October 13, 2017

0-5 Express October Newsletter: Everyday Hero

Text EverydayHero to 77453 for weekly tips on how you can create learning experiences for your kids … Everyday!

I have heard comedians, scholars, and sleep-deprived new parents say the same thing, “Babies don’t come with instruction manuals.” Think about that for a second. Babies don’t come with instruction manuals, yet the toaster I recently purchased had a full-color, 8-page instruction booklet right in the box.

Brain science tells us that the first three years of life are critical in developing the brain architecture that provides the framework for all future learning. We know that the parent-child relationship and the environment of the family provide a foundation for a child’s healthy development. Wow! That’s a lot of pressure for a parent. Parents can feel overwhelmed and underprepared for the hundreds of decisions they make daily in the lives of their children. The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading wants to help parents succeed. We spoke with hundreds of parents and came up with a way to support them through their parenting journey. We call it, Everyday Hero.

We know the daily back-and-forth interactions between parents and children, the sharing of songs, books and rhymes, the simple routines that add structure to a child’s learning, all of these are ways that parents can help their children build their brains. These are the activities of an Everyday Hero. The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has assembled a library of textable tips and reminders that will help parents help their children. It’s easy to sign up for the tips.

Parents can text EverydayHero to 77453 for weekly tips on how they can create learning experiences for their children — and it’s completely FREE. The Campaign delivers up to two text messages each week to parents. Tips will be sorted by the following age groups:

0-1 Years Old — Infants
Sample Tip: Babble with your baby every day, it’s their way of talking. Mimic the sounds to “talk” back and have a conversation.

2-3 Years Old — Toddlers
Sample Tip: Brushing your child’s hair? Talk about it! “Who has hair the same color as yours?” “Is your hair long or short?”

4 Years Old — Pre-K
Sample Tip: Talk about what’s happening in every book instead of just reading it. Ask questions and share what you think of the story too.

5-8 Years Old – K-3rd Grade
Sample Tip: Sing songs, read rhyming books, and say silly tongue twisters together. Help kids become sensitive to the sounds in words.

Parents want what’s best for their kids, and SCGLR wants to be able to provide tools and encouragement to be an Everyday Hero!

The Age-Friendly Festival
Family fun with more than 125 interactive displays & exhibits!

The Age-Friendly Festival is an opportunity to embrace life in all its stages, and the first community celebration in the nation to focus on lifelong well-being while aspiring to connect people of all ages. The Festival is a gift to the community funded by The Patterson Foundation and inspired by the Age-Friendly Sarasota initiative. It will take place Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sarasota Fairgrounds. Admission to the Festival is FREE – #ForAllAges! No tickets required!

Enhance family fun with more than 125 interactive displays and exhibits happening all day for FREE!

Aerial Yoga
Live Performances
Sign up for a Library Card
Try the Round-About Merge
Exercise Classes
Brain Games
Zumba!
Llamas
Imagination Playground
Guide Dogs in Training
Art Opportunities & More!

Visit www.AgeFriendlySarasota.org and immerse yourself in the AGE–FRIENDLY FESTIVAL!

Click here for a fun two-page handout for kids — contains a coloring page, maze game, and word search puzzle about the festival.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS ♥

Life is a series of chapters and they fly by in a blink of an eye. Whether we are embarking on a new career, retreading — a new age-friendly term related to the shifts of coming in and out of retirement — or, spending time out in the community working on the causes which matter most to us individually, remaining actively engaged in one’s community yields multiple benefits to people, businesses that employ them, and the greater community as well.

While it’s clear how volunteer contributions of time and talent benefit organizations, here are a few ways in which you may benefit:

Meet people – make friends
Enhance sense of purpose
Improve overall health – enhance longevity
Learn new skills
Gain/improve experience for school/job
Improve job prospects
Gain confidence
Share experience and knowledge
Take on a challenge
Feel a sense of accomplishment
Make a difference
Give back to the community
Increase happiness while having fun!

On Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28, 2017, volunteers will be needed to support the Age-Friendly Festival (AFF) in a variety of roles and shifts at the Sarasota Fairgrounds.

Volunteer Position Descriptions

Set Up
Greeters
WayFinders
Exhibitor Relations
Entertainment Relations
Experience Relations
Education Relations
Parking Lot & Bus Greeters
Floaters
Food Truck “Taste Tester”

Ok… so Food Truck “Taste Tester” isn’t really a volunteer position, but if you thought for a moment that you would be perfect for that job… well, as the saying goes, “one of the greatest gifts you can give is the gift of time.”

If you have questions regarding the volunteer opportunities or need help signing up, please do not hesitate to contact Alicia Chalmers, AFF Volunteer Coordinator, via email Aliciac0831@gmail.com or phone 941-735-6074

Age-Friendly Festival Volunteer Opportunities

Newsletter Signup

Research shows that proficiency in reading by the end of third grade enables students to shift from learning to read to reading to learn and to master the more complex subject matter they encounter in the fourth-grade curriculum.

We look forward to sharing engaging news and updates with you. The Patterson Foundation respects your privacy and will not share or sell your contact information.

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