From the Extension: Have a merry, family-friendly holiday season

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For most folks, the holidays are a time for family, and that provides the perfect opportunity for fulfilling part of the County Extension System’s mission.

The Franklin County Extension First Teacher Program works with parents and children as an enrichment opportunity for many families of northwest Alabama. Our program is designed to inform, support and encourage parents in their vital role as their child’s first teacher. During one-hour home visits, we discuss child development, complete a parent/child activity and talk about the family’s well-being.

This is all completed with a certified parent educator to ensure the child gets the best possible development in their early years.

Our Evidence-Based Model

The Evidence-Based Home Visiting Model is the comprehensive parent education model used by Parents as Teachers affiliates. The model provides a wide array of services to families with children from prenatal through kindergarten, and also offers deep insights into early childhood development. Since 1984, our model has been rigorously tested by peer-reviewed studies and shown to produce outstanding results for families.

Delivered by Trained Professionals

There are four dynamic components to the Parents as Teachers model: personal visits, group connections, resource network and child and caregiver screening. Together, they form a comprehensive set of services with seven goals/outcomes:

1. Increase parent knowledge of early childhood development and improve positive parenting practices.
2. Provide early detection of developmental delays and connection to services.
3. Improve parent, child and family health and well-being.
4. Prevent child abuse and neglect.
5. Increase children’s school readiness and success.
6. Improve family economic well-being.
7. Strengthen community capacity and connectedness.

Embracing Positivity and Possibility

Parents as Teachers operates with shared set of values and beliefs that define our culture, guide our conduct and inspire our successes. All children will develop, learn and grow to realize their full potential, with the group’s mission to promote the optimal early development, learning and health of children by supporting and engaging their parents and caregivers.

Help build your child’s development skills during the holiday season with the following activities!

SKILL BUILDING

• Build math skills by counting ingredients in holiday meal prep – five apples, three tomatoes, two cups of flour.
• Assign your child table-setting responsibilities to help them match the number of items needed to the number of family members: four plates or six? How many forks, knives and spoons? What about napkins and glasses?
• Improve reading and vocabulary skills by reading recipes; this will help with understanding directions.
• Have young children hold items such as spoons helps to strengthen their grip and improve fine motor skills when learning how to write.
• Teaching children how to take turns helps with patience and social skills.

CRAFTING

Crystal Candy Canes

SUPPLIES:

• Borax – found in the laundry detergent aisle
• Water
• Mason jars – a wide mouth is preferable
• Pan
• Spoon
• Measuring cup
• Tablespoon
• Pipe cleaners – red, green, white
• Popsicle sticks
• Ribbon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make pipe cleaner candy canes. Cut your pipe cleaners in half and twist different combinations of green, white and red pipe cleaners together to make candy canes.
2. Make the borax solution. Boil water, turn off the heat, add borax and stir to mix, as it won’t completely dissolve. Pour into jars and place in an area where they won’t get knocked around. It will take about two cups of water and 6 tablespoons of borax per small mason jar.
3. Use the Popsicle sticks to hang the pipe cleaner candy canes in the jars. You don’t want the candy cane to touch the sides or bottom.
4. In a few hours you will see crystals beginning to grow on the candy canes. By the next day, 18-24 hours later, the candy canes will be covered in sturdy, cool-looking crystals. This is suspension science.
5. Let the crystals dry. Take them out and place them on paper towels to dry a bit.
6. Use a magnifying glass to check out your crystal candy canes.
7. Add a piece of ribbon and use them to decorate for the holidays. Hang them in a window or on your Christmas tree.

Leaf Painting with Salt

SUPPLIES:

• White PVA school glue or craft glue
• Salt
• Watercolor paint palette
• Water
• White cardstock or watercolor paper
• Paintbrush
• Leaf Template

DIRECTIONS:

1. Print or draw a leaf template onto cardstock and then outline the leaf with glue.
2. Sprinkle salt over the glue, as you would with glitter.
3. Tap the paper to settle the salt into any grooves, then gently lift the paper and shake to remove any excess salt.
4. Dip the paintbrush in water and blend with the watercolor to soften. Saturate the paintbrush with watercolor.
5. Gently touch the paintbrush to the salt. Watch how the color will spread!
6. Allow the picture to dry completely before displaying or gifting.