A Good Valentine’s Day Read with Your Little One

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A Good Valentine’s Day Read with Your Little One

One of my favorite months of the year is February. This is a very special month as you can make your little ones feel extra special. As a parent of a 4-year-old, I always want to make sure she feels loved. This month I like to do extra things for her that I know she will enjoy and that will assure her of my endless love for her. One of the activities we love to do every night before bed is read a book. Our nightly routine usually entails of reading a book of her choice. After we are done reading her book, I choose a book to read to her. One of my favorite books I love to read to her is Wherever You Are: my love will find you by Nancy Tillman.

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Medical Play and the ECE Setting

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Medical Play and the ECE Setting

Play has served as a way for children to express their emotions and reactions, especially when confronting stressful situations such as medical trauma, and as such, it allows children to have control of their experience (Nabors et al., 2013). Medical play is maybe more familiar in pediatric medical settings offered by child life specialists. However, medical play is also provided in the early childhood setting where is mostly seen in the dramatic play area. Regardless of the context, medical play can serve as a vehicle for children to cope with stressful medical experiences and attain control through the creation of stories with positive outcomes.

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Dental Play and Its Benefits to Children When Visiting the Dentist

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Dental Play and Its Benefits to Children When Visiting the Dentist

For children, a dental visit may represent a stressful event just as much as it does to many adults. Fear and anxiety regarding dental care and treatment is common in many adults. This is so prevalent that many parents are afraid to discuss dental visits with their children, thus setting them up to develop fears of their own (McDonald, 2008). Traumatic dental experiences in childhood may cause lifelong neurological changes in pain sensitivity (Stanhope, 2005). While pediatric dentists are well-trained to work with children, they may be less likely to have much training on managing the stress and anxiety of the children they serve. This is where a certified child life specialist (CCLS)  comes in.


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Child Life Specialists in the ECE setting

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Child Life Specialists in the ECE setting

While child life is now considered well established in healthcare facilities, there are many other settings, situations, and populations where a child can experience stress and trauma and are not limited to this traditional settings. Through the update of the mission and vision, the Child Life Council was able to recognize that a variety of other populations can benefit from the field and work of child life (Child Life Council, 2002). These populations include all areas where children and families find themselves coping with challenging or overwhelming situations, and focus on communities where children and families may be dealing with traumatic life events, or are adjusting to new life experiences.

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Child Life Specialists: Who Are They and What Do They Do?*

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Child Life Specialists: Who Are They and What Do They Do?*

Many of us may not be familiar with the child life profession. Child life specialists work primarily in healthcare settings where children and families are served focusing on their emotional and developmental needs of children as opposed to the physical needs. Child life programs have evolved and have spread to non-hospital settings such as schools, early intervention, camps, foster care, and pediatric dental clinics, among other areas.

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Celebrating the holiday season at your center

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Celebrating the holiday season at your center

The Holiday Season is here and winter programs are happening in preschools. It is an exciting time to come together as a community and celebrate such wonderful time of year. Respecting children and their families’ cultural beliefs in our preschools is of utmost importance. Therefore, this is an excellent opportunity for children and adults alike to learn about how others celebrate this time of the year. Here are some culturally responsive ways of celebrating this special time with our families…

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What to look for in a preschool setting

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What to look for in a preschool setting

Children (infants, toddler, and preschool-age children) spend a significant portion of their days in some type of child care setting- family day care, child care center, parent co-op, etc. All children need an environment where their growth and development is promoted through age-appropriate activities, responsive teachers, and a safe and healthy environment. Children need opportunities to form and develop secure relationships with their teachers and caregivers that will nurture a healthy emotional development.

Here is a helpful list of things to consider when looking for a preschool for your child…

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What are the benefits of attending preschool?

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What are the benefits of attending preschool?

There are numerous benefits of high quality early childhood education (ECE) have on children. ECE programs offer a nurturing and fun environment that promotes curiosity, innovation, and continuous growth in developmental abilities. The activities ECE programs provide endorse emotional, social, and academic development and have a lasting positive effect on children and society as a whole.

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I Have a Picky Eater, Now What? | Tengo un niño/a quisquilloso, ¿y ahora qué?

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I Have a Picky Eater, Now What? | Tengo un niño/a quisquilloso, ¿y ahora qué?

If you are a parent or a preschool teacher, the chances are that you have experienced a meal alongside a picky eater. You face the fear of the child not eating anything off the plate every single meal, which has been prepared with so much love and joy. It’s okay, we all have been there. The truth of the matter is that between 25% and 50% of typically developing children are picky eaters (Riley, Rupert, & Boucher, 2018). There is some good news to all those who feed these wonderful picky eaters. Young children can self-regulate without disrupting their healthy development, since their appetites and how much they eat may vary considerably from time to time (Riley, Rupert, & Boucher, 2018). What is the trick you may ask?

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Biting in the Preschool Setting-Part II

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Biting in the Preschool Setting-Part II

In our previous post, we looked at how biting among infants and toddlers affect everyone involved. We also discussed the possible reasons why biting occurs in a preschool setting. Today, we are going to list some strategies that can be used to help prevent biting incidents.

When a child bites, avoid negative responses that many reinforce the biting. Equally important, be careful not to label children who bite as the “biters.” Remember that no one is to blame. We know that this type of situations are difficult and emotions run very high during this time. These type of situations require a lot of understanding, patience and planning on part of…

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Biting in the Preschool Setting-Part I

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Biting in the Preschool Setting-Part I

You can feel the tension in the infant and toddler room when there is a biting epidemic going on. Biting is a stressful situation for everyone involved: the teacher, the parents, the child who is biting, the child being bitten, and administration. We have all been there. When there is a biting outbreak, you dread going to work and having to tell the parent their child was bitten again for the third time this week. To make matters even worse, it’s only TUESDAY!. When biting happens, it’s scary and frustrating for children, parents, teachers, and directors alike…

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Crafting a letter of introduction

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Crafting a letter of introduction

It is the beginning of the new school year and is time to introduce ourselves to the families in the center.

We usually direct our letters of introduction to parents only, but it is a good idea, and best practice, that you write a letter of introduction to the children in your classroom as well.

Some necessary things should go in the letter directed to parents and guardians. Here are some suggestions of things you might want to include..

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Slime as an STEAM, Educational, and Therapeutic Activity

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Slime as an STEAM, Educational, and Therapeutic Activity

Slime is everywhere! Children of different ages are using it to relax, to be distracted, and to be creative. It is an activity that can be done with toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. Slime offers many different benefits to children.

When we first hear the word slime, we think of that sticky stuff that manages to get all over the place, especially clothes and it doesn’t seem to come off. But, slime can also be an educational and therapeutic activity that can be incorporated into the ECE classroom, and it can serve many purposes…

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What is a Nature-based Preschool? | ¿Qué es un preescolar basado en la naturaleza?

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What is a Nature-based Preschool? | ¿Qué es un preescolar basado en la naturaleza?

Nature-based preschools are proliferating across the country (Dennis, Wells, & Bishop, 2014). Preschools that adhere to a naturalistic approach to early childhood education offer rich experiences that help children make a connection with the natural world through an outdoor classroom…

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About Us Part II | Sobre Nosotros Parte II

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Welcome again to our blog!

Why the ECE Field?

The field of early childhood education (ECE) has inspired me to advocate for high-quality education and equity among children ages 0-5 years. I believe high-quality early childhood education is a child’s right regardless of their socioeconomic status. The preschool years are the most fascinating to me, because there is so much learning occurring and strong relationship being formed that will have great impact in the later years. Like Yeni, I cannot imagine having a career outside the ECE field.

Tell me more!

I have been in the field of ECE for over 14 years. Yeni and I owned a preschool in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA serving children ages 18 months to school-aged (up to 12 years old) for 10 years. I was the co-director of this center and my favorite part of the day was welcoming children and parents in the morning. I formed strong relationship with children and their parents. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to work with children and families from diverse backgrounds, which created a greater level of appreciation of the importance of fostering culture in the daily lives of children.


Don’t read this!

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and I am currently working on a master’s degree in Child and Family Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. My area of research focuses on how maternal post-partum depression effects children’s preschool relationships and behavior. My goal is to help strengthen parent-child relationships, teacher-child relationships, and child-child relationships among the community I work with. I believe that building a caring and loving environment for children to live in is the best way to make the world a better place.

-Gloria Portillo

¡Bienvenido de nuevo a nuestro blog!

 

¿Por qué el campo de educación temprana?

El campo de la educación temprana me ha inspirado a abogar por una educación y equidad de alta calidad entre los niños de 0 a 5 años. Creo que la educación de alta calidad para la primera temprana es un derecho del niño independientemente de su nivel socioeconómico. Los años preescolares son los más fascinantes para mí, porque hay mucho aprendizaje que ocurre y se forman fuerte relaciones que tendrán un gran impacto en el resto de las vidas de los niños. Al igual que Yeni, no puedo imaginarme tener una carrera fuera del campo de la educación temprana.

 

¡Dime más! 

He estado en el campo de educación temprana por más de 14 años. Yeni y yo teníamos un centro preescolar en el barrio coreano de Los Angeles, CA, que atiende a niños de entre 18 meses y de edad escolar (hasta 12 años) durante 10 años. Yo era la codirectora de este centro y mi parte favorita del día era darle la bienvenida a niños y padres por la mañana.  Forme una fuerte relación con los niños y sus padres. Lo más importante es que tuve la oportunidad de trabajar con niños y familias de diversos orígenes, lo que creó un mayor nivel de apreciación de la importancia de fomentar la cultura en la vida cotidiana de los niños.

 

¡No leas esto!

Tengo una licenciatura en Educación Infantil y actualmente estoy trabajando en una maestría en Estudios de Infancia y Familia en la Universidad Estatal de California, Los Ángeles. Mi área de investigación se centra en cómo la depresión posparto materna afecta las relaciones y el comportamiento preescolar de los niños. Mi objetivo es ayudar a fortalecer las relaciones entre padres e hijos, las relaciones maestro-niño y las relaciones entre niños y niños en la comunidad con la que trabajo. Creo que construir un entorno cariñoso y afectivo para que los niños vivan es la mejor manera de hacer del mundo un lugar mejor.

-Gloria Portillo

About Us | Sobre Nosotros

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Welcome to our Blog!

If there is anything I am passionate about, it is working with children and families. Specifically, I enjoy working with them in the early childhood education (ECE) environment. I love everything ECE from administration to classroom environment to teacher/parent training. I cannot imagine doing anything else for a living; this is where I belong.

At a personal level, I am married to a wonderful man, have a third grader who is the love of my life, and live in Los Angeles, CA. I enjoy nature, traveling, wine, and pastries. Life is good!

How did I get here?

When I was in college majoring in sociology, I took child development courses that required fieldwork. I began to spend time in the classrooms and observing children play. It intrigued me to watch children learn while playing. I was attracted to this field so much that after I graduated from college, I decided to get a Master’s degree in Child Development. During graduate school, I spent a lot of time in various preschool settings such as private preschools, college preschool labs, non-profit organizations, and district preschools. In my last year of graduate school, I worked as a children’s social worker for the Department of Children and Family services performing child protective services. After that, I moved on to become a foster care social worker. During this time, I was able to work with children and families in a different environment. But, there was something in me that kept on telling me to go back to the ECE field, and I did!

My professional experience in the ECE field…

After spending a few years in the social work field, my sister and I decided to open our center in the Koreatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. We worked at this location for ten years. During this time, I worked with children from toddlers all the way to school-age children. I was the co-director and focused a lot of my time on the administrative side of the center. Nonetheless, I enjoyed setting up the classrooms every day, doing teacher training, and spending time with children and families.

What am I doing now?

I, along with Gloria, am in the process of opening a new center in the Larchmont neighborhood of Los Angeles. It has been quite the journey to find a location, but we are getting there. We will go through this journey together through this blog. It is an exciting time for us!

About this blog…

It is our goal that this blog becomes a hub of information and resources for educators and families alike. Through our blog posts, we support parents and educators to embrace learning through play with their children at home and in the classroom through posts, pictures, videos, and articles.

Thank you for visiting our blog and please keep coming back!

Yeni Portillo-Lemus, MA

 

Bienvenido a nuestro Blog!

Si hay algo que me apasiona es el trabajar con niños y familias. Específicamente, disfruto trabajar con ellos en el entorno de educación de la primera infancia. Me encanta todo lo relacionado con con esta area desde la administración hasta el entorno del aula y la capacitación de maestros / padres. No me puedo imaginar haciendo otra cosa en la vida;  aquí es donde pertenezco.

A nivel personal, estoy casada con un hombre maravilloso, tengo un niña de tercer grado que es el amor de mi vida y vivo en Los Ángeles, California. Disfruto de la naturaleza, los viajes, el vino y la repostería. ¡La vida es buena!

¿Como llegué aqui?

Cuando estaba en la universidad especializándome en sociología, tomé cursos de desarrollo infantil que requerían trabajo de campo. Empecé a pasar tiempo en las aulas y observar a los niños jugar. Me intrigó ver a los niños aprender mientras jugaban. Me atraía tanto este campo que, después de graduarme de la universidad, decidí obtener una maestría en Desarrollo Infantil. Durante la escuela de postgrado, pasé mucho tiempo en varios entornos preescolares, como preescolares privados, laboratorios preescolares universitarios, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y preescolares del distrito. En mi último año de escuela de posgrado, trabajé como trabajadora social para niños en los servicios del Departamento de Niños y Familias que prestan servicios de protección infantil. Después de eso, pasé a ser trabajadora social de cuidado de crianza. Durante este tiempo, pude trabajar con niños y familias en un ambiente diferente. Pero, había algo en mí que me decía que volviera al campo de la educación temprana, ¡y lo hice!

Mi experiencia profesional en el campo educación de la primira infancia   ...

Después de pasar unos años en el campo del trabajo social, mi hermana y yo decidimos abrir nuestro propio centro escolar en el barrio coreano de Los Ángeles, California. Trabajamos en este lugar durante diez años. Durante este tiempo, trabajé con niños desde la edad de 18 meses hasta niños en edad escolar. Yo era co-directora y me enfoqué en el lado administrativo del centro. Sin embargo, disfruté montando las aulas todos los días, entrenando maestros y padres y pasando tiempo con niños y familias.

¿Que estoy haciendo ahora?

Yo, junto con Gloria, estoy en el proceso de abrir un nuevo centro en el area de Larchmont en Los Ángeles. Ha sido toda una aventura para encontrar una ubicación, pero ya casi estamos  ahí. Vamos a seguir este viaje juntos a través de este blog. ¡Es un momento emocionante para nosotras!

Acerca de este blog ...

Nuestro objetivo es que este blog se convierta en un centro de información y recursos para educadores y familias por igual. A través de nuestras publicaciones en el blog, apoyamos a los padres y educadores a adoptar el aprendizaje a través del juego con sus hijos en el hogar y en el aula a por medio de publicaciones, fotos, videos y artículos.

¡Gracias por visitar nuestro blog y por favor sigan regresando!

Yeni Portillo-Lemus, MA