Next Steps: Ideas to Extend Practice

Participants working independently or with other staff can build on the skills developed through this guide by completing activities such as the following ones. Some of the activities can contribute to the participants' professional portfolios.

Research and Report Child Development

Select a developmental domain (physical, cognitive, social, or emotional) to learn more about. You can work with a partner who has the same interest Refer to books and articles such as those listed in the Resources section of this guide and talk with professionals such as pediatricians or nutritionists to learn more about fostering young children's growth and development. Create an outline for a presentation on how to use knowledge of this area or aspect of development to plan indoor and outdoor environments, schedules, routines, transitions, and activities. Cover some or all of these topics in the presentation. If you worked with a partner, take turns presenting your findings during staff meetings. You can also use your findings to plan and lead workshops for parents on child development.

Possible Portfolio Entry: The presentation outline and handouts developed for staff or parents

Learn from Watching a Head Start Videotape

View the videotape Curriculum in Head Start at home, at the center, or at the group socialization site. Focus on the activities shown in the videotape and look for examples of how the staff responded to children's backgrounds, skills, needs, and interests. Discuss what you saw and heard in the videotape at a staff meeting.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Summary of effective strategies depicted in the videotape

Plan Activities with Parents

Invite parents to participate in planning activities to be implemented at home, at the center, or during a group socialization session. Focus on activities that require few materials or those items typically found at home. You can use The Planning Web as a technique. After implementing the activities, involve parents in evaluating and following up on the experience.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Examples of completed planning webs ac companied by photographs of children engaged in the planned activities
 
Complete an Ongoing Child Study

Complete an Ongoing Child Study for a child with disabilities or a child who speaks a language other than English. Use what you learn through this process to improve your practices for planning and implementing indoor and outdoor environments, a schedule, routines, transitions, and activities that include the child and encourage his or her development. It may be necessary to work with specialists such as occupational, physical, or speech therapists.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Completed Ongoing Child Study and plan for improving practices