Families enrolled in Head Start and Early Head Start of Fayette County were invited to “Alphabet Safari” held at the Lemont Furnace Head Start Center on November 19, 2025. The theme of the event was to focus on language and literacy skills from the program’s school...
As we enter the holiday season, we also enter the cold and flu season. Let’s face it, no one enjoys being sick so here are some common reminders about when you or your children should stay home from work or school. Fever- a fever over 100.4 Vomiting – more than 2...
Mental Health Starts in the Womb Mental health is a very important and pervasive concept in today’s world, often highlighting its importance during teenage years, and into adulthood/end of life. In our line of work, we understand that not only does mental health...
Building Skills. Strengthening Connections. Shaping Futures at PIC By: PIC Welcome Committee – Amy Lanz, Marette Simpson, Hannah Smail November is National Career Development Month, a time to reflect on how we continue to grow in our professions and...
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Head Start / Early Head Start FAQs The Private Industry Council discusses frequently asked questions for Head Start and Early Head Start students. Private Industry Council operates the Head Start / Early Head Start program for Beaver and Fayette Counties in the...
My original intent for this article was to provide parents with information on how to prepare their preschool children for school. You know, practices like establish routines, talk with your children about what the day will look like, and validate their feelings and provide reassurance and the importance of teaching children how to be a good person.
As a native of Pittsburgh, I grew up hearing the wise Mr. Rogers impart his wisdom on how children learn, how to be a good neighbor and how to be a good person. So naturally I visited the Fred Rogers Institute website (formerly the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media). The first thing that caught my attention was Fred Roger’s Six Basic Necessities of Learning. These six necessities are quite simple but extremely important. They are:
Immediately I began to reflect on my own experiencing raising a child and began to ask myself if I, as my child’s first and primary teacher, promote and provide these basic necessities of learning with my young son. Did I make him feel valued and protected? Did I listen intently to his stories and ask questions? Did I ensure there were caring adults around him he could count on for support and encouragement? Did I foster his curiosity and encourage him to explore new things while keeping him safe? Did I slow down when we were in a hurry to allow him to appreciate new things and ask questions? Did I provide opportunities to play, create, find solutions? Did I allow quite time? Did I provide him opportunities to help?
Although I feel confident I did many of the things above, I can’t help but wonder if I could have or should have done more to promote school readiness and success not only when he started pre-school or kindergarten, but throughout his entire school career.
For more information on Mr. Roger’s Six Basic Necessities of Learning go to https://www.fredrogersinstitute.org.
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