Alta Head Start

Insights

Create Some Memories With Your Kids During Quarantine

Quarantine has become a reality for all of us.  It’s only natural for kids, and probably parents, to start going stir-crazy the longer the quarantine lasts. Rather suddenly, parents have been asked to entertain their children for hours on end every single day.  It could be easy to just set … read more

Free Scholastic Learn At Home Program

Scholastic has created an exciting opportunity for parents to encourage learning from home! They are providing FREE meaningful activities weekly which include articles, stories and videos. These activities are accessible on any device and provide up to three hours of learning experiences. You can access these materials at: Scholastic.com/learnathome User … read more

6 Tips on Talking to Your Kids About the Coronavirus

The coronavirus is all anyone is talking about these days, and with good reason. The sheer amount of closings and cancelations is unprecedented in recent memory. With all that parents are worrying about when it comes to this virus, kids may be left in the dark, hearing only bits and … read more

A Retired Army Major Highlights the Importance of Head Start

A retired Army Major from Maine recently made the case before his state legislature for the need for early care and education programs such as Head Start to maintain a strong national defense. We found his insights to be very compelling, so we’re producing excerpts from a Letter to the Editor … read more

Tips on How to Help Your Child Love Reading

The American Academy of Pediatrics says you should start reading to your children from the time they’re born. Studies show that it does make a difference. By age 2, children who are regularly read to have a bigger vocabulary and better language comprehension. Literacy experts say there’s no wrong way … read more

The Guiding Principles of Head Start

Like all Head Start programs, Alta Head Start and Early Head Start are guided by certain fundamental principles. These guiding principles, as embodied in the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework, have been fundamental to the Head Start program from its inception. They underlie the program policies and practices that … read more

OSU Students Promote Nutrition Education at Alta Head Start

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education Program (SNAP-Ed) — developed as a partnership between the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services and Ohio State University Extension — is a free nutrition education program serving low-income adults and youth in Ohio. The program is funded by the Food Nutrition Service’s (FNS) … read more

The Four Primary Benefits of Head Start

An article on the website of an organization known as Food & Supply Source caught our attention. This organization describes itself as “a one-stop food, services and supply partner to nonprofits, social and human service sector organizations throughout the United States.” The article summarized the Four Primary Benefits of the … read more

Early Head Start Serves Young Children and Their Parents

Alta Care Group administers both the Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Mahoning County. While these programs have similar goals, there are some differences between them. Here is a summary that will help you understand those differences. Q. Are the services the same in Early Head Start and … read more

Be Aware of Alta Head Start’s School Closing Policy

The bitterly cold weather that hit the Valley at the end of January is a reminder that parents should know what our policy is at Alta Head Start concerning school closings. We understand that many parents still have to report to work even in the worst weather, so they may … read more

Simple, Daily Interactions with Your Child Mean So Much

Whether its books, online postings or your own family members, there’s no shortage of parenting advice out there. That’s a good thing, but sometimes the simplest advice can be the most profound. Here are three tips from the School of India that every parent should take to heart.

Setting Rules Is Important for Your Child

Setting rules can make the child feel safe, and can help them understand how we want them to act. Here are some suggestions for setting rules from Christa Pinsonnault, Alta Head Start’s Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant: Choose only three rules at a time. There may be more than three … read more

Getting Back to Basics with Toy Gift Giving

Although Christmas is very near, you may still have some toy shopping to do for the children in your life. The American Academy of Pediatrics (APP) has some things you should keep in mind — not just now, but at birthdays or any other time toys are on your shopping … read more

Homemade Gifts Your Kids Can Make This Christmas

Your child can make a lot of points with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and other family members with a homemade gift this Christmas. At the same time, making these gifts can be a fun project you and your child can do together. Check out some of the ideas at this … read more

Why We’re Here

What is Head Start all about? Here’s a simple description of our mission: Head Start is a Federal program that promotes the school readiness of children from birth to age five from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development. Head Start programs provide a learning environment that … read more

Overcoming First-Day Jitters

As the school year begins, it can be hard for children to be away from their parents, and difficult for parents as well. Children can sometimes tug at your pants, cry and throw tantrums when it’s time for you to go.

Our Children: We Can Invest Now, or Spend Later

Research gathered by the National Head Start Association delivers an interesting message: if we aren’t willing to invest in our children’s education and development now — at an early age — we may face problems (and their associated expense) down the road. A summary of this research, seen in the … read more

Learn About the Importance of Emotional Literacy to Your Child

Emotional literacy is the ability to identify, understand and respond to emotions in oneself and others in a healthy manner. Children who have a strong foundation in emotional literacy tolerate frustration better, get into fewer fights, and engage in less self-destructive behavior than children who do not have a strong … read more

The Benefits of Outside Play

by Sarah E. Macovitz, LSW Growing up, I was always told by my parents, grandparents, teachers and neighbors that playing outside was “good for you.” Of course, this was long before cell phones, video games or other electronic devices that keep our attention nowadays. I have been working on loads … read more

Self-Regulation in Preschool Children

Self-regulation is defined as the act of managing thoughts and feelings to enable goal-directed actions. It describes a set of skills that should be a part of the normal development of children as they grow. By the time they’ve reached pre-school age, children should be developing the following self-regulation skills: … read more

Play Is Work for Preschoolers

by Barbara Purdum Alta Head Start Mental Health Consultant Many parents wonder about the role of play in a preschool classroom. Play is an essential part of learning. It is fun for the children, but it also teaches them many skills and builds on their strengths and abilities. It’s easy … read more

Gratitude and Hope

by Barbara Purdum Alta Head Start Mental Health Consultant We talk a lot about Resilience in Head Start. Resilience is the ability to cope with stress, traumatic events, and other difficulties in life. We strive to build the resilience of our children and families. A recent study conducted on the … read more

Creating Routines with Your Child

by Barbara Purdum Alta Head Start Mental Health Consultant “Children grow in their ability to handle separations when we let them know that it’s okay to feel sad and angry at first…and that little by little, they’ll feel better and find different things to enjoy…. It is only when children … read more

How to Deal with Preschool Separation

by Barbara Purdum Alta Head Start Mental Health Consultant Our school year is well underway, but some children still have a hard time separating from their parents in the morning. Here are some tips to help ease the transition to school from home and from school back to home. Let … read more

Hassle-Free Shopping with Children

It’s rewarding and enjoyable to be a parent, but not always easy. The challenge is to raise healthy, well-adjusted children in a loving, predictable environment. This Triple P discussion group will help you deal with one day-to-day challenge all parents face — taking your child shopping with you. The class … read more

Raising Resilient Children Class Set for October 19

If you’re a parent of children ages 0 to 12 years, you can benefit from this free class. In it, you’ll learn how to: encourage behavior you like; deal with problem behavior; become confident as a parent; be realistic about parenting; and take care of yourself. The class will be … read more

Dinner Time Means More Than Just Eating

Sitting down to eat as a family is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child. It’s a time for adults to role-model manners such as saying “Please,” “Thank you,” “May I have the…” “This is delicious!” “You worked hard to make a great meal for our family!” … read more

Head Start Parents: Use Our Computers When Visiting Our Sites

Each of our Alta Head Start sites has a Parent Café or Parent Cart where families of children accepted into our Head Start program can use a computer to access the internet for parent-child activities, job searches, agency registration assistance, résumés or any other activity that will assist you or … read more

Take the Guesswork out of Parenting with Group Triple P Classes

If you’re a parent or caregiver who: is interested in promoting your child’s development and potential, or may have concerns about your child’s mild to moderate level of behavioral problems, or simply wishes to prevent behavior problems from developing …you’ll want to be a part of a free series of … read more

Alta Head Start Tops National Average in Assessment of Teacher-Child Interactions

The Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) is an observation instrument that assesses the quality of teacher-child interactions in center-based preschool classrooms. CLASS® includes three categories of teacher-child interactions that support children’s learning and development: Emotional Support assesses the degree to which teachers establish and promote a positive climate in their classroom through their … read more

Alta Head Start Teachers Are Highly Qualified

The Alta Head Start program goes above and beyond the National Head Start requirements for Teacher qualifications by employing a large majority of Lead Teachers with Bachelor’s Degrees in Early Childhood Education. Every Teacher Assistant has, at a minimum, a Child Development Associate (CDA). In addition, the majority of our Lead Teachers … read more

Download the New Alta Head Start Volunteer Handbook

A new edition of this important guide to volunteering with Alta Head Start has been published. It contains valuable information about the many activities you can take part in both in the classroom and at home to help Alta Head Start in its mission to support the social, emotional, behavioral, … read more

Back-to-School Bedtime Tips

As we get ready to return to school in the next few weeks, it’s time to help your child adjust to new routines. Summertime brings sleeping in and staying up later. Now we want to begin the transition back to our school-year rituals. For some families it will be the … read more

Prepare Your Child for Preschool with These Books

Here are some books you and your child can read about going to preschool: Maisy goes to preschool / Lucy Cousins What to expect at preschool / Heidi Murkoff Rosie goes to preschool / by Karen Katz My new preschool / Moira Butterfield, Estelle Corke My preschool / Anne Rockwell … read more

Try these skill-building crafts with your child

You can enhance your child’s school readiness skills by doing these crafts: Fruit Kabob: Prepare a plate of bite-size pieces of soft fruits such as bananas, cantaloupe, strawberries, pineapple, unseeded watermelon, honeydew or any other favorite fruit. Give your child a straw and have him or her put the fruit … read more

Children at early head start preschool

Download the 2017-2018 Alta Parent Handbook

Alta wishes to welcome you and your family to our Birth to Five Head Start Program. We hope to partner with you as your child begins their educational journey. We are excited to be a part of that journey with you! Head Start is different from other preschool programs, as we … read more

Five Fun Things to do with Children during the Summer Months

It’s summer — that time of year when Head Start teachers bid farewell to children, hoping their gleefully escaping learners don’t forget everything they’ve learned during the program year. It’s also the time of year when nervous parents take on the challenge of keeping their children physically busy and mentally … read more

Keep the “Burn” Out of Your Summer Fun in the Sun

Memorial Day marks the end of another school year and the unofficial start of outdoor summer fun. Public pools open and slip ‘n’ slides are rolled out to the soundtrack of ice cream truck jingles and kids’ laughter. Along with accidental belly flops, dropped ice cream cones, and unseen rocks … read more