The Literacy Knowledge and Skills Domain of the Head Start Early Learning Framework sets the stage for reading and writing development in school. As early childhood teachers, we must provide activities that lend themselves to not only developing these critical skills, but that also fully engage children in their learning.

Did you know that Phonological Awareness is a continuum of skills that leads directly to emergent reading and writing? Phonological Awareness calls children to listen to the sounds of our language from a whole word or sentence, down to the individual letter sounds in a word. Later, these skills will help children develop strategies for decoding words when they are learning how to read.

If you want to implement phonological awareness activities in the classroom, but you don’t know where to begin, here are some great activities to get started.

• Focus on a nursery rhyme or poem every week. Write it on chart paper or poster board and, each day, read it together, making sure that you point to the words as you read it and plan different ways that you can play with the words (for example, hum the rhyme or poem or have the children listen for specific sounds).

• Use counting, tapping, clapping and jumping to segment a word into syllables.
  For example: cupcake = cup – cake = 2 syllables

• Play fun word games that manipulate phonemes by removing, adding or substituting sounds in a word or sentence.
  For example: “Let’s play the MISSING game!”
  Can you say “smile” without the /m/; or say “bat” without the /b/“)?

Interested in early literacy, phonological awareness and how to effectively implement it in your classrooms? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

In most Head Start programs, it is the instructional support domain that produces the lowest CLASS scores. As you know, high CLASS scores are important to ensure best practices in the classroom as well as to prepare for a successful CLASS Review event. Consider providing training to your teaching staff specifically on strategies to increase instructional support scores.

We’ve found that successful teacher training in this area includes the following 3 points:

• Share examples of the dimensions, indicators and behavioral markers.  Review what each part of the instructional support domain is all about.  Describe each dimension, indicator and behavior marker – in terms of the Head Start classroom.  Provide teachers with examples that that they can use every day with children.  Examples can include what to say to children to help them think critically, activities to encourage their creativity and lessons to expand their language.

• View and discuss videos of “rich” classroom interactions.  Show video clips that demonstrate the interactions and teaching strategies your teachers should display. Take each dimension within the instructional support domain and view videos of what each dimension should look like and shouldn’t look like.  Take time to discuss the video clips.  “What did you see?” and “How can you do that in your classroom?” are good questions to explore.  Seeing videos and discussing them are effective, hands-on learning strategies.

• Play to all learning styles.  Use a “learning by doing” training methodology.  Be sure that the teaching staff can truly experience each facet of the instructional support domain.  In addition to showing videos and facilitating large group discussions, include other types of learning such as pair and share, make and take, small group activities, role plays and other highly interactive exercises.  This interaction results in high impact learning, in which the teaching staff can take back the information that they learned and implement it immediately.

Looking for highly interactive training for your teaching staff on increasing instructional support scores?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

While health and safety has always been emphasized in Head Start, it is more important than ever that you have systems in place to ensure that your program is in full compliance with all health and safety-related matters. Health and safety is a major focus of many of the newer parts of Head Start – 5 year grants, the newly aligned monitoring system and Recompetition.

• 5 year grants.  As a part of the 5 year project periods, you must complete a screening of the health and safety environment of each of your centers. This must be completed within 60 days of the start of the project period. Additionally, your Board of Directors must sign a certification of compliance confirming that all centers have received a health and safety screening within 75 days of the start of the project period.

• Newly aligned monitoring system.  An Environmental Health and Safety Review event is one of the Review events in the newly aligned monitoring system. This Review event focuses solely on health and safety across your program. A Health and Safety Reviewer will visit each classroom in every center of your program. The Review event includes safe and clean facilities, healthy learning environments, safe learning environments & supervision as well as safe transportation.

• Recompetition.  One of the top reasons that programs are in Recompetition is due to health and safety issues. Deficiencies in the area of health and safety during federal monitoring reviews as well as self-reported health and safety issues are leading causes of programs that have to recompete.

Looking for training on Health and Safety? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

As we approach the 50^th anniversary of Head Start, I think about how Head Start began – and it’s evolution over the years.  It’s important that Head Start staff is familiar with the history of Head Start – as well as its mission, vision and guiding principles.  Understanding the purpose and intent of Head Start provides staff with valuable information – and perspective – as they go about their daily work.

As we all know, Head Start has a language of its own.  It’s critical that all staff is familiar with the basics of Head Start – the Performance Standards, the content areas, self-assessment, community assessment and ongoing monitoring, just to name a few.  It’s important to understand that everything we do is to ensure that children are school-ready and that families are fully engaged and become self-sufficient.  It’s also crucial to understand the importance of accountability – having systems in place and staying Review-ready. These are all functions that are important, not just because we’re required to be in full compliance, but because they are best practices for people working with children and families.

Staff often talk about how much work Head Start is.  It’s true – it is.  But it’s also very rewarding.  The joy that teachers experience when a child learns something because of their efforts… the joy that family services workers feel from linking families to needed services… the joy that we all feel from knowing that we’re making a difference in the lives of children and families – these are the rewards.

Looking for training on “Head Start 101: Getting Back to Basics”?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Are you a new Head Start or Early Head Start Director?  Let me offer you my congratulations! This is a wonderful opportunity and, as I’m sure you’ve already found out, the beginning of an exciting journey.

As a Head Start Director, you are responsible for ensuring that the children and families receive high quality services, that your program is fully compliant with all regulations, and that you provide great leadership to your staff.  I know what you’re saying…….. I have a million things on my to-do list… so many things to address.  Where do I start?

We’ve found that there are 3 key areas for Head Start Directors to focus on:

• Build relationships.  Having good working relationships is key.  Take time to build relationships with the staff – the staff at your office and the staff at the centers.  Get to know your Policy Council and Board members.  Reach out to your community – to other service providers.  And establish a good relationship with your Program Specialist.

• Plan well and create systems.  Good planning is essential in Head Start.  Whether you’re designing training for your staff or preparing for a successful Federal Review, plan with your key stakeholders.  And be sure that the planning consists of setting up systems in your program – spelled out in your policies and procedures manual.

• Provide strong leadership.  One of your most important roles is to provide great leadership to your staff.  Share your vision with the staff – and the critical role that the staff plays in your vision.  Make strategic planning a priority – set goals and monitor the progress frequently.  Communicate your expectations and provide staff with feedback and support.

Looking for “New Head Start Director Training: The Keys to Head Start”?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Reflective supervision and coaching is becoming more of a growing need in Head Start. The more we ask staff to be involved in the emotional needs of families, the more staff requires emotional support. Reflective supervision provides an opportunity to explore the many emotions and experiences that occur in a relationship – relationships between the supervisor and the staff person, between the staff person and the parent, and between the parent and the child. It is essential to understand how each of these relationships affects the other.

Reflective supervision and coaching provides an opportunity to:

• understand the experiences that each of our families brings to us;
• understand the beliefs and experiences that our staff brings to their interactions with children and families; and
• incorporate the new knowledge from these understandings to increase the staff’s skills in working with children and families through a shared partnership with the supervisor.

Training on reflective supervision includes hands-on practice with emotionally-sensitive listening and responding skills. Supervisors are provided with role plays, real-life case scenarios and sensitive, constructive feedback through coaching. The training experience will serve as a model for creating a Head Start setting in which reflective supervision will be put into consistent practice.

Looking for training on reflective supervision and coaching? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Center Directors are instrumental in running a high quality Head Start and Early Head Start program.  The position of Center Director is like a mini-Program Director.  They are leaders of your centers – or as we like to call them, your “school readiness academies.”

We’ve found that effective and efficient Center Directors take the following approach to running their center:

Strong leadership and accountability is the foundation.

Center Directors are the leader of their center and are ultimately responsible for everything that occurs there. Roles and responsibilities of Center Directors include leading their staff, monitoring their center and data management, just to name a few.  Center Directors are charged with ensuring that school readiness and family engagement services are provided at their center.

Excellent customer service is provided to everyone.

The Center Director is the point person for many people inside and outside of the program.  Interacting with children, parents, staff and community partners is an everyday occurrence for Center Directors.  It’s essential that Center Directors understand what excellent customer service looks like and know the importance of providing it at all times.

Compliance monitoring is conducted regularly.

It’s critical that ongoing monitoring is a daily occurrence at the center, led by the Center Director.  Health and safety checks in the center and on the playground, classroom observations and folder checks are just a few of the items to be monitored at centers.  Being in compliance with all Head Start Program Performance Standards and other regulations is fundamental to a successful Head Start and Early Head Start program.

We provide training for Center Directors that is focused on developing strong leaders.  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

“It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it.” How many times have you heard that? Poor communication is the cause of many challenges – challenges that can affect many areas of your program.  Child and family outcomes will not be as high as they could be if high-functioning relationships are not in place. Effective communication is critical for building relationships between teachers and families – and that includes both the children and their parents. Family service workers and home visitors must build strong relationships with parents. And communication is key to building successful working relationships between staff and co-workers.

So, how can you solve communication problems? We focus on 3 factors that help build effective communication skills and successful relationships.

Build a secure foundation.

When building a relationship, you have to make the person feel safe and secure. This is true whether we’re talking about a teacher working with a child – or a family service worker or home visitor working with a parent. When the child feels safe and secure, they are ready to learn. When a parent feels safe and secure, they are open to talking about and addressing issues as they work toward self-sufficiency.

Demonstrate professionalism.

Act like a professional” is overused and often misunderstood. Professionalism doesn’t mean working a corporate job or wearing a suit but rather, demonstrating a professional attitude. It means conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity and accountability. It means communicating appropriately and always finding a way to be productive. It involves boundaries, intentionality and ensuring that the customer is always heard.

Focus on outcomes.

When children feel safe and secure, they learn more and their assessment scores are higher. When family service workers and home visitors build a true partnership with parents, parents engage more. They feel safe and are more willing to address the challenges in their life. When staff have strong working relationships with each other, everyone is more productive. Accomplishments thrive.

We provide staff training on effective communication, building relationships, and professionalism. We can help increase the child and family outcomes within your program. Give us a call at (704) 451-3255.

In case you weren’t able to view the March 11^th National Head Start Association webinar on the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget, there were some interesting points of discussion and worthwhile news on upcoming opportunities. Items discussed include the increase in Head Start funding, the President’s 2015 budget proposal, upcoming opportunities, NHSA’s top advocacy priorities, and NHSA’s advocacy plan for the next 2 months. See the bulleted highlights below for the details.

Head Start Funding FY 2008 – FY 2014:

• Head Start’s funding level has increased significantly. In FY 2008, Head Start’s funding level was approximately 6.8 billion and in FY 2014, it is just over 8.5 billion. While most federal programs’ funds recently decreased, (including child welfare, education and health), Head Start’s funds have increased. This is due to your great advocacy work!

FY 2015 President’s Budget Proposal:

• Head Start/Early Head Start
  • $8.868 billion ($270 million increase)
  • $8.193 billion in base funding (including $100 million COLA)
  • $650 million for Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships ($150 million increase)
  • $25 million for DRS transition
• Opportunity, Growth & Security Initiative
  • $56 billion fund that includes $800 million for Early Head Start – Child Care Partnerships and for “supporting Head Start grantees who are expanding program duration and investing in teacher quality”
• Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood Home Visiting
  • $500 million total funding (roughly $120 million increase); 15 billion over 10 years
• Child Care and Development Fund
  • $750 million mandatory; $57 million increase in discretionary money
• Community Services Block Grant
  • $350 million in total funding (cut of $324 million)
• Race to the Top – Pre-K
  • $500 million in discretionary Race to the Top funding ($250 million increase over FY 2014)
  • $1.3 billion in FY 2015 for State partnership Pre-K (Strong Start)

Opportunities for the Head Start Community:

• Rethink & refresh – let’s put the sequester behind us and promote our commitment to quality.
• Consider Early Head Start – Child Care partnerships to serve more birth to 3 children with the new funding.
• Position Head Start as the most accountable and effective early childhood education and driver of economic mobility.

NHSA’s Top Advocacy Priorities:

• Head Start funding
• Preventing resumption of sequester of 2016
• Positioning Head Start in the President’s Plan and Strong Start legislation
• DRS mitigation
• Implementing the Policy Agenda
• Preparations for Reauthorization

Advocacy Plan – March & April:

• Workforce State of Emergency – Call for stories: NHSA is looking for stories from Head Start staff who are struggling due to not receiving a livable wage. We are also looking for stories of other struggles (i.e. stress, healthcare costs, continuing education, etc.). These stories will become our advocacy activities.  For more information – go.nhsa.org/workforce-emergency.
• Members of Congress are on a 2-week recess in April (weeks of April 14^th & April 24^th). Invite them to visit your program to say thank you and to remind them that Head Start changes the lives of children and families in their district and across the country.