ChILD Research Group

Some really great ideas from Calgary's Child Magazine on some outdoor activities to do with your family!

As of today, the Government of Alberta has eased restrictions relating to outdoor social gatherings. New rules permit no more than 10 people to gather outside as long as masks are being worn and social distancing is observed. Absolutely no indoor components are permitted, including use of private residence washrooms.

This opens up some new options for socializing, and in our Winter edition we have some ideas on planning an outdoor party in winter. Not all the ideas are currently permitted within health restrictions, but there are many great ideas for getting together outside. Before planning your gathering make sure to double check current guidelines (https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx).

For an easy to read, text only version of this article, follow our link and click on the article headline
https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=3530&i=685030&p=17&pp=1

We are finishing a study to understand if children can detect emotions in an unfamiliar language! If you are interested, please email the address listed! #childresearch #childresearchgroup

Calgary Reads

🧡📚🧡Is your organization looking for a fun, meaningful and lasting way to give back? Host a book drive and help fill our book bank so together we can help feed hungry young hearts and minds in Calgary!!
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Studies show in many lower income communities, there is only 1 book per 300 children. Through our Book Bank and partner agencies, we bring books to homes furthest from opportunity. Join us in creating change as we ensure more children have the reading resources and materials they need to thrive in school and in life!
📚🧡📚
Book drives are a fantastic opportunity to foster employee engagement and team building, and with some good-natured competition between teams and departments, a whole lot of books can be raised to do a whole lot of good for Calgary children!
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We've prepared a handy Book Drive Kit to help you learn more & get started!
https://calgaryreads.com/organize-book-drive/
#yyc #corporateyyc #yycgiving #bookbanks #downtowncalgary #calgaryreads #giftofreading #givingback #employeeengagement #teambuilding #bookdrives

CareFind

This past November, mandatory restrictions were implemented by the UCP government to prevent the spread of Covid-19. It affected junior high and high school students throughout Alberta, as they had to transition to an online setting. But what did it mean for elementary students after winter break? This past week, students in K-6 have been participating in online learning. Fortunately, parents and guardians may be able to have some relief, as the Education Minister has confirmed that students will now be returning to in person learning as of January. 11.

#childresearchgroup #childresearch #newyear #infantresearch

https://www.ucalgary.ca/child-infant-learning-development/home-0

Judge me by my name do you? The symbolism behind Baby Yoda's name

One of our former PhD graduates wrote an article about Baby Yoda's name and how we associate certain sounds with particular characteristics! Click the link to read!

(Note: the article contains spoilers for Season Two of The Mandalorian!)

theconversation.com How does Baby Yoda's name measure up as a fictional character's name? Research has shown that sounds carry associations — what does Baby Yoda's name communicate?

Beyond self-care: Try these 5 therapeutic tools to manage stress better during COVID-19 restrictions

Many of us are experiencing feelings of stress and anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and these feelings can become more intense during the holidays, especially for parents. If you are looking for ways to help manage these feelings, or to help others who may be experiencing these feelings, some of the ideas in this article may help!

theconversation.com As the world faces a second wave of COVID-19 lockdowns, we need new strategies to handle pandemic stress that go beyond basic self-care.

Congratulations to Julia Kim, Dr. David Sidhu, and Dr. Penny Pexman on their recent publication investigating how children learn abstract words! This is our infographic version of the research article.

The full article can be read at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.615041/full
Or by visiting our website: https://www.ucalgary.ca/child-infant-learning-development/current-research

#childresearch #childresearchgroup #languagelearning

The Calgary Zoo

Since the province announced the enhanced public safety measures earlier this week, we have been working closely with Alberta Health Services to adjust our operations to align to these new enhanced public safety measures. We’re pleased to make you aware that ZOOLIGHTS and daily zoo visits remain open through the rest of December!

The Calgary Zoo remains committed to offering a safe outdoor-only place for households to go for a walk together along our beautiful 100-acre park paths.

Your health and safety is important to us! We have a number of safety precautions in place that visitors must adhere to during their visit – our helpful staff will make you aware of the rules when you arrive and you’ll see signage throughout the park. Mask wear is recommended everywhere on park. Physical distancing is EVERYONE’s responsibility. If you don’t keep your distance from other household groups, our staff will ask you to leave the zoo and no refunds will be provided. Stay safe. Be kind. Wear a mask.

Despite COVID, there are still ways to access the public library, including free online books and resources! Link below!

https://calgarylibrary.ca/read-learn-and-explore/digital-library/

#reading #calgarylibrary #onlinebooks #childresearchgroup

Family Fun Calgary

Experience a taste of Christmas in the mountains with the The Search for Santa Scavenger Hunt in Banff. It's a fun family adventure that is outside and safe. http://ow.ly/1vH550CCVvN

Mindfulness can be helpful to manage stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions that we are more likely to experience during these times, especially for parents. The University of Calgary has resources on mindfulness, follow the link for more!

https://www.ucalgary.ca/hr/wellness/wellbeing-worklife/workshops-programs/mindfulness

#mindfulness #stressrelief #parenting

Learn and explore together | Alberta Health Services

With the increase in COVID-19 cases and additional health measures being implemented, it can be hard to find new activities that you can do safely while adhering to public health guidelines. Alberta Health Services has created a list of ideas that you can try with your family, most of them free and accessible from your own home! Click the link to read!

albertahealthservices.ca Put up your hand if you’ve cleaned everything you possibly can. Or if you can’t face watching Wreck It Ralph, Frozen or The Good Place one more time.

Family Fun Calgary

Brighten up 2020 and the holiday season with sparkling light displays! Our Christmas Light Display Guide will get you started, so fill those travel mugs with hot chocolate, cue up the Christmas music, and enjoy the spectacle! https://www.familyfuncanada.com/calgary/christmas-light-displays-in-calgary/

Books That Promote Diversity and Inclusion

Want to encourage your child to read and teach them about diversity and inclusion? Have a look at the books in this list!

commonsensemedia.org Common Sense Media editors help you choose Books That Promote Diversity and Inclusion. Relatable stories of misfits, outsiders, and finding acceptance.

Kids vs. Screens

Happy Monday!

If you're concerned about how much screen time your children should be getting, you're not alone! Dr. Madigan from the University of Calgary was part of a recent CBC The Nature of Things episode exploring how screen time can impact development.

cbc.ca How screens affect our children's development, learning abilities and mental health.

Department of Psychology, University of Calgary

The University of Calgary Psychology Clinic is offering online Anxiety Group for Children and Parents. Interested families can contact us at [email protected]

How to Raise a Reader

Happy Monday Everyone!

If you're wondering how to encourage your child to read more, check out the following link!

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to-raise-a-reader

commonsensemedia.org Ten tips for getting your kids hooked on books -- ebooks or the paper kind. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

What Parents Need to Know About Social Media and Anxiety

Social media use in children and adolescents can help them connect with their peers, but it can also cause a great deal of anxiety. Hear are some of the ways you can help them deal with that anxiety!

commonsensemedia.org Learn to recognize the warning signs of anxiety disorder and help your kid keep social media use healthy and productive. Advice from Common Sense Media editors.

Institute of Child Psychology

A quick read on five tips to help children develop their emotional intelligence!

The ability to manage emotions helps kids navigate social relationships, maximize intellectual success, and develop confidence. Discover five ways to foster emotional intelligence in your child.

FALL BACK! 4 Ways to help Children Adjust to the Time Change

With the time change happening this past weekend, children may be trying to adapt to a new schedule. Here are some tips on how to help them!
https://www.weewatch.com/fall-back-4-ways-to-help-children-adjust-to-the-time-change/

weewatch.com On Sunday November 4th at 2am, Daylight Savings Time ends and the clocks turn back one hour. This used to be a bonus when you could take advantage of that extra hour, but now as a parent of young children, it’s just one more thing you have to navigate. When the clock turns back one …

CareFind

Sleep in School Age Children and Youth: Strategies to Promote Healthy Sleep and the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Learn from Rona S. Kertesz, MA, Provisional Psychologist as she teaches on structure and function of sleep in children, the challenges to obtaining healthy sleep and strategies children and parents can implement to counter difficulties.

It’s FREE! Register at http:// community.hmhc.ca/ to watch the online webinar happening on Wednesday, November 4, 2020 from 1:00PM - 3:00PM.

Community Education Service

Calgary's Child Magazine

Ability4Good has new programs available for Strive and Thrive Winter 2020!

Strive is a center-based group respite program that offers an environment where children could build friendships with peers while providing respite for their families. Adjustments are available for families with multiple children from different age groups.

Thrive is a group community aide program that aims to provide support and enable children to participate in recreational, social, and community activities with peers.

Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, children may only be registered in 1 program per week. Contact Ability4Good or visit their webpage for more information. https://www.ability4good.com/

Building blocks of language learning formed in infancy, and video chats can help later on

Interested in how your child learns language and how that might be affected by video chat technologies during this time? Click the link to read this article in The Globe and Mail: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-building-blocks-of-language-learning-formed-in-infancy-and-video/?utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=E-mail:+Newsletters+/+E-Blasts+/+etc.&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links

theglobeandmail.com More than previously realized, babies learn a lot about language before speaking their first word

Parents play a key role in fostering children's love of reading

Happy Monday everyone!

Ever wondered how to encourage your child's love of reading? Some of our very own ChILD Group Researchers wrote about how you can help!

https://theconversation.com/parents-play-a-key-role-in-fostering-childrens-love-of-reading-121089

theconversation.com Early experiences sharing and developing positive connections, language and communication set the stage for home reading to start children on the path to literacy.

Each child has their own unique personality and temperament, and understanding how these form is an important part of child developmental research. Check out the blog post from CareFind, written by one of our own Postdoctoral fellows below!

In our blog post Understanding Your Child’s Temperament: The Building Blocks of Personality, Postdoctoral researcher Rochelle Hentges, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary, discusses common traits to look out for.

https://www.carefind.ca/understanding-your-childs-temperament-the-building-blocks-of-personality/

8 tips to support Grade 1 readers at home

Hello everyone!

I hope the first few weeks of the school year have been going well for you.
We found a good article on how parents can help support their new 1st graders develop their reading skills.
Click the link below to find out more!

This school year provides unique challenges for students, parents, and teachers.
If you have any requests or suggestions on what kind of articles you would like to see, please feel free to message us and let us know!

theconversation.com To "warm up" a book, use the K-W-L strategy: Talk with your child about what you both KNOW about the subject, what you WONDER and afterwards, what you've LEARNED.

Lupita Nyong'o

Coming soon ✨ I recorded a reading of #Sulwe for the new Netflix series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, hosted by Marley Dias! Available worldwide on September 1 and any time you need a reminder that #BrightnessIsJustWhoYouAre. 💜
#BookmarksNetflix Netflix Family

Supporting your family in the return to school

Happy Wednesday! The University of Calgary will be hosting a webinar on "Supporting your family in the return to school" tomorrow Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020 at 2:00 pm MT! Sign up for insight and tips from the experts themselves!
https://www.ucalgary.ca/news/webinar-supporting-your-family?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWTJKalltTXhPV00wWm1ZeCIsInQiOiJNRXF1Z2dYYjYxOU81WnpFMzJCQ1VHMkd5OEV0WXN5dW5Ea3FTaGNhNUZRTXB4YUJmWG9VRHd1WklhTjNBZkRoVlpJbkxkaGt4NEI5bkY4VzZhekY2U2VKckVcLzVBQ2pZTEYwUkJlY2lCSmt1XC9OVlwvVTFBdFBoTVNIbG5yenVcL1UifQ%3D%3D

Families are faced with a variety of challenges due to COVID-19, including financial or relational strains, role changes, disrupted grief, isolation and stress. Now, with school starting in the fall, families are tasked with the safe transition back to a learning environment. These stressors may con...

How to help your child cope with the transition back to school during COVID-19

Looking for tips on how to help your child cope with the back-to-school transition? Researchers from the University of Calgary have some great points written up. Click the link for more details!

ucalgary.ca Parents can use coping-focused language to promote things going well, write Jessica Cooke, Nicole Racine, and Sheri Madigan, Faculty of Arts, in Conversation Canada

Calgary Reads

The folks over at Too Small to Fail have their amazing "Talking is Teaching" Resources available when you sign up for free to access. They've just released a new "Indoor Activities" toolkit for families with young children in quarantine, and it is SO GOOD! Head to talkingisteaching.org to check it (and so much more) out!

Back to School Anxiety

We still have a few weeks until the start of a new school year! But with the new rules and regulations in place for the in-school option, it's not too early to start preparing your children for the new normal. The Child Mind Institute offers some great tips to help kids start off the new year smoothly, like taking your own temperature to reduce the anxiety around the routine! Check out more here -

childmind.org How to help kids manage anxiety at the start of a new school year, and make sure anxiety doesn't cause disruptive behavior in the classroom

Little Magpies Lab for Infant Language Learning

Babies begin understanding and making connections between words even before they learn to talk!

CareFind

Hello everyone!

CareFind is currently taking part in Orbiiit's The Pitch Online Startup Canadian competition. The female founders of CareFind were born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and grew their business as students from the Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary.

CareFind made it into the semi finals but we still need help moving into the finals! Here's your chance to support a local business today! Please vote for CareFind in Orbiiit's The Pitch Online Startup Canadian competition to win $15,000 cash plus $35,000 in-kind services.

LINK TO VOTE: https://orbiiit.com/entry/5708

More information can be found below

HAVE YOU VOTED YET?

LINK TO VOTE: https://orbiiit.com/entry/5708⁣⁣

Please vote for CareFind in Orbiiit's The Pitch Online Startup Canadian competition to win. Here’s your chance to support local!

Semifinals - July 30 - August 6, 2020⁣⁣
Finals - August 6 - 13, 2020⁣⁣

Here are the steps:

1. Head to https://orbiiit.com/entry/5708⁣⁣
2. Click on "1 VOTE ONE FREE" or you can buy votes for CareFind ($1 = 1 vote). All proceeds go to CanadaHelps, a charity that is currently supporting Canadian hospitals, foundations, and charities providing COVID-19 healthcare.⁣
3. Create an account or log in.⁣
4. Check your email inbox as you will get an email (check your junk folder).⁣
5. Scroll down to further action required and click the link to confirm your email. This completes your vote. Very important step!

Please share the link with your network!