CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Director of Child Development Services: Kathryn Kerfoot

 

In Head Start, we aim to help children gain proficiency in social and emotional development, and give children a Head Start in academic physical matters as well.  This does not mean the children and classrooms will not be disciplined.  It means that our practices will be consistent and caring.  

There will be practices that build self-control and caring in children.  The Head Start classroom is expected to be an orderly, caring place where children learn and grow to their optimum potential.   The classroom is also a place where they learn how to appropriately express feelings of anger, frustration, etc.   Empathy, understanding and patience are basic requirements for teaching.   We want our children to respect themselves and others, and also trust, be hones, and caring.   

Head Start's daily program is designed to meet the individual needs 

of the children by providing ways to:

Develop socially, emotionally and intellectually

  • creative art and music

  • small group and large

  • group activities

  • self-help skills

Developmentally appropriate practices

  • varied curriculums

  • "hands-on" experiential learning

  • readiness skills of reading, writing, math

Emphasizing parent role as "primary teacher" through:

  • home visits

  • parent/teacher conference

Opportunity for new experiences:

  • field trips

  • special events and celebrations

Disabilities/Mental Health              

  • Head Start is for disabled children, too, serving children with:

  • Blindness/Visual Impairment

  • Deafness/Hearing Impairment

  • Speech and Language Delays

  • Developmental Delays

  • Emotional Disturbance

  • Health/Medical Conditions

Disabilities Content Area Services

Beaver County Head Start provides strategies that meet the needs of all children with disabilities and their families.  All content area experts are involved in the servicing of children with disabilities including health, nutrition, parent involvement, and social services.  Beaver County Head Start upholds the federal regulations as stated in the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), and upholds agreements  with local education agencies to ensure the provision of services are met.  Beaver County Head Start works to ensure the identification, evaluation and provision of appropriate education and related services are provided in a timely manner.  Beaver County Head Start advocates for the rights of children with disabilities and their families to ensure appropriate service delivery from the initial home visit to Kindergarten transition.  

 

Our mental health curriculum is based on preventative mental health concepts.  Through classroom activities and partnerships with county agencies, we help children and their families gain a positive perception of themselves, learn how to relate to others, learn how to constructively cope with difficult situations and emotions, and learn how to achieve satisfaction with their lives.  The process of learning how to cope and maintain our mental health can be better accomplished by involvement of a mental health consultant.  The Mental Health Consultant will meet with parent groups, make recommendations, refer individuals and families to other facilities, observe children in the classroom and meet with staff.  

Drug Abuse Prevention Curriculum

  • Drug abuse is generally associated with a need to find a way to be happy, carefree, and feel better.  A drug abuse prevention curriculum operates from the premise that children should feel good about themselves, take pride in themselves, want to take care of their bodies and avoid things that are harmful.  Through planned activities, children are encouraged to recognize feelings and find ways to solve problems.  They also learn about their bodies and how to take care of themselves.  Children are encouraged to take pride in themselves and to develop self-esteem and confidence.  If children feel good about themselves, they will avoid harming themselves in any way.  This curriculum provides numerous materials and activities for parents to read and do at home with their children, to support and enhance the things they are learning at school.  

Literacy

Head Start provides a parent-child literacy component intended to encourage families to read together. Research has shown that the best way to prepare children for reading success is to read to children. Beaver County Head Start supports this practice through various projects: 

By contract, Adult Literacy Action provides a coordinator to support classroom activities and maintain "Shoe-Box Libraries" at each site, where children and parents are encourages to borrow books, read together at home and do an accompanying activity.

Free books are distributed to children to take home and keep home libraries.

Head Start provides opportunities for parents to enroll in adult literacy and educational programs including G.E.D. preparations, vocational skills improvement, and skills development. 

Early Literacy

  • Early literacy is the knowledge, skills and attitudes that come before and lead up to reading and writing.  It includes: learning to communicate and listen, learning the sounds of spoken language, learning about letters and the words they make, and learning about the world around us.  

  • Some examples of literacy in the classroom can be seen and heard on a daily basis through:

    • Letter recognition

    • Read aloud stories

    • Fingerplays, rhymes, songs, and games

    • Labels in the classroom

    • Library Corner

    • Conversations between staff and children

    • Listening games

Some examples of literacy or language skills that parents can do at home are:

  • Reading stories to your child on a regular basis

  • Talking with your child, asking him/her questions

  • Looking for letters all around

  • Recognize symbols (signs,labels)

Beaver County Head Start supports parent-child literacy through collaboration with Adult Literacy Action in providing:

  • Monthly parent and child activities included in the classroom newsletter

  • Presentations at the Family Fun Days

  • Opportunities for parents to enroll in adult literacy and educational programs including G.E.D preparation, vocational skills improvement and skills development. 

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Last Updated: March 20, 2008

 [Civic Senior Citizens, Inc./Beaver County Head Start 2004]