Aimee Currier I kept falling into the same trap day after day. I would ask my children, “How was school today?” Their answer was always “fine.” At that point I’d pretty much lost them because in their mind, the question had been asked and answered and no further discussion was necessary. I decided to “get...Read More

Guest Blogger- Jennifer Roberts Extended Day Services manages 22 school-age programs, mostly in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. We have been around for 30 years and have tried many different curricula and SEL concepts over the years.  Three years ago, we began using SPQA and slowly integrating its components into our programs. We integrated most...Read More

by Natalie Grebe When chatting with a friend recently, she teased me about my love of chickpeas. I could eat them every day! Luckily for me, they can be prepared many ways as a healthy snack or side dish. My friend mentioned how frustrating it was for her to try to eat a well-balanced diet...Read More

By Stefanie Camoni School-age programs continue to grow due to the demand of before and after school care. How do we serve our oldest children? What do we do with them after school ends? What is our role? How do we know we are giving them what they need? The questions posed are important ones....Read More

Stefanie Camoni There are a variety of program observation instruments available to Pennsylvania programs and three that are specific to school-age classrooms. Most are familiar with the SACERS-U® and CLASS K-3® but another instrument, the School-Age Program Quality Assessment® (SPQA) has been added to the list.Read More

By Regina Wright Sometimes parents wonder if they should be giving children chores. Isn’t it the parent’s responsibility to maintain the household? Shouldn’t children be allowed to just be children? Am I being too hard on my children when I give them household chores? Children have so much to do with school and extra-curricular activities....Read More

Erin DelRegno and Angel Avery-Wright With STEM careers on the rise, creating makerspaces/centers for children to explore in school-age spaces is a great idea. Pocono Services for Families and Children (PSFY) took this one step further and began focusing on career exploration with their school-age children and building needed skills for jobs; filling out timecards,...Read More

Beth Simon “You are not done with a book, until you pass it to another reader.” – Donalyn Miller Libraries are a treasure. Is there anything better than the quiet, the smell, the sheer number of books that a library can offer? I would call myself an avid reader, although I often take breaks from...Read More

By Amy Hoffman   There are days in my life as a program quality assessor when I have the joy of seeing children take the lead in an activity. It’s especially fun to watch the teachers join in with the play while the children direct it. I spent time outside with a school-age group last August...Read More

Kitty Syster After-school programs are always rushed for time, when trying to make an impact on the children they serve. By the time all the busses arrive and basic routines are complete, it seems like your day is over. So how do you add a little education into the time you have, while letting the...Read More