Welcome to the ChildCare Education Institute March Newsletter. This month, CCEI discusses Gardening with Children.
 Spring is in the air! As the warm weather approaches, think about extending your classroom to the outdoors. With advanced planning and good timing, you can begin seedlings in your classroom and transfer them to an outdoor garden when the soil in your area has warmed.
It isn't necessary to have a lot of space for a garden. Start small and your garden can grow larger each year. Involve the children in as many steps of creating the garden as possible.
Numerous gardening tools that are made just for the small hands of children are now available. Be sure to consider the safety of the tools you select.
Include in your daily schedule a time to tend to the garden and give the children an opportunity to be responsible for the care of the garden. You may have to assist a little, but they will enjoy watering and simple tasks.
As the garden grows, talk about the size of the plants, which is bigger and which is smaller, and how long it takes each one to grow. When the plants are ready to harvest from your garden, plan a special classroom activity and serve the children the foods they have grown!
Discuss your gardening ideas with other early childhood professionals by logging on to the CCEI Online Learning Community. The discussion thread this month is How Does Your Garden Grow?
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To learn more about activities that you can do in and outside of your classroom, log on to www.cceifame.com to review the professional development courses offered by CCEI.
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Children Are Natural Gardeners
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 They're curious, like to learn by doing, and love to play in the dirt.
Working in a garden, a child can experience the satisfaction that comes from caring for something over time, while observing the cycle of life firsthand. Gardening gives children a chance to learn an important life skill, one that is overlooked in standard school curriculum. Gardening is also a great way to teach environmental awareness by exploring the workings of nature.
Read Article
Printed Courtesy of EarthEasy.com
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Gardening with Children
By: Kit Bennett
 Whether
you live on 5 acres, or on the 5th floor, you can
introduce your children to a life-long interest in gardening.
Tending to a garden creates
unforgettable memories
and teaches valuable lessons about caring for the environment.
Children as young as two years old are capable of helping
with gardening tasks; digging, planting, watering, etc. Whereas
older
child can plan, plant and take care of their own garden
space or window box with little help from Mom and Dad. The
suggestions below range from simple starters to the more
complicated garden spot, as well as some fun garden art
projects. Happy Spring!
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Read Article
Article Courtesy of AmazingMoms.com
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ChildCare Education Institute Announces New Professional Development Course, CHD100: Music in Early Childhood, Written by Known Author and Trainer, Rae Pica.
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ChildCare Education Institute has added
CHD100:Music in Early Childhood, written by known author and trainer, Rae Pica, to
its catalog of online professional development courses. Rae is a children's movement specialist and author of 14 books,
including Experiences in Movement: Birth to Age Eight, Moving & Learning
Across the Curriculum, and Your Active Child. Rae speaks regularly on early
childhood issues throughout North
America.
Register for this beginner level course today and
learn the importance of music in the early childhood years and the ways
in which it can become a part of the curriculum and of children's lives.
ChildCare Education Institute Launches CCEI Radio on www.cceionline.com!
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) is proud to offer another resource to students available on the CCEI website. CCEI Radio will feature monthly interviews of industry experts covering topics pertinent to the early childhood industry. CCEI Radio is sponsored by BAM! Body, Mind and Child. A collaboration between Moving & Learning, a consulting firm dedicated to promoting fitness, self-esteem, self-confidence and learning in early childhood education, and Jackstreet Media, a media firm based in Los Angeles, California.
This month, CCEI Radio features an interview with Rae Pica and Dr. Aaron Cooper, titled 'Eight Ways to Raise a Truly Happy Child'. Rae Pica, Executive Director-Learning & Moving, is an internationally recognized educational consultant specializing in early childhood physical activity. Rae is also a contributing author of CCEI professional development coursework. Dr. Aaron Cooper has been counseling families for over thirty years. He received a bachelor's degree cum laude from Harvard University, a master's in teaching and a doctorate in clinical psychology.
CCEI Announces Online National Administrator Credential Eligible for EIP Funding!
CCEI is proud to announce the CCEI Online National Administrator Credential (NAC) Certificate Program has been approved by the New York State Educational Incentive Program and is eligible for scholarship funding. CCEI is a National Child Care Association (NCCA) approved provider of the NAC
Certificate Program. The NAC is a mark of excellence that designates individuals
who have demonstrated the knowledge essential to managing a child care center.
Upon successful completion of the CCEI Online NAC Certificate Program,
participants will have completed the required business and administrative clock
hours of training required and will be issued the NAC by the National Child Care
Association.
Enroll today and CCEI will waive the $100 Registration Fee! For more information, visit CCEI online at www.cceionline.com or contact Admissions at 888.418.5358.
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Annual, unlimited professional development subscriptions, only $99!
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), a distance training institution, offers over 100 online, CEU awarded professional development courses that meet continuing education requirements. Courses are offered in English and Spanish and are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a week from any computer with Internet access. CCEI is approved by the International Association for Continuing Education Training (IACET) to award IACET Continuing Education Units (CEU's).
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Now, with the CCEI and Ashford University articulation agreement, CCEI students completing professional development courses have the opportunity to articulate completed coursework to Ashford University for college credit. Fifteen (15) credit hours of completed CCEI professional development coursework translates to one (1) unit of elective credit at Ashford University.
Center-Based Subscriptions
Directors, center-based subscriptions are a great way to manage and administer continuing education. Purchase a 50-user center-based subscription for only $999.
Contact CCEI Admissions at 888.418.5358
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Child Development Associate Certificate
Meet the coursework requirements of the Council for Professional Recognition with 120 hours in formal child care training from CCEI! CCEI is a distance training institution dedicated to providing online professional development for early childhood professionals. CCEI offers online course of study options that allow you to work independently and at your convenience with access to courses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CCEI offers three online CDA program options, depending on your needs. For those seeking college credit, the Online College Credit Eligible CDA is a great choice. Students successfully completing all requirements of this program not only meet the CDA coursework requirement, but are also eligible to receive up to 26 quarter-hour credits from Kendall College. This is an instructor supported program. CCEI also offers a non college credit instructor supported program and a self-study CDA program. The Online Self Study CDA is designed for students who can successfully work independently.
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| Call CCEI today at 888.418.5358 to speak to an Admissions Representative for information and enrollment! |
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