Plaquemines Parish Ready Start Network

A child's ability to regulate their emotions and behavior usually comes much later than caregivers expect or desire. And it's influenced by their caregiver's ability to self-regulate. Rahil Briggs & Sarah MacLaughlin explain in their latest for Psychology Today: https://bit.ly/4d5XIs9

You probably know that reading with your baby is important. But do you know why? There’s a long list of reasons, but today let’s focus on one of the most important of them all: the development of a rich vocabulary. Your baby learns new words through exposure. But the truth is that most of our day to day experiences can be a little mundane. That’s where books come in. Take a moment to consider this lovely father-daughter read aloud and all of the new language introduced. It’s not unreasonable to think this family might have a pet - likely a dog or a cat. But consider all the other animal words here, for example, that may not be a part of their daily experience. In just this short snippet alone, father and daughter discuss lambs, sheep, kittens, bunnies, monkeys, and lion cubs. Notice how dad makes a point of repeating the word “lamb” as our hero interacts with the fuzzy woolen material embedded in the board book. Notice too how he uses the opportunity to introduce additional words (ball and yarn) inspired by the pictures, even when not included in the text itself. In a little over a minute, dad introduces his daughter to a whole collection of words that they’d be unlikely to have discussed were it not for this time spent reading together. Now imagine the impact of daily reading over a period of years. Research consistently links vocabulary size with long term academic success. A rich vocabulary is also a tremendous advantage as children learn to read for themselves. Reading isn’t the only way to expose young children to a rich and varied vocabulary, of course. But it sure is a great one. Read with your children daily. It’s an investment in their future that you’ll never regret. This stellar example was shared to IG by lelah_and_lou. #earlychildhood #earlyyears #eyfs #parenting

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Plaquemines Parish Ready Start Network!🧨🇺🇸

You probably know that reading with your baby is important. But do you know why? There’s a long list of reasons, but today let’s focus on one of the most important of them all: the development of a rich vocabulary. Your baby learns new words through exposure. But the truth is that most of our day to day experiences can be a little mundane. That’s where books come in. Take a moment to consider this lovely father-daughter read aloud and all of the new language introduced. It’s not unreasonable to think this family might have a pet - likely a dog or a cat. But consider all the other animal words here, for example, that may not be a part of their daily experience. In just this short snippet alone, father and daughter discuss lambs, sheep, kittens, bunnies, monkeys, and lion cubs. Notice how dad makes a point of repeating the word “lamb” as our hero interacts with the fuzzy woolen material embedded in the board book. Notice too how he uses the opportunity to introduce additional words (ball and yarn) inspired by the pictures, even when not included in the text itself. In a little over a minute, dad introduces his daughter to a whole collection of words that they’d be unlikely to have discussed were it not for this time spent reading together. Now imagine the impact of daily reading over a period of years. Research consistently links vocabulary size with long term academic success. A rich vocabulary is also a tremendous advantage as children learn to read for themselves. Reading isn’t the only way to expose young children to a rich and varied vocabulary, of course. But it sure is a great one. Read with your children daily. It’s an investment in their future that you’ll never regret. This stellar example was shared to IG by lelah_and_lou. #earlychildhood #earlyyears #eyfs #parenting

📚 Reading is fundamental for a child's growth and development! It expands their imagination, enhances their vocabulary, and builds critical thinking skills. Besides, it's a great summer activity! Let's fill the comments section with summer book recommendations for children and nurture a love for reading from an early age.

Celebrating all the amazing dads who make every day an adventure! Thank you for all you do. Happy Father's Day! 🦸♂️🌟 #FathersDay

☀️ Hot weather is here! Keep your little ones safe and cool with these essential tips:

Tummy time matters, now more than ever. Why now? In the early 1990s pediatric health authorities began recommending that babies sleep exclusively on their backs as part of an aligned effort to reduce the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The campaign has been a big success, cutting the SIDS rate by more than half, but has also limited the amount of time most modern infants spend on their stomachs - making wakeful, supervised tummy time all the more important. Tummy time has many benefits. It strengthens the back, neck and arm muscles that help with holding up the head, rolling over, sitting and crawling. It helps to decrease the incidence of flat spots on the back of your baby’s head. And it can help relieve gas and constipation, just to name a few. You can begin short, supervised periods of tummy time as soon as your child is born. These earliest sessions often begin on mom’s chest - but can be done on other safe surfaces as well. Begin with 2-3 minutes at a time and work your way up. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends increasing the frequency and duration of these sessions to the point your baby spends a total of 20-30 minutes a day by the time your baby is 7 weeks old. Be forewarned that, especially early on, tummy time is a workout (and therefore not always well liked by some children) - but with time and experience will help to develop the muscle strength your newborn lacks. This little guy (shared to IG by xmarieannabelle) has got tummy time down pat. Check out his strong neck muscles and head control and that roll at the end. #earlychildhood #eyfs #earlyyears #parenting

🔴 ACTION NEEDED 🔴 The House is considering removing $24 million in the state budget, HB1, for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that the Senate Finance Committee restored last week. Please take one minute to contact your representative today to tell them we cannot afford to lose at least 2,000 child care seats that are desperately needed! 🔗 : bit.ly/KeepTheFunds! https://lnkd.in/gNSggri8

Yesterday our team had the opportunity to represent Plaquemines Parish at Early Education Day at the Capitol, an advocacy day for business leaders, chambers of commerce, advocacy organizations, early care and education professionals, and parents to educate policymakers about the importance of improving policies and increasing investment in quality early care and education for children birth through age four in Louisiana. #EarlyEdDay2024 Thank you to our partners Ready Louisiana, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, Louisiana Department of Education, PLAQUEMINES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD and so many others for supporting education across our parish.