2019 Winter Kansas Child

A publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas
Winter 2019 Volume 18, Issue 1
KINDERGARTEN
READINESS
CLOSING THE KINDERGARTEN
READINESS GAP DURING A
4 CHILD’S EARLIEST YEARS
12
IMPORTANT
RESEARCH
FOR PARENTS
ELECTION BRINGS NEW
FACES, HOPES FOR
20 KANSAS CHILDREN

LEADELL EDIGER
Executive Director
Child Care Aware ®
of Kansas
Kansas Child
is a publication of
Child Care Aware ®
of Kansas
Executive Director
Leadell Ediger
“The goal of early childhood
education should be to activate the
child’s own natural desire to learn.”
– Maria Montessori
Editors
BWearing Consulting
Angie Saenger, Deputy Director
Publication Design
Julie Hess Design
On the Cover
Samuel Miller, 19 months, son
of Chris and Callee Miller of
Goodland, KS.
Child Care Aware ® of Kansas,
1508 East Iron, Salina, KS 67401,
publishes Kansas Child quarterly,
which is made possible through the
financial support of the members
of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas and
sponsorships from our corporate,
private, and foundation partners.
Kansas Child is intended to provide
a forum for the discussion of child
care and early education issues and
ideas. We hope to provoke thoughtful
discussions within the field and to
help those outside the field gain a
better understanding of priorities
and concerns. The views expressed
by the authors are not necessarily
those of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas
or its sponsors.
Copyright © 2019 by Child Care Aware ®
of Kansas, unless otherwise noted. No
permission is required to excerpt or
make copies of articles provided that
they are distributed at no cost. For
other uses, send written permission
requests to:
Child Care Aware ® of Kansas,
1508 East Iron, Salina, KS 67401
Kansas Child is distributed at no
cost to Child Care Aware ® of Kansas
donors. Single copies are available
to anyone at $5 each, prepaid.
This quote from amazing early childhood
educator Maria Montessori is a great reminder
that children come to us ready to learn. In
the first three years of life, their little brains
develop 80% of the connections they will use
for the rest of their lives! Our job is to lay the
path before them, to give them what they need
to make those connections and blossom.
So many people play a role in a child’s
development, from totally dependent infant to
independent (or so they like to assert) toddler,
to inquisitive preschooler, to wondrous schoolage
learner. It takes families, communities, and
for more than 160,000 Kansas children, it takes
early childhood educators to lay the path for
each child.
I think we can all agree that families serve as
the primary foundation for children’s learning.
Families provide the necessary space for young
children to experience, learn, and develop the
basic ingredients that will help their child be
ready for school. Ideally, they provide a loving,
safe, stable and nurturing environment that
promotes healthy development.
Communities also play an important role in
the development of children. The community’s
role is to build stable environments that allow
children and their families to live in safe
neighborhoods. Welcoming and supportive
communities provide access to public
libraries, parks, quality schools and resources
to support families who need extra help or
might experience a crisis. In short, a healthy
community provides a variety of experiences
and resources so children and their families
can flourish.
And finally, families who need child care
should have access to quality programs where

IN THIS ISSUE
p. 4
Closing the Kindergarten
Readiness Gap During a
Child’s Earliest Years ................................4
Transitioning to Kindergarten:
Everyone Must Be Ready.......................... 7
their children will learn both skills and
socialization. At Child Care Aware of Kansas,
we work every day to ensure children have
access to high-quality educational services.
These can and should include home-, center-,
and school-based settings.
Children come into this world with
the tools to be productive adults. It’s our
job as families, communities, educators
and advocates to ensure they get every
opportunity to do just that. Tomorrow’s
Kansas workforce is waiting for us to help
them flourish. Let’s make it happen.
p. 10
p. 19
Kansans CAN! Ensure Every
Child Enters Kindergarten
Prepared for Success................................ 8
Special Circumstances
Affect School Readiness......................... 10
Teaching Beyond School
Readiness Through Mindfulness............11
Important Research
for Parents...............................................12
Vroom Brain Building Basics..................13
Safe Infant Sleep..................................... 14
Children & Sleep......................................15
The Importance of a Medical
Home: A Baby’s Perspective.................. 16
School Readiness Begins
with a Healthy Smile................................17
Families as Communicators...................18
When It Comes to Car Seats,
Don’t Graduate Your
Child Too Soon....................................... 19
Election Brings New Faces,
New Hopes for Kansas Children...........20
Community Needs Assessment
Tips from the Field.................................20
Book Nook: Winter Stories
for Enjoyment and Growth..................... 22

Closing the
Kindergarten
Readiness Gap
During a Child’s
Earliest Years
KRISTIN NORELL
CEO, Children’s Reading
Foundation
Kristin Norell is CEO of The Children’s Reading
Foundation. She formerly worked in children’s book
publishing and served on the foundation’s board from
2011-2017. The Children’s Reading Foundation engages
families, schools and communities in children’s learning
from birth through third grade to cultivate early literacy
and school readiness skills.
....but for those who
enter kindergarten behind,
around 70 percent are still
behind their classmates in
the fifth grade.
It is an annual ritual. Parents flock
to stores around the country to gather
everything their child needs for the
wondrous first day of kindergarten. Aisle
by aisle, colorful options of every tool
imaginable attract parents and children
alike. But there is something every child
needs for kindergarten that cannot be
purchased in any store: early learning
opportunities.
When children have limited access to
relevant learning opportunities from birth
to age 5, the results are clearly evident on
the first day of kindergarten. Of the four
million students who begin school in the
United States each year, 40 percent show
up on the first day with the language and
literacy skills of an 8-year-old, far beyond
the expectations, and 20 percent have the
readiness skills of a typical 5-year-old. The
remaining 40 percent arrive with the skills
of a 3-year-old — one to three years below
the kindergarten level.
This five-year range of skills is called the
school readiness gap — or the preparation
gap. It manifests itself in all learning areas:
language and literacy, math, and social and
emotional.
Some parents believe children who
start school without the necessary skills
will catch up within a year or two, but
that is not the reality. Research shows that
children who are one to three years behind
when they start kindergarten usually make
a year’s worth of growth every school
year — just like all students — but
for those who enter kindergarten
behind, around 70 percent are still
behind their classmates in the
fifth grade. These students form
the largest group of high school
dropouts, and they have less than
a 2 percent chance of attending a
four-year university.
While there are exceptions, children
who start behind tend to stay behind,
and children who start ahead tend to
stay ahead. This means the learning
opportunities a child has at home, long
before kindergarten, determine his or
her academic trajectory and have lifelong
consequences.
40%
arrive with
the skills of a
3-year-old
Families, Schools and Communities
Must Work Together to Ensure Children
Are Prepared for School on Day One
Children who start kindergarten with
the language and literacy skills of a typical
5-year-old are well on their way to a
successful and satisfying education.
While schools don’t create the multiyear
readiness gap children exhibit on the
first day of kindergarten, it is crucial for
4 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

20%
have the readiness
skills of a typical
5-year-old
40%
begin with the
language and literacy
skills of an 8-year-old
Four million students begin school in the United States each year
districts and communities to collaborate
to close this gap by engaging parents and
caregivers during a child’s earliest years.
Once students start school, those who
need skill-building interventions,
including additional work time
and assistance from teachers
with specialized training,
present a tremendous
challenge. Children who are
behind must achieve their
normal year of growth plus another year to
catch up by even a single grade level. This
attempt, called catch-up growth, takes a toll
on economic and human resources for the
school districts and socially
and emotionally for the
students themselves.
Children who are behind
must achieve their normal
year of growth plus another
year to catch up by even a
single grade level.
The effects of
the readiness gap
have far-reaching
consequences for
students and communities. Students who
do not graduate from high school face
both a grim economic future and cost the
country millions of dollars each year. Basic
reading, writing and math skills are also
a prerequisite for most adult employment
and continued personal achievement.
Needless to say, the readiness gap is not
very different when it comes to math and
social and emotional skills.
Continued on page 6
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 5

Continued from page 5
The future for all children is brighter
when schools and communities
prioritize early learning and engage
families long before children start school.
Empowering parents and caregivers to
help nurture a child’s development from
birth through third grade considerably
increases the child’s potential to learn
and enjoy school year after school year.
Reading is Essential for Learning
Although children in all cultures
instinctively learn language from their
parents and caregivers, the brain must be
taught to read.
The Children’s Reading Foundation®
encourages parents and caregivers to
Read Together 20 Minutes Every Day
with their children, starting at infancy.
When children are exposed to the
language in books, they are developing
significant brain connections for language
development and for learning to read
when the time comes. Children are also
learning sounds, vocabulary, prereading
and multiple skills that will be reinforced
day after day at home and school.
Both educators and the medical
community recognize the vital importance
for all children to be exposed to books. The
American Academy of Pediatrics states:
Reading regularly with young children
stimulates optimal patterns of brain
development and strengthens parentchild
relationships at a critical time in
child development, which, in turn, builds
language, literacy and social-emotional
skills that last a lifetime.
90% Reading Goal
From kindergarten through third
grade, children are learning to read;
after third grade students are reading to
learn. Although reading is paramount to
learning, about 75 percent of struggling
readers in third grade won’t catch up to
their classmates.
To help reverse this trend, the Reading
Foundation encourages school districts
and communities to adopt a 90% Reading
Goal. This means 90 percent of thirdgraders
will read at or above grade level by
the end of the school year. The goal is not
easy, but it can be done with a long-term,
committed effort.
The 90% Reading Goal is how The
Children’s Reading Foundation was
formed. In 1996, a group of community
stakeholders with the Kennewick School
District in Washington state came together
to increase reading skills districtwide and
set this goal. At the time, only 55 percent
of the district’s third-graders were
reading at grade level.
Our Read Together
Read with your
child for 20 minutes
every day; five minutes
now, five later and 10
at bedtime.
20 Minutes Every Day
message was spread
far and wide and
reinforced in local
media interviews,
public service messages,
employee newsletters,
community presentations,
libraries, bookstores,
professional organizations and by
business leaders throughout the area.
As a result, reading scores improved.
However, it became clear that unless the
district engaged parents and child care
providers during children’s powerful
early learning years the district would be
perpetually reacting to the new wave of
entering kindergartners — 40 percent with
readiness skills one to three years below
grade level. The solution was READY! for
Kindergarten, a program of The Children’s
Reading Foundation.
After implementing the READY!
program, the reading achievement scores
of Kennewick School District students
increased substantially. Nine of 13
Kennewick elementary schools reached
the 90 percent goal by 2003, and the goal
was achieved districtwide in 2006. The
district continues to offer free READY!
workshops to parents within its district,
and throughout the years reading levels
have remained near 90 percent.
The READY! for Kindergarten approach
encourages parents to read with their child
20 minutes every day and Play With a
Purpose for 10 minutes each day. Through
a series of annual parent workshops, offered
in English or Spanish, participants explore
how to create a home environment where
learning happens in a fun and purposeful
way. The READY! Age Level Targets ©
are the framework for developmentally
appropriate lessons and activities using
take-home materials and tools that help
develop skills commonly associated with
school readiness in three domains: language
and literacy, math and reasoning, and social
and emotional development.
What You Can Do
Parents and caregivers: You are your
child’s first teacher. Read with your child
for 20 minutes every day; five minutes
now, five later and 10 at bedtime. No
matter their age, when you spend 20
minutes every day reading, children
are learning.
You don’t have to be a
good reader to help nurture
literacy skills in children. The
most important thing is the
time spent together around
books — even wordless
books — where stories are
made up, and each time the
book is opened a new story is told.
Having a two-way interaction while
reading not only strengthens the child’s
prereading skills, it also develops solid
foundations for critical thinking.
Sharing a book with a child has
significant additional benefits. Reading
together develops socially and emotionally
confident children who have strong
bonds. It also empowers parents and
caregivers to become their child’s first
and most influential teachers. If that isn’t
enough, reading with a child also reduces
the school readiness gap and lowers
remediation expenses by helping children
start and stay at grade level.
If you are a parent of a newborn to
5-year-old and are in a community that
offers READY! for Kindergarten parent
workshops — attend. You will learn the
readiness skills that will prepare your child
for a successful and enjoyable kindergarten
experience. You will also leave with new
ideas about how to guide your child’s
language and literacy, math and reasoning,
and social and emotional learning,
with respect to their individual stage of
development.
Schools, child care and preschool
programs, foundations, community
organizations: You are the direct link to
parents. Invest in early learning to help
close the readiness gap. This focus on
children before they start school will also
engage families in their essential role in
raising a reader and getting their child
ready for kindergarten.
It will take all of us to ensure every
child starts school prepared and eager to
continue learning to reach his or her full
potential in school and life. n
6 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

Transitioning
to Kindergarten:
Everyone Must
Be Ready
MEGAN SMITH
Community Consultant,
Child Care Aware ®
of Eastern Kansas
The transition from preschool to
kindergarten is a major milestone for most children and their
families. The expectations in kindergarten can be different
and often unknown until the child gets to school. There are
a few important things to know before a child begins this
transition to “big kid” school.
Though it is helpful for preschoolers to know their letters
and numbers, as well as early writing skills, most kindergarten
teachers will say they are more concerned with a child’s
social and emotional development at the beginning of the
year. Children can transition more easily into a kindergarten
classroom when they can stay focused on an activity for an
extended amount of time, work both independently as well as
with others, ask for help or directions, and get along with their
peers. These skills can be more easily mastered in a preschool
classroom because of the lower adult-to-child ratios.
When children have a solid foundation for managing
their emotions, their ability to handle change improves
substantially. Preschool teachers can begin working
on these skills early by providing children the tools for
working through their problems, identifying their feelings,
being a good friend, and having patience when waiting.
Teachers can demonstrate how to use these tools through
modeling, social stories, turn-taking games, and waiting
games. The National Association for Educators of Young
Children (NAEYC) and Center on the Social and Emotional
Foundation for Early Learning (CSEFEL) offer resources on
supporting children’s social and emotional growth, as well as
kindergarten readiness.
Transition tips for families
Families can begin the transition process by touring the
prospective school and meeting with administrators about
what to expect for their child. Kansas public schools offer a
kindergarten roundup each spring for preschoolers preparing
to enter kindergarten in the fall. Roundup is where the
children can meet their potential new teacher and families can
learn more about the school.
Ultimately, families and teachers should work together
to help children become ready for their transition to
kindergarten. For many preschoolers, they will be in a new
building for kindergarten, which makes strong social and
emotional skills especially important. Talk with the child
about how they might be feeling about this change and
validate any concerns they might have, but also let the child
know that you are there to support them. Remember, for the
transition to run smoothly, everyone must be ready. n
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 7

Kansans Can Ensure Every
Child Enters Kindergarten
Prepared for Success
The path to success starts in early childhood, long before
a child walks through a kindergarten classroom door
In 2015, the Kansas State Board of
Education announced a new vision for
education in Kansas: Kansas leads the
world in the success of each student.
Education leaders had dozens of focus
groups with thousands of Kansans to shape
this vision. They heard loud and clear that
Kansas has high aspirations for our future,
and a key theme emerged.
The path to success starts in early
childhood, long before a child walks
through a kindergarten classroom door.
If Kansas is going to achieve the Kansans
Can vision, we all have a role in preparing
our youngest Kansans to succeed.
Early childhood educators know that
children’s early experiences shape their
future growth. During the Kansans Can
listening tour, Kansans were asked to
describe a successful 24-year-old. The
qualities that rose to the top weren’t
the ability to recite facts or memorize
information. Instead, respondents
were 70 percent more likely to cite
nonacademic skills, like teamwork and
self-control, as being just as important
to success as academic skills. Business
leaders agreed. Early childhood lays
the foundation for Kansas students to
develop these skills to be successful
throughout their lives.
Kansans also described what they
want early childhood to look like
in their communities. They shared
the importance of making highquality
early learning opportunities
— including all-day kindergarten —
available to all students.
When asked to consider the role of
a school district, Kansans emphasized
the importance of strong community
partnerships. One model or approach
won’t fit every community when it
comes to early learning. Kansans have
to come together to build the system
that best meets children’s and families’
needs in their communities.
The Kansas State Board of Education
and the Kansas State Department of
Education (KSDE) are tracking five key
outcomes to measure progress toward
achieving this Kansans Can vision:
•§
Social-emotional growth
•§
Kindergarten readiness
AMANDA PETERSON
Director of Early Childhood,
Kansas Department of
Education
Amanda Petersen is the director of Early Childhood at the
Kansas State Department of Education. You can connect
with the Early Childhood Team by emailing earlylearning@
ksde.org.
•§
Individual Plan of Study (IPS) focused
on the career interest for each student
•§
High school graduation
•§
Postsecondary success
Are Kansas children entering
kindergarten at age 5 socially, emotionally
and academically prepared for success?
Kansas needed additional information to
answer that question. The Kansas State
Department of Education collaborated
with stakeholders to determine key
principles for a developmental snapshot
tool. Stakeholders established that the
Kansas Kindergarten Readiness Snapshot
8 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

Tool must include communication
(language and literacy), problem-solving,
motor, and social-emotional areas of
development. They also determined
that schools must engage families and
caregivers in gathering information
about a child’s development and early
experiences.
Considering these core principles, KSDE
selected the Ages & Stages Questionnaires,
Third Edition (ASQ-3) and the Ages &
Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional,
Second Edition (ASQ: SE-2) to provide
a snapshot of children’s developmental
milestones when they enter kindergarten.
All Kansas school districts were required
to begin administering the ASQ-3 and
the ASQ: SE-2 for kindergarteners
between Aug. 1 and Sept. 20, 2018, and
will be required to utilize the ASQ at
the beginning of the school year moving
forward. Districts reported that more than
22,000 Kansas kindergarteners received
the ASQ this year.
This marks a big step forward as
teachers, schools, caregivers and the
state seek to better understand Kansas
children’s development. This information
offers teachers and schools the
opportunity to better design classroom
environments to meet the needs of
incoming kindergartners. Discussing
a child’s results helps families better
understand a child’s development,
and it strengthens teacher-caregiver
relationships. At the state level, this
data will provide a snapshot of Kansas
kindergartners’ development and
help create opportunities to improve
kindergarten readiness statewide.
We all have a stake in achieving the
vision that Kansas leads the world in
the success of each student, and we all
share the essential work that begins in
a variety of early childhood settings
to prepare Kansas kindergarteners for
success. An annual statewide snapshot of
kindergarteners’ developmental milestones
will provide important information
as we work toward this goal. KSDE
looks forward to using this information
and partnering with other childhood
stakeholders to advance the kindergarten
readiness of each Kansas student. n
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 9

THE PARENT ROLL
Special Circumstances Affect School Readiness
When considering school readiness,
it is easy to focus on the child so much
that we lose sight of the important role
that parents play. This issue can be
further complicated if there are special
circumstances in the home, such as a
parent who is undergoing treatment or
receiving other social services.
If parents are worrying about
where their children are and what is
happening to them, they cannot fully
focus on their own efforts to better
themselves. Parents working outside
the home are additionally stressed by
trying to be successful at work. Service
providers and employers alike can and
should provide support so that parents
can focus on their family. In doing so,
employers and service providers can
directly affect school readiness, a key
indicator of success for children.
Provide and increase access
to services
Businesses can help alleviate fears
that detract from being a good parent
and employee by directly providing
services or offering flexible schedules or
time off to access services that help an
employee be the best possible parent.
Supportive businesses have policies that
offer employees access to programs such
as: parenting skills training, health and
wellness services, family therapy, and
assistance in identifying and accessing
other resources to address physical,
emotional, and educational needs for
themselves or their children. And of
course, access to high-quality child
care is a critical factor in parental and
employee success.
Whole person
Supportive businesses view an
employee as a whole person, with
multiple roles, often including the role
of a parent. According to 2017 data
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
among families with children, 84.7%
of fathers were employed and 73.2%
of mothers were employed. This
creates a great opportunity for service
providers and businesses to affect
school readiness in a significant way.
A parent who is learning skills to
balance the stresses of parenting and
work will perform all their roles best
when supported and treated as a whole
person by those providing services, and
by their employer. A healthy parent is
better able to support a child making
the transition to kindergarten.
Stability & Routine
Stability and routine are important for
all children, and especially important for
children who have experienced trauma.
All parents, but particularly parents who
ERICK VAUGHN
Director of Strategic
Initiatives, DCCCA
Erick Vaughn is a LMSW and has practiced
administrative social work for more than 11 years.
He is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at DCCCA.
Previously he was Executive Director of the Kansas
Head Start Association. He has also served in various
roles in the state mental health program.
are undergoing treatment, must provide
a routine for their children. Service
providers and employers can support
stability and routine by establishing set
schedules. For service providers, it can
also be powerful, when appropriate, to
allow children to be present so they can
observe their parent working to heal. n
DCCCA is a nonprofit organization in Missouri, Kansas
and Oklahoma that provides behavioral health and
treatment services, child placement services, and other
social and community services that improve the safety,
health and well-being of the people it serves.
For more information and resources to support
parents and school readiness, check out Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(www.SAMHSA.gov), the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (www.cdc.gov), and quality early
childhood programs that focus on school readiness
and parent engagement such as Head Start and
Parents as Teachers.
10 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

Teaching Beyond School Readiness Through Mindfulness
“Mindfulness is awareness that
arises through paying attention, on
purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally”,
says Jon Kabat-Zinn, the
founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress
Reduction. (Mindful, www.mindful.
org, November 2017) Studies in both
medicine and neuroscience are showing
how mindfulness practices support and
enhance learning, emotional intelligence,
and overall well-being across the lifespan.
While various mindfulness programs
have been developed for adults, practices
are becoming more popular in work
with children. Educators, mental health
professionals and other caring adults
are interested in approaches beyond the
typical academic ones to help put children
on the path of success. It is now recognized
that emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a
greater predictor of life success than IQ.
There is also better understanding now
about the harmful effects of excessive
stress on young brains. Young children’s
brains are particularly vulnerable to the
effects of toxic stress, which can inhibit
cognitive function, self-regulation and the
ability to form healthy relationships. This
information led the Center for Healthy
Minds at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison to study the impact of a new
mindfulness-based curriculum for prekindergarten
students designed to promote
social, emotional and academic skill.
Researchers hypothesized that
integrating what they called the Kindness
Curriculum into existing curriculum could
enhance children’s self-regulation skills,
such as emotional control and capacity
to pay attention, and also influence
other positive development traits such as
impulse control and kindness.
The Center for Healthy Minds brought
the 12-week Kindness Curriculum to
six Midwest schools. The lessons were
administered for 20 minutes twice a
week, to pre-k students. Students were
introduced to stories and practices for
paying attention, regulating emotions and
cultivating kindness. Initial findings from
the research have been promising. Students
who went through the curriculum show
more empathy and kindness and a greater
ability to calm themselves when upset.
These children also had higher grades by
the end of the school year. The Center
for Healthy Minds continues its research
to see if there is also success in different
contexts and if changes can be seen in
similar studies.(Center for Healthy Minds,
www.centerhealthyminds.org, 2017)
In a foreword for the book Sitting Still
Like a Frog: Mindfulness Exercises for Kids
by Eline Snel (Shambhala Publications
2013), Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks about
mindfulness practice as an essential life
MARY WILLIAMS
Early Care and Education
Program Manager, The Family
Conservancy
Mary Williams is the Early Care and Education Program
Manager at The Family Conservancy in Kansas City.
Mary has a M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance and is a
nationally certified counselor. Mary currently chairs the
Family Conservancy’s Resiliency Connection Committee,
Which is responsible for supporting trauma-informed care
practices within the agency. She has a passion for training
early childhood professionals on trauma-informed care and
implementing mindfulness practices in their daily lives and
the lives of the children they serve.
skill — much like learning how to tune an
instrument before playing it. He asks why
we wouldn’t want to tune our instrument
for learning before we use it, before and
during the school day, every day? This
is referencing a practice that easily can
be integrated into a child’s daily routine,
whether it is taking a belly breath or a
short and quiet meditation.
If mindfulness brings stress reduction,
better self-regulation, a greater capacity
for learning, and increased kindness to
oneself and others — all skills we want for
our children — then perhaps this practice
is the key to not only true school readiness,
but even beyond, for life readiness. n
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 11

Important
Research
for Parents
Have you heard? It seems as if
everybody is talking about “brain
development” — the term used to describe
new research into the importance of a
child’s earliest experiences. You might have
read about it in a magazine or seen it on
the Web. Maybe you’re hearing about it
for the first time right here. What parents
have known for years — that good, early
experiences are good for our children
— is now being proven by doctors and
scientists at multiple research centers and
universities.
Attention to every stage of a child’s
development is urgent. Research now
shows that the care babies get has dramatic
and long-term effects on how children
develop and learn, on how they cope with
stress, and on how they react to the world
around them. In fact, science tells us that
the right kind of experiences in their early
years can actually help children’s brains
to grow! And, that it can affect how they
continue to learn later on in life.
Just as good food and exercise can help
our bodies grow, good early experiences
can help our brains grow. Now there is
even stronger evidence that there is a link
between brain activity and brain growth.
Brain Development:
What You Should Know
Confused by all the research? You don’t
need to be. The basic message is very
simple.
•§
Good early-care experiences expand
your child’s capacity to learn.
•§
Holding, cuddling and talking actually
affect how your child’s brain grows.
•§
Loving and supportive child care can
program the brain to handle stress
and control emotions.
•§
The first years of life lay the
groundwork for future experiences.
•§
Reading to and singing with your child
every day is a simple and effective way
to help brain development.
When parents hear about brain
development, they sometimes have the
urge to run out and buy new books or
toys, or to change their child care right
away. But, brain development is not about
creating “super kids” who are smarter
than others. Nor is it about teaching your
baby to read, or your toddler to recognize
Mozart. Instead, it’s about making sure
your children have the attention they need
in their early care experiences, both with
you and their caregivers.
Continued on page 15
12 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

Even before babies can talk, they’re showing
you what they’re interested in. Look into their
eyes, or at what catches their eye, and begin
brain building!
Powerful brain-building moments are created
when you let children lead the way, and you
follow by responding to their words, sounds,
actions, and ideas.
It might not seem like it, but the sounds and
gestures young children make are their way
of communicating with you! So talk out loud
together and keep chatting as your children
grow to engage them in learning about the
world around them.
Back and forth interactions between you and
your children are one of the most important
ways to help their brains develop. So be sure
to take turns while you’re talking, playing, or
exploring with your children.
Make the moment last longer by building
on what your child says, or asking followup
questions that expand your child’s
thinking and learning. When you stretch the
conversation with questions like, “What do
you think about that?” or, “How does that
make you feel?” you’re stretching the brainbuilding
moment, too!
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 13

Safe Infant Sleep
As a direct response
to the rate of infant
mortality in Kansas,
The KIDS Network,
Safe Kids Kansas,
Child Care Aware® of
Kansas, and The Kansas
Department of Health
and Environment
encourage everyone to practice safe infant sleep practices
when caring for a child under 1 year of age.
A safe sleep environment consists of one infant, on her
back and in a bare crib/bassinet/portable crib.
A sleep-related death is the sudden and unexpected
death of an otherwise healthy baby. According to Kansas
Department of Health and Environment Public Health
Informatics data from 2017, 217 Kansas infants died before
their first birthdays, representing an infant mortality rate
(IMR) of six deaths per 1,000 live births.
Of the 217 deaths, the three leading causes of death were:
congenital anomalies, low birth weight/prematurity and
sleep-related deaths.
While some of the sleep-related deaths are attributed
to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), many were
complicated by factors related to unsafe sleep environments.
Of the sleep-related deaths, more than half were found
unresponsive in an adult bed. Furthermore, research
found that 98% had one or more elements of unsafe
sleep (adult bed, smoking, sleeping position, etc.).
Therefore, it is especially important for EVERYONE to
follow the safe sleep recommendations.
To Learn More
CHRISTY SCHUNN,
LSCSW
Executive Director,
Kansas Infant Death
and SIDS Network
Strategies to create safe infant sleep environments can
be found by visiting kidsks.org. n
14 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

Continued from page 12
By Donna Martinson
Donna Martinson was a county Extension family and consumer sciences agent in
Elk County for 10 years and in Geary County for 28 years. Donna authored three
K-State Research & Extension group teaching materials, including Brain Blitz;
Sleep: Want It, Need It, Get It; and Living Life Richer.
As parents’ and children’s lives become more hectic, and
schedules more demanding, families often try to squeeze
more into a day by sleeping less. Negative long-term
consequences can result from inadequate sleep.
It is important to understand that being tired affects
children and adults differently. A tired adult will seek
out ways to rest while a tired child becomes more active,
often in a frenzied fashion. A tired child is emotionally
overloaded. Emotions are more powerful, negative, and
volatile when a child is exhausted. Self-restraint takes
energy and restraining those surging forces takes more selfcontrol
than is available. As a result, he “loses it” over little
things. He is easily frustrated, becomes upset by changes
in routine or surprises, is difficult to calm or comfort, is
easily overwhelmed, is anxious and resistant, is irritable
and cranky about everything, and nothing — no matter
what happens — will be right. In contrast, a child who is
well rested is calmer, more flexible, more cooperative, more
attentive, more energetic, more independent and more
helpful. A well-rested child has a greater ability to follow
rules and behave in an acceptable manner.
Not all sleep experts agree on the amount of sleep
needed for good health and optimal functioning. General
sleep recommendations are: infants 16-18 hours; toddlers
12-14 hours; preschoolers 11-13 hours; school-age children
10-11 hours, teenagers a minimum of 9 hours; and adults
7-9 hours daily.
It is important to make getting an adequate amount of
sleep a priority for your family. The sleep environment
should be comfortable and feel emotionally and
physically safe. n
Adapted from the original article in Kansas Child, Winter 2012
No Flashcards Needed
Things you can do to support your child’s brain
development:
1. Talk with your child. “Baby talk” — the art of repeating
sounds and words — is great for infants and toddlers. Ask
and answer questions with your preschooler. Make time for
conversations with your school age child.
2. Read to your child every day. No child is too young for
story time! Board or cloth books with colorful pictures
and simple words are perfect for your newborn or older
baby. Toddlers and preschoolers love to hear simple stories
such as Goodnight Moon, Where’s Spot or The Very Hungry
Caterpillar over and over again. Read some new stories
and many familiar stories as your child moves through the
preschool years, and even after he learns to read.
3. Sing children’s songs or nursery rhymes. Simple songs and
finger play activities are easy and fun ways to interact with
your baby or toddler. “Pat-a-Cake,” “Where is Thumbkin”
and “Old MacDonald” are always favorites. If you don’t
know any songs for children, ask your child care provider
to teach you the songs and games she likes. The interaction
you have with your child when singing and playing games
is an essential part of brain development. And, just as with
sounds and stories, old favorites are helpful to your child,
no matter how tired you get of them. No time for games and
songs? On the bus, in the car, waiting at the doctor’s office
or in line at the grocery store are good times for baby talk,
games and songs. Shy about singing in public? Hold your
child close and sing just to him. You can turn boring waits
into learning moments and good memories for both of you.
4. Feed your child well. Good nutrition is important for
growing bodies and minds. Check to make sure your
child’s diet includes a variety of foods, including meat or
meat substitutes, green leafy vegetables, fruit and milk or
soy milk. If your child is a fussy eater, try to think about
nutrition in terms of a week at a time, rather than day
by day. Think: “Over the past week, has my child eaten a
variety of each type of food?” Talk to your preschoolers
and school age children about food that helps them grow
and ask them to help you plan nutritious meals. If you are
worried about your baby’s level of nutrition, check with
your pediatrician for ideas and support. Don’t put it off.
Good food every day is very important to the growth of
babies’ brains and bodies.
My child is in kindergarten.
Am I too late?
Not at all! Although the first year is the most important for
brain development, there is a strong message that all of the
early years — from birth to age 10 — are important. Talk with
your child about his interests and ideas. Listen to his responses.
By helping your older child to pursue his interests and explore
new skills such as music or reading, and by supporting his
work at school, you are building on the brain development
started earlier in his life. n
Reprinted with permission from Child Care Aware of America, Newsletter — The Daily Parent, http://
childcareaware.org/important-research-parents/
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 15

The Importance
of a Medical Home
A Baby’s Perspective
As a baby, I have one real job, just one. Yes, I’m sweetness and
light. I bring joy and make people laugh. I cuddle
and snuggle. I wake up when the big people are
trying to sleep. I embarrass the parents when
I don’t want to say hello to new people. I
make messes that they need to clean up
and I demand to be fed often. All those
are important, but they
are just part of that
one job that only
I can do —
that job is
growing
up.
PEGGY KELLY
Executive Director, Kansas
Head Start Association
Peggy is the Executive Director of the Kansas Head
Start Association. She has continued the work of KHSA
to create opportunities for parents to advocate and to
support their voice in issues around children, families
and early childhood services. She has specifically
worked to build a network of parent advocates who can
encourage other parents to find their voice.
Prior to working with Head Start she directed TANF
and Community Collaboration programs with the State
of Kansas and was a Medical Social Worker.
I’m already pretty darn good at the growing thing by the time
I arrive. Think about it, I went from being just two cells who
bumped into each other, into a fully functional baby in just 280
days! The project wasn’t complete when I was born, though. That
was just phase one. Phase two takes a little longer, about 1,080
days.
By the time I reach 36 months old, my brain will be 80
percent grown. I will have connected zillions of synaptic
nerve endings to enable me to talk, interact with others,
understand the full range of human emotion and use my
physical body to its full capacity.
So, how will my folks know if I’m on track and being successful
with this project? After all, I do want to get a good performance
review and have a solid platform for everything else I will do in
life. One good way for them to know is to have a second home —
a medical home. This is a place we can periodically go to see how
my performance measures up to standards.
I’m unique, and with all this growing work going on I’m
constantly changing. It really helps to have a place that knows
me to give my parents feedback on whether what I’m doing
is healthy and normal. There’s no, one right way to do
things. Getting to know me as I work through the tasks
of growing can help you understand my way of doing
things. It also helps show if there are areas where I might
need some extra help or if something isn’t quite right.
At my medical home they have a record of every time
I come by to be sure I’ve gotten all the right “inputs”
(even though I really don’t like those needles) and how
I’ve done on the performance checks. If something looks
awry or is off the scale, catching it now can make all the
difference in my future.
Having a medical home is a big help to my folks. Everyone
there has a voice, including my mom and dad. It takes everyone
to understand me and how to support my growth. Here’s one
resource to help explain more about how things at a medical
home can make a difference. http://www.fv-impact.org/
files/6213/8498/3002/Family-Support_new_red.pdf
Been nice talking with you. I hope your current project is
coming along as well as mine is. Thanks for the support! n
16 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

KATHY HUNT, RDH,
ECPII
School Readiness Begins
with a Healthy Smile
Dental Program Director, Oral
Health Kansas
Kathy Hunt, RDH, ECPII, is the Dental Program
Director at Oral Health Kansas and serves as the
Head Start Dental Hygienist Liaison for Kansas.
A dental hygienist for 38 years, she is an advocate
for improved oral health for pregnant women and
children birth to 5. She can be reached at khunt@
ohk.org.
What happens during a child’s first five
years of life is critical to the child’s health,
development, and ability to succeed in
school and beyond. Children must be
healthy to be ready to learn. Oral health
plays an important role in a child’s overall
health and school readiness.
Oral Health and
School Readiness
Tooth decay is the most common
chronic childhood disease. It affects more
than a quarter of 2- to 5-year-olds and is
more common than asthma. Poor oral
health can have a negative effect on many
aspects of school readiness.
Concentration/achievement: Oral pain
makes it hard to concentrate and learn.
Pain can also lead to poor eating habits
that can result in nutritional deficiencies
that hinder physical and cognitive
development.
School Attendance: Nearly 51 million
school hours are lost each year by children
due to dental-related illness. Children
from low-income families have nearly 12
times as many missed school days because
of dental problems compared to children
from higher-income families.
Overall Health: Dental decay is an
infection and can spread to other parts of
the body, if not treated, resulting in serious
complications.
Self Esteem: Children with poor oral
health tend to withdraw from family,
friends, and teachers and not smile
because they are self-conscious about the
appearance of their teeth.
These issues have led researchers to the
conclusion that children with poor oral
health are more than twice as likely as
those with good oral health to experience
oral pain, miss school, and perform poorly
in school.
Keeping Teeth Healthy
The good news is that cavities are 100%
preventable. Adopting good habits right
from the start increases a child’s chances
that they will be cavity free for life. Here
are evidence-based ideas that you can use
to promote better oral health:
•§
For children under age 2, brush twice
a day with a tiny smear of fluoride
toothpaste. For child over age 2,
increase that amount to a pea size.
Adults should help with brushing
until age 8.
•§
Eat regularly scheduled healthy meals
and snacks. Save sugary treats for
special days.
•§
Drink only water between meals. Kids
who drink water are better learners.
•§
Have regular dental visits, getting
preventive services and treatment
as needed. n
Visit these websites for more
information about keeping kids
cavity-free and ready to learn
Head Start Early Childhood Learning
and Knowledge Center:
•§
Brush Up on Oral Health Tip Sheets:
The monthly tip sheets provide child
care providers with practical tips to
promote good oral health. Every tip
sheet also includes a simple recipe for
a healthy snack. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.
hhs.gov/oral-health/article/brush-oralhealth-tip-sheets
•§
Healthy Habits for Happy Smiles:
This series of handouts in English and
Spanish provides simple tips on oral
health issues to families. https://eclkc.
ohs.acf.hhs.gov/oral-health/article/
healthy-habits-happy-smiles
National Maternal and Child Oral Health
Resource Center: a national resource
with high-quality oral health technical
assistance, training, and resources.
https://www.mchoralhealth.org/
Oral Health Kansas: OHK works to
create a culture that values oral health
as a part of overall health for Kansans
of all ages, cultures and resources.
http://www.oralhealthkansas.org/
Consumers.html
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 17

Families as
Communicators
The Kansas Family Engagement and Partnership Standards for Early Childhood
By Barbara Gannaway
Assistant Director,
Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC)
Family engagement is a critical
component of high-quality early care
and education. Engaging families in
their children’s growth and learning can
support the healthy social, emotional,
cognitive and physical development
of young children. The Kansas Family
Engagement and Partnership Standards for
Early Childhood were recently developed
by Kansas early childhood educators to
provide guidance for early childhood
providers and educators, families,
communities and educational systems on
the effective engagement of families.
Five standards provide a framework
for achieving a high level of engagement.
Families as:
1. Foundation
2. Communicators
3. Advocates
4. Partners
5. Community Members
Each standard in the resource
contains a definition with strategies
for implementation. Results of the
implementation strategies promote
optimal child development as well as other
benefits for children.
In this article we take a more in-depth
look at communication.
Families as Communicators
Early childhood providers and
families have effective and ongoing
communication.
•§
Program staff and family consistently
initiate communication and
share knowledge that is timely
and continuous through multiple
methods.
•§
Practices, supports and resources
are responsive to the cultural,
racial, language and socioeconomic
characteristics and preferences of
families and their communities.
Included in the strategies for Families
as Communicators; “early childhood
professionals offer formal and informal
opportunities for families and educators
to build an interactive relationship.”
Building relationships depends upon
strong, open and honest communication
between families and early childhood
professionals. Examples of building
interactive relationships through effective
communication, formally and informally,
might include:
•§
Providing opportunities for family
participation
•§
Approaching families with a
strengths-based viewpoint
•§
Trusting that families are experts on
their own children
•§
Treating each family member as an
individual and calling him/her by
name
•§
Offering positive feedback and
encouragement to families
•§
Keeping families informed
•§
Responding to requests for
information
•§
Encouraging families to share
strengths and interests with you about
their children
Effective communication leads to
positive family partnerships that are based
upon respect, dignity, information sharing,
participation and collaboration. When
families and educators share information,
everyone can be aware of children’s
strengths and challenges and can work
together to support children’s social and
emotional well-being.
When their teachers and families
communicate well, it helps children build
comfortable relationships with their
teachers and enables them to focus on
learning. To learn more about the Kansas
Family Engagement and Partnership
Standards for Early Childhood visit:
https://ksdetasn.org/resources/424. n
18 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

When It Comes to Car Seats,
Don’t Graduate Your Child Too Soon
CHERIE SAGE
Safe Kids Kansas
Watching your child reach milestones
is exciting. But don’t be in a hurry when it
comes to their safety.
Many children are moved out of harness
car seats too soon. While booster seats
are effective at protecting children from
injuries during a crash, they are not as
protective as a 5-point-harness car seat
— just ask a race car driver! A 5-pointharness
car seat provides an enhanced
level of protection — especially during
side-impact and rollover crashes —
keeping children contained within the
shell of the car seat. By comparison, a
booster seat works by giving the child a
boost, so the adult seat belt fits better and
helps to reduce injuries during a crash.
How do you know when your child
is ready to graduate to a booster?
Once children reach the upper weight
or height limits of their harness car seats,
they might be ready for a booster seat.
Children should not only fit the booster
seat according to the manufacturer’s
guidelines, but also be ready in terms of
their own behavior. They should be able to
sit correctly in position for the duration of
the drive. If not, a higher-weight harness
seat might be a better and safer option.
Luckily, there are lots of car seat options
available at many retail stores and online.
How long do children need to
ride in a booster seat?
By law, Kansas children must ride in
a booster seat until they reach either age
8, 80 pounds or 4’9” in height. But we
know that children come in all shapes and
sizes. Your child might meet one of these
requirements but still not fit well in a seat
belt. It’s best to do the seat belt fit test.
Your child’s knees should bend at the edge
of the seat. Feet should touch the floor.
The vehicle lap belt should fit snug and
low against the hips or top of their thighs,
not on their tummy. The shoulder belt
should fit across the shoulder and chest,
and not across the face or neck. Most kids
will be between ages 8 and 12 before they
are ready to ride alone in a seat belt.
If you are feeling uncertain about
whether your child is riding as safely as
possible, or if you have limited income and
are in need of a car seat or booster seat
for your child, contact a Child Passenger
Safety (CPS) Inspection Station near
you by visiting www.kansascarseatcheck.
org. Click on Kansas Car Seat Inspection
Stations, enter your city or county, and you
will find information on the CPS stations
nearest you. You can make an appointment
to meet with a certified CPS technician and
find out if you qualify for a free car seat.
If there’s not a CPS technician located
near you, you can still find advice. Visit
www.UltimateCarSeatGuide.org to help
you choose the right seat for your child.
The site is available in English and Spanish
and you can get recommendations on the
type of seat your child should use. The
website also has tips for correct use and
installation of your car seat and lots of
videos so you can feel confident your child
is safe on the road.
We all love watching our kids growing
up and taking on the world, but moving
from car seats to booster seats is one
graduation you don’t want to rush. n
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 19

Election Brings New Faces,
ADRIENNE OLEJNIK
Kansas Action for Children
Adrienne joined Kansas Action for Children in
September 2018. Before joining KAC, she worked in
the gaming, finance, and library industries. She has
been actively involved in local and state community
work through service as a city council member,
community foundation chair, leadership program
graduate, and non-profit board positions. She is a
graduate of Washburn University where she studied
finance and management.
No matter the results on any given
election night, half of those on the ballot
have an exciting evening, while half
want the ordeal to end. This November’s
Kansas elections were no different, with
voters selecting a mixture of new and
familiar faces. The state now has a new
governor, former state Sen. Laura Kelly,
and a new mix of faces in the Legislature.
Whether they’re old or new, Republican
or Democrat, Kansas Action for Children
is exited to work with them all.
Our greatest successes have come when
both Republicans and Democrats have
worked together for the good of all Kansas
children. Kansas Action for Children,
for example, worked with bipartisan
majorities to end the failed Brownback
tax experiment and defend the Children’s
Initiatives Fund, which supports the state’s
entire early childhood infrastructure.
Community Needs Assessment Tips from the Field
“Is it already time to update the
Community Needs Assessment?”
If this task falls to you each year, you have
asked this question at least once, especially
if you tend to procrastinate. The report
is required, but is it helpful? Here is the
question we need to ask ourselves: “does
the Community Needs Assessment (CNA)
determine the structure of our program or
does our program structure determine what
we include in the CNA?” The answer is
probably somewhere in the middle.
Like many projects, the hardest part
of the CNA is usually getting started. My
catalyst is typically the release of the “KIDS
COUNT” data or the announcement of
the new Kansas Vital Statistics Report. I
find these both to be real “page-turners.”
Although the data they contain is two to
three years old, the information is valuable
in determining trends over time.
One way to simplify the gathering of
information is to call upon your partner
agencies. Most of us have Partnership
Agreements and Memorandums of
Understanding that must be in place and
updated frequently, and many of these
partners also are required to have a CNA.
Extend the invitation to work together. The
most effective CNAs contain information
that is recent, relevant, and reliable.
Agency annual reports are another
great source of information. They typically
include the number and types of services
provided. If past reports are available, you
can chart data over several years. Take
the time to review the mission and vision
statements of other community agencies.
These statements might change and evolve
over the years to correspond with their
program goals and services, even if the
name of the agency remains the same.
Although they take the most planning,
individual and group interviews provide the
best information. Use the information you
have already gathered to compose questions
that support your preliminary findings, and
that will help fill in the blanks where your
research fell short. Decide which groups
or individuals could best answer your
questions. Does your community have a
committee dedicated to early childhood? If
not, have you considered proposing such
a committee? Other potential community
contributors might include: chambers of
commerce; advisory committees such as
CASY ZIEGLER
Program Coordinator,
Heartland Early Education
Casy Ziegler is Program Coordinator at Heartland Early
Education in Salina, KS. She is the Eligibility, Recruitment,
Selection, Enrollment, and Attendance (ERSEA)
coordinator and is primarily responsible for the community
needs assessment. Casy has worked in the field of early
childhood education since 1988 and has been employed at
Heartland Early Education for 21 years.
a Head Start Policy Council; Interagency
Coordinating Council; frontline staff;
enrolled families; local health department;
law enforcement; homeless shelters; drug
prevention programs; domestic violence
agencies; and child abuse and neglect
prevention agencies.
Once the research is complete, the
information is organized, and you have
written the CNA, it is time to summarize
the findings. This final and important
step requires a team of people vested in
drawing the correct conclusions. After the
summary is complete the CNA can be an
effective tool to support the structure of
your agency. n
20 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

New Hopes for Kansas Children
We achieved those wins because
politicians and policymakers of all
parties and ideologies understand that
when Kansas children excel, we all win.
And that’s why KAC has chosen policy
priorities for the next two years that have
exactly that kind of wide appeal.
Our first goal is making child care more
affordable and accessible.
This would allow parents to work
and contribute to the economy while
children experience high-quality,
nurturing early education. It would also
allow providers to be fairly compensated
for their work, rewarding one of our
state’s toughest jobs.
The second goal is the creation of a
statewide, paid family leave program.
Outgoing Gov. Jeff Colyer already
embraced the merits of this concept
by issuing an executive order creating
a paid parental leave program for state
employees. That’s a great first step in
recognizing that paid family leave is a
program that could benefit all Kansas
workers — not only after the birth of a
child, but also when family members are
ill or need attention.
Finally, we want to continue our efforts
to improve infant and maternal health.
While Kansas has seen reductions in
infant mortality, those gains haven’t been
shared equally. Communities of color in
our state have higher rates of low birth
weight babies and pre-term deliveries —
factors associated with infant mortality.
Expanded health coverage for new
mothers is critical in preventing serious
postpartum complications. By educating
providers and parents-to-be and through
legislative advocacy, we can tackle these
daunting challenges.
It is really important to build
authentic relationships with
lawmakers. To find out who your
lawmaker is and how to contact
them, go to www.kslegislature.org.
We know these goals are big, and we
know that many across the state have
previously worked to address them. KAC
looks forward to collaborating with local
communities, advocates, lawmakers, and
policy experts to improve outcomes for
every single Kansas child.
Every election night brings its share of
ups and downs, its winners and losers.
Let’s all make sure that Kansas kids are
the winners this time. n
www.ks.childcareaware.org Kansas Child 21

Winter Stories for
Enjoyment and Growth
By Alice Eberhart-Wright,
Child and Family Specialist
It is winter. Most days it’s too cold to
spend much time outdoors, making it the
perfect time for stories!
The Hat
When it is time
to venture out, the
search begins for
mittens and hats and
boots and scarves.
In The Hat, written
and beautifully
illustrated by Jan Brett, we laugh at the
little hedgehog who found a woolen
stocking that he thought was a hat. It’s
a wonderful book for naming animals,
talking about cold places across the
world and tales of hanging clothes on a
clothesline — something many children
probably know nothing about.
Activity tip: Nurture children’s
creativity by providing them with little
folded books and a variety of pencils,
crayons, and markers to create their own
winter stories.
Where’s Bunny?
From the time they are born, little
human beings must organize themselves
with important rituals. Where’s Bunny?
by Theo Hera and illustrated by Renne
Benoit, is perfect for outlining a
comforting bedtime routine for children
and parents. With few words, it includes
a lovely bedtime checklist for parents and
shares the importance of a teddy bear,
blanket, or other special security object.
Activity tip: Make or find flannel board
objects that allow children to organize and
show their routines. Talk to parents about
what happens at their house and offer
guidance if needed.
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Kevin Henkes’ books are some of my
favorites for dealing with the intense
emotions of young children. Lilly’s Purple
Plastic Purse will be loved by both children
and adults as they travel with strong-willed
Lilly through her soaring emotions about
wanting everyone to know how fortunate
she is to have something no-one else
has. Her behavior forces the teacher, Mr.
Slinger, to put the purse and its things
in his desk until the end of the day. Mr.
Slinger quickly becomes the evil teacher
in Lily’s eyes, and she vents her anger by
telling him exactly what she thinks with
drawings and words. When Mr. Slinger
returns her purse with a note reassuring
her that he cares for her and knows she
will have a better day, she is mortified
at her own behavior and puts herself in
timeout. She then writes an apologetic,
illustrated note. She takes her note and
another note from her mother, as well
as snacks that her father baked, to the
teacher, who now is her hero. All the
children decide they want to be teachers
when they grow up.
Discussion tip: This is the perfect book
for discussion between children and adults
about what to do when things go awry.
It’s probably too long for preschoolers,
but would be great for kindergartners and
first-graders.
Marveous Maavilloso: Me and My
Beautiful Family
Finally, I offer Marveous Maavilloso: Me
and My Beautiful Family, by Carrie Lara
and illustrated by Christine Battuz. This is
one more excellent book to stop racism in
its tracks.
Discussion tip: A special section at
the end of the book guides adults in
understanding how children react to skin
color and helps us understand how to
listen and respond to children’s questions.
22 Kansas Child A Publication of Child Care Aware ® of Kansas

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