For Head Start StaffCurriculum ResourcesKnow of any curriculum offerings we haven't included? Mail the pertinent information to webmaster@headstartva.org and we'll post the information. Growing Up WILDNature education for building school readiness skills with Head Start!Cutting-edge research shows that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and that children who feel connected to nature have better physical, mental, and emotional health. Nature-based education dramatically improves student interest and performance while developing skills in problem solving, critical thinking and decision making. Furthermore, connections to the natural world stimulate creativity and allow children to exercise all their senses!
Best of all, Growing Up WILD can be used in any setting demonstrating that wildlife and nature is all around us to explore. Check out their new website. Professional Development Opportunities Growing Up WILD is also available for purchase directly from the Council for Environmental Education for $24.95 (Download order form). Download a free sample activity, Fishing Fun! For more information call the Council for Environmental Education at (713) 520-1936. Quick Start Head Start in Central Virginia
In addition, these kids are being taught life skills and having experiences they'd otherwise not have. Why not add tennis to the mix? Having FUN and being successful at tennis will have a positive impact on the lives of Head Start kids. It will cost $375 to equip each Head Start site with QuickStart racquets, balls, a small portable net and QuickStart Head Start lesson plans. If you would like to help three and four year-olds develop a passion for the "sport for a lifetime" that will transfer to other areas of their lives, contact QCV at quickstartcentral@comcast.net or visit the Quick Start Head Start webpage. Language and Early Literacy ActivitiesWashington Learning Systems is making available, at no cost, parent-child early literacy activities in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Somali, Burmese and Russian. Language and early literacy activities: Free and Reproducible These materials include home and community activities for adults and young children (birth to five) that encourage early language and literacy development. They are appropriate for children with disabilities as well as children who are developing typically. Each of the activities includes an activity description, and hints for making the activity fun and developmentally appropriate. An activity checklist helps parents and caregivers notice their children's skills, and also cues adults to examine and grow their own interactions with children. The materials are made available by Angela Notari-Syverson and colleagues, and may be copied and distributed as long as they are not sold. To download materials go to www.walearning.com and click on the button that says "Literacy Resources" on the home page. You will need to create a logon account using your email address and a password. The development of these materials was supported in part by Grant H324M020084 from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, and by funding from Washington Learning Systems and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation through the Great Start, Great Parents program at Calhoun Intermediate School District in Battle Creek Michigan. |
Aligned with the Head Start Domains, Growing Up
WILD provides a consistent, tested, developmentally
appropriate, interdisciplinary and attractive teaching
tool for building school readiness skills among young
learners ages 3-7. With 27 easy-to-use activities which
include crafts, art projects, music and movement,
centers and extensions, and reading, written by
educators and wildlife professionals and reviewed by
experts in early childhood education, Growing Up
WILD provides Head Start educators with the
knowledge and skills to comfortably lead explorations with young children on various topics
and subject areas, particularly in math and science. 
QuickStart Tennis was originally intended for kids ages 5 to 10. With a few modifications and a shift in emphasis to more motor skills development, QuickStart Tennis has been repositioned to suit three and four year-olds who participate in Head Start programs throughout a 21-county Service Area.