Welcome to our first parent newsletter. Parenting Matters of El Paso County wants to connect you, the parent or guardian of a young child (prenatal to 8), with community resources, fun activities, and child development details. This month features:
BE Ready – BE a Reader – Just BEcause
BE Ready
As May comes to an end, so does the school year. For some of you, it’s a time when children are have anxiously counted down the days until summer and for others whose children aren’t in school yet, it’s just another month. But wherever you may find yourself this time of year, hold fast to your routines. Plan your child’s summer days with activities that keep them learning, active, engaged, and in a routine. Routines help children to stay regulated and feel safe. When unexpected or unwanted behaviors appear, a change in your child’s routine is often the cause. Long summer days make going to bed difficult and yet most children continue to rise like clock work no matter how late they go to bed. Maintain consistent sleep schedules to avoid mid-morning melt downs from lack of sleep. Click here for a list of engaging activities.
BE a Reader
According to readaloud.org, “Reading aloud is the single most important thing a parent or caregiver can do to improve a child’s readiness to read and learn.” Allow 15 minutes a day to read aloud together. Use these helpful hints to increase your child’s interest. Hint: Discuss what the book might be about before reading it by looking at the pictures first. Hint: Use voice inflections and create high and low-pitched sounds to illustrate a variety of character voices. Hint: Don’t worry about reading every word. Look for opportunities to have your child assist with the story using picture cues. Visit your local library for story times and sign your child up for the summer reading program. To find a branch near you, click here.
Just BEcause – Brainy Bite
Your child’s brain rapidly develops between the ages of zero and five. By the age of three, your child’s brain is approximately 85% the size it will be as an adult and 90% by the age of 5. With that in mind, pun intended, early experiences affect the development of a child’s brain and provide the foundation for all learning, behavior, and health. For more information about development in early childhood, click here.
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Next Month: June 3rd, look for the Parenting Matters Booth at the Rocky Mountain PBS Fun Fest in Acacia Park. Have some free fun and drop by to say hi! BE on the lookout for our next edition of The Buzz to fly into your inbox mid to late June. Who knows what it will BE about!?