Welcome to the Week of the Young Child Guide
2018 theme for Week of the Young Child:
Celebrating Our Youngest Learners Through S.T.E.A.M.
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics)
April 16-20, 2018
The Most Magnificant Thing by Ashley Spires
For her story of a girl’s ambition to build “the most magnificent thing,” Spires draws her towing a red wagon full of random junk. “The girl saws and glues and adjusts. She stands, examines and stares. She twists and tweaks and fastens.” Shadowed by her stubby bulldog assistant, she hits a roadblock, and her frustration grows: “Her hands feel too big to work and her brain is too full of all the not-right things.” It’s the bulldog that realizes that his boss needs a break. In the act of taking a walk, her mind clears: “Bit by bit, the mad gets pushed out of her head.” The “magnificent thing” turns out to be a bulldog-size sidecar for her scooter. It’s a useful description of the creative process, an affirmation of making rather than buying, and a model for girl engineers. ~ Kirkus Reviews
Story times and events will be held at Rasmussen University campuses, local child care centers, or other organizations. Contact your campus for further information!
View the latest WOYC events on the NAEYC Twitter feed!
The Week of the Young Child™ is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world's largest early childhood education association, with nearly 80,000 members and a network of over 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates.
The purpose of the Week of the Young Child™ is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.
NAEYC first established the Week of the Young Child™ in 1971, recognizing that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) lay the foundation for children's success in school and later life. The Week of the Young Child™ is a time to plan how we—as citizens of a community, of a state, and of a nation—will better meet the needs of all young children and their families. https://www.naeyc.org/woyc/faq#
What: STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math, While these subjects seem lofty for young children to grasp, there are ways in which we can incorporate some challenging activities in our youngest students. Young children may not be ready to understand multiplication or how computers work, but they can develop a strong foundation for future learning by exploring STEAM skills and concepts through play and discussion, then applying those skills through more play. This presentation will connect everyday activities to STEAM concepts as well as learning standards and outcomes
Who: Teresa McKay, MEd, Instructor, Rasmussen University
When: Tuesday, April 17th, 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Central Daylight Time)
Where: To join the webinars, follow this link to register in advance. Your webinar access details will be emailed to you.
Did you miss the webinar? View the webinar archive here.
*For more information about these events, contact Qiana Holmes
*For more information about these events, contact Angie Wells
Information coming soon!
*For more information about these events, contact Jay Loschke
*For more information about these events, contact Lisa Sand
*For more information about these events, contact Yolanda Olive.
Information coming soon!
*For more information about these events, contact Chelsey Ballard.
For more information contact Heidi Stocking.
Information coming soon!
*For more information about these events, contact Etta Steed
Contact Kirsten Owens for more information.
*For more information about these events, contact Daniel Perez
*For more information about these events, contact Karen Ginn
*For more information about these events, contact Shelby Ketchmark.
*For more information about these events, contact Toby King.
*For more information about these events, contact Lindsay Medin.
*For more information about these events, contact Jenn Endries.
*For more information about these events, contact Carol Hanna.
Information coming soon!
*For more information about these events, contact Barbi Piekarski
*For more information about these events, contact Alexis Wittling
*For more information about these events, contact Wosata Mitchell.
*For more information about these events, contact Holly Engler.
*For more information about these events, contact Alena Long.
View these videos of STEAM activities:
How to Make a Guitar Out of Recycled Materials
Design Challenge
How to Make an Anemometer
How to Paint with Magnets
Through music, children develop math, language, and literacy skills - All while having fun and being active! Make up and record your own unique version of a song or write your own, and share it on NAEYC's Facebook page or post to Twitter using the hashtag #woyc18
TRY THIS: Find the beat to connect music, movement, and math. Practice clapping, drumming, or stomping to the beat of the music while counting.
This fun, food-themed day is about more than just cheese and crackers. Cooking together connects math with literacy skills, science, and more. With the rise in childhood obesity, you can encourage healthy nutrition and fitness habits at home and in the classroom. Create your own healthy snacks and share the recipes and photos of your creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or post to Twitter using the hashtag #woyc18.
TRY THIS: Measure your ingredients while making your snacks! Ask children if they’d like the same or different amounts of each ingredient.
When children build together they explore math and science concepts and develop their social and early literacy skills. Children can use any building material—from a fort of branches on the playground to a block city in the classroom, or a hideaway made from couch pillows at home. Build and share pictures of children’s creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc18 hashtag.
TRY THIS: Practice organizing blocks by size! Try building a block tower with large blocks on the bottom and little blocks on top!
Children develop creativity, social skills and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imaginations, and create with their hands. On Artsy Thursday celebrate the joy and learning children experience when engaged in creative art making. Use any materials—from crayons to paint, clay to crafts! Create and share a photos of your children’s creations on NAEYC's Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc18 hashtag.
TRY THIS: Bring art outdoors! Offer dark and light paper, chalk and pastels, and suggest children create their own versions of the day and night sky!
Engaging and celebrating families is at the heart of supporting our youngest learners. NAEYC applauds family members’ role as young children’s first and most important teachers. Share pictures and stories about your family on NAEYC's Facebook page or post to Twitter using the hashtag #woyc18 as we celebrate the unique role families play in their children's learning and development.
TRY THIS: Invite parents for a Family Friday breakfast, where children can prepare and share breakfast treats with their families!
Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late by 
Tick-Tock!: Measuring Time by 
The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by 
Art Lab for Little Kids by 
Rosie Revere's Big Project Book for Bold Engineers by 
Coding as a Playground: Programming and Computational Thinking in the Early Childhood Classroom by 
Crayons and iPads: Learning and Teaching of Young Children in the Digital World by Watch this short video from Teacher Tube for a introduction to S.T.E.A.M. in the early childhood classroom.
Click on the image below to access three videos created by Zero to Three.
Click on the image below to access information for parents and educators about young children and screen time.
For more Education resources and support, be sure to visit the School of Education Guide. Click here!
