  Teachers and caregivers will help parents recognize materials in the home that can be used for exploration and literacy activities.  Staff considers children’s developmental level and skills when selecting appropriate and challenging materials to foster growth and positive outcome.
 

Sound Child Development

All decisions made on behalf of the children enrolled in B.R.A. D.  Head Start/Early Head Start are based on a strong knowledge of child development.  Staff members receive numerous hours of in-service annually to broaden their knowledge base of child development.  Parents are invited to participate in all training opportunities.  Parents also have access to a resource library at each center which has numerous books, videos, and pamphlets on child rearing issues.  Many staff are currently in college pursuing a Child Development degree.  It is our belief that if the important people in a child’s life, parents and teacher/caregivers, all are knowledgeable about the needs of children, we will be more likely to meet each child’s individual needs.

Mental Health

It is the strong belief of B.R.A.D. Head Start/Early Head Start that we can not effectively prepare children for kindergarten and life there after unless we work with the whole child.  Often children, whose families are experiencing stress, are also feeling the effects of disharmony themselves.  Children need emotional support to grow and develop in other domains.  We have a powerful social –emotional component woven throughout our curriculum.  We have mental health observations made at least twice per program year by a mental health professional.  At these times, staff and parents are free to seek assistance.  The mental health professional also observes the children to determine any needs.  Since we are a strengths model, we prefer the term mental wellness and we strive to help children learn appropriate coping techniques that allow them to be resilient and overcome the factors that put them at risk for school failure. 

Health & Safety

Health

Head Start is committed to wellness embraced by a comprehensive vision of health for children, families, and staff.  This ensures that through collaboration among families, staff, and health professionals, all child health and developmental concerns are identified and children and families are linked to an ongoing source of continuous, assessable care to meet their basic needs.  Head Start encourages families who qualify to apply for state-funded health insurance programs.

In collaboration with the parent, but no later than 45 calendar days, each child must receive a hearing and vision and developmental screening.  Within 90 calendar days from the child’s entry date, each child must receive a physical and dental exam.

Preventive dental services and treatment ensures that children’s teeth and gums are healthy and that dental health problems do not affect the child’s overall health.  One of the most effective means of preventing tooth decay is fluoridation.  Head Start partners with local dentists to provide dental exams for children or refer them to local dentists for exams.

Head Start and local county health departments partner together to prepare children for Head Start as well as Kindergarten.  Immunizations are kept current through county health units as well as other medical facilities.

Safety

 In emergency situations, staff members are prepared to act quickly to ensure the health and well-being of each child.  Our staff are trained and certified in First Aid and CPR. 

A written plan for evacuating and responding fires, floods, tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes, blizzards, power failures or violence in the community saves valuable time in emergency situations.  Our centers have posted emergency evacuation and escape routes, assignments for all staff and location of the nearest fire alarm.  These emergency drills are practiced regularly in each classroom.

For the safety of all children, a child with a short-term contagious illness, may be temporarily excluded from program participation and center-based activities or group experiences.  This is for only a short-term period.  Keeping the child in care poses a significant risk to the health or safety of other children or anyone in contact with the child.

B.R.A.D. participates in the Special Nutrition Program which provides reimbursement for meals and snacks.  Meals and snacks served provide one-half to two-thirds of the daily nutritional requirements of children.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are served daily, along with 100 percent fruit juices.  All foods served are baked, instead of deep frying.

Menus are approved by a registered dietitian.  Meals are served family style with teachers and children sitting down together having conversation.  Every child is encouraged to taste all food served.  Children are taught to clean their area and carry their dishes and flatware to a designated area.  If there are any foods the child cannot eat due to medical or religious reasons, we must have proper documentation.

One cooking and two tasting experiences are held each month in conjunction with lesson plan topics.  The children are taught to measure ingredients, how to prepare food, learn about food groups, and proper nutrition. 

Children are weighed and measured twice per year.  Children found to be overweight or underweight are referred to the local health department for the family to work with the nutritionist.

Nutrition information is available in our centers.  We work closely with the local health department and county extension offices for pamphlets and materials on healthy eating.

Transition as related to Head Start/Early Head Start means change. Change is something hard on all of us and at Head Start/Early Head Start it is our job to help make the transition as smooth as possible for the entire family. This means whether the child is entering or exiting the program.

Our program maintains several local written transition agreements that are updated annually to help insure the smooth transition process. Our program also gathers kindergarten screening scores for previously enrolled Head Start children.

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Parent Involvement & Family Partnerships

BRAD Head Start/Early Head Start is a family-focused program that offers parents many opportunities for involvement in their child’s educational experience.  This includes:

• Working with teachers or caregivers to establish individualized educational goals for children

• Working as a classroom volunteer

• Participation in parent/child activities

• Attending parent meetings and activities

• Participation as a center officer or policy council member for involvement in decision-making for the program

• Participation in family-literacy activities. Lending libraries of children’s books are available in all classrooms and many take-home projects are provided

• Working with program staff to maintain a regular schedule of well-child health examinations and immunization

Parents are also offered opportunities to participate in many educational experiences that are relevant for parents of young children.  These include:

• Successful parenting

• Family budgeting and other money matters

• Healthy marriages/relationships

• Father involvement

• Family health and safety practices

• Continuing education and job skills

• Family literacy

• Child development

• Proper nutrition

• Family emotional health and wellness

• Prenatal health

 Families are encouraged to participate in Family Partnership Plans that BRAD Head Start/Early Head Start Family Service Workers and families work together to find and access resources to meet the family’s needs.  Family Partnership Plans also include a goal-setting process with strategies and timelines to aid families in the accomplishment of goals.  Families take pride in the accomplishment of goals such as acquiring a GED, attending college, gaining employment, finding adequate housing, improving the quality of family relationships, buying their first home, etc.  Through this family partnership process, BRAD Head Start/Early Head Start supports families in their efforts toward self-sufficiency and success in all aspects of life.
 

Community Partnerships

Many of the quality services that the B.R.A.D. Head Start/Early Head Start/ABC program provides are made possible through successful partnerships with other community agencies and organizations.  These program partners share our vision of a better community through the provision of the best services possible for our children and families.

Some of our most successful partnerships have led to the construction of new, state-of-the-art facilities.  These include:

• Pocahontas Black River Child Development Center, our Pocahontas Head Start/Early Head Start/ABC center which was provided through the joint partnership of Black River Technical College, the City of Pocahontas, and Head Start,

• Pocahontas Early Head Start, constructed in partnership with the Pocahontas Housing Authority,

• Corning Head Start Center and the Virginia Atkison Early Head Start Center, both provided through a partnership with the City of Corning.

• Piggott Head Start Center, provided through a partnership with Clay County,

• James W. Graves Head Start Center, our facility in Rector that is provided through a partnership with the Rector Housing Authority.

B.R.A.D. Head Start/Early Head Start has developed and maintains many other community partnerships to ensure the provision of quality services for enrolled children and families.  Some of these partners include:

• Area health care providers – doctors, dentists, therapists and other providers who work with the program to provide quality healthcare for children and families.

• All public schools partner with the program to ensure that children transition successfully from Head Start to kindergarten.

• Local Kiwanis Clubs provide support for the Reading Is Fundamental program which encourages family literacy and provides free books for children.

• AETN partners with B.R.A.D. Head Start/Early Head Start/ABC to provide early literacy programs for children and families.

• Midsouth Health Systems, a partnership which provides emotional wellness support for children, families and staff through individual or family counseling services and parenting workshops.

• Healthy Randolph County which works to ensure quality health services in our community and provides free car seats for families in need.

• Black River Technical College provides GED services, on-site computer literacy classes and staff training opportunities.

• Mothers and Infant program provides prenatal and postpartum education and assessment through home visits with enrolled families.

• Local public libraries provide literacy experiences for children and families, both on-site and at the library.

• Disabilities services providers work with B.R.A.D. Head Start/Early Head Start/ABC to ensure that special needs services, such as speech and language therapy, are provided.

This site and its contents are ©2006 - 2008 Black River Area Development Corporation. All rights reserved. Questions and comments concerning this site should be directed to lcasey@bradheadstart.com

This is an Equal Opportunity Program.  Discrimination is prohibited by Federal law.  Complaints of discrimination may be filed with the USDA Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.  20250.

Black River Area Development Corporation (BRAD) is an equal opportunity employer.  Black River Area Development Corporation is also a government contractor subject to Federal laws regarding Affirmative Action.

Last modified 08/20/2008 11:35 AM