Caregiver Home Toolkit
Anti-Racism Resources
Videos and Scripted Stories for Kids
Resources for the Classroom
Click the button below for a helpful resource page for early childhood educators
Educational Resources for Families
Imagination Neighborhood: A podcast for families designed to help children and grown-ups practice their social-emotional skills.
Storytime with Ms. Holly, Alamosa's talented children's librarian!
Second Step Social Emotional Online Learning Sessions for Kids
Resources for Families
Ask your local Early Childhood Council or Childcare Provider about signing up for BRIGHT BY THREE text service!
For more information visit:
Gunnison County Pyramid Model Project Emails
Schedules and Routines
Please see below for email
Dear Families,
During these uncertain times, we want you to know that we care. We understand that school closures have changed your children's routines and Bright Futures' Pyramid Model Project is here to help make your time at home more enjoyable and your relationship with your child stronger!
We plan to send you Pyramid Model materials and strategies that you can implement immediately in your home to better support your child and their social-emotional learning.
Our first outreach is to help you and your child get through the day! Your child uses a visual schedule at school to help them know what activities to expect throughout the day. Consistent routines help children (and adults!) feel relaxed and in control. It helps us know what is happening next and shows us that we are making progress in our day.
A visual schedule is a list of pictures posted on a wall low enough for a child to see. There is a way to show which activity is currently happening, either with an arrow that moves or by taking off the picture of the activity that is complete.
When using a visual schedule at home, we suggest you divide your day into morning activities and afternoon/evening activities- this may be before and after nap time- and post a half day of activities on the wall rather than a full day. This will be less overwhelming for children and adults, and will give you some flexibility in your day.
We have attached some pictures of activities that you may be doing with your child to help you use a visual schedule at home!
1) You can print the page with smaller squares (Schedule+for+Home), cut it out and hang it up.
OR
2) The page with the larger squares (Schedule+for+Home_Phone) can be used on your phone with a little creativity.
Open this email on your phone
Open the attached PDF document
Scroll through the document and take screen shots of each activity
Organize the screen shots in your camera roll and use the visual schedule by swiping through the pictures of the activities with your child as they happen in your home
All of us with the Pyramid Model Project hope this helps you have better days with your children during our community's COVID-19 precautions.
We are thinking of you and look forward to sharing more resources with you in the days to come!
Stay happy and healthy!
Problem Solving Part 1 (Tucker Turtle)
Please see below for email
Dear Families,
Thank you for joining Bright Futures and the Pyramid Model Project for another week of activities, stories, and materials to help you and your child transition to a life at home.
This week we turn our focus to strong emotions. We know that young children are still developing their abilities to understand and respond to strong emotions such as anger, frustration, and disappointment. Your child's teacher uses social stories to teach children how to stop and respond appropriately to these emotions.
A social story is a brief, descriptive story that provides children with information on social situations. They can be used to teach routines, expectations, friendship skills, problem solving and more.
When using a social story at home, we suggest you read the story to your child several times a day, when they are calm and ready to learn. It's always good to practice the skills as you read the story, and talk about how the characters feel throughout the story.
We have attached the story "Tucker Takes Time to Tuck and Think at Home" and some activities you can do with your child to teach them about responding to strong emotions.
1) You can print the story and leave it out for your child to read independently
OR
2) You can read it on your laptop, home computer, or phone
You and your child can: join this Circle Time to learn more about Tucker together, sing this Tucker Turtle Song, or make your own Tucker Turtle using a paper plate and the turtle pattern below.
We hope these materials help you and your child make the most of each day.
Please share feedback or questions with us - pyramidmodelproject@gmail.com
Problem Solving Part 2 (Book Nook)
Please see below for email
Dear Families,
Thank you for joining Bright Futures and the Pyramid Model Project for another week of activities, stories, and materials to help you and your child transition to life at home.
This week we are bringing you some fun activities to begin to explore problem solving with your child. Problem solving is an essential life skill. The steps it takes to solve a problem should be taught and modeled by trusted adults. Your child's teacher uses problem solving as a way for children to mediate conflict with their peers and calm themselves when they are faced with frustrating or disappointing situations.
Tucker Turtle, from last week's email, uses problem solving in his story about life with his family in a small pond.
We will help you learn the steps of problem solving to better support your child in the days to come. But to get you started we have some fun activities for you to try!
We have attached a read aloud video and "Book Nook" for a story about problem solving for you to explore as a family.
1) Enjoy watching the read aloud video to one of our favorite stories:
I Have a Little Problem, Said the Bear by Heinz Janisch and Silke Leffler
2) Check out the Book Nook that goes with this book and try some activities listed at home!
Keep talking about problem solving with your child and we'll be back in touch in a few days with some more strategies for you to support this skill.
We hope these materials help you and your child make the most of each day we stay at home.
Problem Solving Part 3 (Visuals)
Please see below for email
Dear Families,
Thank you for joining Bright Futures and the Pyramid Model Project for another email with activities, stories, and materials to help you and your child with life at home.
This email takes a closer look at how to solve a problem. Problem solving is an essential life skill. The steps it takes to solve a problem should be taught and modeled when children are calm and ready to learn. Problem solving helps children at home and at school.
We have attached a story that helps children learn the steps to solve a problem!
1) Read the story with your child often. (Aquí está en español.)
2) Talk about and practice the four steps together.
3) Watch a teacher help children learn to solve problems!
4) Look for "problems" to solve together during the day.
5) Enjoy books about solving problems and work through the steps with the characters, here is one of our favorites, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
4) Remember that problems are not necessarily bad, they are just situations that need a new perspective!
We hope these materials help you and your child make the most of each day we stay at home and give you lifelong skills.
To find more quality resources, please visit the Caregivers Home Toolkit site.
Please share feedback or questions with us - pyramidmodelproject@gmail.com
Pyramid Model Project
P.O Box 4216
657 W. Colorado Ave.
Telluride, CO 81435
Parent Presentations from the Center for Mental Health's Early Childhood Specialist: Kailey Adams, MA, NCC
Click the button below for Kailey Adam's Presentation: Isolation Blues