November is international Picture Book Month! Picture books are a fun, kid-friendly type of book, but don’t underestimate them! They can play a big role in a child’s literacy development. Photo courtesy of Raising A Reader Picture books are a big part of a young child’s foundation of literacy. Before children have...
Family Volunteer Day falls on Saturday, Nov. 23, this year and you're invited to join in on the fun! Family Volunteer Day, sponsored by Disney and Points of Light, is a chance for parents to demonstrate for their kids the importance of giving back to their community. Community volunteering also allows...
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik6lRRoIl6Y&t=6s[/embed] November is National Adoption Month, an important reminder of the need for forever families and a joyful celebration of happily-ever-after for the children who have found a permanent place to call home. More than 400,000 children in the United States are awaiting the opportunity for their own permanent family or home....
Southwest Human Development held its 5th annual Easterseals Golf Classic on Thursday, Oct. 17, to benefit its Easterseals services for children with disabilities. The tournament, held at the Westin Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale, featured 18 holes of golf, a silent auction and a $1,000 raffle! “The Easterseals Golf Tournament is...
[embed]https://youtu.be/yR-YT2Jam20[/embed] October has arrived and the ghouls and goblins will soon be here to play! It’s easy for adults to get swept up in traditional festivities and overlook some of the challenges that Halloween activities can pose for children, especially for those ages birth to 5. “Young children have an emerging capacity...
Creating a safe sleep environment is an important step to keeping your baby safe. Safe sleeping techniques may seem like common knowledge to a seasoned parent, but the skills to properly put a baby to sleep can elude first-time parents who haven’t had the opportunity to be educated on safe...
Southwest Human Development’s annual MAKERS of Change Assistive Technology Challenge presented by Nextiva Cares brings together Valley high school science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), coding and robotics teams to troubleshoot and create “real world” solutions using Internet of Things (IoT) technology that helps improve the lives of young children...
Dr. Walter Gilliam, associate professor of child psychiatry and psychology at Yale University, visited Phoenix earlier this month to keynote at the First Things First Early Childhood Summit and also hosted a question-and-answer session focused on preschool expulsion with Southwest Human Development staff. Gilliam is the foremost expert in preschool expulsion,...
Play is not just fun, it’s good for children! Adults might view play as a distraction from their jobs, chores and errands. Dictionaries even define play as activities of “leisure” or without “practical purpose.” Anyone who’s seen a group of rowdy 4-year-olds playing knows there’s nothing leisurely about play. But...
Your child can become more confident in their abilities with the right guidance! A balance of encouragement, support and patience will go a long way in nurturing independence in your young child. Here are some ways you can help build their independence at each stage of development: Ages 0-2 As your baby...