Newsletter - Head Start Happenings: February 2026

Miranda Osburn
Feb 6
3 min read

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Keeping Your Child's Teeth Healthy

Our teeth help us eat, talk, and smile. To keep your child’s teeth healthy, start good

dental habits early. Keeping the teeth clean (through brushing and flossing), going to

the dentist regularly, and making sure kids get enough fluoride are the best ways to

keep teeth healthy.

Why is Teeth Cleaning Important? Cleaning the teeth (with brushing and

flossing) prevents the buildup of plaque. Plaque is a clear, sticky material made up

of bacteria (germs). It can build up and lead to:

Cavities. A cavity is a hole in a tooth that, without treatment, can grow
bigger and deeper.
Gum disease. This irritation of the gums happens when plaque is left on
the teeth. Over time, gum disease can lead to sore, bleeding gums, and even
tooth loss.

How Can Kids Keep Their Teeth Clean? Even before our baby’s first tooth comes

in, it’s important to keep the gums clean by gently rubbing a clean, damp washcloth

over the gums after each feeding. After that:

Children under 3 years old: Help your child brush twice a day for 2
minutes with a soft toothbrush with a smear (the size of a grain of rice) of
fluoride toothpaste.
Children 3 years old and older: Help your child brush twice a day for 2
minutes with a pea-size amount of fluoride toothpaste. Teach your child to
spit the toothpaste out. When your child has teeth that touch, help them
floss once a day.
Children 10 years and older: They usually can brush and floss on their
own. Help them remember to brush twice a day for 2 minutes each time
and floss once a day.

Medically reviewed by: Amy W. Anzilotti, MD Dentistry & Oral Medicine at Nemours

Children’s Health

“The future of the world is in my classroom today…”

-Ivan Welton Fitzwater, American educator and writer

Learning the Alphabet: Why It Is So Important for Children

What is the alphabet and why is it so important for

children to learn it? The alphabet is simply a collection of letters and sounds. Most of us cannot even remember a time when we did not know our letters, so it sounds almost absurd to worry about how to teach it to our children. Yet, the ABCs are the building blocks of language. In order to become literate, our children must be able to recognize each letter, both in order and out of order, as well as the sounds connected with that letter. Once armed with that knowledge, then a child is well onthe road to reading and literacy.

Learning the alphabet should begin early in a child’s life. While some children do not learn their letters until they start school this is not recommended. In fact, children should be well on their way to alphabet mastery before preschool age and should certainly be at least introduced

to the letters before the age of 3.

Start simple. Do not attempt to teach 26 letters at once. Simply concentrate on a few letters at a time and allow your child to see, hear, and experience that letter in a variety of ways. Remember that children learn by utilizing their senses so while alphabet books can be a helpful learning tool, you should utilize a number of approaches to teach the ABCs. Buy or make letters that children can experience in 3-D

and let the child construct letters as well using play dough. Alphabet coloring pages and crafts can also help reinforce your child’s knowledge of letters.

The most important teaching tip of all is to make it fun. Make it a game and your child will love learning with you and from you.

-Written by Regina Rhoda