The links below include basic info on a variety of community resources in and around Portland that we hope will serve as useful tools for our families. Many of the resources on this list have been used by families or teachers, however there are some with which we do not have first-hand experience. If you have questions about a resource or would like to suggest a link, please email RECEPTIONIST@FRUITANDFLOWER.ORG.
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
- Every Child Ready to Read: 5 Activities for You and Your Child
HTTPS://MULTCOLIB.ORG/BLOG/20121121/EVERY-CHILD-READY-READ-5-ACTIVITIES-YOU-AND-YOUR-CHILD
It’s never too early or too late to help your child develop language and other early literacy skills. Here are five daily practices to follow to get children ready to read. - Activities and Games for Young Children
HTTP://HANDSONASWEGROW.COM/FUN-ACTIVITIES-ACTIVE-KIDS/
25 fun activities to do with your child that are active, engaging and developmentally appropriate for all age groups. - Kindergarten Readiness Guide
HTTP://WWW.URBANCHILDINSTITUTE.ORG/WHY-0-3/PARENTING/GUIDE
Parents & Teachers can help prepare children for kindergarten with thissite that has over 100 preschool skills - Fun ways to teach your child about money
HTTP://MONEY.USNEWS.COM/MONEY/PERSONAL-FINANCE/ARTICLES/2012/09/13/FUN-WAYS-TO-TEACH-KIDS-ABOUT-MONEY
With the right approach, your child will learn valuable financial lessons. Page includes links to activities and products such as a piggy bank with slots for ‘save’, ‘spend’, ‘donate’ and ‘invest’. - Teaching Strategies
HTTP://TEACHINGSTRATEGIES.COM/
Teaching Strategies is a dynamic early childhood education company that provides the most innovative and effective curriculum, assessment, professional development, and family connection resources to programs serving children from birth through kindergarten. - Oregon’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
HTTP://WWW.WOU.EDU/TRI/QRIS/INFO.HTML
This innovative program seeks to raise the quality and consistency of child care and learning programs. The QRIS connects caregivers and educators with tools, financial incentives and professional advice to ensure the children in their program are better prepared for school. It also gives parents expert, unbiased information to make informed decisions about child care options.
The Quality Rating System recognizes, rewards and builds on what early learning and development programs are already doing well. It helps ensure children in QRIS programs are ready for kindergarten by connecting programs and providers with free tools, financial incentives and professional advice that they can put into practice with confidence. - ASQ: Ages & Stages Questionnaires
HTTP://WWW.ASQOREGON.COM/
Parents or caregivers can use the ASQ questionnaires for children between the ages of birth and 6 years to check a child’s general development. The results help determine if a child’s development is on schedule.
Parents or caregivers can use the ASQ questionnaire to check your child’s social emotional development. Results help identify appropriate social emotional competence in young children - PBIS: Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports
HTTP://WWW.PBIS.ORG/
Positive behavior support is now being implemented in a variety of places including schools, early childhood, mental health, and child welfare settings, and in organizations that provide services to adults with developmental disabilities. Individuals of all ages can benefit from positive behavior support from the very young to old age. - The Greater Good: The Science of a Meaning Life
HTTP://GREATERGOOD.BERKELEY.EDU/
The Greater Good Science Center studies the Psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.
They have a free email newsletter. - Common Core Standards
HTTP://WWW.ODE.STATE.OR.US/SEARCH/PAGE/?ID=2860
Adopted by over 45 states in the U.S., the Common Core State Standards are a set of shared K-12 learning expectations for students in English-language arts and mathematics. These two new sets of content standards replace Oregon’s current standards in English language arts and mathematics. While the new standards are similar in ways to Oregon’s current standards, some content has been shifted and the level of rigor has increased to ensure college and career readiness at the end of high school. - The ABC’s Of Child Development
HTTP://WWW.PBS.ORG/WHOLECHILD/ABC/
Children grow and develop at different rates. While their pathways through childhood differ, most pass a set of predictable milestones along the way. The information presented here offers a map that can help you follow your child’s journey. - Developing Your Child’s Self Esteem
HTTP://TINYURL.COM/Y8CPXLR
Healthy self-esteem is like a child’s armor against the challenges of the world. Kids who know their strengths and weaknesses and feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. - Trust For Learning
HTTP://WWW.TRUSTFORLEARNING.ORG/
The Trust supports research on developmentally appropriate learning and works closely with high-quality programs and their networks to prime them for expansion. - Expertise–Legal Advice
HTTP://WWW.EXPERTISE.COM/LEGAL
A series of resources for legal experts and their consumers.
FAMILY ACTIVITIES
- Family Storytimes in Portland
HTTPS://MULTCOLIB.ORG/EVENTS/FAMILY-STORYTIME
Children from birth to age 6 (with a favorite adult) enjoy books, songs, rhymes and movement activities while building language and literacy skills. - Storytime: It’s in the Bag
HTTPS://MULTCOLIB.ORG/BLOG/20130122/STORYTIME-ITS-BAG
20 themed bags for toddlers (ages 18 mths—3 yrs) and another 21 bags for preschool-aged children (3—6 years). Each bag centers on a theme and contains five books, a small toy, game, puzzle or music CD related to the theme, and an activity sheet. The sheet has a couple of rhymes or games to play with children to extend the theme, as well as some tips for sharing books with children to effectively help them gain the skills they need to become successful readers. These bags are perfect for busy childcare teachers, family childcare providers and parents who want to share thematic materials with the little ones in their care. - Powells Storytimes
HTTP://WWW.POWELLS.COM/CALENDAR/
Saturdays at 11 a.m. at Powells City of Books on Burnside
Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. at Powells Books at Cedar Hills Crossing - Kitchen Activities for Young Children
HTTP://WWW.CHOOSEMYPLATE.GOV/PRESCHOOLERS/PICKY-EATERS/KITCHEN-ACTIVITIES.HTML
Having your preschooler help you in the kitchen is a good way to get your child to try new foods. Kids feel good about doing something “grown-up.” Give them small jobs to do. Praise their efforts. Children are much less likely to reject foods that they helped make - Michaels Classes
HTTPS://CLASSES.MICHAELS.COM/ONLINECLASSES/CONTROL/MAIN?FIRSTVISIT=FIRSTVISIT
Tons of great classes for and with kids. Join the Kids Club on Saturdays for crafty fun.
HEALTH & NUTRITION
- USDA tips and handouts
HTTP://WWW.CHOOSEMYPLATE.GOV/KIDS/PARENTSEDUCATORS.HTML
MyPlate Kids’ Place has resources that can help children make healthier choices. ChooseMyPlate.gov offers science-based advice to help kids and their parents build healthy meals and maintain or achieve a healthy weight. MyPlate Kids’ Place provides online resources and tools for children to help them make wise choices in a fun and appealing way.
Parents and teachers are invited to use the MyPlate Kids’ Place resources to deliver credible information and find “teachable moments” that will influence children’s choices at home and at school. - Head Lice: Prevention and Treatment
HTTP://KIDSHEALTH.ORG/PARENT/INFECTIONS/COMMON/HEAD_LICE.HTML
Lice aren’t dangerous and they don’t spread disease, but they are contagious and can just be downright annoying. Their bites may cause a child’s scalp to become itchy and inflamed, and persistent scratching may lead to skin irritation and even infection - Health and Nutrition Information for Toddlers
HTTP://WWW.CHOOSEMYPLATE.GOV/PRESCHOOLERS.HTML
Your preschooler’s normal growth and development also play a big role in their eating habits. As preschoolers grow, they change physically, mentally, and socially. These changes affect everything they do, including eating. See a roadmap of what to expect. - Immunization
HTTPS://WEB.MULTCO.US/HEALTH/SCHOOL-IMMUNIZATIONS
School immunizations are required by state law for children and students in attendance at public and private schools, preschools, childcare facilities and Head Start programs in Oregon. Nearly every facility that provides care for a child outside the home requires immunizations or a religious or medical exemption to stay enrolled - Healthy Oral Care for Young Children
HTTP://TINYURL.COM/LRSQ7UN
Let the Brushing Games Begin!
Since it’s going to be quite a while before your child masters tooth brushing for herself, we wanted to leave you with several practical suggestions to help you make it more fun and a matter of routine. - Vroom
HTTP://WWW.JOINVROOM.ORG/
Vroom turns shared moments into brain-building moments. Whether it’s mealtime, bath time, or anytime in between, there are always ways to nurture our children’s growing minds. - Fire Safety and Prevention for Kids
HTTP://TINYURL.COM/QB4WVQG
When it comes to fire prevention for kids, a lot of the responsibility falls on parents and teachers to set the example. Parents need to make sure the home is protected against any fires being started by children accidentally. - Infants & Toddlers: Safety in the Home & Community
HTTP://WWW.CDC.GOV/PARENTS/INFANTS/SAFETY.HTML
You play an important role in keeping your child safe — no matter how old he or she is. We have information and tools to help protect your baby, toddler, child, or teenager from injuries and violence. - Get Your Kids Active and Eating Right
HTTP://WWW.NHLBI.NIH.GOV/HEALTH/EDUCATIONAL/WECAN/
Are you looking for ways to get your kids away from the computer screen and interested in being more active? The National Institute of Health has a program, “We Can!”, that offers free resources for families and communities to help youth eat right, get active, and reduce screen time
PARENTING RESOURCES
- Zero to Three
HTTP://WWW.ZEROTOTHREE.ORG/
ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development.
Their mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. - Raising a Thankful Child
HTTP://FAMILIES.NAEYC.ORG/LEARNING-AND-DEVELOPMENT/CHILD-DEVELOPMENT/RAISING-THANKFUL-CHILD
Teaching manners is a fine art of modeling but not always the making of meaning. Raising thankful children is a fine art of helping them make their own meaning. Maybe it is a rumpled, crayon-scribbled card. Maybe it is a fresh bouquet of dandelions (and a few other weeds) from the back yard or local park. Maybe it is just a warm hug after a cold ice cream treat - Portland 211 Family Info
HTTP://211INFO.ORG/
For anyone in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Lane and Polk counties connected to children, birth to 8 years old, 211 Family Info works with you to find solutions for such topics as:
● child development and behavioral strategies
● school readiness and success
● family stress and anxiety
● parent support groups
● playgroups
● basic family resources
Calls are free, live and confidential. The line is staffed by master’s level professionals who also have the benefit of leveraging the 211info network database with over 6,000 community resources. - Love and Logic
HTTP://WWW.LOVEANDLOGIC.COM/
Jim Fay teaches us that we should “lock in our empathy, love, and understanding” prior to telling kids what the consequences of their actions will be. The Parenting the Love and Logic Way™ curriculum teaches parents how to hold their kids accountable in this special way. This Love and Logic method causes the child to see their parent as the “good guy” and the child’s poor decision as the “bad guy.”
When done on a regular basis, kids develop an internal voice that says, “I wonder how much pain I’m going to cause for myself with my next decision?” Kids who develop this internal voice become more capable of standing up to peer pressure. - Mind in the Making
HTTP://WWW.MINDINTHEMAKING.ORG/
Mind in the Making (MITM), developed by Families and Work Institute (FWI), is an unprecedented effort to share the science of children’s learning with the general public, families and professionals who work with children and families. - Portland area Parent Support Groups
HTTP://WWW.PDXPARENT.COM/MEET-N-GREET-AUG15/
Links to many local Parent Support Groups
Groups include:
Breastfeeding support, fitness, swap-n-plays, story time groups, and baby blues connection support groups. - Potty Training: How to Get the Job Done
HTTP://WWW.MAYOCLINIC.COM/HEALTH/POTTY-TRAINING/CC00060
Potty training is a big step for kids and parents alike. The secret to success? Patience — perhaps more patience than you ever imagined. - Bright Futures
HTTP://WWW.BRIGHTFUTURES.ORG/ONE-STEP/
Promoting Physical Activity for Young Children - A Guide to First Time Parents
HTTP://TINYURL.COM/89KPW57
You’ve survived 9 months of pregnancy. You’ve made it through the excitement of labor and delivery, and now you’re ready to head home and begin life with your baby. Once home, though, you frantically realize you have no idea what you’re doing! These tips can help even the most nervous first-time parents feel confident about caring for a newborn in no time.
