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Learn & Grow With Us
Family Education & Resources
Play, Learn, & Grow Together. Storytime & Early Learning Activities
Music, Movement, Health and Wellness
All About STEM
A NOTE ABOUT STEM FROM THE MATHWORKS TEAM
The collaboration between The Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham (ECAF) and partner MathWorks to promote STEM education for our youngest learners resulted in a product that allowed us to train educators and families on laying the foundation of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math at the earliest point in life when learning is easy and natural. Young children are born scientists and engineers, they are naturally curious and enjoy solving problems. As children discover the world around them, they are learning and experimenting every step of the way. Introducing the ideas of STEM to preschoolers is fun and easy. Exploring the way the wind moves objects (science!); using tools to observe collected sticks, rocks, and leaves (technology!); building a tower with blocks (engineering!); and cutting, sorting, and recognizing shapes (math!).
STEM learning can support early math development and critical thinking skills in preschoolers today, which will encourage aspiring future scientists, developers, engineers, and mathematicians like the ones at companies like MathWorks.
The following booklets provide a variety of activities that introduce STEM concepts in a fun and playful way that will inspire young children to keep exploring and keep learning.
Introduction & Appendix
Book 1
Science & Technology
Book 2
Engineering & Math
Book 3
STEM VIDEOS
SCIENCE: WIND PART 1 PART 2 PART 3
TECHNOLOGY: MAGNETS
ENGINEERING: BUILDING
MATH: MOUSE MESS
Social Emotional Learning
What is Social Emotional Learning?
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills competencies necessary to:
- Develop self-awareness and positive mindsets
- Understand, manage, and regulate emotions and behaviors
- Establish and maintain respectful and caring relationships
- Promotes a safe and welcoming learning environment
- Make a responsible decision
- Communicate and cooperate effectively
- Manage learning to experience academic success
We at the Early Childhood Alliance, as part of the Framingham Public Schools, promote social emotional learning with families and their young children, right from the start!
Framingham Public Schools Character Traits
September - Responsibility: teach how to take care of their toys and space.
October - Respect: model manners, acts of kindness, validate feelings.
November - Gratitude: talk about things you are grateful for and find different ways to show appreciation of others.
December - Cooperation: take turns, give suggestions not commands, help problem solve when needed.
January - Kindness: use everyday events to point out and talk about empathy and perspective taking.
February - Acceptance: help talk through difficult topics and develop their awareness of diversity, celebrate different cultures.
March - Confidence: encourage to try new things, give help when needed, praise their efforts.
April - Determination: never give up, no matter how difficult something is, resilience and learning positive coping skills is critical.
May - Compassion: model kindness and understanding, talk about how they can help others in need.
June - Pride: praise specific behaviors and actions, tell them when you are proud of them
Virtual Educational Programs
THE ECAF VIRTUAL EARLY LEARNING RESOURCE LIBRARY
"Live" programs and fun activities can also be found on the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham FACEBOOK page.
You are also invited to join the Live with The Early Childhood Alliance Facebook group.
Did you know WGBH has a variety of Family Fun Activities and More? Check out the Family Fun At Home Activity Center by clicking here!
Registration Form for New Families
Early Literacy Survey
MORE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES…
NEWLY PRE-RECORDED PLAY, LEARN, AND GROW TOGETHER GROUP-LIKE EXPERIENCES
You can also find us on some weekdays on the Framingham Education Channel
ECAF PRERECORDED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
Summer Adventures Program:
Summertime Adventures Week 1: A Visit to the Farm
Summertime AdventuresWeek 2: Jamberry with Jane
Summertime Adventures Week 3: Explore the Seashore with Jane and Jeanette
Summer Adventures Week 4: A Visit to the Zoo
All About Spring Program:
Virtual Program: Let's Plant Our Sprouted Seeds
Virtual Program: Spring Rain
Virtual Program: Introduction to Spring
Virtual Program: All About Seeds
Virtual Program: All About Seeds Part 2
Virtual Program: All About Seeds Part 3
Virtual Program: Creating Farm Animals!
Virtual Program: A Story about a "Little Blue Truck"
Down to the Basics with School Readiness Programs:
Virtual Program: Fun with Colors Part 4
Virtual Program: Fun with Colors Part 3
Virtual Program: Fun with Colors Part 2
Virtual Program: Fun with Colors Part 1
Virtual Program: Fun with Numbers Part 2
Virtual Program: Fun with Numbers
Virtual Program: Ten Black Dots - Learning to Count Part 2
Virtual Program: Mouse Count - Learning to Count Part 1
Virtual Program #2C ECAF PLGT: Mouse Shapes Activity
Virtual Program #2B ECAF PLGT: Mouse Shapes Activity
Virtual Program # 2 ECAF PLGT: Mouse Shapes
Social Emotional Learning Programs:
Virtual Program: All About Feelings - A 30 minute program featuring the book
How Are You Peeling? Foods With Moods,
Introduction to A Feeling Matching Game (Center for Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning), and,
EmotiBlocks by MiniLand. Part 2 will explore using these activities in further detail.
Virtual Program: I Like Myself!
Virtual Program: The Power of Music with Popular PLGT Songs
Virtual Program: Family Tradition Activities & Playdough Recipe
Virtual Program: How to Make An Apple Pie and See The World
Virtual Program #1 ECAF PLGT: Me on the Map
Virtual Program: Getting Dressed
Virtual Program: Beading, Beading, Beading!
BILINGUAL STORYTIME WITH REJANE AND FRIENDS
- Bilingual Storytime with Rejane De Musis - Enjoy a bedtime classic, Goodnight Moon, in a musical way (Portuguese)
- Bilingual Storytime with Rejane De Musis - Enjoy the story Mouse Mess presented in a playful way (Portuguese)
- Raising Emerging Bilinguals - Bilingual storytimes along with a blog written by a parent of young children and teacher
- Virtual Program: Raising Emerging Bilinguals vamos a la playa
- Virtual Program: Vamos à caça de um Urso (We're Going On a Bear Hunt)
- Virtual Program: StoryTime in Portuguese with Vera
- Virtual Program: Buenos Noches Luna with Raising Emerging Bilinguals
- Virtual Program:¿Que color estás comiendo? (What color are you eating?) by Good for Me.
- Virtual Program: La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
- Virtual Program: Dias y Dias - Hola Spanish for Kids
- Virtual Program: Hola Spanish for Kids
- Virtual Program: Hola Spanish for Kids "Cabeza, Hombros, Piernas, y Pies" Head, (Shoulders, Knees, and Toes)
- Virtual Program: Hola Spanish!, The Way I Feel, Así Me Siento Yo - a Story in Spanish
- Virtual Program: Hola Spanish! All About Learning the ABCs through story and song - La Letra B
PJ FAMILY STORY TIME
Virtual Program: PJ Family Story Time #5 Bedtime Routines
Virtual Program: PJ Family Story Time #4 A Story About a Special Bedtime Friend
Virtual Program: PJ Family Story Time #3 A Story about Family Traditions
Virtual Program: PJ Family Story Time #2 with Jane
Virtual Program: PJ Family Story Time with Jane
LET'S GO TO KINDERGARTEN WITH JEANETTE
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten" - One Love, Preventing Germs, & Chrysalis Update
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten" - Making Butterflies
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindeergarten" - Our Butterfly Book
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten" - Making Caterpillars: A Sensory Activity
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten" - Caterpillar to Butterfly
- Virtual Program: La Oruga Muy Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten"- Letters on the Bus Part 3
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten" with Jeanette Part 2
- Virtual Program: "Let's Go to Kindergarten" with Jeanette Part 1
- Virtual Program: Introduction to "Let's Go to Kindergarten" - a school readiness program
- In Kindergarten: A booklet to prepare you for Kindergarten published by the Berkshire Museum.
To request a copy, contact the Early Childhood Alliance of Framingham! - En Kindergarten: Now in Spanish published by the Berkshire Museum
Want to learn more about your child's development, complete the
Ages & Stages Parent Questionairre.
ASQ Spring Activities
Help Yourself Calm Down Spanish
Calming Techniques -Pitter Patter Puppets - Calming Techniques (The Coalition for Children)
Managing Emotions - Pitter Patter Puppets - Meet Ms. Mary and Savanah her puppet friend (The Coalition for Children)
Mindfulness Bumble Bee Breathe
Virtual Yoga for Tots , Thursday, 10-10:45 with Eve Costarelli
ABC Fitness Activity
OUTDOOR RX Activities
OTHER PARTNER EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES:
- Framingham Public Library
- VROOM! Another great resource at your fingertips in Spanish and English
- One Tough Job Lots of tips and tools for families in Spanish and English!
- Massachusetts Home Visiting Initiative Comprehensive listing of resources
- The Coalition for Children - a variety of different early learning activities
- Free From Audible Books - Children's Stories
- WGBH Program Activities
- Language Lizard
- Healthy Children American Academy of Pediatrics Parenting Website
- Federation for Children with Special Needs
- Family TIES of Massachusetts - directory of information and support
