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We know that all behavior is a form of communication and it is up to us to teach our children the necessary skills to successfully communicate their needs. Coach's Column Paulette Maggiacomo September 1, 2021 As you are reading this newsletter you have completed the first month with your new Class, building your Conscious Discipline® skills. Connections are being made, and relationships built. Hopefully you begin each day with a greeting for every child, have posted your visual schedule, started posting visual routines, and have begun your Brain Smart Start which includes your Daily Commitments and Wish Well Board . (If you have any questions on these activities please refer to last month's newsletter in which Susan Roberts so beautifully reviewed these). While these strategies are important in your classroom management, the key strategy is a choice that you get to make: Are you willing to choose to see the best in each child? It is easy to do this when a child is behaving, but what about when a child hits, kicks, yells, is defiant, or has a full blown fit. Are you still willing to see through this behavior and realize the Brain State that the child is in and work on strengthening the missing skill or skills needed? We know that all behavior is a form of communication and it is up to us to teach our children the necessary skills to successfully communicate their needs. Alex is busy building a tower in the Block Center. Jay walks by kicks the tower down and laughs as he continues walking. Alex uses the only skill he knows and starts crying inconsolably. Our first instinct might be to go to Alex and tell him to stop crying and rebuild the tower, after all, it is no big deal. As you pause by taking your 3 deep breaths, the crying turns to wailing. When a child is in this state and has no words, the way to help him self-regulate is to simply sit near him and breathe. No words, no lectures, simply be present and breathe with him. Once he makes eye contact with you (it may take some time – teachers often give up because they feel they don’t have the time to waste. I assure that you are not wasting your time. You are letting Alex know that he matters and modeling empathy for the other children to observe) use: Describe "You are crying” Notice “You seem sad” Acknowledge “You did not like it when Jay knocked down your tower” “You are safe” “Keep breathing” “You can handle this" Alex says, ”I worked so hard and that stupid Jay knocked down my tower and laughed at me. He is not my friend anymore”. When Alex uses his words you have helped him move up to his Emotional State by acknowledging his feelings and showing him empathy. At this point he is ready to engage with you and work on solving the problem. A conversation may go something like this: “You didn’t like it when Jay knocked your tower. It hurt your feelings. You wanted to see how high your tower could go. Let’s practice what you could say to Jay: Repeat after me: 'Jay, I don’t like it when you knock my tower down. Next time, ask to play with me.' Let’s practice it together. Do you want to go by yourself to tell Jay or do you want me to go with you. Remember to tap Jay on the shoulder, look him in the eye and tell him. Which do you choose?” Follow the child’s lead. It takes practice, practice, practice, and more practice to help guide a child to their Executive State. There may even be some oops moments along the way. Remember to give yourself and the child grace as you navigate this journey together. Dr. Becky Bailey always stresses these important points for the adults: The child should never be in a higher brain state than the adult and always remember that our internal behavior dictates their behavior. As your school year continues its adventure, remember to take the time to take care of yourself. Until next time, I wish you well, Paulette Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Repetition in Play Coach's Column Amanda Gooch July 1, 2024 Did you know that repetition in play is one of the secret superpowers in early childhood education? In the following video, Sally Haughey from Wunderled - Fairy Dust Teaching, reviews the top five reasons repetition is beneficial for play based learning. In this video she teaches us how repetition helps give young children a sense of security, deepens learning and understanding and supports executive functioning and language development. YouTube: Secret Superpower of Learning: Repetition Rasmussen University gives us six reasons why play, specifically dramatic play, matters in early childhood education. Dramatic play teaches self-regulation and gives them an emotional outlet to have teachable moments for conflict resolution. Dramatic play also supports literacy and helps to develop your student’s creative thinking and storytelling ability. Dramatic play creates opportunities for you as the educator to support your students individually and encourage their own ideas. To learn more about how to encourage dramatic play in your classroom, click on the following link below: Why Dramatic Play Matters In an age when play is often seen as frivolous or unproductive, Rae Pica's book ”Why Play?” explains the importance of play in early childhood education. Each chapter focuses on a specific type of play, includes suggestions for putting theory into practice, and offers recommendations for language and information educators can use to help parents understand that play is not separate from learning. ”Why Play?” highlights some of the most popular types of play, such as dramatic, cooperative and construction. This book shares why different modes of play are beneficial and how educators can facilitate these different types of play in early childhood settings. Whether used as a tool for advocacy or as a guide on how to use play, “Why Play?” is for everyone who believes children should have the chance to be children, and that child development should guide all our practices. Wishing you the best, Amanda & Todd Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Trauma-Informed Practices to Benefit All Children | Dr. Peg Oliveira | Gesell Institute at Yale Trauma-Informed Practices to Benefit All Children January 2021 Dr. Peg Oliveira Gesell Institute at Yale Handout (PDF) Workshop Photos Back

Teaching What We Practice: Conscious Discipline Starts with Us | Angela Fraley | Conscious Discipline Teaching What We Practice: Conscious Discipline Starts with Us August 23, 2025 Angela Fraley Conscious Discipline Join us to uncover how connections with children shape their development and well-being. Explore the science of the attachment system to respond to young children in distress Understand the powr of "meaning-making" Discover the importance of connections with children Saturday, August 23 9 am - 3 pm Vero Beach Museum of Art Available at no cost to early educators in Indian River County CEUs available from FLAEYC Breakfast and lunch will be provided Join us for a chance to win workshop raffle prizes Handout (PDF) Workshop Photos Back

We are all dealing with trauma during these difficult times. Each person has a unique story filled with circumstances no one else can understand. Coach's Column Susan Roberts February 1, 2021 Dr. Peg Oliveira from the Gesell Program in Early Childhood at Yale presented an informative and timely workshop on Saturday, January 23. The workshop dealt with Trauma-informed Practices That Can Benefit All Children , but honestly I got so much out of her presentation that I can apply to my own life. You probably noticed a lot of references to information and practices that have been presented in Conscious Discipline workshops. Building relationships, establishing routines, and building resilience in children through support and practice are the foundation of trauma informed practices. It is the foundation on which learning can happen. We are all dealing with trauma during these difficult times. Each person has a unique story filled with circumstances no one else can understand. The coronavirus is unprecedented in that its impact is community wide and does not stay within the boundaries of economics, race, gender, religion, etc. Even though Dr. Oliveira states that all trauma is not bad, prolonged trauma without having sufficient coping skills impacts people physically and emotionally. The brain can actually adapt to the stresses of prolonged trauma and learn to behave in a fight or flight way. Relating this to Conscious Discipline, the brain is stuck in the survival state. It reacts without thinking to protect itself by fighting back, withdrawing or running away. Until a trusting relationship is formed no significant learning can occur. The love, empathy and understanding shown within relationships is what helps children break from the habit of fight, flight, or withdrawal. They learn to feel emotions, and then move through them. Better choices can be made. This can take a long time. Remember, a child may have depended on an adult who exposed them to harmful circumstances. They may have experienced the death of a loved one, homelessness, hunger, or unstable adults in their life. They may feel fear and anxiety. Young children may not have had the chance to see and practice the coping skills needed to handle stressful experiences. As educators you cannot take away the feelings a child is having due to circumstances beyond your control. You can provide love, empathy, and understanding to help them build a trusting relationship so they feel connected, loved and accepted. You can teach children how to calm, identify their feelings and pause before they react. Practicing everyday will help children learn new more positive habits that enhance their ability to bounce back from the inevitable stress they will experience in life. Dr. Oliveira suggested the following classroom practices to help children build resilience: Routines help children feel secure and in control. They know what is coming next. Things are predictable. A visual schedule gives children the opportunity to see for themselves what is coming next. Starting the day with a structured activity helps children move from an unstructured home into the secure and structured school environment. Having table games or floor toys out helps children move into the day without having to make choices and have conflict from the start. Developmentally appropriate activities help children feel success without frustration. It is important to know the developmental milestones. Children need a good foundation to build upon. They cannot successfully, and without frustration, move to cutting with a scissors if they have never developed the proper grip strength to handle the scissors. Be aware of difficult situations and transitions. Children who have little structure or routine are on high alert for what may come next. Surprises may not be welcome! Warn children of changes in schedule and new situations. Practice transitions so they know what is happening and the appropriate way to respond. Proximity to an adult or trusted friend may smooth the way through new situations. Creating rituals to support and practice calming and co-regulation gives children the pause to learn how to go from their survival state to the emotional and executive state where they learn to self-regulate. I Love You Rituals, soothing songs, familiar music, breathing, etc. can calm and remind children that they are safe and loved. Every educator is committed to do no harm. It is our wish that the information shared by Dr. Peg Oliveira will help to build resilience and the ability to bounce back from stress. We are wishing you well! Susan and the Childcare Resources team Resources ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/fastfact.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fviolenceprevention%2Facestudy%2Ffastfact.html https://www.joiningforcesforchildren.org/what-are-aces/ This page contains a link to the ACES questionnaire. Social Emotional Learning and Covid https://casel.org/resources-covid/ Working with Traumatized Children, A Handbook for Healing . by Kathryn Brohl This book was specifically recommended by Dr. Oliveira in January's workshop. Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Let’s take some time to review the Conscious Discipline Brain Smart Start Coach's Column Amanda Gooch August 1, 2023 Welcome back to another incredible beginning to the school year. We are starting the year strong with Conscious Discipline. Conscious Discipline utilizes everyday events to cultivate emotional intelligence through a self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning and discipline. Let’s take some time to review the Conscious Discipline Brain Smart Start and what that structure looks like in the classroom. The Conscious Discipline Brain Smart Start of the day consists of four activities: An activity to UNITE, an activity to CONNECT, an activity to DISENGAGE stress and an activity to COMMIT. Conscious Discipline designed this combination of activities using current brain research in order to promote an optimal learning state. The Brain Smart Start should be conducted in the classroom daily. Let’s review these four components that make up the Brain Smart Start: 1. Unite: The activity to unite as a School Family involves everyone doing something together. It builds connection, fosters a sense of safety and releases endorphins. These activities can be combined, for example, a School Family chant involving music and movement with a partner would both unite and connect. 2. Disengage: The activity to disengage stress involves deep breathing and stretching. It prepares the brain for cortical learning and turns off the stress response. The four core calming activities used in Conscious Discipline to help disengage are S.T.A.R., Balloon, Pretzel and Drain. The calming activity S.T.A.R. stands for Smile, Take a deep breath And Relax. Taking three deep belly breaths helps to shut off the fight, flight, or freeze response in the body. 3. Connect: The activity to connect the students to the teacher and to each other helps to maintain focused attention and the motivation to learn. It also releases oxytocin, which promotes connection and reduces aggression. Eye contact, presence, touch and a playful setting are the four core components required to truly connect with others. I Love You Rituals are an effective way to incorporate connection in the classroom. Classrooms benefit from I Love You Rituals in routines like the Brain Smart Start, during circle time and after transitions. Teachers and individual students benefit from scheduling regular one-on-one I Love You Rituals with children call for help through difficult behaviors like aggression, tantrums or withdrawal. 4. Commit: The activity to commit oneself to learning involves affirmations and positive thinking. It produces serotonin, teaches responsibility, promotes mindful attention and develops the prefrontal lobe. Making commitments and following through on them builds self-esteem, neurologically bathing the body in feel-good chemicals. These chemicals help focus attention and achieve goals. Commitments help us shift from being unconsciously stimulus-driven to becoming consciously goal-oriented. Commitments can be individual, like having each child take a clothespin with his name on it and place it beside a class agreement. The class can make a group commitment with the teacher stating, “Today I’m going to use kind words with friends,” and the children would signal their commitment with a thumbs up. Provide a time at the end of the day to invite children to evaluate their commitments. The children respond with either, “I did it,” or, “Oops.” An Oops is an opportunity to try again tomorrow. Some children may have difficulty keeping their commitments. Check to see their commitments are specific, narrow in scope and realistic. Instead of, “Today I will be nice all day,” coach them to say, “Today at recess I will invite a friend to play with me.” A Brain Smart Start also offers opportunities to practice social skills. It also provides many chances to model acceptable behavior, reinforce, redirect, or remind. The investment returned on time spent with a Brain Smart Start is repaid many times over. This teaches a sense of belonging, as well as develops skills of listening, attention, expression and empathy. A Brain Smart Start sets the tone for the day. It is not an add on or something extra to make time for, but rather an integral part of the day's planning and curriculum. Wishing you the best, Amanda Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

How many of us feel like we are juggling on any given day? How is it possible to keep all these plates up in the air? Coach's Column Paulette Maggiacomo August 6, 2020 How many of us feel like aw are juggling on any given day? How is it possible to keep all these plates up in the air? What happens when we drop one plate, or two, or three? With all that is happening in our world today, how are we even keeping any plates up? Today, let’s talk about Resiliency, Self-Care, & Lifelong Learning. Dr. Antoinette Taylor’s presentation How Can I Deal with This Child’s Behavior When I’m Juggling So Many Plates? truly resonates with me. Keeping plates spinning all of the time is overwhelming! She shared that in order to be resilient, we must press pause and realize that we can’t keep all the plates spinning but we can take the plates off the sticks and manage them. Let us manage the plates instead of them managing us. How do we do this? As early education professionals, we must be lifelong learners. New research is constantly coming out in our field and it is important for us to be able to articulate it. Teachers feel empowered when they have the knowledge to address what is occurring in their classroom. So how are we able to continue this learning journey? Encourage participation in professional development workshops presented in our area. The internet has exploded with virtual learning. Use it to your advantage. Dr. Taylor said that we often talk about children having “summer slide” but teachers do too! Directors: it is vital to carve out time to schedule staff development days with no children present . I know what you are thinking - my parents work and this would be so inconvenient for them. On the other hand, think of how beneficial it would be for your teachers to come together as a School Family, connect, and learn something new. This time also allows teachers to know that they have a voice and are valued and respected. In turn, it also gives them confidence to apply what they have learned which ultimately has a positive impact on the children in their care. Let me paraphrase a popular saying: A happy teacher makes a happy child. Challenging behavior is often the reason for a plate to wobble and fall. So, let’s take it off and manage it. Believe or not, children do not wake up thinking how am I going to misbehave in class and annoy my teacher? Their misbehavior is a time for us to teach the skills that they are missing. As early childhood educators, we know that it is not our job to diagnose children. But due to our passion as lifelong learners we are often the first ones to notice that a child might have a developmental delay or is in need of some kind of extra service. Dr. Taylor states that child development is nonlinear and our different domains can develop at different rates. Here is where she discussed “twice exceptional children”. These children are at or above average in one domain of development, yet need support in another area or domain of development. Athletes are a perfect example, where one might excel at football but not at basketball. A child may have strong fine motor skills but weak in social/emotional skills, for example, they might enjoy spending time painting but have a meltdown if another child wants to have a turn. So instead of thinking, what is wrong with this child? They are making me crazy! We must switch our mindset and realize that the child is not doing this to us. Instead of saying they can’t, how about saying they can? Engaging in this virtual conference has reinforced my belief that there is no one right answer in dealing with challenging behavior. I have learned that for me, it comes down to self- care . If I am not taking care of myself, then it reflects in my daily interactions with those around me. If I carve out time for me every day, even if it is just for a few minutes, then my interactions reflect a positive vibe. Therefore, instead of having a “Q-Tip” (Quit Taking it Personally) mindset, I am able see that the person in front of me needs my compassion and empathy. Until next time, I wish you well. Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Teachers often need the summer to refresh and recharge. Coach's Column Amanda Gooch May 1, 2025 What does our roadmap for high-impact teacher support look like? Being a teacher is hard work. Teachers often need the summer to refresh and recharge. Even those of you who work year-round typically spend the summer reorganizing, finalizing plans for the upcoming year and looking forward to the fresh start we all count on fall to bring. The school year may have brought many of you a wave of challenges. Admist all of these challenges, you were unable to recharge as often as you may have needed throughout the school year. When you are running on fumes, an already challenging job can feel overwhelming and sometimes impossible. It may often feel like the starting line of a marathon year. There will always be challenges hiding behind the bends and turns that you won't be aware of until they are right in front of you. You are going to need a compassionate, supporting team of people cheering you on and the rights tools in your toolbox to get you over the finish line. Luckily, contrary to popular belief, teaching is not a sole endeavor. Teaching is a team sport! So how can directors and administrators provide the kind of high-impact teacher support that gets teachers and students where they need to be? The kind of support educators need right now is something actionable, something they can apply right away. They need concrete examples of what this work looks like. They need scaffold support that will meet them where they are and show them how to take it to the next level, a road map to navigate the race route. This is where the partnership of our early childhood education coaches here at Childcare Resources comes in. We are here to support administrators and teachers as you create a culture of growth through goal setting, assessment and non-evaluative feedback. We help to support and accelerate growth through informal observations, training, modeling, mentoring, and professional development. As you enter into this summer season, how can we work in partnership with you to help finalize "survival guide" plans for next year? How can we map "fail proof" route so that there will be evidence for success for all? Let's coordinate the ultimate summer road trip with prepping for summer and into next school year. Step One: Determine your destination - Where will you go to get refreshed? What will you do what you get there? Step Two: Give yourself a check-up before you hit the open road - Your health and well-being need to be the first priority. Step Three: Don't forget to pack the essentials - Do you have all that you need to begin another incredible school year? What needs to be left behind? Step Four: Happy travels - Be in the moment. Do not worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself. If you are like us and run out of ideas to relax and de-stress over the summer, here are 86 ideas to choose from. Which one are you looking forward to trying? Stress Relief Tips Starting in June, our coaching team will be part-time until August! We look forward to working with you all when we return. Have an absolute incredible summer. Make sure to come back refreshed, revived and ready to an incredible new school year in August. Wishing you all the best, Amanda & Todd Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Learn more about our communities of practice for early educators, facilitated by our early educator coaches. Community of Practice: Center Directors A community of practice is a group of people combining individual and diverse strengths to achieve more together than they can individually. It’s somewhere for you to learn, collaborate and exchange ideas and experiences. Communities of practice are free to attend limited to a small group of participants And provide a certificate of in-service hours/CEUs hands-on learning experiences Register today! Childcare Resources is offering a special Center Director Community of Practice facilitated by Dr. Raquel Diaz. These CoPs will provide directors with a structured, collaborative forum to engage in critical conversations related to their practice, resulting in positive outcomes for children, staff, and programs. Don’t miss out on this exciting networking opportunity! Schedule Two Half-Day Sessions (9 AM to 12 PM) Saturday, August 23, 2025 Saturday, March 14, 2026 Virtual Sessions (6 PM to 7:30 PM) Wednesday, September 3, 2025 Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Wednesday, February 4, 2026 In-Person Sessions (6 PM to 7:30 PM) Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Wednesday, January 7, 2026 Wednesday, April 1, 2026 Learning Showcase Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Register Today! View Flyer

Sadie M Ed, Assistant Director, Childcare Resources School at Childcare Resources of Indian River Sadie Collet M Ed Assistant Director, Childcare Resources School Parent/Child Questions Joined Childcare Resources in 2019 Contact 772-567-3202 ext. 131 Back

Let's talk about the things you can do to help your students - and other people in your life - build the resilience they need to handle trauma. Coach's Column Paulette Maggiacomo January 1, 2021 You asked, and Childcare Resources listened! Save the date! The fabulous and informative Dr. Peg Oliveira, Executive Director of Gesell Program in Early Childhood at Yale , is returning via Zoom on Saturday, January 23rd, presenting Trauma – Informed Practices That Can Benefit All Children . For those of you who attended her first workshop last year, you may remember that everyone was so engaged that Dr. Peg could not finish her entire presentation. She spoke on Gesell Maturational Theory as well as Gesell’s Cycles and Stages of Development . If you would like to review this program, you can download it from our website: https://www.childcareresourcesir.org/professionaldevelopment/Foundations-of-Child-Development Although Dr. Peg's last workshop talked a little bit about trauma, we knew right away from your comments that we had to bring her back. And, in the time since she was last here, that need for information about trauma, stress, and resilience has only grown. We are so excited to bring Dr. Peg back for this workshop. She'll talk about trauma, toxic stress, secondary stress (or compassion fatigue). She'll explore how COVID-19 has affected all of us. And, most importantly, she'll talk about the things you can do to help your students - and other people in your life - build the resilience they need to handle trauma. My goodness, we may have to bring her back a third time if all of us are so absorbed with her presentation again! So I hope that you are able to join us on the 23rd to recharge and have the emotions that you are going through validated and know that you are not alone on this journey. As we come back together from the holiday season, please remember to take care of yourself, don’t forget to breathe, and find joy in the smallest of things . As always, I wish you well, Paulette Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters

Why Nature Matters Coach's Column Amanda Gooch April 1, 2025 Outdoor play is essential for a child's development. Studies show that time sent in nature enhances cognitive function, improves physical health, and fosters creativity. In a world where screens dominate, providing young learners with opportunities to explore the outdoors can nurture curiosity and a lifelong love for nature. Tips for Engaging Outdoor Activities Nature Scavenger Hunt - Create a list of natural items (e.g., leaves, rocks, flowers) for children to find and discuss. Mud Kitchen - Set up an outdoor play kitchen with mud, leaves, and other natural elements to encourage imaginative play. Storytime Under the Trees - Bring books outside and let children listen to stories while surrounded by nature. Bug and Bird Watching - Equip children with magnifying glasses or binoculars to observe wildlife and discuss their findings. Sensory Walk - Encourage children to use their senses to explore different textures, scents, and sounds in nature. Recommended Resource Check out Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, which explores the importance of connecting children with nature. Join the conversation...How do you integrate nature into your teaching? Share your experiences and photos with us! Wishing you all the best, Amanda & Todd Back to Coaching Back to Newsletters