3859 & 4200 Wheeler Street         Houston, TX 77204          PH: 832/842/0500   

∗ Black History Month 

∗ Chinese New Year  

∗ Project IMPACT 

∗ Curriculum 

∗ CLC Calendar 

∗ Love of Reading  

CLC Newsletter February 1, 2011  Volume 10, Issue 02 

Special Points of      Interest: 

Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays, and is a time of feasting with the family, celebration, fireworks, and  gift‐giving. It is a 15‐day holiday, beginning on the first day of a new moon and ending with the full moon on the day of the Lantern Festival. 

Chinese New Year Celebration 

Celebrate Black History Month with your children this February, and spend some extra time learning about the extraordinary accomplishments of African‐Americans, recognizing the central role of African‐Americans in U.S. history. 

                     I'm Unique: Teaching Your Child to Value Differences 

You can begin to battle the influence of bias in our culture by teaching your child to value differences. One way to start is by encouraging your child to appreciate her own uniqueness. You can introduce your child to the notion of differences by starting within your own family. Do different members of your family have      different color hair (black, brown, blonde, red, grey, white)? Different texture of hair (curly, straight, thick, wispy)? Different color eyes (brown, blue, hazel)?    Acknowledging and valuing the diverse physical traits within your family can help your child appreciate diversity outside the family, too. 

Defining the ways in which your child is unique or special is a great way to      encourage him/her to value differences because children love talking and    learning about themselves. By talking in a positive way about your child’s     

physical characteristics and cultural heritage, you will help in building a positive sense of self. And if       children learn to value what makes them different from others, they will be more open to the notion of appreciating the differences of others as well.                                                                                                                                     Read more on Family Education @ http://life.familyeducation.com/ethnicity/toddler/53397.html#ixzz1CBUCSZgd  

Let’s Celebrate Black History Month  

During Black History Month, we hope you'll take

the opportunity to celebrate the diversity and

commonality of our country and its

people.

The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar year, so the date of Chinese New Year changes every year. The Chinese calendar     follows a 12‐year pattern with each year named after an animal. February 3, 2011 marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit. Please visit the display in  the CLC lobby at Wheeler and taste a sampling of Chinese traditional dishes. 

Chinese New Year for Kids is a full color paperback book with beautiful, authentic Chinese illustrations. This is a hands‐on workbook for parents and teachers, written for children from ages 3 to 12 years old.  Children will enjoy the Chinese New Year party ideas, dragon parades, lion dances, art       projects, and the Chinese zodiac. 

Volume 10, Issue 02 CLC Newsletter

Project IMPACT 

Emergent Curriculum  

Please make plans to attend any/all of the fun events, activities and workshops scheduled at Wheeler for CLC’s Project IMPACT 2011– Improving Mankind Parent & Child Together.  

Sign‐up sheets will be available at the front desk at both locations.   

Project IMPACT 2011

Scheduled workshops:

“Arts Alive” Parent & Child Music and

Movement

4:15-5:00 p.m. 2/9/11; 3/9/11; 4/13/11

“Fire Prevention & Safety” Presented by: UH Fire Dept.

12:00-1:00 p.m. Date: 2/22/11

Scheduled workshops:

“Understanding Diversity On A Child’s Level”

Presented by: Luis Torres, Ph.D.

12-1:00 p.m. 4/14/11

“Car Seat Safety” & “Child Proofing the Home”

Presented by: TCH Injury Prevention

Date & Time TBA

“I understand why you call it Project IMPACT because this program has had an impact on us. Being a parent for the third time, I realize that you can’t get enough

help.”

Emergent curriculum is a way of planning curriculum based upon the children’s interest as well as the teachers. The process requires a great deal of flexibility and creativity as the teachers take on the role of stage directors. Pictured here is the Grand Finale for “The Three Little Bears” project, a sensory walk through the forest. Supportive learning environments are created through different styles and approaches; interesting instructional activities are always paramount.

Volume 10, Issue 02 Page 3

Note from the editor:

Greetings! This is the 2nd installment of the CLC’s E-News for 2011. For your convenience, an archive of all E-News is available at www.uh.edu/ccc. If you would like to be removed from this distribution list, please email your name and email address to ccenter@mail.uh.edu. Thank you and enjoy reading!

Fostering A                 For Reading 

CLC February Calendar 2011

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28

Early Dismissal

Chinese New Year

The best way to get your children excited about reading is to read WITH them ... the younger the better. As they get older, it will be important for your kids to see YOU reading, too. Here are some ideas to get you started. (www.thereadingtub.com) 

Make reading a DAILY experience. When a child is very young, it is the sound of your voice, not the words that they love. Reading with your child (even before they are born) helps you and your child bond, discover new things, and create precious memories      together.  

Create a Family Reading Night. You have a Family Game Night, why not Family Book Night? There are lots of ways to make     reading together a lot of fun. 

Plan a family adventure to the library. Kids love adventures, so get them involved. Make plans together, to prepare for and then celebrate the first trip to the library. Plan a book party when you get home. Be sure to prepare the kids BEFORE you go. The library is a unique place, and you'll need to take the time to explain how a library works, just as you explain the dos and don'ts of other places. 

Pick out some Award‐winning books. Parents, teachers, and librarians can readily find award‐winning material that can encourage a child's love of reading. While the Newbery and Caldecott Medals are the most widely recognized awards for children's literature, they are by no means the only "premier" awards for children's books. Anyone interested in finding the best of children's literature can find an award winner in any given genre, for any given age.  

Give Your Child Confidence to Read. Recognizing the letters on a page is only one part of reading. The more crucial part is having the confidence to keep trying, and to learn new words. We learn language by hearing the SPOKEN word, learning to read can be encouraged that same way.  

CLCAB

Project IMPACT– Arts Alive

Please join us for the Grand Opening Reception for the Children’s Learning Centers at Cameron, scheduled for Wednesday, February 2, 2011 from 4:00-5:00p.m. The program will begin at 4:15p.m., with tours taking place before and after the program.

Grand Opening at Cameron

Project IMPACT– Fire Safety