MessagefromMeEducator’sGuide
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MessagefromMeismadepossiblebythegraciousfundingfromPNCGrowUpGreat
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WelcometoMessagefromMeTheEducator’sGuideisdesignedtosupportyourdailyroutines,learningexperiences,andinteractionswithchildrenwhenimplementingMessagefromMe.ThisguideservesasastartingpointforyourMessagefromMejourney…thepossibilitiesareendless!TheEducator’sGuideincludes:
• ClassroomManagementTips:Ideasfor“gettingstarted”withMessagefromMe,includingsimple,easywaystoimplementintoyourcurriculumandeducationalsetting.
• ActivityIdeas:Designedbyeducatorsinthefield,andadaptabletomeettheuniqueneedsofyourchildren,families,andeducationalsetting.
• EducatorPromptsandFamilyPromptstoguideimplementationandenhancecommunicationbetweenthechildandrecipienttobridgethehome-schoolconnection.Tipstosupportduallanguagelearnersandculturallyandlinguisticallydiversefamiliesisalsoincluded.
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TableofContentsPart1.ClassroomIntegrationofMFM Page4 TheEducator’sRole
TimeManagement PhotoGuidelinesPart2.ClassroomApproachesforMFMUse Page6
GroupMessagesLearningCentersClassroomJobs
Part3.BeforeyouBegin:SettingtheStageforEffectiveMFMUse Page7 ClassroomInstruction
EnhancingCommunicationPart4.ActivityIdeasforUsingMFMPage9
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Part1.ClassroomIntegrationofMFMTheEducator’sRoleasaMediaMentorAseducators,weplayacriticalroleinthelivesofchildrenandfamiliestosupporttheevaluation,selection,andintegrationofdigitaltechnologies.Digitaltechnologiescanplayaninnovativeandpowerfulroleinthelearningprocess,andchildrenandfamiliesneedourguidanceandexpertiseinchilddevelopmenttonavigatebestpractices.Bybuildingcollaborativerelationshipswithfamiliesasmediamentors,wecanencouragebalanced,healthymediahabitsthatenrichdigitalexperiencesforallchildren.10TipsforUsingTechnologyandInteractiveMediawithYoungChildrenasMediaMentors
1. Rememberthatrelationshipsmattermost-Usingtechnologywithyoungchildrenbeginswithlowtech,high-touchopportunitiesforinteractions,sharedexperiences,discoveries,andjoint-engagementwithmedia.
2. Integratetechnologyuseintosocialandemotionallearning-Technologyshouldbeusedinwaysthatsupportculturalandlinguisticabilities,positivesocialinteractions,mindfulness,creativity,andasenseofinitiative.
3. Usetechnologyasatool-Technologyisonemoreimportanttoolyoucanputinchildren’slittlehandsforexploring,learning,andcreating:itisnotmoreorlessimportantthatothertoolschildrenusetolearnintheearlyyears.
4. Trustyourinstincts-Focuslessonhowmanyminutesachildengageswithscreenmediaandmoreonthequalityofthecontent,thecontextforusingmedia,andthelevelofengagement.
5. Empowerchildrentousetechnologyasatoolfor21stcenturylearning-Selecttechnologythatencouragesinquiry,exploration,discovery,documentation,anddemonstrationofwhattheyknow.
6. Providebeneficialtechnologyexperiences-Offermediaexperiencesthatareengagingandinteractive;includepositiveinteractionswithothers,givethechildcontrol,emphasizeinteractions,languageuse,andrelationships;andinviteco-viewingandjointengagementwithmedia.
7. Makemediausealanguage-richexperience-narrateyourownuseoftechnologyandtalktochildrenaboutwhattheyaredoingwhentheyareusingscreenmedia;askquestions,makecomments,andsuggestwhattheycandoafterthescreeisturnedoff.
8. Helpchildrenprogressfromjustconsumingmediatocreatingit-Whenpairedwiththecuriosityandcreativityofachild,simpletoolslikeadigitalcameracanbecomepowerfulmediacreationtools.
9. Payattentiontoyourowntechnologyuseinfrontofchildren-Childrenlearnmediahabitsandhowandwhentousetechnologybyobservingtheimportantadultsintheirlives.
10. Beamediamentor-Youngchildneedtobesafelyguidedinthedigitalagebytrustedadultrolemodelswhoareactiveandintentionalmediamentors.
Donohue,C.(2017).Familyengagementinthedigitalage:Earlychildhoodeducatorsasmediamentors.
NewYork,NY:Routledge.
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TimeManagementHowoftenshouldweuseMFM?
• Itdependsontheindividualneedsanduniqueabilitiesofyourchildren.Weencourageweeklyusagebyeachchild.Morefrequentusageisacceptableaswell.However,monitortheadministrativewebsitetomakesureallchildrenareusingMFMappropriatelyandequitably.
PhotoGuidelines
SetClassroomPoliciesforPhotographs:• AsyouguidechildrenusingtheMessagefromMesystem,herearesomebasicpoliciesregarding
photographs.Youmayneedtoaddmoretofityourcontext.o Picturesshouldnotbetakenofchildrenwhosefamilieshavenotgivenpermissionforthem
tobephotographed.o Picturesshouldbeofappropriatecontent,e.g.,nobathroomorchangingphotos.o Childrenmaybeuncomfortablehavingtheirphototakenbyanotherchild.Guidechildren
inproperphototakingetiquette;forexample,modelforchildrenbyaskingpermissionbeforetakingsomeone’sphoto.
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Part2.ClassroomApproachesforMFMUseToolforDocumentationandAssessment
• MFMphotosandaudiorecordingscanserveasatooltodocumentchildren’sgrowthanddevelopment.Forlearnerswithdiverseneeds,MFMprovidesauniqueopportunityforeducatorsandfamiliestodocumentandassesschildren’slanguagedevelopment.
GroupMessaging• TheGroupMessagingfeatureandFamilyPromptscanbeusedtosendamessagetoallrecipients
describinganactivityorspecialevent.FamilyPromptsareavailableintheActivityIdeasforMFM.Forexample:
o “Thisweekwillbevisitingthezoo.Askyourchildquestionsaboutthezooanimals;suchas,whatanimalwasyourfavoriteandwhy?”
o Sendareminderbeforetheevent.o Takeaphotoofthestageofyourclassplay,aposterwithdateandtimedetails,special
itemschildrenneedtoremembertobring,oraconversationstartertoencouragechildrenandfamiliestodiscusstheeventbeforeitbeginsinEnglishandSpanish.
o Sharehighlightsduringtheevent.LearningCenter
• MFMcanbeusedasachild-centeredchoiceinwhichMFMisopentoall,atanytime.• TurnTakingChart-Achartlistingallofthechildrencanbehungintheclassroom.Placevelcro
nexttoeachchild’sname.MakeasmallpicturetorepresenttheMFM.ThepictureishungbesidethechildwhohastheMFMturn.Afteradefinedamountoftimeormessagessent,thepicturemovesdowntothenextchildonthelist.
ClassroomJob • OptionsforusingMFMasaclassjob.
o OnechildhastheMFMjobandhastheturntotakethepicturesforthatday,week,etc.o Onechildisresponsibleformakingsureallofthechildrenintheclasshaveaturn(bestfor
olderchildren).o Ifagroupmessageissent,thechildwiththeMFMjobcansendthemessageforthegroup
withadultguidance.
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Part3.BeforeYouBegin:SettingtheStageforEffectiveMFMUseThefollowingactivitiesaredesignedtosupportyouandyourchildrentouseMFM,andshouldbeimplementedintherecommendedsequencebeforethechildrenbeginusingthetechnologytoolroutinely.Reviewingtheseconceptsperiodicallywillhelpstrengthenchildren’sdigitalwellbeing.ClassroomInstructionCommunicatingExperiencewithaPhotographMFMwasintentionallycreatedtoprovideachildanopportunitytosharemeaningfulexperienceswiththeirfamilies.Encouragechildrentocommunicatewiththeirfamiliesintheirhomelanguage.Listedbelowareexamplequestionstoscaffoldtheexperienceforachild.
• Whatwouldyouliketoshare?• Whatdidyoudothatwasnewtoday?• Whatdoyouwantyourfamilytosee/knowaboutyourday/work/project?
FramingaPhotograph PriortointroducingMFM,useacardboardpictureframetoallowchildrento“practice”framingtheirpotentialsubject.UsingaCameraOncechildrenhavebecomecomfortabletakingpretendpictureswiththecardboardframes,allowthemtotakephotographswithadigitalcamera.Youcaneitherprintthepicturesorallowchildrentoviewthemonthecomputer.Talkwiththechildaboutthephotograph.TellingaStoryaboutMyPictureWorkwiththechildrenontellingmeaningfulstorieswithphotos.Usethebook,“OffWeGo”byBeverlyAbramsontopracticestorytellingortakesomephotographsoftheclassandaskthemtotellastoryaboutthepicture.GuidechildastheytellstoriesabouttheirMFMphoto.Encouragechildrentoplanandpracticetheirstorybeforerecording.Continuepracticingstorytellingusingphotographs,wordlessstorybooks,orallowingthechildrentoshareanexperience.KeyVocabularytoIntegrateintoInstruction
GeneralVocabulary
• Aim(thecamera)–topointthecamerawhereyouwanttotakethephoto• Articulate–tospeakclearlyandslowly• Audio-sound• Camera–amachinethattakespictures• Choose–tothinkandthenselect• Communicate–toshareyourideaswithsomeone• Focus–toseeclearly• Level–toholdthecamerastraight• Introduce–totellanotherpersonwhoyouare• Message–whatyouwanttotelltherecipientaboutyourpicture
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• Microphone–atoolthattransmitsorrecordsounds• PowerButton–theonandoffswitch• Recipient–thepersonwhowillgetthemessage• Record–totalkintothemicrophonesothatyoucanhearyourvoicelater• Select–tochoose• Sender–thepersonmakingthemessage• Still–notmoving• Volume–howloudasoundis
DigitalTools
• App-software• iPad-tabletstylecomputer• AmazonKindle–tabletstylecomputer• Android–tabletstylecomputer• Internet–aglobalcomputernetworkthatprovidesavarietyofinformation• iPad-tabletstylecomputer• Microphone–adevicetocapturesounds• Robot–amachinethatisdesignedwithhumanlikeabilities• Tap-touchingthebuttonsontheiPadscreen• WirelessInternet–awaytoconnecttotheinternet
EnhancingCommunicationGeneralEducatorPromptstoDeepentheExperience
• ReportBack–Whenamessageissent,encouragechildrentoreportbacktothegroupthenextdayontheinteractionwiththeirfamilyathome.
o Askguidingquestionssuchas:§ Didyoulookatyourmessage?Whoshowedittoyou?§ Whatdidyoutellthemaboutthephoto?§ Whatdidtheyaskyouaboutthephoto?Doyouhaveanideaforanewmessageto
send?FamilyEngagement
• PreparefamiliesontheuseofMFMintheclassroomandathome.Forculturallyandlinguisticallydiversefamilies,providingMFMresourcesinthechild’shomelanguageisencouraged.
o Generalfamilypromptsthatcouldbeusedoradaptedforanyactivityare:Who?What?Where?When?Why?
Pleasenote:Ideasformorespecificpromptsareincludedintheactivitieslistedbelow.
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Part4.ActivityIdeasforUsingMFMInthissection,youwillfindactivityideasdesignedbyeducatorstosupporteducationalprofessionalsintegratingMFM.Theactivitiesareorganizedbyuniversalearlylearningstandardsandcontentareas;including:
• SocialandEmotionalDevelopment• EnglishLanguageArts• Mathematics• Science• TheArts• HealthandPhysicalDevelopment• ApproachestoLearning
FamilyPromptsarealsoincludedinthedescriptionoftheactivity.WebsitessuchasGoogleTranslatearegreatresourcesfortranslatingFamilyPrompts.WeencourageyoutohavefunandbecreativewithMFM.PleaseshareyourideaswithothersthroughtheMFMFacebookgroup!NOTE:AnyactivityusingMessagefromMewillmeetthefollowingcontentareasandstandards:
SpeakingandListening
ComputerandInformationTechnologyIntegration
Self-AwarenessandSelf-Management:PersistenceandAttentiveness
FamilyEngagement:Supportingfamiliesbyprovidinginformationthatencouragestheirchild’slearninganddevelopment.
*Thefollowingpagescontaindetailedactivityideasgroupedbyuniversalearlylearningstandardsandcontentareas.*
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CONTENTAREA:SOCIALANDEMOTIONALDEVELOPMENT
STANDARD:SELF-CONCEPT
DevelopmentofSelf-Concept• SharingAccomplishments-Whenchildrenapproacheducatorstosharean
accomplishment,thechildrencanrecordtheaccomplishmentandsendittofamilies.Theteachercanalsobepartofthemessagetothefamilies.
• Selfie–Havethechildtakea“selfie”andaskthemtodescribedetailsaboutthemselves;suchas,haircolor,eyecolor,facialfeatures,etc.
o FamilyPrompt–Createaself-portraitathomebasedonthephotosent.Createafamilyself-portraitaswellandcomparewiththechild.
DevelopmentofSelf-ExpressionandSelf-Awareness• PersonalPreferences–Haveeachchildtakeapictureofsomethingtheylikeordonotlike
todemonstrateawarenessofthechild’spreferences.• PersonalIntroductions–MFMcanbeusedtoteachchildrentointroducethemselvesto
others.WhenusingtheMFM,encouragechildrentosay,“Hi____.Thisis_____.Itookapictureof_____.Good-bye.”
• ExpressingFeelings–MFMcanbeusedasawayforchildrentocommunicatetheirfeelingstotheirfamilythroughouttheday.Forexample,encouragechildrenwhoareexperiencingseparationissuestosendamessagetoletfamilyknowhowtheyarefeeling.Forachildwhohaslostatooth,theycanreporttheiremotionsviaamessage.Havethechildanswerthequestion“Ifeel…”asapromptfortheirmessage.
STANDARD:SOCIALRELATIONSHIPS
DevelopmentandDemonstrationofPro-SocialBehaviors• Classrules-Whilelearningaboutclassrules,childrencansendamessageaboutthe“ruleof
theday.”Forexample,iftheruleis“beakindfriend,”childrencansendmessagesofwaystheyseeothersbeingkind.
• ThinkingofYou–Sendahappybirthdaymessagehometoafamilymember.Sendamessagetocheerupateacherorfamilymemberwhoissick.
• Schedule–Duringthetypicaldailyschedule,havephotostakenandsenttofamiliesthatdemonstratethedailyschedulethechildrenfollow.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragechildrentosharewiththeirfamiliesabouttheirdailyschedule.Askguidingquestions;suchas,whatisyourfavoritepartoftheday?
Cooperation• Reflection–Atcircletime,childrencanuseMFMandtakeaphotoanddescribewhatthey
likedmostthatdayandsharethephotowithhis/herpeers.• PickleProblem-Completea“pickleproblem”whereaproblemthatisaddressedinthe
classroomissolved.Describeanddiscussaproblemorconflictanddifferentsolutions.o FamilyPrompt–Havethefamilymemberaskwhatsolutionwasusedordecidedon
asthebestoption,encouragediscussionofproblemsolvingathomewithadultsandpeers,andmakeathomepickleproblems.
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• ClassJobs-Aseachchildbeginsanewclassjob,photographthechildcompletingthejobandletthechildsendamessagedescribingtheresponsibility.
STANDARD:KNOWLEDGEOFFAMILYANDCOMMUNITY ProgressionofUnderstandingoftheirRoleintheFamilyandCommunity
• GettingtoKnowYou-UseMFMasawayforchildrentolearninformationaboutpeers/adultsandintroducethemtotheirfamily.Childrencanaskaquestionofapeerandsenditasamessage.“ThisisapictureofBobandhelikestoeatCheerios.”
• FamilyNight–Setupaparentnighttoshowfamiliestheclassandtoshareartwork.Priortothismeeting,haveeachchildsendaphotoofafavoriteareatofamiliessaying“Iliketoplayinblocks.Iwanttoshowyoublocks.”
o FamilyPrompt–AtOpenHouseFamilyNighthavefamiliesvisittheareatheirchildsentthemaphotoof.
• Culture-Havechildrensendamessagetofamiliesaboutchildren’sfavoritefamilytraditionsorfood.Thechildren’sfavoriteculturalmealscanbegraphedintheclassroom.
o FamilyPrompt–Familiescansendintherecipefortheirchild’sfavoriteculturalmealtocreateaclassroomcookbook.
• FamilyTraditions–Whenplanningalessonondifferentfamilytraditions,havechildrensendamessagetofamiliesaskingthemiftheywouldliketovolunteertospeaktotheclassaboutfamilytraditions.
o FamilyPrompt–Askfamiliestosharewithchildrenaboutdifferentfamilycustomsandtraditions.
• FavoriteBuilding-Askeachchildtocreateareplicationofabuildingtheyknowintheirtownandsenditasamessage.
• DollHouse–Childrensetupfurnitureinadollhouseandatakepictureoftheroom.Themessagecanincludedetailssuchasthenamesoffurnitureandnameofroom.
o FamilyPrompt–“Tellmewhatyouputinyour_____?Doesthis_____looklikeour_____?Whatfurnitureisthesame/different?”
STANDARD:DISPOSITIONSTOLEARNING IntrinsicMotivationforLearning
• DescribingTime,MakingaPlan-Childrencansendamessageindicatinganactivitytheywanttodointhefuture.Forexample,“TonightIwill/wantto_____.”“Tomorrow,Iwill/wantto______.”“Thisweekend,canwe______?”
o FamilyPrompt-Discussthechild’splan.Ifthemessagesays,“Tomorrow,Iwanttowearmybluestripedshirt,”helpthechildtofindtheshirtandwearit.
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CONTENTAREA:ENGLISHLANGUAGEARTS
STANDARD:SPEAKINGANDLISTENINGAnyactivityusingMessagefromMewillmeetthisstandard.
ExpressiveLanguage• Self-Expression–ChildwilltakeaphotoofthemselvesusingMFManddescribetheiroutfit
andwhytheyliketheiroutfit.o FamilyPrompt–Engageinaconversationaboutdifferenttypesofclothing.
• Storytelling–Childrenwillchooseastorytoretellwiththeoptionofusingpuppets,props,etc.UsingMFMtosendaphotooftheirfavoritestoryandaudiorecordthechildretellingthestory.
o FamilyPrompt-Sendaseparatephotoofquestionsforfamiliestoaskaboutthestorytoextendthelearningathome.
• ShowandTell-Takeaphotoofachildduringshowandtell.Askthechildtoaudiorecordadescriptionofwhattheychosetosharewiththeclass.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestoaskquestionsaboutwhatotherchildrenintheirclassbroughttoshowandtell.
ReceptiveLanguage• ReportBack–Whenamessageissent,havethechildreportbacktothegroupthenext
dayontheinteractionwiththefamilyathome.Ask:Didyoulookatyourmessage?Whoshowedittoyou?Whatdidyoutellthemaboutthephoto?Whatdidtheyaskyouaboutthephoto?Doyouhaveanideaforanewmessagetosend?
o FamilyPrompt-Askfamilymemberstoengagechildintheprocessofsending/receivingthemessage.
• BookReactions–ReadastorysuchasTheGingerbreadMan.Havethechildrenretellthestorywithprops.UseMFMtotakeaphotoofthechildwhenactingoutthestory.Askthechildtoshareamessagewiththeirfamilymembers;suchas,myfavoritepartofthestorywas…orthecharacterswere…
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamilymemberstoaskquestionsaboutthestory.Whatstoryareyoureading?Whatwasyourfavoritepartandwhy?Whowerethecharacters?
STANDARD:FOUNDATIONALREADING BookAppreciationandKnowledge
• PartsofaStory–Childrendescribecharacteristicsofthecharactersinthestoryoftheweek.
• FavoriteBookExtension-Afterchildrensendmessagesaboutafavoritebook,encouragethemtosendmessagesaboutafavoritecharacterinthestoryortheplotofthestory.
• RealvsImaginary-Childrensendhome2messages-onethatisfact(real)andonethatisfiction(imaginary).Familieshavetodecidewhichiswhich.Forexample,thefactmessagecouldbe“Ihadabagelforsnack”whilethefictionmessagecouldbe“Apigvisitedusforsnacktoday.”
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• FavoriteBook-Eachchildcantakeapictureofthecoverofafavoritestorytosendhome.
o FamilyPrompt-Encouragefamiliestogotothelibraryandfindthebooktoreadtogether.
o GroupMessagePrompt-Sendhomeapictureofthebooksreadtotheclassduringthecourseoftheday.
• Facts-Asnewtopicsareexplored,childrencansharefactsaboutthetopicwithfamilies.Forexample,ifstudyingtransportation,childrencansharefactsaboutkindsofvehicles.
• BookReactions-Eachchildcansendamessageaboutabookthey/theclassreadtoday.Encouragethechildtosharewhytheylikedordidnotlikethebook.
PrintConcept
• EnvironmentalPrint-Sendphotosofenvironmentalprint(names,productlogos,etc.)throughtheuseofMFM.Thechildrenwillalsoreadtheprintastheaccompanyingaudiofile.
o FamilyPrompt–Assistchildrenindiscoveringmoreenvironmentalprintathomeandencouragethemtofindfamiliarprintandlogos.
• LetterScavengerHunt–Hidelettersaroundtheroom.Eachchildisgivenaspecificlettertofind,photographandsendasamessage.
• PrintedMaterials–Encouragechildrentosendhomepicturesofprintedmaterialsaroundtheclassroom.Forexample,ifyoulabelyourcenters,childrencansendapicturereadingthewordsasthemessage.
o FamilyPrompt-Askyourchildtoreadthewordsinthephotographtoyou.• Names–Haveeachchildidentifythefirstletteroftheirname.Then,askthechildtofind
somethingintheroomthatalsobeginswiththatletter.Documentwithaphotoandoraldescriptionofwhatthechildfound.
o FamilyPrompt–Askquestionsaboutwhatotherobjects,places,orthingsmaystartwiththesameletter.Encouragechildrentobringinitemsthatbeginwiththesameletterthattheirnamesbeginwith.
PhonologicalAwareness• SeeaSound–Askeachchildfindanobjectintheclassroomthatbeginswithacertain
lettersound.• PracticingVerbs–Askchildrentosendaphotoandmatchingmessageusingaverbto
describetheaction.Throwingaball(pretending),jumpingoffthestep,etc.• WordoftheDay-Introducea“WordoftheDay”duringcircletime.Thechildrencould
sendapicturemessageofthewordwiththeobjectitrepresents.Forexample,thewordcouldbe“sink”.Eachchildcouldtakethewordtothesinkandphotographthewordandthesinktogetherwhilereadingthewordsaspartofthemessage.Itcouldalsobeanactionwordsuchas“jumping”andthechildcouldtakeapictureofafriendholdingthewordwhilejumping.
o FamilyPrompt-Havethechildreadthewordinthemessagetoyouandthenfindthatobjectinyourhometoconnectthewordtotheobjectoraction.
• MorningMessage-Encouragechildrentosendhomeaphotographofthemorningmessageandaudioofthemreadingthemessage.
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• Newsongs,rhymesorchants-Whenanewoneistaught,youcouldsendagroupmessageoftheclassrecitingitoreachchildcouldsendtheirownmessage.
STANDARD:WRITING EarlyWriting
• NameWriting–Encouragechildrentowritetheirname.UseMFMtodocumentaccomplishmentsbytakingaphotoofthechild’sworkandsharingthephotowiththeirfamilymembers.
• Mail–Askchildrentocreatemailoralettertosend.UsingMFM,thechildcantakeaphotoofthemail/letterandaudiorecordthechild’sthoughtsastheyarecreatingit.
• Journaling-Childrenwilluseacombinationofdrawingandwritingideasinajournal.Askthechildtotakeaphotooftheirworktosharewiththeirfamilies.
o FamilyPrompt–Whatdidyouchoosetowriteabout?Tellmemoreaboutit.• WritingCenter-Encouragechildrentocreateillustrationsandthendictateastoryaboutit
asthemessage.o Note-Thiscanbeusedasportfoliodocumentation
• FinishtheStory–Havechildrenwriteastoryorjournal.Leavethestoryunfinished.Letthestudentdictatethestorytotheirfamilymemberandendbyasking“Howdoesthestoryend?”
CONTENTAREA:MATHEMATICS
STANDARD:COUNTINGANDCARDINALITY
NumberNames• Countingsongs-Asagroupmessage,singacountingsongtosendtofamiliestoteachthem
thesong.o FamilyPrompt-Practicethesongathome.
CountingtoTelltheNumberofObjects• CountingActivity-Whencountingconcreteobjects,childrencansendamessageshowing
howmanyobjectstheycancountespeciallyifitisanewmilestoneincountingforthatchild.• NumberoftheDay-Sendagroupmessageexplainingthattomorrow’snumberofthedayis
5.Askeachfamilytosendin5ofthesameitems(pennies,Kix,etc.).Agroupmessagecouldbesenttothenshowwhateveryonebrought.
• PickingupFallenSnow–Placecottonballsaroundtheroomandhavegroupsofchildrenusetongsandpickup“snow”tocollectincups.Discuss,count,andchartthesnoweachchildpickedup.
o FamilyPrompt–Placecottonballsaroundoneroominthehouseandusetweezersorkitchentongstopickthemup.Countthequantitytogether.
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STANDARD:OPERATIONSANDALGEBRAICTHINKING ComposingandDecomposingNumbers:AdditionandSubtraction
• Building–Askchildrentobuildatowerwithanumberofblocks.Ifthetowerwaspreviouslybuilt,theycanaddorsubtractblocks.UseMFMtodocumentthebuildingprocessandcapturethechildcountingtheblocksoracompletedphotoofthetower.
o FamilyPrompt-Encouragefamiliestoasktheirchildquestionsaboutthetoweractivitywiththeblockswhileusingterminologysuchassubtract,add,construct.
• ClappingPatterns:Havechildrenclapapatternandsenditasamessage.o FamilyPrompt:Listentothepatterntogether.Havethechildclaptheirpatternand
askyouwhatshouldcomenext.Clapthepatternforyourchildandletthemtellyouifitiscorrect.
STANDARD:MEASUREMENTANDDATA DirectMeasurement
• UnitsofMeasure–Measureitemsintheclassroom.Findsomethingthatis1footor1inch.Sendamessagehomeshowingtheitembeingmeasured.
o FamilyPrompt-Findanitemathomethatisthesamesize.• MeasuringSteps-Usefootstepstomeasurevariousdistancestoplacesinthe
classroom.Eachchildselectsadistancetomeasureathome(i.e.bedtobedroomdoor).Thechildthensendsamessageofhis/herfeetshowinghowtostepwiththetoetouchingtheheelwiththemessage“Ithinkitwilltake___stepstogofrom____to____.”
o FamilyPrompt-Completetheactivityandhelpthechildwritedowntheirfindingstobringtoschool.
• LongJump-Useatapemeasureoryardsticktomeasurehowfareachstudentcanjump.Sendamessageshowingthechild’sfeetnexttothetapemeasureandsayhowfarthestudentcanjump.RepeattheactivitylaterintheyearandcomparejumpingdistancebyreviewingtheoriginalmessageontheMFMwebsite.
o FamilyPrompt-Askfamiliesorsiblingstotrythelongjumpathome.Letthechildcountthenumberoffeetjumped.
• Weight-Useabalancewhileexploringtheweightsofclassroomobjects.Askthechildto
placetwoobjectsinfrontofbalance.Childsendsamessagetoguess/predictwhichobjectwillbeheavier.
o FamilyPrompt–Familyaskschildwhichobjectwasheavier.Talkaboutifguesswascorrectornot.Lookfortwoitemsathomethatyoucanguesswhichwillbeheavierandcompareguesses.
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RepresentingandInterpretingData• WhatDoesn’tBelong?–Childrensortobjectsby:use,category,shape,etc.Oncesorted,add
anotherobjectthatdoesn’tbelongintheset.Takeapictureoftheset.Inmessage,childasksparent,“Whatdoesn’tbelong?”
o FamilyPrompt–Askchild“Howdidyousorttheobjects?Whydoesn’tthe______belong?Youfindsomethingathometoaddtotheset?”
• HeightinWaterBottles–Ask“Howmanywaterbottlestallareyoutoday?”Havethechildrenwritedowntheirpredication.Photographthembeingmeasuredbythewaterbottles.“IthoughtIwas____bottlestall,butIam_____bottlestall.”
• Graphing-Shareclassgraphingactivitieswithfamilymembersbytakingapictureofthechildrenmakingthegraphorofthecompletedgraph.Thechildcanexplainthegraphinthemessage.
o FamilyPrompt-Askyourchildtocountthenumberofeachgrapheditemandexplainittoyou.
• Transportation–Childrencouldgooutsideandseehowmanydifferenttypesoftransportationtheycanfind.Childrencreateachartandcaptureinaphoto.
o FamilyPrompt–Familiescantakechildrenforawalkandaskthemtoidentifythedifferencetypesoftransportation.
STANDARD:GEOMETRY
ShapesandSpatialReasoning• ShapeSearch(orcolor,number,etc.)-Askchildrentofindacertaincolor,shape,ornumberof
objectsandsendthatasamessagetoafamilymember.
CONTENTAREA:SCIENCE
STANDARD:SCIENCEASINQUIRY FoundationalKnowledgeofScientificInquiry
• PhysicalCharacteristics-Childrencansendmessagesdescribingtheirowntraits.“Ihaveblueeyes-whatcolorareyoureyes?”
o FamilyPrompt-Discussothersimilarities.• ChangesatSchool-Whenachangeoccursintheschoolsuchasnewmaterialsorroom
arrangement,childrencansendamessageexplainingthechange.o FamilyPrompt-Talkaboutthechangeatschool.Extendtheconversationby
discussinganychangesinthehome.• ClassExperiments-Havechildrenrecordmessagesofscientificexplorationsandfindingsin
theclassroom.• Planting–Discussthetypesofplantsandvegetablestheclasswouldliketoplantintheclass
garden.Sendagroupmessagetofamiliesaskingtheirpredictionsaboutwhatwillbegrown.o FamilyPrompt–Askaboutwhatwillbeplantedinthegarden.Theymayalso
possiblyplantasmallgardenorplant.
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• DinosaurPuppetShow–Childrencansendpicturesofdinosaurplaytofamilies.o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestosendinbooksandpicturesofdinosaurs.
PossiblyatriporvirtualfieldtriptoaMuseumofNaturalHistory:talkspecificallyaboutwhichdinosaursyoulearnedabout.
UtilizationofInquiry
• Growing-Whenplantingseeds,havechildrendocumenteachphaseoftheprocess-planting,sprouting,growth,blooming,etc.Thiscanbeextendedtodevelopingtadpoles,hatchingeggs,andtransformingcaterpillars.
• Patterns-Askchildrentofindapatternintheclassroomsuchasstripesorspotsandsendamessageexplainingthepattern.
o FamilyPrompt-Findasimilarpatternathome.• Collections-Aftercreatingacollectionofmaterials,childrencansendamessagedescribing
theircollection.o FamilyPrompt-Whatdidyoucollect?Whydidyouchoosetheseobjects?
• SortingClassifiedCollections-Aftersortingthecollection,childrencansendamessagedescribingtheirsortingrule.
o FamilyPrompt-Havethechildexplaintheruleusedforsorting.Seeifyoucanfindanyobjectsthatwouldfitthecriteria.Makecollectionsandsortthemathome.
• ChangesinMatter-Sendagroupmessageatthebeginningofanexperimentandagainattheend.Forexample,ifshakingcreamintobutter,agroupmessagecanbesentwhenthecreamisputinthejar,whilethechildrenareshakingthecontainer,whenthebutterismade,andwhenthechildrenaretastingthebutter.(Thisactivitycanalsobedonewithmaterialsthatmeltsuchasiceorwax,mixingpaint,dissolvingsugarorsalt,etc.)
o FamilyPrompt-Askthechildtodescribethebuttermakingprocessdepictedinthemessages.Trytheactivityathome.
• SeasonalClothing-Havechildrensortintogroupsofwhoworeglovesvs.mittens,shortsvs.pants,etc.Sendagroupmessageshowingthesortedgroupsanddescribinghowmanychildrenareineachgroup.
o FamilyPrompt-Discusswhyyouwouldchoosetowearthoseclothesbasedonweatherconditions.
• LoosePartsPlay–Userecyclableobjectsinacreativemannertobuildnewthingsoutofmaterialsthatwouldotherwisebethrownaway.Takepicturesofthenewcreationstosharewithfamilies.Talkabouttheimportanceoftakingcareofourearthandrecycling/reusingitemstoreduceamountofgarbage.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestosendinitemstoaddtoour“loosepartsplay”collection.Hostaloosepartspartyforchildrenandfamilies.
• GuessWhat’sGrowing–Childrenwilltakeapictureweeklyofthesameplantandsendhomeagroupmessagesaying,“Whatdoyouthinkwearegrowing?”
o FamilyPrompt–Familiesandchildrenwilldiscusswhatisgrowingandcreateapictureofwhattheythinkitwilllooklike.
• MysterySounds-Setupacenterwithitemsthatmakenoise(forexample,instruments).Havethechildtakeapictureofthewholetableandthenchooseoneitemtomakeasoundthattheyrecordinthemessage-“Hi.Thisis____.Canyouguesswhatmadethissound_____?”Thefamilyhastoguesswhatitemmadethesound.
o FamilyPrompt-Guessthesound.Playthegameathome.
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STANDARD:SCIENTIFICKNOWLEDGE UnderstandingtheLivingandPhysicalWorld
• LifeCycleStories-Sendaseriesofmessagesdocumentingthelifecycleofchicks,tadpoles,ladybugs,etc.Sendanewpictureeachdayshowingtheprogressorateachnewphaseinthelifecycle.
• ClassPets–Havechildrenphotographclasspetsandsendamessage.o FamilyPrompt-Whatkindofpetisthis?Howdoyoutakecareofit?Whatdoesit
eat?Wheredoesitliveintheclassroom?Canyouholdit?• ClassExperimentswithdifferenttypesofmatter-Afterdiscussingsolids,liquids,andgas,
havechildrenrecordmessagesoftheobservations.Forexample,achildcanphotographameltingicecubeanddescribethesituation.
o FamilyPrompt-Findexamplesofsolid,liquid,andgasathometodiscuss.• Magnetexploration-Sendmessagesdepictingobjectsthatareattractedtomagnetsand
objectsthatarenot.o FamilyPrompt-Useamagnetathometofindthreeobjectsthatareattractedtoa
magnetandthreeitemsthatarenot.Thechildcanreportthefindingstoschoolthenextday.
• WeatherReport–Takeapictureoftheweathereverydayinthesamelocation.Later,reviewthepictureswiththechildrenonthewebsite.Lookatpicturesfordifferentlengthsoftimesuchasattheendoftheweek,overthecourseofamonth,orpicturesfromeachmonthoftheyear.
• ShadowPuppets–Afteravisittotheplanetariumoralessonaboutthesunasastar,setupaflashlightsothatchildrencanmakeshadowpuppetsagainstawhitewall.Covertheflashonthecameraandtakeapictureoftheshadowpuppet.Thechildcandescribetheshadowpuppet.
• WhyIHaveaShadow-Outside,havechildrenlocatetheirshadowsonthegroundandtakeapicture.DescribewhytheycanseetheirshadowusingMFM.
• PuddlesandCreeks–Sendagroupmessagehomeforthefamilymemberstoaskiftheysawanypuddlesorcreeksonthewayhome.Takeawalkaroundtheschooltoseeiftheclasscanfindanybodiesofwateronthewalk.
o FamilyPrompt–Familiescanaskifthechildsawpuddlesontheirwayhomeorduringanypointintheirday.
• EarthDay–CleanupayardforEarthDayandrecyclematerialscollected.Talkabouttheimportanceoftakingcareoftheenvironment,readbooks,andresearchphotosaboutit.Sendgroupmessagesshowingtheyardbefore,during,andafterthecleanup,orsendamessageshowingtheitemscollectedandsortedforrecycling.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestohelpchildrenrecycleathomeandallowthemtosortitemstoberecycled.
• MudDay–CelebrateNationalMudDayonJune29th(facebook.com/internationalmudday,www.worldforumfoundation.org).Sendmessagesshowinghowyoucelebrated.
o FamilyPrompt–TalkaboutMudDay.Howdidyoucelebrate?Whatdidthemudfeellike?Howdidyoucreatemud?
• Recycling-Childrenandteacherswilldiscusswaystoprotecttheenvironment.Thechildrencansendamessageabouthowrecyclingisdoneattheschool.Havethechildrentake
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picturesofthecenter’sAbitibi(paperretriever)andtheboxwherewerecycleourpaperintheclassroom.
o FamilyPrompt–Thefamilymemberandchildcouldbrainstormhowtheycouldprotecttheenvironmentathome,e.g.collectinglitterintheneighborhood,recyclingcans.
CONTENTAREA:
THEARTS
STANDARD:MUSIC Self-Expression
• BalletPositions–Learnaboutthedifferentpositionsinballet.Childrencandemonstratethepositionandnamethepositionordescribewhattheylearnedaboutballet.
• Favoritesongs-Encouragechildrentosingafavoritesongandsenditasamessage.o FamilyPrompt-Listentothemessageandhavethechildsingthesongwithyou.
FoundationsofMusic(FM)
• MusicalInstruments-Encouragechildrentotakeapictureofafavoriteclassroominstrumentandplayitasamessage.
o FamilyPrompt-Whatisthenameoftheinstrument?Listentomusicandseeifyoucanhearthatinstrumentinthesong.
• RainSticks–Createvariousmusicalinstrumentswithpipeshapedobjects,suchas,rainsticks.Capturetheprocessbytakingphotosandsharingaudiowithfamilies.
• RecordingMusic–Recordachildsingingasonglearnedintheclassroom.Takeaphotoandsharetheaudiowiththefamilies.
o FamilyPrompt–Playaudiowiththechildandaskhim/hertosingthesongwithyou.Encouragethechildtoteachyouthesong.
STANDARD:VisualArt
Self-Expression AnyactivityusingMessagefromMewillmeetthisstandard.
• RepresentationofArtwork-Encouragechildrentotakepicturesoftheirartwork.• DemonstrationofCreativeArtwork-Encouragechildrentotakepicturesofitemsnoteasily
broughthome(playdoughcreations,blockstructures,collaborativework).• ArtCritique–Takeapictureofsomeoneelse’sart.Askchildrentoexpresstheirreactionto
theart.Ilike/dislikethis.Askchildrentodescribesomethingtheylikeordislikeaboutit.• ArtistStudy–Childrenchooseaspecificpieceofartworkorartisttostudy.Theteachercan
encouragechildrentocreatetheirownartworkduringthestudy.TakeaphotowithMFMandaskthechildtosharetheirwork.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragethechildtocreateasimilarartpieceinthehome.Bringbackartworktosharewiththeclass.
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FoundationsofVisualArt(FV)• DrawingtoMusic–Playapieceofmusic.Askchildrentodrawalongtothemusic.
Photographtheirdrawingandplaythemusicinthebackgroundasthechilddescribestheirpicture,howthemusicmakesthemfeel,orwhatthemusicmakesthemthinkof.
• CirclePatterns–Usetoiletpaperorpapertowelrollstocreatecircularpatternswithvariouscolorsofpaint.Sendaphotoofthepattern.
o FamilyPrompt–Usethesamematerialswithdifferentcolorsofpaintandexplorenewpatternsanddesignswithcircles.
STANDARD:DRAMATICPLAY Self-Expression
• CommunityHelpers–Encouragechildrentodressupasdifferentcommunityhelperssuchasthelettercarrier.Sendamessagewherethechilddescribeswhattheylearnedaboutthattypeofcommunityhelper.
• NurseryRhymes–Actoutnurseryrhymesasaclass.Usepropsanddressupclothestohelptellthestory.Takeapictureoftheperformanceandsendamessagewiththenurseryrhymenarrative.
• BuildingaPerformance–Createapuppetshoworotherclassperformance.Sendagroupmessageeachdayshowingtheprogressionoftheprojectanddescribingwhatthechildrencreatedtoday.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestocomeseetheperformanceattheend.• RolePlay–Asaclass,thechildrenre-createastoryinthedramaticplayarea.Capture
photosfromtheshowtosendtofamilies.Recordaudioofthechildrenincostumeandcommunicatingwithoneanother.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestoengageinplayathomeandcreatestorieswiththeirchildren.
• Shopping–Theteachercansetupthedramaticplaycenterasastorewithpricesonitemsthatcanbebought,playmoney,andacashregister.Thechildrencansendpicturesoftheir“play”(exchangingplaymoneyforgoods)totheirfamilies
o FamilyPrompt–Familiescanasktheirchildrenwhattheyboughtattheclassroomstore,howmuchitcost,andwhatkindofstoreitwas.Theycanalsotalkaboutwhattheybuyatwhatstores.
• WhenIGrowUp–Childrencanreadbooksaboutdifferentcommunityworkers.Thentheycandressuplikethecommunityworkerthattheywouldliketobewhentheygrowupandsendamessagetotheirfamilyaboutit.Theycouldsay,“Iwanttobe_____whenIgrowup.”
o FamilyPrompt–Afterfamiliesreceivethemessage,theycanasktheirchildrenwhytheychosethecommunityworkerthattheydidandwhatthecommunityworker’sjobconsistsof.Theycouldalsotakethemtovisitsomeoneintheircommunitythathasthatjob.
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CONTENTAREA:HEALTHANDPHYSICALDEVELOPMENT
STANDARD:SAFETYPRACTICES SafetyPractices
• ClassroomRules–Aswelearnandcontinuetouseclassroomruleshaveeachchilddemonstrateorspeakaboutclassroomexpectations.
o FamilyPrompt–Talkaboutalltheclassroomrules,seeiftheyaresimilartorulesathome,andtalkaboutwhatrulesfamiliesfollowathome.
• FireDrill-Documentafiredrillbytakingapictureofeveryonemeetingoutsideatthedesignatedmeetinglocation.Sendagroupmessagetoletfamiliesknowtherewasafiredrilltoday.Letfamiliesknowwheretheclassmeetinglocationisandask,“Iftherewasafireathome,wherewouldyourfamilymeet?”
o FamilyPrompt-Encouragefamiliestopracticeafiredrillathomeanddesignateameetinglocationforthefamily.
STANDARD:HEALTHPRACTICES
HealthyDevelopment• DocumentingHealthyRoutines-Earlyintheyear,havechildrentakepicturesofhealthy
routinessuchaswashinghandsandsendamessagedescribingtheproceduretofamilymembers.
o FamilyPrompt-Askthechildteachthefamilythehealthyroutine.• Mealtime-Atmealtime,allowchildrentosendpicturesofwhattheyarehavingforlunchor
snack.TheMFMhelpercouldsendthisasagroupmessagedailyortohighlightparticularlynutritiousornewsnackitems.
• NewFood–Whenachilddiscoversanewfoodtheyenjoy,takeaphotoofthechildwiththefoodandaskthechildtodescribewhytheyenjoythefood;suchas,taste,texture,andsmell.
o FamilyPrompt–Encouragefamiliestomakethefoodathomeandexplorethefoodinrecipeswiththeirchild.
STANDARD:GROSSMOTOR GrossMotorDevelopment
• HeadShouldersKneesandToes-Sing“HeadShouldersKneesandToes.”Encouragechildrentodemonstratedifferentpartsofthesong.Sendagroupmessageoftheclasssingingtogether.
• GymClassandPlaygroundExperiences-Childrencansendmessagesofnewgameslearnedingymclassornewactivitiesoraccomplishmentsontheplayground.Ifachildmastersridingatrike,theteachercouldtakethepictureandallowthechildtorecordthemessagedeclaringtheirachievement.
• ActiveOutdoors-Takepicturesofchildrenparticipatinginoutdooractivitiessuchasmonkeybars,etc.Practiceusingthecorrectverbvocabularytodescribetheactivity,andhavethechildrendescribetheirphysicalaccomplishments.“Ihungonthemonkeybarsfor10seconds.Iclimbed6rungsontheladder.Icompletedtheobstaclecoursein1minute.Icaughttheball4timesinarow.”
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STANDARD:FINEMOTOR FineMotorDevelopment
• Grip-Theteachercouldsendapicturedemonstratingthechild’sachievementofacorrectgripwhenwritingordrawing.Ifthechildneedsadditionalsupportwithfinemotordevelopment,theteachercouldalsosendamessageshowinghowtohelpthechild.
CONTENTAREA:APPROACHESTOLEARNING
STANDARD:INITIATIVEANDCURIOSITY Interestinvariedtopicsandexperiences,desiretolearn,creativeness,andindependenceinlearning
• QuestionoftheDay-Haveaspecificquestionofthedayforchildrentoreporttofamilies.Forexample,haveeachchildtakeaphotoofacaregiverandaskhis/herfavoritecolortoreporttofamilies.
• MysteryBox-Bringinabox.Childrencanhideanobjectintheboxandsendamessagegivingtheirfamilyclues(3)abouttheobject.
o FamilyPrompt-Thefamilymembercanguesswhatisinthebox.• BlockCenter-Askthechildrentosendmessagesexplainingtheirblockbuildings.• DramaticPlay-Childrencansendmessagesoftheirdramaticplayexperiences.
o FamilyPrompt-Whoplayedwithyou?Whatareyoupretending?• Playdough-Childrencansendmessagesexplainingtheirplaydoughcreations.
STANDARD:PERSISTENCEANDATTENTIVENESS
Engagementinactivitieswithpersistenceandattention AnyactivityusingMessagefromMewillmeetthisstandard.
• Puzzles–Whenachildcompletesapuzzle,encouragethemtotakeaphotoofitandsendtoafamilymember.
STANDARD:COOPERATION Interestandengagementingroupexperiences
• BoardGames-Childrencansendpicturesofboardgamesusedintheclassroomwithamessageofwhoplayedthegametogether.
o FamilyPrompt-Thefamilymembercanaskthechildhowtoplaythegame.• DailyRoutine-Havechildrentakeapictureofyourposteddailyscheduleandsenditasa
message.o FamilyPrompt-Encouragefamiliestoaskchildrenabouttheday.Forexample:What
doyoudofirstintheday?Whatdoyoudonext,etc.Whatisyourfavoritepartoftheschedule?Whatdoyouliketheleast?Why?
• StorySequence-Givethechildrenasetofstorycardstosequence.Havethechildrenputthecardsintheproperorderthentakeapictureandtellthestorybasedonthecards.Thechildrencouldalsoomitthelastcardandhavethefamilyguesswhathappensnext.
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Specialthankstothefollowingleadauthorsandcollaboratingchildcarecentersinthe
developmentoftheMessagefromMeEducator’sGuide.
LeadAuthors:LindaHancock,CarnegieMellonUniversityChildren’sSchool;SusanPolojac,TryingTogether;EmilyHamner,CarnegieMellonUniversityCREATELab
CollaboratingChildCareCenters:Angels’PlaceSwissvale,CouncilofThreeRiversAmericanIndianCenter(COTRAIC)Overbrook,DePaulSchoolforHearingandSpeech,LatrobeKinder-
Schull,RighteousBeginnings,WestVirginiaRESA3EarlyChildhoodEducators
LeadEditor:KatherineGullone,TryingTogether