This printable tip sheet for transition times offers educators some practical strategies for helping children transition between activities, or from home to school.
It’s likely that you have already or will someday work with a family whose children are learning more than one language. There are a number of approaches that families may take to achieve this, including implementing only one language at home and another in the community, or using the One Parent, One Language approach which is just what it sounds like: one parent speaks one language to the child(ren), while the other speaks a different language.
Why do multi language learners benefit from an approach that supports all of their languages?
Not too long ago, the prevailing belief was that children should learn English as soon as possible and focus only on English. Many people thought that learning more than one language was confusing and would lead to language impairments. Now we know that children who learn more than one language are not at any higher risk of speech or language issues, and when assessed appropriately tend to have larger total vocabularies than monolingual children. One way to support multi language learners is simply to make sure their families know how beneficial it is to keep their home language!
There are also significant social-emotional benefits to uplifting a child’s home language. Even very young children can learn early on to “hide” a part of their identity when they don’t feel a social approval for it, such as by no longer speaking in their home language, even with family. When a child feels that their home language is valued, it helps to maintain a sense of pride and “being seen” that supports children’s identities as learners, members of the national culture, and members of their home culture.
How can educators support children’s development in a language they don’t know?
To support children’s multicultural identities, sharing bilingual books, or books that feature some words in a child’s home language, are a great way to demonstrate support for the many ways we have to communicate and introduce all children to the language. Some children might want to be the expert in their home language and have the chance to correct a provider or peer’s pronunciation, and some may not want the attention that brings. Even if you can’t find books with vocabulary that isn’t in English, you may find fairy tales or stories that incorporate cultural features that are familiar to those children. Partner with families for suggestions or ask your local children’s librarian to help you locate appropriate materials.
What are some practical tips for working with children and families when there is a language barrier?
When a family doesn’t speak English, and a provider doesn’t speak the family’s home language, there are some tools to build relationships. While they aren’t perfect, there are many technological ways to facilitate communication across languages. The free Google Translate phone app offers the ability to translate conversations in real time across dozens of languages, with the option to write and translate if spoken word isn’t supported in the language you need. The website can also translate newsletters or other written communication. Just be aware that computers make mistakes that real people do not, like this label on a beauty product that was made in Turkey, the country– except, in Spanish, it appears that it was made in a turkey, the bird!
Image via Steve the vagabond and silly linguist 🇿🇦 on X: “Made in a turkey https://t.co/uAGet2vMKg” / X
Learning some words in the child’s home language is important– particularly words relating to their needs, like “hungry,” “tired,” and “toilet” or “diaper.” Making yourself a phonetic “cheat sheet” can help. For example, if a child who speaks Japanese joins your group, you could write:
Hungry= on-ah-ka-ga-su-ita
Tired= tska-re-ta
Toilet= ben-jo
Diaper= Oh-muh-tsu
If possible, ask the family to teach the proper vocabulary and pronunciation– it’s possible the family uses a local accent or dialect that’s different than what a translator uses as standard.
How can educators support peer relationships across languages?
There are many kinds of play that don’t require a lot of language at first! Offering art and sensory experiences with enough materials to share will naturally lead to children demonstrating their discoveries to each other. Large motor play, like obstacle courses, will be easy for children to model for each other.
Educators can actively encourage children to include each other by inviting the new child into activities or asking one child to be the new child’s “partner” and show them around.
Remember to model empathy for the new child. Entering a new environment can be frightening for many children, and not understanding the language adds an additional dimension to contend with. Talking with the children in advance about how to help their new friend feel more comfortable might lead to some great ideas that wouldn’t be obvious for adults. This can also enhance peer relationships to offer children the opportunity to learn what is comforting for each member of the group.
Questions for Reflection:
- Which of these strategies seems like it would be the easiest to incorporate into your program?
- What other ideas do you have to support multi language learners and their families?
During times of political upheaval and increased violence, our obligation to be informed citizens can feel at odds with our obligation to protect the children in our care. It’s difficult to maintain the best practices of avoiding the presence of television/radio/podcasts when there is so much information that feels critical to take in. Add to that comments from families and children, and it can feel like there’s nothing else to focus on.
Our work is not apolitical. Decisions about funding, licensing requirements, and more decisions that apply to child care are made at the state level and are becoming federal questions as well. Our work is political, but our responsibility to children defies party lines or beliefs and must focus on their needs.
How can a provider respond appropriately to children’s questions and concerns? What do young children need when the news is frightening and adults are responding strongly?
Root your responses in reassurance: the children need to know they are safe, and you and their families will keep them safe.
Hearing about real-world violence is scary; young children will naturally feel unsafe, even if they are very removed from the situation.
When older children really want to talk out what they’ve heard, this includes emotional/ideological safety. It’s very likely that children and families have a range of opinions that will be expressed many different ways. Maintaining emotional and ideological safety allows for different viewpoints and centers the idea that while there may be many different interpretations of events, the safety of each individual will not be compromised by expression of associated hate speech.
Avoid showing photos or videos of the events or listening to or viewing media where they’re being depicted and discussed.
Even when children are interested and want to talk about what they’ve heard, it can be overwhelming and frightening for children to view depictions of violence. As we know, children are always listening. Save your own information for after hours.
Find a way to move on from the conversation productively.
Children (and adults!) can get overwhelmed easily by ruminating on events outside of their control. Allow children to play out their experiences and talk as they need to but be prepared to interrupt advantageously when you see signs that it’s getting overwhelming. Bring their focus back to how they can feel safe and help others feel safe, and what they need to participate in community effectively. Preschoolers need the empowerment that comes from being a helper; how can they help in your space?
Redirecting early on can reinforce to children the idea that the world is frightening, and even adults are uncomfortable with the topic at hand. Being a sounding board and then helping the children move on sends the message that they are heard, and the adults can keep them safe.
Be prepared for play to emerge from current events.
Young children process the world through play, which can be challenging when they’re hearing and seeing violence. Know that processing through play is healthy, even when it involves themes that adults would prefer to avoid. Observe closely. Notice when play is becoming disruptive to other children and prepare to step in if that happens to offer a break to the affected children.
For more resources on talking about current events with children, see:
Discussing Race, Racism and Police Violence | Learning for Justice
Talking with Students About Shocking or Disturbing News | Common Sense Education
How to talk to kids about scary news : NPR
Gun Violence and Children: Practical Ways to Provide Mental Health Support, Part One
One of the joys of family child care is the length of time providers can spend with the children in their care, and the growth that happens in those years. This also means that providers need to remain adaptable, and ready to change their program alongside the children. Communicating with families at enrollment and checking in regularly about when and how long children are sleeping, how often they’re eating, and their state when they get home (overtired? awake until 11?) can help inform routines as children grow.
Of course, in mixed age groups, it’s very likely that there will be children who have seemingly conflicting needs at the same time. How can one provider offer an active preschooler adequate time outdoors, while also feeding infants as they get hungry, and attend to toileting and diapering needs as the pop up?
There are three things to keep in mind to balance it all (most days!):
- Preparation: Communicating with families about young children’s needs, as well as using the provider’s own observations, should inform the construction of the routine. Not only should each child be considered as an individual, but the group as a whole serves as another perspective to consider. Every time the group composition changes, there’s a good chance some part of the routine will as well.
- Equipment: Ideally, there should be spaces indoors and out for both active and quiet play; resting; and eating. Of course, space can be at a premium in any child care setting, so adaptability is key. Can a waterproof box with diapers, wipes, diaper table paper, soap and paper towels live near your garden hose?
- Flexibility: don’t let the clock stress you out– it’s a reference point, not your boss. If the children are contentedly playing, don’t let the clock tell you or them that it’s time to stop! Conversely, if some are clearly tired and hungry, feel free to move lunch and rest time accordingly. While many states have regulations that require infants to be fed and given naps on a highly individualized schedule, it’s okay to let a tired child rest or a hungry child have a cup of milk or other snack outside of scheduled meal times.
For Reflection:
What times of day are the most challenging to meet everyone’s needs?
What would support you in partnering with families around children’s need for routine?
Image From Analyzing Childrens Art, Rhoda Kellogg, p. 49
When very young children are presented with art materials, whether fingerpaint or crayons, their first instinct is to “scribble.” Often, adults see this scribbling as meaningless until children begin to label their drawings. These early scribbles, though, are as important for their own sake as they are to children’s later development of hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, as well as the abstract representation they will need to use to understanding reading and writing.
When children scribble, they get the proprioceptive feedback from the tool in their hands (or, in the case of fingerpaint, the hands themselves) and learn how to track and plan the movements of their arms, elbows, wrists, hands, and fingers. Rather than being inferior to identifiable or named drawings, scribbling is a way for children to experiment with their influence on their surroundings.
Scribbling is also joyful and enjoyable! Children are learning about aesthetics and what looks good to them. They might tell stories or name the scribble to represent an idea or person, or they may be interested for just as long as it takes to make the marks on the paper.
A space to scribble can be simple with just crayons and paper available on a shelf children can access. Outdoors, chalk is a classic, and the large size presents both an interesting challenge and enticing opportunity to cover a much bigger surface than most children can indoors.
For Reflection:
What opportunities do very young children have to scribble in your program? What materials can they use?
How do you respond to children’s scribbles? Do you display them?
Sensory processing is the way we use information from our senses to interact with and learn from our world; the smell of trash should tell you to look somewhere else for food, while the sight of a stop sign should tell you to hit the brakes. But not everyone’s sensory input is organized in a way that allows them to use the information they’re taking in. When a person has sensory processing difficulties, they have trouble responding appropriately to the sensory information they’re receiving. This can lead to a variety of observable behaviors, depending on the impacted senses, such as covering ears at loud (or even slightly loud) noises, or refusing to eat foods that are “squishy” or crunchy.
It’s important to note that variations in sensory preferences are normal– some people like to listen to loud metal music and others prefer soft classical, and neither is wrong or indicative of sensory integration differences. These preferences are what make us individuals. However, for safety, as well as optimal development, children should be able to participate in daily life without struggling to integrate their sensory experiences.
If sensory seeking or avoiding behavior gets in the way of a child being able to form and maintain friendships, follow developmentally typical directions, or engage in their child care environment, it’s worth connecting their family with your state’s early intervention program for an assessment by an occupational therapist.
For Reflection:
Have you cared for children with diagnosed sensory processing difficulties?
What adaptations have you made to support their exploration of the sensory environment?
Do you know how to contact your local early intervention to make a referral, or support families in making a self-referral?
From Megan K. Lerner and Anthony T. Vesco’s presentation on Strategies for Managing Stress and Trauma-Related Distress in Preschoolers, the Stoplight can be completed with individual children or as a group to teach self-regulation skills, as seen in the presentation here (start at 52:00):
Family child care providers are more likely than most early childhood educators to work with mixed age groups, which can broaden the differences in abilities to plan for. But all children develop at different rates, with different interests and abilities, so even when an activity is only for three-year-olds, the particular three-year-olds who are participating are going to determine the types of adaptations and levels that are planned for.
When writing a lesson plan, including adaptations for children who need more assistance or more challenging stimulation can seem daunting at first, but soon will become second nature. Consider the following factors when planning appropriate modifications– we’ll test it out on a planned activity after:
- Safety first! Are the children using risky tools (hammers/nails, hot glue, etc.) that could be misused if a child’s attention, impulse control, or motor skills are not at a certain level? Consider partnered work, having one “helper,” adapting tools (loop scissors instead of regular scissors, tacky glue instead of hot glue), or working hand-over-hand.
- Look at your goal for the activity: have any of the children already accomplished it? Is it too far out of the zone of proximal development for some children to attempt? Are there smaller steps those children can take to meet that goal?
- What can children who finish early do? Have a plan for the ones who lose interest early as well as the ones who want to keep working and experimenting.
SAMPLE ACTIVITY & INDIVIDUALIZED ADAPTATIONS:
Audience: Children 2-5 years old
Activity: Tissue paper collage on contact paper
Learning Outcomes (from IN Early Learning Standards):
Adaptations: Children will be offered pencils and loop scissors, as well as traditional safety scissors, to create and cut out designs from tissue paper. Children will be encouraged to tear the paper by hand if not yet able to use scissors consistently. Children may work with the contact paper at easels, on the table, or on trays on the floor to allow optimal body positioning. Children can work until finished, and those who finish first/early may wash up and move on to open centers for free play.
When planning a child-focused curriculum, it’s important to notice how children are using the materials. This observation form is made to be used repeatedly over the course of a week or two to allow providers to notice how children are using materials, and plan what additional materials or provocations can be added to extend childrens’ interests. There are also spaces to note early learning standards that children are addressing through interacting with the centers.
In the RIE philosophy, there is a great emphasis on ensuring that caregiving times are relaxed and enjoyable for children and their caregivers. While this might be a dramatic reframe for some– is it really possible to enjoy changing diapers? — it can make mundane tasks much more pleasant.
Family child care is a unique profession– some days drag out, but many others fly by. Taking any opportunity to slow down and be mindfully present with the children is a way to build relationships with each child and ensure that there is time each day spent in warm individual interactions.
The major criterion that makes an activity “want something” quality time is that the adult has an agenda for the child to participate in. This is typically participating in a care task like diapering/toileting, feeding/eating, or dressing. How can these sometimes stressful occasions become enjoyable for everyone? The answer is simple: play!
When a child is getting changed, songs and nursery rhymes (“This Little Piggy”, “Hickory, Dickory, Dock”) have natural gestures that can be incorporated into dressing the child. Taking some pressure off of meals and offering conversation or even calm games for older toddlers, like “I spy on my plate” or discussing the attributes of the meal.
It’s normal for a child to offer some resistance during care times; babies and toddlers try to roll away from diaper changes, or spit out food, or tantrum to avoid getting dressed. Approaching the child in the spirit of collaboration and fun, while not an immediate “cure” for these behaviors, will change the tone of these interactions over time.
Reflection Questions:
- What “want something” times are most difficult right now?
- Consider a child you have struggled to connect with, or who struggles when participating in care tasks: how and when could you use want something quality time to build that relationship?