Materials Needed:

• Bag or box to collect leaves
• Leaves
• Paper (can be a newspaper, paper bags, magazines, notebook paper, etc.)
• Pencil or something to write with

Developmental Goals:

• Promote the use of problem solving and inquiry
• Practice classifying objects
• Provide practice counting and quantifying objects
• Promote conversation and teamwork

In the Future:

• The ability to classify objects by different characteristics is a stepping stone for understanding the math concept of one-to-one correspondence which will eventually build into simple addition and subtraction.
• The ability to generate guesses in an investigation is the skill of making hypotheses in the scientific process.

At-Home Activity:

1. Go outside with your child on a leaf hunt and collect a variety of leaves in their bag.
2. Next, look at all your leaves and decide how to sort them. You might ask, “How should we organize these leaves? What things are the same and different about these leaves?” to get your child thinking about the different characteristics. For example, they may choose to sort by color, by size, or by how many points on the leaves.
3. Once your child has chosen a characteristic, have them sort the leaves accordingly, helping as needed.
4. Together, count each pile and assist in writing the number. Then, pose the question “Are there more green leaves or brown leaves? Which number is bigger? How many more?”

For younger preschoolers and toddlers: you can stop at collecting leaves and just talk about how they look and identify characteristics instead of sorting.

For older preschoolers: you can see if your child can count each category that has been sorted and then compare which category has the most? Which category has the least? You could challenge them to figure out how many more one has over the other? Or how many less?

Check out Melissa's tips:

What is Imaginative Play?
Imaginative play is playing pretend. Imaginative play is important for young children, as it not only builds character, but also helps adults understand children’s perspective and how they view and take in the world around them. When caregivers understand a child’s perspective, caregivers can be a better resources for them.

Why is Imaginative Play Important?
Many times, adults thinks that imaginative play is just for the children, when in fact it is for everyone. During imaginative play, you get to be anyone, anything, be any place and experience life outside of reality. During imaginative play you get to be free.
Through imaginative play children learn critical thinking skills, how to follow simple directions, build expressive and receptive language, increase social skills and learn how manage their emotions.

While children can handle exploring imaginative play alone with their thoughts and experiences, caregivers can play a key role in helping scaffold a child’s development. For example, imaginative play might begin with you and your child and just a baby doll. The caregiver plays the role in adding words or actions to the play such as do you think your baby is hungry? That will prompt the child to feed the baby. Now we have a baby and food. Next, the caregiver might say, the baby made a mess with the food, what do you think we should do? This question prompts the child to think whether to clean the baby by washing the baby or just changing the baby’s clothes. Another example, the caregiver can say, “I think I smell something, could it be your baby?” This will prompt the child to smell the baby and change. Now we, have a baby, food and a diaper.

How to Incorporate Imaginative Play at Home?
Incorporating imaginative play into your routine at home helps promote the parent-child relationship. Since bath time is already a routine for children, caregivers can add imaginative play to bath time. Adding imaginative play to bath time can be done by simply adding items such as a baby doll, small cars or cups from the kitchen. Washing the baby can help children identify different body parts and understand the difference between clean and dirty, while adding vocabulary words such as wash, soap, towel, water, clean, dirty. The same as washing the cars, children get a sense of how cars are changing from dirty to clean. For the cups, children can experience filling and dumping the water in and out of the cup. Adding vocabulary words such as filling, dumping, full, and empty. Remember imaginative play can be planned or spontaneous.

Easy Activities for Home

• Singing Concert
  • Materials needed: any safe objects like wooden spoons or pots and pans to use while you and your child sing and dance to their favorite song.
• Baby doll playtime
  • Materials needed: a baby doll or soft stuffed item.
• Bus stop
  • Materials needed: a chair, the couch and paper to use as money.

Tips for Halloween

When it comes to celebrating Halloween, children have the opportunity to live out their imaginative play fantasy by dressing up and becoming their favorite tv character. When picking costumes this holiday season, caregivers should become knowledge of the character that their children pick so that they can ask questions to keep the playing and learning going.

If you are going trick or treat, remember before leaving the house to give your child rules that they must follow while out in the public so that they can play safely. Giving your child the rules before leaving shows you are trusting them to be responsible. For example, caregivers can use character as the example on how following rules is important. For example, “I am expecting you to be a responsible superhero.” Or when the child is doing something outside of the rules, caregivers could say, “I wonder what will Spiderman do if his mother saw him doing that?

If the weather is too hot/cold/rainy for Trick or Treating this Halloween, you can still incorporate dressing up and imaginative play in other ways to still enjoy Halloween:

• District Park Halloween party
• Neighborhood Truck trick or treat
• Family Bowling night with character
• Family party at home (dress up)
• Movie night with the family watching Halloween movie
• Cooking with family

Overview

In early 2022, Start Early, Chicago’s other five federal Head Start grant recipients and Chicago Public Schools formed an Advisory Committee to begin exploring how to achieve community-based services for children with IEPs enrolled in Head Start. After a year of research on other district models, gathering of parent and staff input and joint planning through frequent committee meetings, the pilot model was developed and launched in the fall of 2023. 

Parents in Chicago often enroll their children ages 3-5 in community-based organizations because they love and trust their local early learning program and because the program provides more convenient hours and comprehensive, year-long services for families. At the same time, Chicago Public School (CPS) is the agency that provides special education services for all children ages 3-5 who qualify for these services. Currently, most young children with disabilities must leave their community-based classroom, board a bus, transition to a CPS classroom and travel back to their community-based program in one day to receive their special education services. Some families choose to forgo services due to the disruptive nature of this transition. The goal of this pilot is to develop, implement, assess and institutionalize feasible strategies for delivering special education services to children with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) onsite in the Head Start programs in which they are enrolled. 

Are you an educator currently participating in this pilot? Access orientation and pilot training recordings here.

Have questions about this pilot? Reach out to inclusionpilot@startearly.org to get in touch with a member of the planning team.

This video is also available in Mandarin & Spanish.

Program Eligibility

CPS Itinerant teachers and related service providers (which currently includes speech language pathologists and social workers) travel to each participating Head Start program to deliver services in the Head Start classroom. Because this is a pilot program, eligibility is currently limited. Children are eligible to participate in the pilot if they meet all of the following eligibility criteria:  

• They attend one of the six participating Head Start programs: Educare Chicago, Paulo Freire Family Center, Chinese American Service League, Christopher House (Belden Ave), Henry Booth House– Near South, and Carole Robertson Center for Learning – Little Village  
• They have fewer than 275 special education minutes per week on their IEP  
• Their parent or guardian has given consent  

CPS itinerant teachers and Head Start teachers have dedicated planning time to discuss needs and goals of children in the classroom and develop strategies using both of their expertise to support all children. This time is important for teachers to develop a teaching relationship and implement inclusive classroom strategies together. 

All staff also have the opportunity to participate in annual professional development trainings and on-going joint communities of practice hosted by STAR NET, a statewide network that provides evidence-based training for teachers to implement inclusive strategies in their classrooms.  

Learnings to Date

Start Early conducted a thorough qualitative and quantitative evaluation during school year 2023-2024 through surveys and focus groups with pilot stakeholders, including the planning team, staff, and parents. Findings from the first year of implementation indicate:  

• Pilot staff expressed stronger belief in the importance of inclusion, the collaborative teaching model and the importance of children receiving services in the community-based setting after participating in the first year of implementation. 
• Pilot staff felt that they had developed new and improved skills related to early childhood special education after participating in the first year of implementation. 
• Pilot staff are building strong relationships across the Head Start and Chicago Public Schools systems.  
• Staff and parents alike report improved outcomes for children and are glad to be a part of the pilot. 

Team & Collaborators

This project is executed through a public-private partnership thanks to the many contributions of staff from Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services, Carole Robertson Center for Learning, Chicago Commons, Easterseals serving Greater Chicago and Rockford and Henry Booth House.  

Special thanks to: This pilot project was made possible with generous support from Crown Family Philanthropies. 

For young children, it’s important to show and appreciate the differences within each Latino community. Highlighting cultures by showcasing native attire, delicacies, country flags, differences in written language and general images of each culture help to create a shared understanding of what being a Latino means. This also helps Latino children create an identity and a sense of pride to be a Latino.

Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for Latino children to understand the history of their family and their community. When speaking with a family in the native tongue, it creates a bond within the family unit that will help the child as they get older and learn to speak additional languages.

“Attire From Around the World” is an activity we like to do with the children and families we work with. Each child dresses up in an outfit that represents their nationality. Some students have worn Charo attire and folkloric dresses. Others braid their hair in a distinctive style or bring flags from their country to proudly display. We all love it when parents bring in food unique to their home country because it is a chance for all of us to sample special dishes and celebrate that culture! Children also love to take part in making pinatas – which are all created differently depending on what country they’re from.

Children’s Books to Read During Hispanic Heritage Month

Whether your child is a toddler, in pre-K or headed to kindergarten, here are books to read aloud with your little one to celebrate and learn about the Latino culture.

What is picky eating?

Picky eating typically refers to a child having strong food preferences, refusing to try new foods, or avoiding certain textures or tastes. It’s a phase that most children go through during their development. According to Melanie, nearly every child experiences phases of picky eating. This behavior can vary widely from child to child, making it crucial for parents to approach it with patience and understanding.

Identifying When to Be Concerned

While picky eating is usually normal, there are instances where it might indicate a more significant issue. Parents should consult their child’s medical provider to differentiate between typical picky eating and something that may require intervention. Regular checkups and open communication with health care professionals are vital in ensuring that a child’s eating habits are healthy and developmentally appropriate.

Supporting Your Picky Eater

Supporting a picky eater involves a combination of patience, creativity and persistence. Here are some strategies to help:

• Offer Variety: Continue to introduce a variety of foods. If your child doesn’t like a food prepared one way, try a different method. For example, if they don’t like steamed broccoli, try roasting it.
• Make Meals Fun and Engaging: Turn mealtime into a fun experience. Get your child involved in cooking, gardening, or grocery shopping. Discuss the food’s taste, texture and appearance to make them more curious and engaged.
• Be Patient: Don’t force your child to eat. Encourage them gently and offer new foods multiple times without pressure. A relaxed approach can help reduce mealtime stress.
• Role Modeling: Children learn by observing others. Eat together as a family without distractions, and model healthy eating habits. Older siblings can also be role models for younger children.
• Seek Professional Help: If picky eating seems to be more than a phase, seek advice from medical providers. They can refer you to dietitians or occupational therapists if needed.

Common Misconceptions About Children’s Nutrition

There are several misconceptions about children’s nutrition that parents should be aware of:

1. Picky Eating is Abnormal: Picky eating is a common phase in early childhood. Research says it takes eight to 15 times to introduce a new food before your child will accept it. Children need repeated exposure to new foods before they may accept them. Try offering it again in a different form or at a different time.
2. Healthy Eating is Expensive: Healthy eating doesn’t have to be costly. Utilizing frozen fruits and vegetables can be a budget-friendly way to provide nutritious meals.
3. All Children Need Whole Milk: Recent research suggests that not all children need whole milk after the age of one. Only children who are underweight require whole milk; others can transition to lower-fat options.
4. Milk is Necessary at Every Meal: A common misconception is that children need to drink milk with every meal. However, milk can be very filling, especially for young children with small stomachs. Offering milk with meals can sometimes lead to a full stomach, making the child seem picky when they’re just not hungry. Offering water during meals instead can help ensure that they are still interested in eating their food.
5. Babies are Ready for Solid Foods at Four Months old: The phrase “food before one is just for fun” highlights that introducing solid foods before a child’s first birthday is more about familiarizing them with textures and the concept of eating than meeting nutritional needs. Starting solids too early can make it seem like a child is picky when they may just not be developmentally ready for solid foods.

Picky eating is a common, often frustrating phase in early childhood. During the holidays, having a picky eater can be even harder to navigate. Consider having a “practice” meal or having one of your child’s favorite foods at the table is an easy way to help your child feel more comfortable.

With patience, creativity, and the right strategies, parents can support their children through this phase and help them develop healthy eating habits. Remember, every child is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Stay informed, trust your instincts, and seek professional advice when needed.

Making the transition into preschool and kindergarten is a big step and a big change in a young child’s life. Explaining what it might be like is critical in helping them feel secure. Reading books on the subject at storytime gives parents the opportunity to enhance their child’s understanding by providing illustrated examples of what their new school will be like and helping make learning fun.

Back-to-School Books for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners

Here’s a list of books recommended by the experienced staff and teachers of Educare Chicago. From books on how children around the world get to school, to first-day jitters, to classics that have stood the test of time, you are bound to find one, or more, that will be a wonderful tool to explain this milestone to your child. So get out there and start reading!

• Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
  It’s Llama Llama’s first day of preschool! And Llama Llama’s mama makes sure he’s ready. They meet the teachers. See the other children. Look at all the books and games. But then it’s time for Mama to leave. And suddenly Llama Llama isn’t so excited anymore.
• My Preschool by Anne Rockwell
  Join a happy little boy during a day at preschool, from cheerful hellos in circle time, to painting colorful pictures and playing at the water table before snack time. The best part of saying goodbye at the end of the day is that the little boy knows he will come back tomorrow.
• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
  It’s the first day of kindergarten and Miss Bindergarten is hard at work getting the classroom ready for her 26 new students. Miss Bindergarten puts the finishing touches on the room just in time, and the students arrive. Now the fun can begin!
• Kindergarten Kids by Ellen Senisi
  This cheerful photo essay shows 21 kids in a kindergarten class on a typical day. Girls and boys play with everything from computers to blocks; they learn the alphabet and how to follow rules; they dress up, say the pledge of allegiance, listen to stories, and make music and art together. Sometimes they even have a bad day.
• Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing
  Join the kids as they prepare for kindergarten, packing school supplies, posing for pictures, and the hardest part of all—saying goodbye to mom and dad. But maybe it won’t be so hard once they discover just how much fun kindergarten really is.
• Kindergarten ABC by Jacqueline Rogers
  Each and every day celebrates a letter of the alphabet with a fun-filled classroom scene.
• Who Will Go to School Today? by Karl Ruhmann
  Sam decides to send his toy monkey Timbo to kindergarten in his place, but after telling Timbo about his school friends and what his day is really like, he realizes he wants to go himself.
• Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
  Froggy’s mother knows that everyone is nervous on the first day of school. Froggy’s exuberant antics, complete with sound effects, will delight his many fans and reassure them that school can be fun.
• Otto Goes to School by Todd Par
  Otto goes to school for the first time, where he makes new friends and learns how to wag his tail without knocking things over.
• This is the Way We Go to School: A Book about Children Around the World by Edith Baer
  With fun-filled rhymes and colorful illustrations, children will discover just how much fun getting to school can be.
• Going to School by Sally Hewitt
  Children learn what it is like to go to school in other countries.
• Seven Little Mice Go to School by Haruo Yamashita
  It’s time for seven little mice to start school! And it’s up to Mother Mouse to get them there.
• Chicken Chickens Go to School by Valeri Gorbachev
  It’s the first day of school for the little chickens and they are a little scared. How a wise teacher helps the chickens overcome their fears and win some wonderful new friends is a heartwarming story that will reassure youngsters experiencing their own first-day jitters.
• Our Class is a Family
  With its heartfelt message and colorfully whimsical illustrations, “Our Class is a Family” is a book that will help build and strengthen that class community. Kids learn that their classroom is a place where it’s safe to be themselves, it’s okay to make mistakes, and it’s important to be a friend to others. When hearing this story being read aloud by their teacher, students are sure to feel like they are part of a special family.

Checklist To Navigate the Transition to Kindergarten

The start of kindergarten can be exciting, stressful, intimidating and scary at the same time. As a parent, you can help ease some of your child’s worries and fears by having conversations around their feelings. By learning as much as you can about the kindergarten experience, you’ll be able to better explain the transition to your child and they’ll understand how fun kindergarten will be!

1. Meet the Teacher Before the First Day of School
   If you can, schedule a time for you and your child to meet their kindergarten teacher before the first day of school. This will give your child the chance to become comfortable with the teacher. You can also let the teacher know about your child’s preferences, temperament, strengths and weaknesses. For example, if your child had trouble with transitions in preschool, explain how you and the preschool teacher helped them overcome that challenge. The kindergarten teacher will appreciate your tips! You can also talk about your aspirations for your child and what you hope your child will learn in the upcoming year. Ask how you can be involved in the classroom. Be sure to share your contact information and let the teacher know the best way to reach you.
2. Set a Consistent Routine Before School Starts
   A consistent morning and evening routine will help your child feel prepared for the first day of kindergarten. Young children benefit from routines because when they know what will happen next they are less prone to find changes stressful. Set a bedtime to help your child get a good night’s rest. In the morning, leave enough time for getting dressed, eating breakfast and packing backpacks. Start your routine a few weeks before kindergarten so you know how long it will take to get ready. Be sure to have a goodbye ritual like a high five, blowing a kiss or giving a hug to help your little one understand that it is time for you to leave, this will help them feel less anxious knowing that you are going to return later.
3. Do a Dry Run
   A few days before the first day of school, do a dry run of your morning routine, including going to school. You can walk or drive to school, or walk to the bus stop with your child. Show your child the door they will walk in on the first day of school. Ask the school what the pick-up and drop-off policies are. Some schools allow parents to come into the classroom to drop their children off, and others have a different meeting point. Not only will you find out exactly how long your morning routine takes, you’ll also give your child a better sense of what the day will look like to prevent first-day-of-school anxiety. While you are in the classroom, you can discuss with your child what is the same and what is different about this classroom and their old preschool classroom. Do they have the same areas? Are there desks? What is not there? You can also ask the teacher if your child can bring in a family picture or something special to add to their cubby to feel more comfortable. You can also watch YouTube videos of kindergarten classrooms together and even role play different school scenarios at home if your child has more questions or wants to see more examples.
4. Find Out What Skills the Teacher Expects Children to Have on Day One
   Kindergarten teachers may expect children to be able to handle their emotions, articulate their needs, listen to directions, raise their hand before talking, write their name, and recognize shapes and colors on the first day of school. Find out what the expectations are in advance and ask for tips on how to prepare your child for any skills they are still working on. If your child has mastered those skills, ask the teacher what will be done to challenge your child in the classroom.
5. Read to Your Child
   Check out our list of recommended books below for kindergarten students. Start reading books before school starts during storytime so that your child has a better idea of what going to school will be like.
   1. Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
   2. The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes
   3. Look out Kindergarten, Here I Come by Nancy Carlson
6. Be an Advocate
   If your child needs any special services, talk to the administration and the classroom teachers in advance to find out who provides them. Ask if the services are provided inside or outside the kindergarten classroom. If your child has an individualized education plan from preschool, find out how that plan transfers over to kindergarten.
7. Network With Other Parents
   Talking with other parents is a great way to build a support system to help you through all the challenges of parenthood. Ask the school what supports are available for parents and what opportunities are provided for parents to meet, such as parent groups, school councils, or other committees that you can join.
8. Prepare for Breakfast and Lunch
   Find out if your school provides breakfast and/or lunch and plan accordingly. Your child may be used to eating at certain times at home or at an early childhood center, so explain how mealtimes may be changing. If your child will be buying lunch, get a menu from the school. Find out how food preferences are honored. For instance, some schools ask for a doctor’s note for food allergies.
9. Decrease Naptime
   Some schools may offer a resting period, but many don’t. So it’s a good idea to wean children off naps before the first day of kindergarten.
10. Make Afterschool Plans
    If your child will be in after school care, make those arrangements as soon as possible. Find out what afterschool care options your school offers and how much it costs. Make sure your child knows what the plans are and that you pick up your child on time or early so they don’t get anxious waiting for you. Create a backup plan with other parents, who you can rely on to pick up your child if you are running late.