Waterford Resources

New in Resources

May is Mental Health Awareness month! For 2021, the theme is “You Are Not Alone,” as chosen by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental health disorders can feel so isolating, and family support can make all the difference to children who are struggling. Read on to find out

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Stories can mirror a child’s experience to let them know they are not alone and offer them a window into the lives of others. Both are essential for building the social-emotional (or mindset) skills that lead to positive mental health outcomes like healthy executive

With all the exciting activities available during the summer, getting kids to read can be a struggle. But if you can find new ways to boost their motivation, your children will have fun reading while school’s out—and keep their literacy skills sharp. Learn more below about why it matters to

Reading & Writing

Did you know that children who read with their families at least three times a week are twice as likely to achieve high reading scores in school? Thankfully, it’s not hard to find free books that your family can read together. In addition to your local library, you can find

Halloween season is here! What better way to get in the spirit of things than reading spine-tingling tales and spooky stories with your own little ghosts and goblins? Sharing scary stories is one of the most fun parts of Halloween. You can make great memories with your children by reading

Through audiobooks, you can entertain your kids with classic and modern stories, introduce them to historical periods and situations that are different from their own, and help them practice listening comprehension. And if you need time to work or finish other to-dos, setting your child up with a good audiobook

Classroom Activities

What do monitoring screen time usage, practicing internet safety, and preventing cyberbullying have in common? These topics all fall under the umbrella of digital citizenship. Digital Citizenship Week is an annual event held by the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media. This year, it will be held from October 17 to

Earth Day is a wonderful opportunity to introduce important concepts about the world—such as recycling, weather, earth elements, and how our planet works—to young learners in your classroom. Here are a few ideas and fun activities for learning about and celebrating Earth Day with your students. What is Earth Day

Ready, set, read! Are you looking for a great event to encourage families and children to get involved with reading? Then get ready for International Children’s Book Day (ICBD), held on April 2, the birthday of classic children’s book author Hans Christian Andersen. This worldwide celebration aims to promote literacy

Holidays & Observances

May is Mental Health Awareness month! For 2021, the theme is “You Are Not Alone,” as chosen by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Mental health disorders can feel so isolating, and family support can make all the difference to children who are struggling. Read on to find out

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Stories can mirror a child’s experience to let them know they are not alone and offer them a window into the lives of others. Both are essential for building the social-emotional (or mindset) skills that lead to positive mental health outcomes like healthy executive

Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner! This year it’s the week of May 6–10, with National Teacher Day on Tuesday, May 7. It’s a perfect time to show the educator in your child’s life how much you have appreciated their support over the past school year. From cards

Professional Development

Now that we’re nearing summer, you might have more time to think about professional learning and licensure requirements. If you’re a teacher looking for a way to meet your professional development goals, there are plenty of options. Here are some free online professional development courses for teachers to consider, along

In the midst of a pandemic, social distancing, and the disruption of life as we know it, Dr. Patricia Jennings says, “Now might be the perfect time to learn about mindfulness.”  As a University of Virginia professor, a developmental psychologist, and a nationally recognized leader in the fields of social

From an early age, parents want their children to have quality education that can be a solid foundation for their future learning. Positive experiences and stable environments significantly influence young children in the first three years of life, as this is a critical time for a child’s rapid brain development,