ELRC Region 5

Get ready for summer fun under the stars! Pittsburgh’s Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park series will kick off in early June at 13 parks across the city.

A number of family-friendly movies will screen for free this summer - including Pixar’s “Cars,” the 1978 musical adaptation “The Wiz,” “Wicked for Good,” “The Bad Guys 2,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Hoppers,” the filmed version of “Hamilton,” and “A Minecraft Movie.”

You can find information about the complete movie schedule for all participating parks at the ELRC Region 5 website: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/news/dollar-bank-cinema-in-the-park-series-begins-in-early-june

Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park Series Begins in Early June — Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 Pittsburgh’s Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park series will kick off for the summer in early June in 13 parks in the city.

Calling all relative providers! You're invited to join the ELRC Region 5 Early Learning Program Engagement Specialists (ELPES) for a monthly Zoom roundtable to connect, receive information and resources, ask questions, and get support. Roundtables occur at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. every third Wednesday of the month, and the next date will be June 17.

Join the 1 p.m. Zoom meeting: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/events/relative-provider-monthly-roundtable-ggxap-l57c8-pfc79-j3yec-n5nsl-xxprs-km38k

Join the 7 p.m. Zoom meeting: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/events/relative-provider-monthly-roundtable-1-32gj7-yrhke-std6y-3j595-r2tjl-txfwl-8zmez-tmyap

Relative Provider Monthly Roundtable — Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 Relative providers are invited to join the ELRC Region 5 Early Learning Program Engagement Specialists for a monthly Zoom call to connect, receive information and resources, ask questions, and get support.

Did you know? ELRC Region 5's quality partner Trying Together maintains an ECE Lending Library, which offers early learning providers a variety of materials to borrow that can help to inspire children to take greater interest in what they are learning.

The library, located at 5604 Solway Street, was created to be a community space for child care providers in Allegheny County. Materials in the library support and recognize learning abilities, promote cultural diversity, and cover everything from health to safety. The library offers:

• Books for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
• Infant social-emotional support kits
• Toddler dress up trunks
• Puppet sets
• STEM and coding kits
..and so much more!

You can visit ELRC Region 5's website to learn how to access the ECE Lending Library portal, which has details about how to visit the library, how to check out items, and to view a full list of available items: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/news/trying-togethers-ece-lending-library-provides-materials-that-help-to-inspire-love-of-learning

Trying Together’s ECE Lending Library Provides Materials That Help to Inspire Love of Learning — Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 Trying Together’s ECE Lending Library offers early learning providers a variety of materials to borrow that can help to inspire children to take greater interest in what they are learning.

This week's Provider Tip of the Week features tips for summer camp schedules. If your before- or after-school care program will soon transition to a summer camp, preparing ahead of time for the move to full-day summer care can help create a smoother experience for staff, children, and families, especially with mixed-age elementary groups coming together.

Learn how to make the most of summer and plan ahead for safety and parent communication in this week's newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/alleghenycounty/elrc-providers-05292026

Looking for more tips like these? Subscribe to the ELRC Region 5 provider newsletter for a new tip each week: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/enewsletter-sign-up

The ELRC Region 5 weekly newsletter for early learning providers is delivered to subscribers every Friday afternoon. Each weekly issue contains useful news updates, resources, and tips for providers.

Here is last week's newsletter from 5/29: https://mailchi.mp/alleghenycounty/elrc-providers-05292026

Looking to subscribe and receive each newsletter straight to your inbox? Sign up on our website: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/enewsletter-sign-up

In the latest episode of the Thriving Kid podcast, Dave Anderson, PhD, senior psychologist and vice president of public engagement and education for the Child Mind Institute, joins neurosurgeon Brian Hoeflinger, MD, for a discussion on anxiety.

This episode offers insight on how anxiety can affect the brain and how children who suffer from it often fly under the radar. You can listen to the full episode online now, or visit the ELRC Region 5 website for tips for recognizing anxiety in children - and how to offer support: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/news/podcast-discusses-how-anxiety-can-affect-childrens-brains

Podcast Discusses How Anxiety Can Affect Children’s Brains — Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 The latest Thriving Kids podcast episode is a discussion on how anxiety can affect the brain and how children who suffer from it often fly under the radar.

Join ELRC Region 5's quality partner Trying Together for "Growing Together," a professional development series focused on frequently requested topics relevant to early childhood educators.

📅 Wednesday, June 17
⏰ 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
📍 Virtual (Zoom)

This month's session is titled "Child Development: Expectations vs. Reality." Registration is highly recommended, but anyone can join using the event Zoom link.

Reserve your spot:
https://tryingtogether.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/tryingtogether/event.jsp?event=6643&

Growing Together: Monthly PD for Educators Join Trying Together virtually every third Wednesday of the month for professional development focused on frequently requested topics relevant to early childhood educators. Participants can choose to attend any or all of the mini-sessions. While anyone can join these sessions using the Zoom link, pr...

It's normal for children to occasionally tell a lie. While some may come up with an elaborate explanation as to why they didn’t do something for which they are being scolded, older children may flat out lie in specific situations - for example, whether they have done their homework.

In a new set of resources, the Child Mind Institute notes that children may lie because they want something or they want to avoid something. However, understanding motivations that are not as obvious can help caregivers and educators to respond to lying in ways that make it less likely to reoccur.

Read more: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/news/resources-provide-insights-on-how-to-handle-children-who-lie

Resources Provide Insights on How to Handle Children Who Lie — Early Learning Resource Center Region 5 In a new set of resources, the Child Mind Institute notes that children may lie because they want something or they want to avoid something.

This week's Provider Tip of the Week is all about classroom transitions. Keeping children engaged during transitions can be challenging, but using fun and active transition strategies helps bridge the gap between activities smoothly. Incorporating timers, visual aids, movement, or songs can capture children’s attention and keep them motivated to move through their day with ease.

Predictable schedules are also essential. When children know what to expect and when transitions will occur, they feel more secure and confident. Consistency reduces anxiety, minimizes challenging behaviors, and promotes independence. By turning transitions into engaging and structured moments, educators can support both learning and emotional regulation throughout the day.

Looking for more tips like these? Subscribe to the ELRC Region 5 provider newsletter for a new tip each week: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/enewsletter-sign-up

The ELRC Region 5 weekly newsletter for early learning providers is delivered to subscribers every Friday afternoon. Each weekly issue contains useful news updates, resources, and tips for providers.

Here is last week's newsletter from 5/22: https://mailchi.mp/alleghenycounty/elrc-providers-05222026

Looking to subscribe and receive each newsletter straight to your inbox? Sign up on our website: https://www.elrc5.alleghenycounty.us/enewsletter-sign-up