EARLY CHILDHOOD NEWSLETTER

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Community Partnership Family Resource Center remains open Monday-Friday 9am—4pm to assist Teller County families with food boxes,

diapers, formula and emergency support. Please call 686-0705 for assistance. At this time CP will continue all group programming virtually

through the month of July. We will reevaluate the possibility of in-person group programming again in August.

AVAILABLE SERVICES:

• Food Box Distribution and Delivery

• Diapers, Wipes, and Formula Distribution

• Parenting Workshops (virtual)

• Cooking Matters Store Tours and Online Workshops

• Adult Exercise—Yoga with Leah on Monday’s (virtual)

• Community Gardens

• Parents As Teachers (virtual)

• Playgroup (Facebook Live)

• GED (online)

• GED Testing Center (open Monday’s & Wednesday’s)

• Family Support Services (virtual)

• Wraparound (virtual)

• Connection to Local Resources

FREE MEALS:

Woodland Park School District (WPSD) is providing children ages 0-18 with Grab & Go meals at no cost through July 31st. Meals are available

Wednesday’s, 11am-1pm at 2 locations: Gateway Elementary School and Summit Elementary School. Each child will receive 5 breakfast and

5 lunches, if possible please bring an empty cooler or box with you. This is a drive-up service, at least one child must be present with an adult

picking up meals. Student walk-ups will also be served if not being transported by an adult.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP VIRTUAL PROGRAMS:

• Playgroup with Jackie– Monday’s & Wednesday’s; 10am via Facebook live: www.facebook.com/playgroupndivide

• Yoga with Leah– Monday’s in July; 10:00-11:00am via zoom. Contact Sara to RSVP: Sara@cpteller.org or 686-0705.

• Cooking Matters for Families– Six Tuesday sessions, June 23rd-July 28th; 10:00-11:00am via zoom. Topics include: Family Meals,

Recipes, Food Storage and Kitchen Safety, Snacking, Kids in the Kitchen and a Virtual Store Tour! Participants will be mailed a $10 gift

card for each class of participation, while supplies last. Contact Amy Stewart to RSVP: AmyS@cpteller.org or 686-0705.

• Crossroads of Parenting & Divorce– Tuesday, July 7th; 4:30-8:30pm via zoom. Teller County court approved divorce class. Registration

fee required. Contact Amy Stewart to RSVP: AmyS@cpteller.org or 686-0705.

• Parent Advisory Committee– Thursday, July 16th; 5:00-6:00pm via zoom. Caregivers of children of all ages are welcomed to have a

voice about CP programming and community needs. Contact Amy Stewart to RSVP: AmyS@cpteller.org or 686-0705.

ON-LINE RESOURCES:

• Teller County Covid-19 Information — www.tellercovid.com

• CPFRC Facebook Page — Activities for children of all ages, CP updates & program information, resource information —

www.facebook.com/communitypartnershipfamilyresourcecenter

• CP Playgroup Facebook Page — Live playgroup videos and activities for children 0-5 — www.facebook.com/playgroupndivide

• Vroom — Tips to turn everyday moments into Brain Building Moments — www.facebook.com/joinvroom & www.vroom.org

• Cooking Matters — www.facebook.com/CookingMattersCO & www.cookingmatters.org

• Macaroni Kid Teller CO — www.facebook.com/Macaroni-Kid-Teller-CO-158571344611035 & www.teller.macaronikid.com

Monthly Focus: Language Development July 2020

July 4th ~ Fireworks

Woodland Park Fireworks– Saturday, July 4th; Launched be-

tween 9:15-9:30pm from behind WP High School. Can be

viewed from most areas in town. https://

www.chamberorganizer.com/Calendar/

moreinfo_responsive.php?eventid=374102&org_id=GWPC

Cripple Creek Fireworks– Saturday, July 4th; 9:00-9:30pm

from south of Myers Ave. This will be a “drive-in” style activity.

https://visitcripplecreek.com/event/4th-of-july-fireworks/

Ready for Reading (or Not)

Right now, your child’s brain is ready for reading! The brain is developing quickly and is open to new experiences and skills. Your child’s attention

span and ability to remember are growing too. Give your child a jump start with fun and easy ways to pave the road to reading.

Getting Started

Before your child starts reading, they will need to understand three basic ideas:

1. Words are made up of speech sounds. 2. Printed words mean something.

3. Sentences are read from left to right, and pages are read from top to bottom.

To help your child learn these reading basics, run your finger along the page as you read to them. Nursery rhymes and children’s poems are a fun

way to start. Rhyming words help children see the connection between letters and sounds. Singing and playing children's music helps your child

see the connection between words and sounds. Your child will need to learn the alphabet and be able to recognize letters when they see them.

Give your child plastic or foam letters to hold or move around on the refrigerator. Teach them the names and sounds of letters as they play. Start

with capital letters that are easier to recognize, such as letters with straight edges. These are easier to recognize than letters with curves.

Reluctant Readers

Some children love books, others have little interest. Be patient and try ideas like these:

Read to your child regularly. It’s fine if they move around the room while you read.

Take them to the library and ask the librarian about good books for the child’s age and interests.

Mark letters out with masking tape on your floor, driveway, patio, or garage door. Have your child bounce a ball or jump on the letters you call out. Take a turn yourself and let them call out the letters.

Talk about signs you see as you drive or walk.

Read the labels on toys or the words on board games.

Make up stories together. You can make up the first sentence and your child the next and so on. Write the story down and read it back to them.

Praise every attempt your child makes to “read.”

ADULT EDUCATION

GED Preparation and Testing

Prepare for your GED or High School Equivalency exams with our qualified instructors. With virtual teaching options and the only Pearson

VUE Testing Center in the county, getting your GED has never been easier. Coaching for higher learning and workforce preparation is also

provided. We partner with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center to help with resume building and interview skills. Orientations start back up this Fall.

For more information on upcoming events, contact

Katy Conlin at Katy@cpteller.org

GED Graduate w/ Drew, CP’s Adult Educator

I’m

Happy

PLAYTIME

HOME MUSEUM

Invite your child to collect special items and

display them around the house. Ask them to

lead you through the museum and share with

you why the items are meaningful. Then you

take a turn to choose favorite things to share

with them

BRAINY BACKGROUND

As your child takes time to think about what

they want to say and how to say it, they're

practicing important communication skills and

using memory to recall past experiences.

Celebrating their words, feelings, and actions

sets up a positive learning environment.

www.vroom.org

GO ACTIVITY: LOCOMOTOR AND NON-LOCOMOTOR

LETTER SEARCH

1. Create a set of the alphabet for each child. Each letter should be on 8.5 by 11

inch paper.

2. Set up music for activity.

3. Place the letters on the walls throughout the room.

4. Tell child(ren) how you want them to move when the music starts. For

example:

• Locomotor—Gallop, skip, jump, hop, march, slide, run

• Levels—Walk on tiptoes, giant steps, travel down low, travel wide

• Directions—Forward, backwards, sideways

• Transportation—Planes, boats, helicopters, skateboards, surf boards

• Weather—Clack like thunder, roll like a wave, float like a cloud

• Silly Words—slinky-dinky, wiggly-jiggly, herky-jerky, shakey-bakey

5. When the music stops, call out the sound or the name of a letter and have the

child(ren) move closer to that letter and point to it.

6. Provide another movement challenge and repeat the activity.

https://catchinfo.org/about

FIREWORK SALT PAINTING

Materials Needed:

• White school glue

• Salt

• Food Coloring or Water Colors

• Paint brush or Q-tip

Instructions:

1. Help your child draw fireworks with the glue on a piece of thick paper or card-

board.

2. Pour salt over the wet glue then shake off excess salt

3. Dip paint brush in water colors or food coloring and water and lightly touch the

salted glue.

Playgroup painting with flowers

If you need any of the supplies for the virtual playgroups please reach out to Jessica@cpteller.org or call 719-696-0705

Teller County Playgroup is FREE to any Parent or Caregiver with children ages 5 & under.

Location: Mondays and Wednesdays @ Community Partnership in Divide unless otherwise stated.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/playgroupndivide Website: www.cpteller.org

Divide Playgroup Calendar

July 2020

Language Development

Contact Information: Jessica 719-686-0705 or jessica@cpteller.org

Monday - Divide Wednesday - Divide

This month’s playgroup activities focus on Language Development.

Language development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate

language during early childhood. From birth up to the age of five, children develop language at a very

rapid pace.

1. Facebook Live

Alphabet Find

10:00 AM

This is a super fun, versatile, and low maintenance activity that will provide an opportunity to practice letter sounds,

names, and oh so many other things. Materials: Construction paper or post it notes, marker,

tape (if not using post its)

6. Facebook Live

Letter Sounds Rainbow Hop

10:00 AM

This life-size board game is a fantastic way to move and learn alphabet sounds and counting!

Materials: Construction paper (all the colors of the rainbow), marker, die (dice), bowl or another circular

template

8. Facebook Live

Create a Sensory Bin

10:00 AM

Squishy, bumpy, smooth, sticky, gooey, cold. These are some fun descriptive words! And they’re only the beginning when it

comes to developing vocabulary through sensory play. Materials: Storage container, sensory materials (i.e. rice, corn, popcorn kernels, water beads, dirt, etc.), objects for

child to find

13. Facebook Live

Sidewalk Letter/Word Ladder

10:00 AM

Lay a proper foundation for your child to become a successful reader by setting up hands-on reading games and activities like

this fun and interactive word ladder. Materials: Sidewalk chalk, “Word Families” print out found

in Facebook Event page

15. Facebook Live

Post It Name

10:00 AM

The first word most children learn to read is their name. It’s fabulous, it’s important, and they see it everywhere, which is

why the letters that make up their name are often the first letters a child learns to identify.

Materials: Butcher paper, sharpie, post it notes, painters tape

20. Facebook Live

Race to the Letter

10:00 AM

Want a new game for those racecars? This fun, interactive game is aimed to teach or reinforce letter recognition or letter

sounds. Materials: Butcher paper, markers, toy cars

22. Facebook Live

Over Under

10:00 AM

Position words are a crucial part of language development. This fun and simple game is a great way to encourage those

position words. Materials: 2 Cups or containers, small object to fit inside

27. Facebook Live

Alphabet Match-Up

10:00 AM

Have a kiddo working on their letters? Let’s bring moving into the equation. Making an alphabet matchup activity is an easy

way to move and learn Materials: Butcher paper, markers, painters tape

29. Facebook Live

Find Your Name

10:00 AM

Let’s use names to help our children grasp a marker, identify letters, and hold their hand steady to design a circle as they

find their name. Materials: Butcher paper, markers, (optional: painters

tape)