10 Documents to Put in Your PROVIDER PORTFOLIO

A portfolio is a collection of documents contained in a folder. Providers should create a portfolio to share with parents during interviews. Here is a list of documents you should keep in your portfolio:

1. An Introductory page that states:
    - Your name, address, phone number and email address
    - Give a brief statement about yourself and your family
    - Write your child care philosophy
   
2. Daily Routine page which lists the time of day you do these things: Arrival, free play, story time, music, outdoor play, snacks, lunch, nap, and activities.

3. Include your Hours of Operation.

4. Photos of the children in your day home involved in learning activities.

5. Show parents your First Aid Certificate.

6. Include your Staff Qualification Certificate, Diplomas, Degrees, Awards and Workshop Certificates

7. Fee schedule

8. Insurance Policy from the agency, and your vehicle insurance policy if you drive children in your vehicle. 

9. Police Information Checks (Security Clearances) and Child Intervention Record Checks for everyone in your home

10. Polices on Child Guidance, Illness, TV and Media, etc... It's a great time to discuss expectations to see if you are a good match.

Your menu, and activity plans should already be posted at the entrance for families to read.

By sharing this information openly with prospective parents, you are beginning to build a trusting relationship that will be vital to a professional relationship.

Foods Not Recommended for Children Under 4 Years Old

Foods that are round, hard, small, thick, and sticky, smooth or slippery such as:

• dried fruit snacks such as fruit roll ups
• whole grapes and cherry tomatoes (cut in half lengthwise if serving)
• hard, round candies: gumdrops, jelly beans, marshmallows, chewing gum
• pretzels, nuts, seeds, popcorn
• hotdogs (sliced in rounds); chunks of meat larger than what can be swallowed whole (also cut in half lengthwise if serving since sliced rounds can get stuck and cause a child to choke)
• peanut butter should be spread thinly and not given as a lump on a spoon to lick

Prevent choking accidents altogether by not serving the foods above to children under the age of 4 years old.

Guiding a Child's Behaviour POSITIVELY

Show Respect for Children: warm smiles, hugs, moderate tone of voice, encouragement, humor, see things from a child’s point of view, avoid comparisons of children, and interact with children frequently, move to their eye level

Understand Child Development: play materials match ages and abilities, sufficient materials and toys, children are given opportunities to make choices.

MODEL the behaviour you want to encourage: patience, cooperation, helpfulness, kindness

Encourage efforts at independence and helping others: acknowledge when a child works hard or helps someone

Set reasonable and fair limits for behaviour: knowing limits helps children control their own behaviour, limits should be clear, and consistently maintained.

Routines should be consistent, yet flexible: consistency helps children feel secure

Give individual attention: children need to know they are special

Respond to children’s needs promptly: children are less likely to act out if they know you will listen and respond

BUILD the relationship: take time to build trust and love. If you need to speak to a child about his /her behaviour focus on what needs to be changed and help make that happen without punishing. Teach the desired behaviour.

Modify the environment:

-Children who are fully engaged in play are less likely to act out

-offer activities that suit a child’s needs and interests

-ensure there are adequate materials and toys available

-add new toys, rotate through your stock, teach a new song, or go outside

Redirection/Distraction:

-redirect children away from undesired behaviours towards something more appropriate and interesting to the child.

-distract younger children with a different toy or activity

-make substitutions for older children

Allow children to be more in control of their actions:

-describe rather than evaluate: Instead of saying “Great picture” try saying “You drew something new on your car. Are those wheels?”

-Explain the effects of a child’s behaviour on other people. Instead of saying “You’re such a good helper.” say “You set the table, thanks.”

-Invite reflection: Instead of saying “That is a great tower you built” say “ How did you know to put all the big blocks on the bottom and the small blocks on top?”

Positive Phrasing:

Say comments in positive manner rather then using a negative phrase: Say “Please walk” rather than “No running”

 “Toys belong in the toy bin so we don’t trip over them and get hurt”  rather than “Pick up your toys.”

Active Listening:

-listen to what the child is saying

-acknowledge and accept his/her feelings

-reflect back your understanding of a message

-give feelings a name “I understand you are angry because Sally grabbed your toy.”

-trust in the child’s capacity to work through his/her feelings

Negotiating and Problem Solving:

-act as the facilitator to help children find a positive solution

-use negotiation to help children see another’s point of view

-once the resolution has been found, help with the outcome.

“I” Messages

“I” messages lets a child know how a behaviour is affecting others and gives a child he opportunity to change that behaviour. There are 3 parts to an “I” message:

Use non-blaming, developmentally appropriate words to help the child understand the effects of the behaviour

-tell your feeling about the behaviour

-give an explanation for your feeling on that behaviour

Example,” When I see you climbing the table, I am scared the table will break and you could get hurt. Is there somewhere else you can climb?”

 Active Listening:

-listen to what the child is saying

-acknowledge and accept his/her feelings

-reflect back your understanding of a message

-give feelings a name “I understand you are angry because Sally grabbed your toy.”

-trust in the child’s capacity to work through his/her feelings

 

Negotiating and Problem Solving:

-act as the facilitator to help children find a positive solution

-use negotiation to help children see another’s point of view

-once the resolution has been found, help with the outcome.

“I” Messages

“I” messages lets a child know how a behaviour is affecting others and gives a child he opportunity to change that behaviour. There are 3 parts to an “I” message:

Use non-blaming, developmentally appropriate words to help the child understand the effects of the behaviour

-tell your feeling about the behaviour

-give an explanation for your feeling on that behaviour

Example,” When I see you climbing the table, I am scared the table will break and you could get hurt. Is there somewhere else you can climb?”

 When/The Rule:

This rule helps a child to do something they don’t want to do. WHEN she does what she needs to do, THEN she can do what she wants to do. Be firm and friendly.

-”When you have picked up your toys, then you will be ready to go outside.”

“When you pick up the blocks, then it will be time for snack.”

“”When you get your coat on, then you can go outside.”

Choices:

At times, it may help to give a child a choice. Example: ”It is clean up time. Are you going to tidy up the block corner or the house corner?”

When giving choices, give only 2 and make sure both choices are okay with you.

Choices should always be respectful to the child and adult.

Calm Down Strategies:

These are times when a child just needs to take a break from the action. Help the child find a place to sit quietly with quiet toys or books apart from the play. Give the child appropriate attention. Do not withdraw your attention. Allow the child to rejoin the play. The adult should remain calm at all times to model for the child how to calm down.

  

Snacks From Around the World

Click below to read more about snacks and meals from other cultures. Try a few recipes in your own day home.
                                                               Click here:

Snacks From Around the World

GARDEN

Here are some items to collect for a Garden prop box:

                                                 
Gardening gloves
Hats
Knee pads
Small flower pots and trays from garden centre
Seeds and bulbs
Watering cans
Signs to tell what you have planted - tongue depressors
Shredded black paper (for dirt) - or you could use real dirt when outside
Plastic or silk flowers,stems and leaves
Real flowers
Small gardening hand shovels
Magnifying glasses
Lattice or small trellis for plants to climb
Grass mats made of plastic - see Dollar store
Tree cookies (sections cut from a tree)
Pine cones
Rocks, pebbles, glass beads
Empty potting soil bags filled with crumpled newspaper and taped shut
Empty spray bottles
Easter baskets and grass
Plastic vases
Cash register

Happy Provider Appreciation Day!

They Will Remember

I take care of your children.

I love them.

I teach them.

I clean them, and I feed them.

I take care of your children.

I see their first steps.

I hear their first words.

I share their happiness and I feel their hurts.

I take care of your children

As if they are my own.

And when they are grown and no longer need me,

My love will be a part of them,

deep within the heart of them.

They will know that I was there for them

unconditionally.

And they will remember.

-by Eileen Koscho

Open Ended Materials

Open-ended means not having a fixed answer; unrestricted. The children themselves decide what to do, how to do it, and what to use.

These are objects that have many uses and endless possibilities. There are no exceptions, no specific problems to solve, no rules to follow, and no pressure to produce a finished project. It's about FREE PLAY!

Why are open-ended materials important to include in children's play?

• allows children to use their imagination and creativity
• helps develop trial and error and problem solving skills
• children have no fear of doing it wrong since there is no right method or outcome.
• open-ended play gives children a sense of freedom and self confidence
• they must make their own choices and learn to be responsible and self-directed.

"IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE" - Albert Einstein

The following activities are NOT open-ended:

• ready made cut outs,shapes, or craft kits
• traced drawings for children to color
• coloring books
• stencils
• dot-to-dot drawings
• puzzles and board games
• toys with batteries- 90% toy, 10% child
• television and videos
• toys with only one purpose or use
• costumes with one specific use only- Halloween costumes

List of Open-Ended materials to use often in your program planning: (use with direct supervision)

Cardboard tubes	Shoelaces
Styrofoam packing	Wood scraps
Yarn	Metal juice can lids
Paint-watercolor, tempera, acrylic	Jewels from old lamps and chandeliers
Clay	Old costume jewelry
Sand	Wine corks
Mud	Empty spools of thread
Water	Lace
Blocks	Textured paper
Lego	Hemp
Plastic caps from milk jugs, bottle caps	Ribbon
Fabric pieces – felt squares	Pipe cleaners
Cardboard boxes of various sizes	All kinds of tape
Play dough	Toothpicks
Crayons	Googly eyes
Markers	String
Paper	Chopsticks
Buttons	Recycled water bottles/cans
Pom poms	Old metal keys
Empty cereal boxes	Parts from machines, clocks, engines
Paper bags – grocery and lunch bags	Hats, shoes, belts, bags, shirts, gloves
Newspaper and flyers	Scarves and bandanas
Shoe boxes	Colored, clean aquarium rocks
Bread tags	Artificial flowers and petals
Q-tips	Laundry soap lids
Straws of different colors and sizes	Leaves
Aluminum foil	Branches
Golf T’s	Seeds
Plastic food containers with lids	Sea shells
Empty ice cream buckets	Dirt
Dice of all sizes	Sand
Poker chips	Gravel
Magnets	Rocks
Paper clips	Mud
Marbles	Water
Glass gems	Snow
Sequins	Tree cookies – stumps cut up into discs
Clothespins	Pine cones
PVC pipe	Moss
Sponges	Pussy Willows
Nuts and bolts from a hardware store	Bulrushes – Cattails
Beads of various sizes	Twigs

                                          THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!

Multicultural Puzzle

This puzzle was bought at a store called Anthropologie which is a ladies clothing store in West Edmonton Mall. Search in the back corner of the store to find a children's book and toy section. It was about $17.00 and has different pictures on the back of each piece as well. The box says 3 and up but some 2 year olds can do this with ease. It can also be bought online by clicking here to link to amazon.com.

Lentil Soup

4 leeks - white and light green parts only
1 bunch kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes , drained
6 cups water
2 sweet potatoes - peeled and diced
1/2 cup brown lentils
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
12 fresh basil leaves (optional)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Slice each leek in half lengthwise, then slice into half moons about 1/4 inch thick. You should have about 2 cups. Place in a large bowl of cold water and swish to remove any grit. Drain and pat dry.
Remove stems from kale. Stack leaves on top of one another and slice into strips. You'll need about 3 cups.

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat oil. Add leeks and cook for 3 minutes.Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Stir in kale, sweet potatoes, lentils, thyme, basil, salt and pepper.Simmer until lentils are tender- about 30 minutes. Spoon inti individual bowls. Sprinkle with parmesan.

To freeze: Omit parmesan. Let soup cool. Ladle into large resealable bags, filling each one halfway. Store up to 3 months.
Serves 6

Tacos

6 soft flour multigrain or corn tortillas
Hard shell tacos (optional)

Meat Mixture: make the night before so it's ready for lunch
1 pound of ground beef (can use ground chicken or turkey)
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp onion flakes
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water

Toppings:
leaf lettuce
green onions
cilantro (optional)
roma tomatoes
cheddar cheese, shredded, light or fat free
sour cream, light or fat free
chunky salsa

Brown ground beef in a frying pan. Add spices, ketchup and water to browned meat. Simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.

Wash all vegetables. Cut them up small and set out in serving bowls.
Have the children spoon meat mixture onto tortilla, sprinkle with cheese and add their favourite toppings. Roll up the tortilla.

What Can We Do With Play Dough?

Here's some ideas to make play dough time more interesting for children:

- Make impressions in the dough with things from around your home.garden, or things you have collected on    walks (shells,leaves, sticks, plastic animals,cars, barbie shoes).

-Push small items into the play dough to create faces ( buttons,paper clips, popsicle sticks, googly eyes).

- Use Mr. Potato Head pieces to make play dough people.

-Add children's safety scissors so the children cut the play dough.

-Create a bakery by making cupcakes, birthday cakes, cinnamon buns, cookies, bread. Add cake decorations, muffin cups, rolling pins, bowls, spoons, plastic knives, small cookie sheets, spatulas, cookie cutters,potato masher, etc....

-Create a restaurant by making pizza, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fries.

-Flatten dough and roll cars and trucks in it to make tire tracks.

-Roll snakes and balls and use them to shape letters.

-Sculpt animals-add feathers,eyes, fur, etc...

-Put fresh play dough in a syringe or icing bag and let children squeeze it out.

-Mix different combinations of colored play dough to make new colors. 
 Red + Blue = Purple, Yellow + Blue = Green, Red + Yellow = Orange
 Then mix all the colors together!

-Use small plastic animal toys (available at the dollar store) and let the child make different kinds of caves  and homes for the animals to live in.

-Make ornaments. Bake at 200 degrees for 5 minutes so they will harden and preserve.

Source: Play Dough, Painting, and Prop Boxes Workshop by Krista Anderson

What Can We Paint With?

Painting with paint brushes is always an engaging activity you can involve children in, but you can paint with many things you already have in your home. Try some of these items:

Apples - Cut apples in half, dip in paint and place on a paper.

Wet Chalk - Place sticks of chalk into a cup of water. You can add sugar to the water for a different effect. Draw on paper with the wet chalk.

Cars- Dip the wheels of a toy car into paint, then drive the car on a paper to make tire tracks.

Toothbrush - Dip a paint brush into paint and paint with it. Try an electric toothbrush!

Bottles - Paint the outside of an empty, washed, plastic juice or pop bottle.

Kitchen utensils- Wooden spoons, spatulas, flippers, forks, potato masher. use washable paint so it will wash off.

Toy animal footprints-Paint the feet of toy animals and have them walk across a paper.

Leaves and Rocks - Go on a nature walk, collect leaves and rocks. Paint one side of a leaf and stamp it onto your paper. Use silk leaves if not available. Paint the rocks and decorate them.

Ketchup - Provide a small cup  of ketchup, allow children to dip their fingers into the ketchup and paint on a high chair tray . Press a paper onto the tray to transfer their art to paper. Peel the paper off the tray and let dry.

Water - Small children can paint with a toddler paint brush, a small cup of water and paper.

Ziploc bag - Put finger paint in a ziploc bag and seal it. Tape it closed. Children can draw on the bag with their finger creating and erasing designs over and over!

Hands and Feet - Dip children's hands and feet in paint. Make handprints and walk across a large paper taped to the floor. Use different colors and watch how the colors mix.

Q-tips - Dip Q-tips in a container of paint and make dot pictures.

Potatoes - Cut a potato in half. Carve out simple shapes such as a square, circle, triangle and rectangle. Allow the children to dip the potato into paint and stamp on paper. Encourage them to arrange shapes to create characters, vehicles, houses etc....

Laundry Soap Caps - Dip into paint and stamp circles on paper or boxes.

Marbles or Golf Balls - Put marbles or golf balls in paint, scoop them out with a spoon, and place on paper cut to the size and shape of a cake pan or tin box. Roll the marbles around on the paper.