Child care providers who are good facilitators of the social development of young children also understand the relationship between child care curriculum, care giver demeanor, and discipline in promoting responsibility and a sense of community among young children.

There is a set of principles that characterizes the pattern and process of growth and development. These principles or characteristics describe typical development as a predictable and orderly process; that is, we can predict how most children will develop and that they will develop at the same rate and at about the same time as other children. Although there are individual differences in children’s personalities, activity levels, and timing of developmental milestones, such as ages and stages, the principles and characteristics of development are universal patterns.

As adults, we are usually busy as parents and workers and often feel stressed and experience burn-out at times, but would you ever think that children can experience stress too?

4-H Volunteer Profile

The family is the cornerstone of a healthy community. Virginia Cooperative Extension strives to improve the well-being of Virginia families through programs that help put researchbased knowledge to work in people’s lives. Family and Consumer Sciences educators help Virginians learn to make good choices for themselves and their families. This, in turn, strengthens their communities and the state.

As family and consumer science educators, we known that the family is the cornerstone of a healthy community. Virginia Cooperative Extension strives to improve the well-being of Virginia families through programs that put research-based knowledge to work in people’s lives.

Helping Youth PROSPER in Virginia reflects an overview of a Sustainable Communities project by the USDA-National Institute for Food and Agriculture's CYFAR program, The various strategies and activities to bolster the positive development of pre/teen aged youth, such as weekend-long family camp, the youth-adult Strengthening Families Program, campus visits, youth mental health conference, team building and other activities to explore interest and build skills are highlighted.

Learn how to identify, understand, and shrink your stress through use of the five mini-video clips that discuss five area of stress.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when staff members of the adult and child programs collaborate to plan activities. Practically speaking, collaborating takes a concerted effort. Merely setting aside time to discuss plans is a hurdle. Children and adults of different ages have different interests, strengths, and needs. Staff members can review the developmental strengths and needs of children and adults in the program to inform activities for the two age groups. Staff members benefit from their partner’s expertise, which makes planning easier. Participants will benefit from plans that best match their interests and abilities.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when participants are involved in decision-making about the activity and during activities. When activities are offered, adults and children should have the choice of deciding if and how to be involved.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when participants are prepared ahead of time and reflect on activities afterward.

A social history is basically the accounting of an individual’s life — their interests, career, relationships, the ways they have coped, and how they have defined themselves.

Although all children are different, there is a predictable sequence in their development. Age- and role-appropriate educational opportunities are critical to a quality early childhood education program.

The partners in intergenerational programs are the adults and the children. Individually, children may not have developed particular skills in their thinking or motor functioning.

Successful programs carefully design the physical space, the program, and related policies to be flexible.

Intergenerational programs are most effective when facilitators consider the social environment, including the role of staff members.

There is a chance that clients in an intergenerational program will need adaptive equipment. The primary reason to consider adaptive equipment is to remove barriers to participation.

Documentation starts with careful observation, then evolves into a display of learning processes. Documentation has grown in popularity as a way to review children’s work at various stages of completion. Photographs, work samples, transcripts of conversations, and comments accompany the display. This documentation is then shared with parents as well as discussed among teachers.

El acoso escolar o intimidación ocurre cuando un niño es el blanco de acciones hirientes una y otra vez por alguien más.

Infants are naturally curious.

A los 2 años, los niños miden casi la mitad de lo que medirán de adultos.

Los adolescentes a menudo desconciertan a los adultos, pero nueva evidencia científica ayuda a entenderlos mejor a medida que se convierten en adultos jóvenes.

Extension professionals and volunteers interact with kids in a variety of programming. Youth who engage in mindy-body practices experience a number of health benefits ranging from reduced anxiety and stress to improved mood and academic performance. This document helps Extension professionals and volunteers lead mind-body practices with youth. There are materials that give background to the approach as well as structured exercises.