Ensuring Your Child Meets Developmental Milestones January 21

Ensuring Your Child Meets Developmental Milestones January 21 st, 2021 Hosted by the Pre-K Department

Welcome! Meet Ms. Ashley and Ms. Marissa What do Pre-K Department Social Workers do? • Promote the emotional, personal, and social development of all students. • Meet with students individually and in small groups to work on social skills. • Assist with getting families services in school and in the community.

What do you already know about your child's development?

What is a developmental milestone?

§ Fine motor skills: the coordination & movement of small muscles § Improved hand-eye coordination Adaptive and Motor Milestones § Age 5: spreading food with a knife (with supervision), start to use one hand for all tasks, cut along curved/straight lines

Gross Motor Skills § Involves large muscle and whole body movements § Between 4 -5: balance improvement § Skipping and alternating feet § Begin to jump rope § Pump and maintain momentum while on a swing § Hop on one foot

§ Children should dress themselves § Brush their teeth with supervision § Potty-trained Adaptive and Motor milestones

Language and Literacy Milestones § § § Recalls part of a story Speaks sentences of 4 -5 words Uses future tense Says name and address Understands prepositions (e. g. beside, behind, in front) Talking a lot about what they are thinking or doing

Cognitive Milestones § Identifies basic colors and shapes, copies simple patterns, and can count 10 or more objects § Better able to ignore distractions and focus on the task at hand, may persist in competing something that is a bit difficult § Better understands concepts of time (yesterday, tomorrow, last night) § Engage in dramatic play, such as roles, scenarios, and dialogue. (Ex: Let's play house! I'll be the mommy and you be the baby. ) § Know about things used every day in the home (money, food, appliances)

§ Can follow a familiar daily routine at home and school. § Initiates or joins in cooperative play with other children § Begins to develop patience, share toys, & take turns with assistance § Begins to express a wider range of emotion (embarrassed, bored, brave, grateful) § Begins to manage emotions by asking for help or using Social Emotional Developmental Milestones conscious self-soothing strategies with assistance. (deep breaths)

§ Every child develops differently! § Missing one or Should I be concerned? two abilities should not cause alarm.

• COVID-19 • Environmental • Adverse childhood experience What impacts the ability to meet developmental milestones?

• If you notice your child is struggling to meet multiple milestones, be sure to talk with your child's teacher. You may also want to speak with your pediatrician. • If your child has any delays, even if mild, starting intervention as early as possible is important so your child can make the best possible progress! • After speaking with your teacher and social worker, the process begins with a classroom observation

Reach out to us! amalan@mtvernoncsd. org mtranchese@mtvernoncsd. org

Who is a part of the referral process? Social Workers Francine Bifolco CPSE Chairperson 914 -665 -5112 fbifolco@mtvernoncsd. org Nicole Howie CPSE Social Worker 914 -665 -5361 nhowie@mtvernoncsd. org Yolanda Thomas CPSE School Psychologist 914 -358 -2595 ythomas@mtvernoncsd. org

Family Involvement Supporting your child outside of school.

§ Get kids moving at home! § Cosmic Kids and Go Noodle § Nutrition § Sleep and routine are vital at this age Adaptive and Motor § Tip: making up songs for self-care tasks, like brushing teeth or getting dressed

§ Read and talk with your child throughout the day § Model conversation and take turns Literacy and Language § Ask your child questions about things they like § Book access at Epic!. com § (30 days free) § Make story time interactive and see what your child comprehends

Cognitive § Free websites to practice academic skills like colors, numbers, letters. § § Abcya. com Starfall. com Abcmouse. com Vroom App § Non-tech ideas: § Scavenger Hunt – Find things in the house that start with the letter “B”. § “Memory” games and matching games.

Social Emotional Development § Buy toys that encourage imagination, exploring, creating, and role play. § Give your child opportunities to play with other children their age. § Acknowledge your child's feelings. Help them talk about how they feel.

Download the Milestone Tracker app from the App Store or Google Play today! § Milestone Tracker – track your child’s developmental progress by looking for important milestones using an interactive, illustrated checklist § Milestone Photos and Videos – know what each milestone looks like so that you can better identify them in your own child § Tips and Activities – support your child’s development at every age § When to Act Early – know when it’s time to “act early” and talk with your child’s doctor about developmental concerns

"Remember, your child loves to learn from you. Your time together gives them a strong start in life!"

Reach out to us! amalan@mtvernoncsd. org mtranchese@mtvernoncsd. org