As a provider, you have the unique opportunity to shape children’s worlds and boost their potential. Since a health emergency like Covid brings many changes and uncertainty for young children and families, you—as a provider working to meet students in all the places they continue to learn—can be a source of stability and encouragement. And if children are encouraged and supported outside of the classroom too, the possibilities for their success are endless.
Sesame Street in Communities, together with PNC Grow Up Great, created this course to support providers as they work with families to help children prepare for school. Across five units, you’ll explore these educational areas with children and their families:
- Approaches to Learning (Unit 1: The Way We Learn)
- Social and Emotional Development (Unit 2: Feeling Safe, Taking Risks)
- Language and Literacy (Unit 3: Care and Communication)
- Motor Development (Unit 4: Growing Bodies, Growing Minds)
- Cognition (Unit 5: Experimenting with Experiences)
As children build trusting relationships with adults, they grow stronger, smarter, and kinder. As we adjust to this ‘for now normal’ of teaching in a changing variety of circumstances, providers like you are key to providing emotional support, establishing routines, and maintain a sense of optimism. When we’re tuned in to children’s lives, we can develop new ways to make learning relevant and exciting. The information in these lessons, along with the activities and videos, suggest best practices for partnering with families to prepare children for school success!
Additional Resources: Head Start Early Learnings Outcomes Framework