Author: admin

Everyone has their work to do, and for young children that work is the business of play. Play is how children learn about the world, how they develop social skills, and also gross and fine motor skills. When ever children are playing, you can be assured they are learning at the same time.

Your preschool can help boost a child’s early learning by offering activities that encourage kids to practice these early skills. Here are just a few of them.

Story Time!

Studies show that children start developing literacy skills early—much earlier than their first year of school. In fact, there’s some evidence that children may even start developing those skills prenatally.

Children benefit greatly from being read to, and there’s nothing they love more than sitting at circle time while a fun new book is read to them.

 I Spy

Do you remember riding in the car on a long road trip, playing “I Spy” to pass the time? It’s also a great game for children to develop critical thinking skills. I Spy helps children learn through listening to hints and trying to categorize the world around them through the hints given.

Sensory Exploration Play

There’s nothing young children love more than burying their hands in different textures. When they are babies, this might be their food, but as they grow older, sensory bins become a popular replacement.

Sensory bins include things like kinetic sand, rice, or even shredded paper. Sometimes they have toys buried in them. Children love playing in the different mediums, and it’s good for both fine and gross motor skills.

Sensory bins can also be used to teach a variety of other lessons as well, from math to colors to shapes and sizes.

Block Play

What better medium for the budding architect than a set of blocks? Blocks are an amazing tool for learning, that can help develop a number of skills. The youngest learners may start with sharpening the motor skills needed to put one block on top of another.

As children grow and develop, they learn how to create tall towers, how supports may be helpful, and so much more. Blocks foster imaginative play, critical thinking, and even teamwork skills.

Art and Painting

Before children learn to form letters and numbers, they get practice on pencil grip and fine motor skills through drawing and painting. Art is a wonderful way to help children unlock their creativity, while also practicing those all-important skills they will need later.

Art can help children learn in so many different ways. Some of these skills are quite advanced—what happens when you mix two primary colors together? Every time they open a new box or bottle of paint, learn what new color is called, or ask to pass that pink crayon, they’re learning a needed skill.

 

A great preschool has activities throughout the day aimed at helping children develop their skills. When you see a classroom filled with happy children playing, you’re seeing a classroom filled with early learning.

Have you ever watched a group of young children playing together? They may use imaginative play such as playing house, or cooperative games like tag. Young babies and toddlers often play near each other, but don’t seem to be interested in actually playing with each other.

When children, especially very young children such as toddlers, play near each other it is called parallel play. Although it may feel like the kids are not socializing with each other, the reality is it is an important step to learning how to play together.

Solitary Play Vs. Parallel Play

At first, parallel play looks a lot like solitary play. When a baby or toddler is playing completely on their own, this is solitary play. Solitary play is when a child is off in a corner playing without anyone near at all, or playing at home when no one is available.

Parallel play is still playing on their own—but in this case children are near each other while playing. Two babies, for example, might be sitting on the same rug each absorbed in their own toy, or two kids might be playing in the same dollhouse without interacting.

Although both types of play don’t involve interaction, they are different. A child who is playing near others can still see what the other children are doing. They might watch one child pretend to put their baby doll to bed, and learn that this is something they too can do.

Indirect observation like this can help children gain new ideas for play, something they can also do while playing.

This first step—looking at what others are doing, may give them the confidence for the next step—playing directly with others.

How to Support Parallel Play

The best way to support Parallel Play is to give toddlers and babies the opportunity to play near each other. Daycare is a great option for this. If your child is in daycare, it’s most likely that they’re getting opportunities to parallel play every day.

If your child is not however, other ways to give your child these opportunities include play groups, park trips, and other situations where kids are available.

When kids are playing near each other, it’s best to let them play on their own with redirection only when needed.

If your child sees the same group often, you may even discover that your baby likes to sit near a specific baby or two to play near each time—the first steps toward friendship.

Final Thoughts

Parallel play is a valuable part of your child’s development. It takes time for children to learn about emotions, that the other babies and toddlers surrounding them are people too, and that they can be friends.

Parallel play is that first crucial step to learning those things, and it is very important. The good news for parents is that offering children this valuable type of play is as easy as plopping them down with a group of similarly aged children.

By giving kids these opportunities, you are helping them learn valuable skills for later in life, one parallel play at a time.

 

During an average day at preschool or daycare, a child may do a great number of different things. They will say goodbye to their parent of guardian, say hello to their friends and teachers, play, do crafts, and eat lunch. They will go outside to enjoy some fresh air, and come in to play with play-dough or paint.

All of these things have something in common: To go from one activity to another, children have to transition to that new activity.

Although this might seem easy enough, it can fill young children with frustration or anxiety. They may not want to go back inside after a great time with their friends outside. They may feel too hungry to wait in a line for their lunch.

It’s fairly common for children to have some degree of difficulty with transitions, but the good news is there are ways to support them so those transitions are easier. Here are a few examples of ways a savvy teacher can help kids transition well.

Keeping a Routine
Goodbye is nearly always hard, but when you know you’ll be racing off to outdoor time right after, that knowledge can make leaving a parent easier. Keeping a predictable routine helps children know what to expect in their day, and can help them worry less.

Busy Work
If a child finishes their craft first, waiting around for others to finish so they can go on to the next activity can be difficult. Having coloring pages or other things to keep their hands busy can help make the transition go more smoothly.

Experienced teachers will have work like this on hand so that kids don’t have time to feel impatient or anxious about the transition to the next activity.

Making Transitions Fun
Sometimes, just turning transitions into a joyous moment can help make things flow more smoothly. Instead of dreading going inside, a teacher might break out bubbles and ask children to see if they can stomp the path of bubbles all the way inside.

By turning a transition into a game, it can be more fun for the children, and make it easier for everyone.

Singing can also be another great way of helping kids through transitions. A song for cleaning up can let children know it’s time to tidy away crafts or toys, while a song about lining up might help kids know what to do.

Transitions are tricky for children to navigate and can sometimes lead to tantrums if it’s something a child is reluctant to do. Fortunately, there are many strategies available to help children through these transitions.

The next time your child is stuck on a particular type of transition, try making it into a fun game or singing a song about it to see if it will help them cope a little better. Your child’s daycare teacher may also have additional ideas for how to help them through important transition times like pick up, drop off, lining up, or simply having fun.

 

 

When we think of boosting our kids academics, we often think of preschool and up. There’s no doubt that reading to preschoolers has proven benefits, but it turns out babies can benefit from being read to as well.

Before infants are old enough to hold their own book, they are able to listen. Language development is a big part of this stage, and they need spoken words to help them begin learning that language.

When a caretaker is cuddled up with that baby and reading them a story, that infant is being exposed to new vocabulary, and more words to help them process human language.

Science backs this up. Studies show that infants who were read at least one book a day starting at two weeks of age showed improved language development as early as 9 months of age.

By the time they start school, the difference can be huge. Children who were read to as infants showed better fine motor skills, literacy, and language developement compared to those who were not regularly read to.

Increased Bonding
Of course, better language isn’t the only benefit. Not only are children learning more words, they’re also familiarizing themselves with the sound of the voice reading to them. The feeling of feeling secure with their parent of guardian, the sound of their voice, and the regular routine can help build a better bond with that person.

Logical Thinking
Every story has a theme. Even the simplest picture books featuring just one word per page are often color, number, or letter based. Stories have a story arch, people solve problems in them.

Although your baby may not start out understanding these concepts, their brain is busy at work laying a framework to make use of all these new categories. By the time they reach preschool, they have a head start in understanding things like consequences for actions take in a book, how different choices can be made, and various patterns and categories.

Developing a Passion for Books
With so many things competing for your child’s attention, it’s easy for books to fall by the wayside. A love for books starts early, and the earlier the better. When reading time is a chance for an infant to get your exclusive attention in a pleasant way, it can help foster that love.
Becoming a strong reader requires more time spent reading books then strictly at school. It requires many hours of pouring over books, reading beloved stories again and again to strengthen those vital skills.

Reading early, so their first memories are the joy of reading with a parent, can help foster a passion that will last them a lifetime.

What to Choose
If you are eager to start reading to your newborn, there’s many different books available to choose from. The best books for children under 6 months of age include large pictures and good contrast.

These types of picture books are easier for baby eyes that don’t quite focus so well. There are picture books available especially designed for baby vision, and these are good choices as well.

After 6 months to a year of age, the pictures and words can be more refined. Choose books with every day objects your child will be familiar with. Books about items around the house, dogs and cats, or even other babies may not seem interesting to you, but they will be of great interest to the baby.

Reading to your child is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. With the help of your local library, it can even be free. Making time to read to your child can help them their whole life.

Daycare has a lot of benefits for young children, especially if they are also a preschool. Through spending time at a daycare, children learn how to be apart from their parents, and learn how to get along with their peers.

There are so many studies linking the benefits of a good preschool to success in children, but finding a good fit for your child is just as important as attending. If you’re in the search for a new daycare, here’s a few questions you should ask at your tour.

What is Your Sick Child Policy?

Every child will experience an illness at some point in their life. It’s important to know what to expect when this happens. Details you may want to find out include what symptoms are considered sick.

Are only children with no symptoms allowed to attend? Are children with fever restricted, but a cough and runny nose still fine? Will you still have to pay for a day even if a child can’t attend?

Do you teach social and emotional learning?

In the past, academics was the only focus in school. New studies have shown that social and emotional learning are just as import as academics though. Good social skills help children learn how to properly interact with their peers and make them more likely to ask for help from the teacher when needed.

Strong emotional skills help kids gain control over their emotions and handle stressful events better. If your daycare offers social and emotional learning, it’s a great thing.

Do you administer medication?

If your child ever needs antibiotics or other medications, it’s important to find out if the daycare will be willing to give that medication to the child while they are at daycare. You’ll also want to learn about any rules or restrictions they may have on medication.

Are children supervised at all times?

This may seem like a silly question to ask—you’re paying for someone to supervise your child while you can’t after all—but it’s still something you want to clarify.

What does the schedule look like?

If naptime is at 1PM on the dot at daycare, but it’s earlier or later at your house, the change in schedule can be disruptive for your child. Asking about the schedule can help you match your home schedule so your child is comfortable in both environments.

While there are no wrong questions to ask your potential daycare, these questions are all great ones that will give you a better understanding of the daycare you are looking at. You may never need your child to receive medications or to benefit from a sick day, but knowing the policies of the daycare can help you be better prepared in case something does happen.

What ever choice you make, do tour a daycare before signing your child up for it. It’s so important to meet the teachers and see the environment for yourself before leaving your child there.

Look back in your memory. If you went to a public school or a daycare, chances are you have a fun memory of playing a supervised game with all of your friends. Maybe the teacher brought out a big, colorful parachute and the colors danced as everyone spun and spun.

Beautiful memories like these are part of growing up, but those games were more than just entertainment for young children. Group games have many benefits for children. Here are just a few.

Group Games Teach Cooperation

Learning to work together is a life skill children will use every day, all their lives. You need to know how to work as a team for almost every single job. Sports, theater, music, and so many other aspects of our daily life require a certain degree of cooperation.

Group games help give young children who don’t have a lot of experience with teamwork a chance to experience it in a fun and engaging way.

By learning that it takes all the kids to spin that parachute, or that the smallest child can make a difference in a match of tug-o-war.

Group Games Encourage Kids to Interact

Children are not born knowing right from wrong. Until they’ve said something mean to another child and seen them cry, they may not realize that their words have consequences. Until they’ve encouraged another kid and seen them go on to succeed, they may not realize how powerful encouragement can be.

Group games give kids the chance to practice their social skills, and to see what happens when they are nice and when they are not as well.

Children with good social skills often do better in school and as adults, because they have learned how to behave properly in different social situations.

Teaches Focus

Group games often require the ability to stay in the moment, and the ability to pay attention to those around you. The ability to focus on a game, your team mates, and the teacher is a powerful tool kids will carry with them their whole lives.

We have all benefited from the ability to focus at one time or another—and suffered when we couldn’t focus. Learning to focus early in life can be of great benefit to children.

Provides Exercise

Finally, movement is as important to children as the ability to sit still. Children need a chance to move, wiggle, run and get their energy out before they can focus on sit-down work. A group game can be a great way to help kids continue to learn while giving their bodies that chance to exercise as well.

 

Group games are fantastic teaching tools. Whether it’s a game of dodge ball, duck duck goose, or spinning that parachute, kids are learning how to interact with each other, pay attention, and stay focused.

If your child is part of a preschool or daycare, find out if they offer group games occasionally. Those group games could have huge benefit to your child.

One of the delightful things about young children is that they are always reaching for and achieving new milestones. When you’re new to the world, everything is an adventure! Whether it’s taking your first steps, or the first time you can open the car door by yourself, these milestones are important to both kids and parents.

If you are the proud parent of a preschooler, here are some of the amazing milestones you can look forward to as your child learns and grows. Preschool age is considered 3-5, so depending on where your child is in that age range, they may have already reached some of these milestones.

Conversation Specialists

Learning a new language is hard. Your child has spent their life hearing language and learning to speak their first words. At 3, your child is now ready for more in-depth conversation. Children at three years old can not only answer simple questions, but they can have exchanges with you, asking and answering something in the same conversation more than once.

As they learn and grow, these conversations will keep on growing and advancing.

Imagination Exploration

At four years old, your child can imagine what it’s like to be someone or something else. Play might involve pretending to be a dog, a favorite character in a movie, or a favorite career like a fireman. At four years old they may also be able to name some colors and answer simple questions about the world around them.

Four year olds are also getting a better grasp of the world around them in other ways. They may be able to ask if they can play with a favorite friend, even if that friend isn’t in front of them. When around another child who is obviously sad or hurt, they may make an effort to comfort them. This might include offering comforting words, or a favorite toy they think will make the other child feel better.

Ready to Learn

At 5 years old, many children are crossing over into Kindergarten. They are ready and able to learn many things about the world around them, and may have already started. Children this age can often count to 10, and may know some letters and letter sounds as well.

They are now able to play games that follow rules, such as hopscotch, and just as they’re ready for the rules of the game, their ready to hop on one foot too.

 

Young children grow and develop very quickly. They are always learning, always growing. As parents, it’s exciting to see them achieve something new, and with their speed of growth, those exciting new developments can happen almost every day!

Preschool can be a wonderful place for them to develop those new skills, with other kids to learn from and a teacher to guide them. Children in preschool tend to perform better both in school and as an adult, and that may be from all these opportunities to grow, learn, and reach those milestones.

There is a common theme among loving and caring parents: They want the best for their children. Everything from the snacks provided to their kids, to the toys and books, to the time spent with them, is all aimed at helping them turn into successful young adults. Good nutrition, educational toys, and reading to your child are all vital to giving your child the best start in life, but there’s one more thing you can do to help them be successful. You can enroll them in some form of early childhood education. There are many studies out there showing that children who have gone to preschool or other early education programs end up more successful than those who don’t. According to a 2017 study, birth to age 5 are a critical time for learning in children, and can establish study and behavioral skills that will last their whole life. Another study confirmed this, with higher high school graduation rates, and fewer needs for special education in children who had early childhood education. So what does early education do for young children?

• Better Behavior Kids who have been to preschool learn how to manage their emotions better. They have more chances to interact with teachers and their peers than children who grew up without early education. They have more opportunities to practice good behavior, and a better emotional intelligence by the time they reach kindergarten than those who don’t. Learning how to interact with others beyond a parent or sibling relationship is important. The ability to be with other children who are learning and growing in the same way can be of great benefit to young children.
• Better Learning Skills Children who have been through preschool know what to expect in a learning environment. They’re familiar with classroom procedures, have the elements of reading, writing and math down, and are prepared to learn new things. This not only makes transitioning into Kindergarten easier for them, it frees up their focus for learning new skills, instead of simply getting used to the idea of learning.
• High Earners Kids who have gone through preschool are more likely to have a higher wage than kids that don’t, as a working adult. In a study conducted on preschool and prosperity, kids who went to preschool made on average 25% more than those who didn’t. Those aren’t the only people who benefited. Their parents did too. Children of parents who sent their kids to preschool were able to earn more too.

There are many benefits to sending kids to preschool. It’s a critical time for learning and having a skilled teacher who understands the needs of children can be of great value. If you’ve been thinking about enrolling your child in a preschool, set up a tour of one today. We have some amazing options for early childhood education at our own center, and will be happy to show you around and share what we do for children every day.