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YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER IN EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
Elgln Chlld & Fomlly Rosourco Conlor A program of One Hope United
210 Mollonol Sl., Elgln, lL 60120 84/.6P/./100
Eating Right = Healthy Children!
Good nutrition is basic
for supporting preschool-
ers healthy growth while
avoiding obesity. Parents
can offer the foods that
children need and help
them develop good
eating habits. Here are
some ideas for helping
children eat right.
What do 2- to 5-year-old children need in their daily diet?
The amount of food that your child needs depends on his
or her age, size, and activity level. Many children will eat
more some days than others. Children should not be pres-
sured to eat more than they want. As you plan the days
meals and snacks for your child, keep the following food
groups and portions in mind:
Grains, such as bread or cereal, at least half whole-
grain: 3 to 5 ounces
Vegetables, of varied colors: 1 to 2 cups
Fruit, more whole or cut-up fruit than juice: 1 to 1 cups
Milk or dairy, low-fat for most children: 2 cups
Meat or other protein, including beans, eggs, and
peanut butter: 2 to 5 ounces
Oils from nuts or cooking oil: 3 teaspoons
What about sweet drinks and desserts?
Its best to limit these but not to completely ban any food.
Sweet foods should not be used as rewards. Water is the
healthiest drink most of the time. Sweet drinks and foods may:
Interfere with your childs appetite for more nourishing food.
Lead to tooth decay.
Make it easier for your child to consume too many
calories.
How can parents teach their children good eating habits?
The best way to encourage healthy eating is by setting
a good example. You can offer fresh foods to avoid pre-
servatives and the added salt, sugar, and fat often found
in processed foods. You can also plan for the family to
eat together at home as often as possible. Here are some
more ideas:
Offer a variety of foods and let your child help with
food choice and preparation.
Encourage your child to try new foods.
Serve small portions, with seconds available.
Help your child recognize and stop when hes had enough.
Are occasional fast food meals OK?
When busy schedules make fast food meals necessary,
talk to children in advance about making healthy choices.
You can also...
Replace soda with milk or juice, and fries with fruit,
when possible.
Choose grilled foods rather than fried foods.
Resources
Behavioral Milestones
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/healthy-
habits/Milestones.pdf
Health and Nutrition Information for Preschoolers
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers.html
Grow It, Try It, Like It! Preschool Fun with Fruits and
Vegetables
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/growit.html
Lets Move
http://www.letsmove.gov
MyPlate Food Guide
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_
eating/myplate.html
The Perils of Fast Food
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-
living/nutrition/Pages/The-Perils-of-Fast-Food.aspx
Kids and Food: 10 Tips for Parents
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/healthy_
eating/eating_tips.html
Source: Illinois Early Learning Project
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/eating.htm
July 2013
Give Me Five!
Many parents ask, What
can I do at home to help
prepare my child for suc-
cess in school? There
are so many simple ways
to reinforce developmen-
tal concepts without the
use of fancy or expensive materials. In the month
of July, strengthen your childs understanding of
mathematical concepts such as numbers and count-
ing. Numbers and counting are all around us and
can be easily incorporated into your daily routine.
For example, encourage number recognition and
counting while cooking in the kitchen. Point out that
the cooking instructions call for two cups of rice
or have your child set the table with four forks and
four cups. At the grocery store, point out prices of
the different items you are buying or ask your child
to retrieve five apples to purchase. During play,
have your child stack a number of items or count
the amount of trucks he or she is playing with.
If your children are younger, be sure to incorpo-
rate singing in your introduction of numbers. You
can teach your children songs such as, One, Two.
Buckle My Shoe or The Ants Go Marching If
you do not know any songs use your local library
or the Internet as a resource to search for math-
themed songs.
It is also a great idea to read books that emphasize
numbers and counting with your children. Some
grool llllos lncludo PPP lodpolos, by Kon Klmuro,
One Little Blueberry, by Tammi Salzano, and
Shout! Shout It Out! by Denise Fleming. These
books are all available at the Gail Borden Library,
so check them out today!
FOCUS
ON A CLASSROOM:
The children in Room 111 have gone coastal
while discovering all there is to know about sea
life and the beach. They dove right in by reading
a book about the beach. There were so many ex-
citing activities that followed. The teachers Becky,
Kate and Paula pointed out different attributes
and textures of seashells as the children explored
the beach in the sensory table. To reinforce
mathematical concepts, the children identified
numbers and counted beach balls alongside their
teachers. The children also created an ocean
scene by using stamps to depict sea life and
painted with a variety of foam sea creatures.
These activities encouraged exploration, creativ-
ity, the use of new vocabulary and developed the
childrens fine motor skills. As the childrens fine
motor muscles develop, they will have the abil-
ity to hold crayons, markers and pencils, which
promotes future school success!
End of the Summer Celebration!
Come and join us for our annual End of Summer
Celebration on August 2. We will be having a fiesta
and a number of activities for the whole family. Be
sure to look for more details to come. We cannot
wait to see you there!
Iirchghtcrs Visit
At the beginning of July, the children of Elgin Child
& Family Resource Center had the opportunity to
meet and speak with a firefighter. The firefighter
explained what the children should do in the case
of an emergency and expressed the importance of
practicing fire safety. The students then had the op-
portunity to explore a fire truck and ambulance!
Tim Adamz Show
The Tim Adamz Show will be at the Elgin Child &
Fomlly Rosourco Conlor on July 1/. lhls show ls lor
all the children in Preschool or Kindergarten. Tim Ad-
amz is a professional magician who has been fea-
tured on the Bozo Show and has performed shows
for TGI Fridays, Home Run Inn Pizza, Oriental Cruise
Lines and many more! He always has his entire
audience laughing and enjoys getting the audience
involved. We are so excited to have him as a part of
our summer program, and we are sure your children
will love him too!
The teachers used a variety of methods to de-
velop the language of these young children. For
example, they introduced a variety of songs such
as, Three Little Fish, and Did You Ever See a
Dolphin? They introduced new vocabulary in
the dramatic play area by setting up a beach
scene complete with beach towels, sunglasses,
beach bags and sea-life puppets. In the end, the
students in Room 111 had a relaxing week at the
beach!
Monthly
Calendar
ConneCt with us
onehopechilddevelopment.org facebook.com/1hopeunited twitter.com/1hopechildcare
August 2013
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1
Stretch n
Grow
2
End of
Summer Party
3
4 5
Infant/Toddler
Playgroup
6 7
Sci Tech
8 9 10
11 12 13 14
Wild West
Town
15 16
Last Day of
Camp
17
18 19 20 21
Kindergarten
Orientation
22 23
Center Closed
Professional
Development
Day
24
25 26
On-site
Kindergarten
starts
27 28 29 30 31