St. Tammany Ready Start Network

MILESTONE MONDAY - 4 MONTHS

By the age of 4 months, your child should reach the following cognitive milestones:

⭐️If hungry, opens mouth when she sees breast or bottle

⭐️ Looks at his hands with interest

Combining story reading with art helps Pre-K aged children develop crucial pre-literacy and cognitive skills. This hands-on approach transforms passive listening into active learning, making abstract concepts concrete. Key developmental benefits include:

⭐️Reading Comprehension: Drawing scenes, characters, or specific events from the story reinforces the child's understanding of narrative structure, including sequencing (beginning, middle, and end) and cause-and-effect.

⭐️Vocabulary and Expression: Art provides a physical outlet for children to express what they heard, helping them with new vocabulary and use descriptive language to explain their creations.

⭐️Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating crayons, paintbrushes, and scissors builds the hand-eye coordination and pencil grip necessary for future writing.

⭐️Symbolic Thinking: Creating art teaches children that symbols (lines and shapes) represent real objects and ideas, which is the foundational concept for understanding that printed letters represent words.

Kidz Klub House Mandeville Hwy. 59 is teaching foundational skills which are preparing our children for kindergarten.

Prek4 read The Ant and Grasshopper today. Afterwards they made their own version of the fable😊

🌟 Interested in being a member of the St. Tammany Early Childhood Ready Start Network Leadership Committee? 🌟

Are you a parent, community leader, business representative, government official, or advocate who is passionate about early childhood education specifically for children ages birth - 4 years?

The St. Tammany Early Childhood Ready Start Network wants to ensure that all children within St. Tammany have access to high-quality early childhood care and educational programs. We support Type III early childhood providers with resources and tools needed to ensure all children are in high-quality educational environments. Through grants and partnerships, the Network has provided curriculum and other educational resources to our providers.

Together, we are working toward the following Blueprint Goals:

✅ Goal #1: Increase the availability of tuition assistance seats throughout the parish for disadvantaged children ages birth - 3 so their parent(s) can work and/or attend school.

✅ Goal #2: Increase staff quantity and quality at Head Start, Early Head Start, and Type III child care program sites.

✅ Goal #3: Enhance parental engagement in children's education and development.

✅ Goal #4: Increase community awareness and support for the St. Tammany Early Childhood Ready Start Network.

✅ Goal #5: Explore community and grant funding opportunities, promote Workforce Child Care (WCCC) tax credits, and organize fundraising efforts to support our Blueprint goals.

High-quality early care and education are the foundation of a strong workforce and a thriving community. If you understand the importance of investing in our youngest learners and want to make a meaningful impact, we want to hear from you!

Interested in serving on the Leadership Committee? Please contact us (985-898-3306) or comment below to learn more.

Together, we can build a stronger future for St. Tammany's children, families, and our community.

MILESTONE MONDAY - 24 MONTHS

By the age of 24 months, your child should reach the following cognitive milestones:

⭐️Tries to flip switches, turn k***s, zip zippers, or button buttons

⭐️ Plays with more than one toy at the same time (Ex - putting pretend food on a toy plate)

⭐️ Holds something in one hand while using the other hand (Ex - holding a bucket in one hand while putting a block into the bucket with the other hand)