Early Literacy Tips for Little Learners Building early literacy doesn’t mean sitting down for long lessons—it happens naturally through play, connection, and everyday moments Here are some simple ways to support your child’s early reading and language skills: Read every day Even just 10 minutes! Repetition is key—don’t worry if they want the same book over and over. Talk, talk, talk Describe what you’re doing, ask questions, and encourage back-and-forth conversations (even if it’s babble!). Sing songs & nursery rhymes These help children hear rhythm and sounds in words—an important foundation for reading. Encourage scribbling & drawing These are early writing skills! Let them explore with crayons, markers, or even finger painting. Point out letters in everyday life On signs, food packages, or their name—make it fun and natural. Make books interactive Ask “What do you think will happen next?” or “Can you find the dog?” to build comprehension. Follow their interests Whether it’s trucks, animals, or princesses—use what they love to spark learning. Remember—early literacy is about connection, confidence, and curiosity… not perfection
Being an early learning and child care (ELCC) teacher can be an extremely rewarding experience. Particularly knowing that ELCC programs can improve child development outcomes that stretch into adulthood.1 These optimal outcomes are due, in large part, to practicing nurturing care within the program. Nurturing care in early childhood is defined as providing healthy, nutritionally adequate, secure and safe, responsive caregiving, accompanied by early learning opportunities within a supportive environment that enables these interactions.1 However, as with any career, there are many physical, social, and emotional demands that accompany this work that can add strain for an ELCC teacher. Research demonstrates that many teaching practices related to nurturing care, such as positive classroom management and responsiveness approach to children’s needs, can be negatively influenced by reduced educator psychological well-being (i.e., stress and burnout).2 Therefore, achieving wellness in the workplace is not only critical for supporting teacher well-being, but it also ensures that ELCC teachers are well-equipped to provide the physical, nutritional, social, and emotional stimulation necessary for child health.2 ELCC workplace wellness sets the stage for optimal physical, nutritional, social, and emotional environments that support children’s healthy growth and development.3 Balancing Job Demands with Job Resources Job Demands refer to the physical, social, and organizational factors that take mental energy in the workplace (e.g., managing children’s behavioural and emotional needs).4 In contrast, Job Resources are the physical, social, and organizational factors that help us achieve our workplace goals (e.g., providing high-quality care to children).4 Within ELCC settings, managing job demands through the use of available resources is a way to reduce stress and burnout and promote motivation.4 Three Job Resource Opportunities When seeking out job resources, you need not look far! Some of the most effective job resources are readily available at your ELCC centre:5 A study conducted by the CHEERS team during COVID-19 further highlights these three points as they concluded that ELCC staff’s well-being would benefit from work environments that promote social connection and job autonomy.6 Wellness can be fostered in the workplace through providing social support to co-workers, cultivating strong-working relationships with supervisors, and promoting freedom and self-determination within early learning settings, which are important resources to help reduce stress and maintain high-quality care practices that support children’s overall health and development. Remember that everyone experiences job demands and accesses resources differently. That is why it is crucial to pay attention to your workplace needs to promote mental well-being in a way that works for you. Resources Check out the findings from the Happy Teacher Project that describe early childhood educator wellness as a global imperative that needs to be approached from individual, program, and system levels in order to support high-quality care and education which will support a better society through healthier children and families. ECE Well-Being – What We Know and Why We Should Care Check out our CHEERS Blog, Lessons from the Pandemic: Supporting Educators Well-Being, for a brief summary of the sources of distress and resilience of both early childhood educators and supervisors and the ways we can further support well-being in the […]
As the days grow shorter and the air turns crisp, it can be tempting to stay indoors — but children thrive when they can explore, move, and play outside all year long! Even in the colder months, nature offers endless opportunities for creativity, connection, and cozy fun. Here are a few simple, joyful ideas to help children (and grown-ups!) enjoy the outdoors this season: 🧣 1. Bundle Up and Keep It Cozy A warm child is a happy child! Encourage families to send layers, waterproof mittens, boots, and cozy hats. Wool socks and neck warmers make a big difference too. When everyone is comfortable, outdoor play stays fun and stress-free. 🍂 2. Go on a Nature Treasure Hunt Children love collecting things — leaves, pinecones, sticks, or smooth stones. Bring a little basket or bag and let them search for “treasures.” Back inside, these can be used for crafts, sorting games, or a cozy “nature display.” ☕ 3. Outdoor Picnics in the Cold Pack up a warm drink and a small snack and have a quick winter picnic outside! Sitting on a blanket, watching the clouds or listening for birds can feel magical — even if it’s just for 10 minutes. 🐾 4. Animal Tracks & Winter Watch Look for footprints in snow or mud, listen for winter birds, and talk about how animals prepare for the cold. It’s a gentle way to build observation and wonder while connecting children to the changing seasons. 🌨️ 5. Snowy Sensory Play When the snow arrives, bring out buckets, scoops, and sand toys for building, pouring, and exploring. Add natural materials like sticks or evergreen sprigs for creative play. For non-snowy days, mix birdseed or dry oats into sensory bins outdoors! 🏃 6. Movement Games to Stay Warm Play classic games that keep everyone moving — Follow the Leader, Animal Races, or Freeze Dance (extra fun when it’s actually freezing!). Movement keeps bodies warm and moods bright. 🔥 7. End with a Warm Welcome Indoors When you head back inside, create a cozy transition — warm hands under running water, a story time with blankets, or a comforting snack. These rituals help children feel safe, calm, and cared for after their outdoor adventures. ❤️ A Note for Families Outdoor play in the colder months builds resilience, curiosity, and joy. Children learn that every season has something special to offer — and that fresh air, even on chilly days, helps everyone feel their best. Let’s keep embracing the outdoors, one cozy layer at a time!
Guiding children’s behavior is something done throughout the day, not just when a child acts in a way that is unsafe or unacceptable. You guide behavior by establishing predictable routines, setting clear rules with children, and modeling kindness and respect. You are also attentive and aware of what is going on. Together, these actions help children feel noticed, confident, and secure. Children experience your attention and guidance as a caring embrace holding everything together. They know you’re on their team. (Dombro, Jablon, & Stetson 2011, 58) Here are some strategies we use to plan for positive guidance, keeping a Powerful Interactions approach in mind.
As the air quality can rapidly change daily, we’ve had some questions about Air Quailty and outdoor time. Here is our policy as written in the Parent Handbook: 1-3 Low Risk – no precautions necessary. 4-5 Moderate Risk- Reduce consecutive time spent outside to a max of 1.5 hours. Monitor closely for symptoms like coughing, wheezing, irritated throat. If children experience symptoms they will be brought inside. 6 Moderate Risk – Reduce consecutive time spent outside to a max of 1 hour. Monitor closely for symptoms like coughing, wheezing, irritated throat. If children experience symptoms they will be brought inside. 7-10 High – Only small groups of children with no existing conditions to participate in an intentional facilitated experience that is not strenuous with reduced time to a max of 30min. 11+Very High Risk – Children will be kept indoors
Helping Your Child Cope with Back-to-School Anxiety Anxious feelings are normal and expected during times of transition or change. This is especially true for children and teens going back to school, or for first-timers starting kindergarten. This transition can be stressful and disruptive for the entire family! Prior to the first day of school, your anxious child may cling, cry, have temper tantrums, complain of headaches or stomach pains, withdraw, and become sullen or irritable. Worries are Common. Anxious children and teens worry about many different school-related issues, such as teachers, friends, fitting in, and/or being away from their parents. Some common worries include: Who will be my new teacher? What if my new teacher is mean? Will any of my friends be in my class? Will I fit in? Are my clothes OK? Will I look stupid? Who will I sit with at lunch? What if I miss the bus? What if I can’t understand the new schoolwork? What if something bad happens to mom or dad while I am at school? Although it is normal for your child to have worries, it is crucial to make your child attend school. Avoidance of school will only increase and reinforce your child’s fears over the long-term, and make it increasingly more difficult to attend. Please checkout more resources and information at the Anxiety Canada website.
Let Grow champions childhood, helping kids build confidence, resilience, and self-reliance through independent play and real life experiences. Let Grow is a movement dedicated to breaking through today’s culture of overprotecting children and restoring the childhoods they deserve. With free programs like The Let Grow Experience, Play Clubs, and Independence Therapy, they help kids build resilience, creativity, and self-reliance through unsupervised play and real-life challenges Their signature Play Clubs—designed by psychologist Peter Gray—encourage mixed-age, unstructured play before or after school. Kids organize their own games and work through conflicts independently, boosting leadership, empathy, and problem-solving skills. Early results show fewer behavioral issues and a happier, more inclusive school community. Beyond schools, Let Grow offers a wealth of free parent resources, including independence kits, toolkits, and a supportive Facebook community. They’re also advocating for “reasonable childhood independence” laws in multiple communities, ensuring parents have the right to let their children explore and grow. In an age of anxiety and constant adult oversight, Let Grow reminds us that kids are stronger than we sometimes give them credit for—and that they need space to stumble, learn, and thrive on their own.
