Independent class time helps the
'Bookworms' transition when starting school, while allowing parents time to socialize and take advantage of parent information sessions or borrow books from ESFRA's 'travelling' Parent Resource Library.
In addition, each child receives a 'Bookworm Bag' of take-home activities for parent and child to complete and return to class each week. These activities will develop into a 'Bookworm Album' of shared memories.
Early Learning Programs
"The children really enjoyed doing their homework. They liked the songs and words from other languages/sign language."
2 Hour program
This includes:
• Arrival & Freeplay
• Clean up
• Snack Time
• Creative experience
• Circle Time (story, songs and games)
Bookworms at Play
Bookworms at Play is an Early Learning, Family Literacy Program for children ages 3-5 and their parents/caregivers. This program places a greater emphasis on family literacy and early learning through the parent/child interactive components, both in class and at home, allowing parents to share in the preschool experience with their child(ren).
Over the course of the program, we also invite local artists, drama specialists and musicians from our communities into the classroom, thus exposing the children to the greater world outside their home
and the program room.
Our programs & services are offered at no charge to the community. Please note Tickets/Registration for Bookworms is required. Please click here to obtain one per child.
Jump, Jiggle & Jive
The main goal for Jump Jiggle and Jive is for parents/caregivers to have fun with their children in a safe & comfortable play space. Since you will be attending with your child, you are responsible for supervising your child at all times. This supervision will include:
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Helping your child as they try out climbing and other movement activities.
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Assisting your child as needed to participate in activities and make music.
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Supporting and modeling for your child how they can make connections with other children but do not know how to interact. We want to model gentle touch and safe ways of making friends. Do not be alarmed if your child seems awkward or rough – most children eventually learn acceptable ways of making new friends.
Our programs & services are offered at no charge to the community. Please note Tickets/Registration for Bookworms is required. Please click here to obtain one per child.
This music and movement program is a way for you and your child to have fun and for your child to master new skills and concepts. These include developing a sense of rhythm, body awareness, communication, social skills and intuition, following directions and learning to focus on simple tasks
Each JJJ session is designed to meet your child’s need for repetition and familiarity as well as to challenge them to learn something new. We have attempted to include music from different cultures and in different languages in the group sessions. We encourage you to share your own musical traditions and ideas with your group. We value diversity and look forward to learning from you and your child. Each group session will also include an idea for an activity that you and your child can try together at home.
New Parent Group & Breast Friends
The New Parent Group is specially designed for new parents with an infant under twelve months of age. This program offers parents and their babies an inviting place to meet other new families in the community, receive information on parenting related topics, easy access to other programs and support offered by the Eastern Shore Family Resource Association.
Special visitors and professionals from our community attend the New Parent Group to provide information on topics relevant to new families. The Public Health Nurse attends when possible, so please check our calendar for dates. These visits are informal and our new parents are encouraged to request visitors and suggest topics to discuss according to their needs and interests.
ESFRA trained staff will be available to support, guide, and provide resources. The service is offered in a comfortable, breastfeeding-friendly environment.
Our programs & services are offered at no charge to the community. Please note Tickets/Registration for New Parent Group is required. Please click here to obtain one per child.
The Breast Friends group is a drop-in, peer support service and is intended to be an extension of our Great Expectations Prenatal Program as well as our New Parent Group. Since it is a drop-in service, registration is not required. Those currently in other ESFRA Programs are always welcome in Breast Friends, providing they are breastfeeding, or are currently pregnant and are planning to breastfeed.
Program Length = 1.5 hours
This includes:
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Arrival
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Conversation
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Information Sharing (occasional guest speaker with a 45 minute presentation/discussion)
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Feedings
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Circle Time
Ready to Learn is a 2 hour early learning program focusing on the social-emotional development of children ages 3 to 5 years with literacy based components. Children must be 3 years of age in order to attend.
The Ready to Learn Program is delivered once per week for 30+/- weeks and is based on the PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies Preschool Curriculum). This program highlights and nurtures the development of self-control, positive self-esteem and emotional-social competencies in young children. In addition, Ready to Learn has school readiness activities (following direction, active listening, problem solving and letter and number knowledge) built into the classroom experience but is not the core focus of this program.
While this program is not a parent/child interactive program, there is a required parenting workshop called Handle with Care which supports the mental health of young children for parents/caregivers to participate in for the first 8 weeks. Due to funding requirements, parents must remain onsite for the remainder of the program year.
Handle with Care is an eight session program (2 hours) using simple interactive activities for parents/caregivers. Mental Health is a part of our overall health, it’s about how we think, feel, our level of self-esteem and how we cope with the ups and downs of every day. The spirit of the program is to celebrate parenting, promote self-care and recognize the value of all caregivers and their role in strengthening the social and emotional well-being of children; to grow in self-esteem, focus and learn.
Our programs and services are offered at no charge to the community. Please note Tickets/Registration for Ready to Learn is required.
Please click here to obtain one per child.
Ready to Learn
Ready to Play
Ready to Play is a 2 hour parent / child interactive early learning program focusing on the social-emotional development of children ages 18 - 28 months.
Social and Emotional Development is a child’s ability to understand the feelings of others, control his/her own feelings and behaviors, get along with other children and build relationships with adults.
The Ready to Play Program is delivered twice per week for 30 weeks on Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9 am to 11 am at our Family Centre in Porters Lake – FREE OF CHARGE. The primary goal of this program is to help parents support their child’s social and emotional development through play (A Child’s Work). Children learn about their world, practice and refine skills, use imagination and learn about relationships. Play is the perfect time for toddlers to work out strong feelings like anger.
Alongside classroom learning’s parents will receive information (on a monthly basis) on how they can implement best practice in their homes to support their child’s social and emotional development.
Wee Bears
Wee Bears is an Early Learning Parent/Caregiver and Child Interactive program for children age 1-3 years. Enhancing connection between parent and child via age appropriate activities.
Wee Bears, our signature program, has been providing quality early learning opportunities for families on the Eastern Shore since January 2000.
Our programs and services are offered at no charge to the community. Please note Tickets/Registration for Wee Bears is required.
Please click here to obtain one per child.
Length of Program
is 1.5 hours.
This includes:
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Arrival & Freeplay
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Snack
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Creative experience
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Clean up
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Circle Time (story, songs and games)
Jolly Phonics - new 2023
Using the Jolly Phonics curriculum, this parent/child interactive program focuses on teaching children the basic skills needed for reading in a fun, engaging way.
Includes weekly take home activities plus each child receives a phonemic assessment conducted periodically during the program.
Our programs & services are offered at no charge to the community. Please note Tickets/Registration for Jolly Phonics is required. Please click here to obtain one per child.
