Dates of Closure in  2011:

July 4th-8th     Sept 5th     Oct 10th

Nov 11th, 24th & 25th      Dec 26th

A Message from the Director

We are closed the entire week of July 4-8.  We’ll be rested and ready to go the morning of July 11!

             Did you make it to the all school picnic?  We were impressed with how many of you were able to adjust your schedules to join us.  It reminded us of an old fashioned Fourth of July gathering.  We saw many parents visiting with each other and meeting a new family.  We had very positive feedback from many, so we will have to do it again throughout the year.

              We have 19 children leaving us by the end of August to begin their new adventures in Kindergarten.  A special invitation will be sent to the families of the “graduates” to join us for a send off party on August 10 from 3:30 to 5:00. Save the date!

The sand and water areas are probably the messiest areas of any classroom and yet many times the most intriguing. Most adults hesitate to let their child make such a mess at home! The early childhood program is committed to supporting this kind of open-ended, creative, soothing play.

Wonderful, Wet Water

George is at the water table, pouring water back and forth between two containers.  He watches as the water overflows and runs down the side of one container. He feels the cool liquid against his skin and listens to the sounds of the water as it moves. He observes the containers that float and those that sink, and he tries to get one of the heavier tubs to float. George is exploring, discovering, and testing objects in the water.

Children, and adults as well, are naturally drawn to water.  Water is comforting and soothing. The feel and sounds are pleasing. The natural attraction makes the water table a perfect activity center  for the classrooms. Just think of all the learning that goes on! Children experiment with cause and effect, refine problem-solving skills, and learn basic math concepts such as volume, measuring, and comparing.

As your child takes a bath, encourage water play by adding different size containers to fill and empty or different household objects that will float or sink.  Colanders and other objects with holes are sure to create some intriguing challenges.  As your child and you explore the materials, talk about your discoveries together. Guide and extend the learning by asking questions such as “What would happen if —-?” “How does the water feel?” “Why do you think that happened?”

More opportunities for home water play include watering plants, adding water to the sandbox, blowing bubbles through a variety of frames, and freezing or melting water.

Sensational Sand

You’ve undoubtedly noticed—in your yard or at the playground– how much your child likes to dig in the sand. Sand is great fun, but it’s also a wonderful material for learning.

Children learn mathematical and scientific concepts from playing at our sand tables. For instance, when kids pour sand from measuring cup to measuring cup, they are likely to be learning about estimation, volume, texture, and even counting and simple physics.

As children play with sand, we encourage them to talk about what they are doing or experiencing. For instance, we might ask, “Does the sand feel different when it is wet?” or “How did you get the sand so smooth on your mountain?” Have you ever longed to dig your toes in the sand? Sand has the same soothing effect on children. We find that kids who are frustrated, annoyed, or angry often choose the sand center to work out those feelings.

You can encourage sand play at home by providing a sandbox. It does not need to be large one!  One excellent and inexpensive sandbox is a bin or busboy tray (available at restaurant suppliers and some discount stores and flea markets) filled with sand.  Bins and trays are portable, easy to clean, and easily stored.  Provide measuring cups and spoons and other plastic containers to support sand play.

Of course, spills and stray sand go with the territory. With indoor sand play, a sheet or large piece of plastic will help contain the mess, but the benefits are well worth any temporary inconvenience!

Five teachers tell you what preschoolers really need for next year.

By Ellen H. Parlapiano, Scholastic Parent Child Magazine

If your child’s preschool years are coming to an end, your thoughts are probably turning toward kindergarten. But is your child ready to move on to the “big” school? What skills do kindergarten teachers expect their new students to have? To help answer those questions (and ease your mind), we’ve asked highly regarded kindergarten teachers from around the country to share their insights on helping your child gain the right mix of kindergarten-readiness skills.

The skill sets they are looking for might surprise you. Because of the national focus on improving education and meeting standards, you might think that it’s most important for children to enter kindergarten knowing their ABCs, numbers, shapes, and colors so they can keep up with the curriculum. While teachers would love children to come in with some letter and number recognition, they don’t want you to drill your kids on academic skills. There are equally — if not more — important readiness skills that set the stage for your child’s learning. Raising an eager learner is the goal, and it can be achieved easily through play and day-to-day activities.

What follows are the top readiness skills that kindergarten teachers look for.

Enthusiasm Toward Learning
“I look for those qualities that prime children to be successful in school,” says Kim Hughes. Does the child approach learning enthusiastically? Is she eager to explore and discover? Does she ask questions, take initiative, and persist when tasks are difficult?  “Parents can set aside a little time each day to investigate the world with their preschooler and answer those endless questions,” says Sandra Waite-Stupiansky. As you drive or walk along in the park, point out your child’s surroundings — the different trees or the various birds at the feeder. Demonstrate how things work. “You’ll help your child develop beginning science skills — the ability to form a hypothesis, test it out, and come up with new questions and theories,” Waite-Stupiansky explains. “The more kids notice, the more curious they’ll become. And we’ll be building on that curiosity in kindergarten.”

Solid Oral-Language Skills
“Children need wide background knowledge about their world and the words to go with it,” says Lisa Mosier. “I want to know where they’ve been and what they can talk about.” You can help build language skills by taking your child to many new places and giving him words and descriptions for what he is seeing. At the zoo, explain, “There’s a tiger. See how he has stripes and looks different from the lion?” Mosier says these experiences have a huge impact on literacy. “If you’re reading a book about zoo animals and it says ‘Look at the tiger,’ and you can’t tell the difference between a lion and a tiger, then you won’t have the background knowledge to help you tackle the word. When children come to words that they don’t know, they won’t be able to make a good guess because it isn’t in their vocabulary.”

Research shows that one of the best predictors of later reading success is a well-developed oral vocabulary in kindergarten. “PreK kids are learning vocabulary at the rate of five to six words a day,” says Waite-Stupiansky. “It’s just amazing how they will retain words if you use them several times in context and conversation.”  Most important, always keep the focus on fun. “Relax, and enjoy your children,” Mosier says. “Read, play, and go places. And talk the whole time you’re doing it!”

The Ability to Listen
Children’s literature is a rich resource for expanding language. “We expect parents to be reading to kids every day,” says Jayne C. Isaacs. “I can tell which children have been glued to the TV or computer for hours at a time. When we read them a story and ask them to tell us in their own words what they liked or remembered, they’re unable to do so.” Besides fostering vocabulary and comprehension, reading develops the attention skills necessary in a kindergarten classroom. “Listening is a key part of school behavior,” Isaacs notes. Students must be able to concentrate on what the teacher is saying, listen carefully for directions, and tune in to the sounds in letters and words.

“The more animated you are as you read, the better you’ll focus your child’s attention on what she’s hearing,” says Armando Argandona. Use different voices for the characters. Promote critical thinking by asking questions like, “Why do you think that happened?” and “How would you feel if that happened to you?” and “What do you think will happen next?” Engage kids by inviting them to clap or stomp when they hear a rhyming word, and letting them finish sentences in familiar stories. Books with rhyme and repetitive refrains (like those by Mother Goose and Dr. Seuss) help kids predict what’s coming and detect consonant sounds at the beginning and end of words, which fosters phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and break down the subtle sounds in words. Your child won’t be able to read the word “cat” until she understands that it actually has three sounds: “cuh,” “ah,” and “tuh.”

 The Desire to Be Independent
Encouraging self-help skills is an important step to preparing your child for kindergarten. “It’s amazing how many kids come to kindergarten not knowing how to hang up a jacket,” says Argandona. It might be quicker for you to do it, but “independence is critical for helping your child adjust to school,” he emphasizes. Teachers expect children to:

• Get coats on and off and hang them up
• Follow simple two-step instructions such as “take off your boots and put on your sneakers”
• Go to the bathroom and wash their hands
• Blow their nose and cover their mouth when they cough
• Fasten and unfasten simple buttons and snaps
• Eat neatly and pour into a cup
• Open up a juice box and get the straw in.

“Some children are so dependent on their parents that they expect the teacher to do these things for them,” says Hughes. “But when you have 20-plus kids in the room, it’s hard to worry about wiping noses!” However, she notes that tying shoes is a developmental skill that often doesn’t come until the first grade. If kids can’t yet tie their shoes, Hughes suggests sending them in slip-ons or sneakers with Velcro fasteners.

The Ability to Play Well with Others
Your child will need your assistance refining essential social skills such as sharing, compromising, turn-taking, and problem-solving. “Children are naturally egocentric at this age, and we don’t expect them to be able to share everything,” says Waite-Stupiansky. “But by the time they reach kindergarten, they should be able to express their feelings in words and begin to understand that two people can use the same thing at the same time.”

If you and your child are building with blocks and he reaches for one you’re using, Hughes suggests you first encourage your child to ask, “May I have the block?” Then model sharing by saying something like, “I’m glad to share my block with you.” When you notice your child sharing with others, celebrate it by saying, “I’m so proud of you. It’s really hard to share your favorite doll, but you were able to do it. Good for you!”

On play dates and park outings, stay within earshot so you can help kids problem-solve when conflict occurs, Hughes recommends. If your son gets in a power struggle over a toy and can’t seem to work it out, step in and say, “It looks like we’re having a problem here. What can we do about it?” Encourage him to come up with possible solutions, offering your own suggestions, if necessary. “Help kids understand the feelings of others,” says Hughes. “I want them to know when a friend is sad by looking at her face and seeing that her mouth is frowning or her eyes are crying.” This nurtures compassion and empathy, values that are prized by kindergarten teachers.

Strong Fine-Motor Skills
Your child’s hands must be strong enough to master coloring, cutting, pasting, and holding a pencil — fine-motor tasks that kids use every day in kindergarten. “By week one, we’re already writing a letter of the alphabet,” says Argandona. “If kids can’t hold the pencil correctly, they will fall behind.”

To hold the pencil the right way, kids need to develop the small muscles in their palms and fingers. Hughes suggests giving your child a pipe cleaner and some Cheerios (or similar, colorful cereal) to make bracelets. “It requires you to pinch with your fingers,” she explains, the same motion needed for grasping a pencil. Or ask your preschooler to mist your houseplants with a spray bottle, an activity that boosts both writing and scissor skills. Scribbling in clay with fingers is a fun alternative to doing it on paper and especially helpful for kids who are resistant to writing and drawing. (A child can practice cutting the clay into small strips too.)  “Offer writing utensils in a variety of sizes and shapes,” advises Hughes. “Some people think that fat pencils are easier to hold, but that’s not always true. For a child with weak hands, a smaller, shorter pencil might be easier to manage.”

Basic Letter and Number Recognition
Kindergarten teachers believe that it is their responsibility to teach kids letter sounds and how to write, but they do hope incoming students can recognize most letters by sight. They also hope children can count to 10, identify numbers 1 to 5, and know some shapes and colors.

But teachers don’t want you to quiz your child or use workbooks, flashcards, or phonics kits. “So much learning can happen without quizzing or sitting down with a pencil,” says Isaacs. The lessons unfold naturally as you and your child sort Legos by color or shape. Your daughter practices counting as she doles out pretend cookies for the dolls in her tea party. Your son builds letter recognition while scrambling alphabet magnets on the fridge.

“Every outing is a spontaneous opportunity to learn,” Isaacs adds. Play guessing games like, “I spy with my little eye something with the number 3.”

Coming Soon

Discipline and Limit-Setting: Birth to 12 Months

 In order to follow rules and understand limits, children need to develop self-control. Self-control is the ability to cope with strong feelings and stop one’s self from doing something that is not allowed. Developing self-control begins at birth and continues throughout childhood. Young children learn self-control through interactions with peers, parents and other loving adults.

Babies and Self-Control

Babies are not born with self-control. However, they begin developing self-soothing skills-the beginning of self-control-in their first months. For example, many babies learn how to soothe themselves by sucking on a pacifier or finger. This helps them cope with waiting while a loved one gets ready to feed them. Babies are also learning that they can’t always have everything they want:

A 9-month-old grabs the television remote. He is happily pushing buttons when his caregiver gently removes it from his hand and puts it on a bookshelf. She says: “The remote control is not a toy, sweetie. But how about this instead?” She gives him a toy with buttons to push and doors to open. This baby is learning about self-control because he has to accept a substitute toy-although his caregiver made sure he could still explore with his hands.

What You Can Do to Nurture Early Self-Control:

·                      Help babies learn to soothe themselves. Babies have different ways of calming down. Some need lots of physical contact, such as rocking or hugging, while others like being swaddled or put down for a minute to get a break from interaction. Some babies are soothed by your singing while others need to suck to calm themselves. By trying different things to help babies calm down you help them learn to soothe themselves. You also teach them that they can rely on you, which makes them feel safe and secure.

• Find ways to keep yourself calm. Hearing babies cry can be very stressful and frustrating. It can make you feel worried or even powerless when you want to help a baby feel better but nothing is working. When you feel this way, it’s best to put the baby down somewhere safe (like a crib) and take a few moments to calm down. When you are feeling calm, the baby is more likely to feel calm too.
• Teach babies what they can do, not just what they can’t. If a 10-month-old is throwing a toy car in the house, gently take it from his hand and give him a soft ball instead and show him a place where he can throw it. Over time, experiences like these help him learn right from wrong. And remember, at 10 months, babies are not able to remember rules so you will probably have to keep doing a lot of distracting and redirecting in the months to come.
• Comfort babies. Sometimes caregivers are concerned about spoiling a baby-doing more for her than she needs. If a baby is crying, it is often because she needs you to help her calm down because she is having a hard time coping. Babies need your love and comfort. This helps them grow up to be secure and confident children.

In order to follow rules and understand limits, children need to develop self-control. Self-control is the ability to cope with strong feelings and stop one’s self from doing something that is not allowed. Developing self-control begins at birth and continues throughout childhood. Young children learn self-control through interactions with loving adults and peers.

Young Toddlers and Self-Control
Toddlers express their strong feelings loud and clear. “No!” becomes a favorite word. Toddlers can also become frustrated easily because there are still many things that they want to do but cannot. Here is an example of how toddlers learn self-control:

A 15-month-old tosses his toy truck across the room. He starts to laugh at the big crash it makes. When his caregiver calls his name in a not-happy voice, he turns with a surprised look on his face. “No throwing trucks,” she tells him, and hands him the truck. “You can push the truck or roll it.” He throws it again and looks at his caregiver to see what will happen. “The rule is no throwing trucks. I am going to put this truck away for a little while. Why don’t you try throwing this soft ball instead?” He cries for a little while but, when he sees he is not getting the truck back, he happily starts throwing the ball.

Young toddlers still lack self-control and don’t have the memory to remember rules and limits. You help them develop self-control by patiently repeating rules and gently distracting them with another activity.

What You Can Do:
• Stop the behavior. For example, firmly take the child’s hand and tell her in a serious voice: No hitting. Hitting hurts.
• Help the child calm down. When a child breaks down, he is telling you he cannot cope. When you comfort him, you help him learn how to eventually soothe himself. Keep in mind that some children need space to calm down. Creating a safe place where children can take a break-where there are soothing objects like stuffed animals, pillows, books-can be very helpful.
• Label the child’s feelings. This makes her feel understood and helps her calm down. You are so angry that Paolo took your toy. It’s okay to feel angry. But you cannot hit. Hitting hurts.
• Offer appropriate ways to express feelings, such as using her words if she is verbal, or other strategies such as drawing a picture about her feelings or hitting a pillow, if this is acceptable to you and her parent(s).
• Help the child solve the problem. For example, go over to Paolo together and ask for the toy back. Use a timer to help the children take turns.

What You Can Do to Help Young Toddlers Begin to Cope With Limits
Provide guidance and intervention that is appropriate for you toddler’s age and stage.
1. Stop the behavior. For example, firmly (but not angrily) take your child’s hand and tell her in a serious (but not angry) voice: No hitting. Hitting hurts.
2. Label your child’s feeling. This makes her feel understood and helps her calm down. You are so angry that Paolo took your toy. It’s okay to feel angry. But you cannot hit. Hitting hurts.
3. Offer an appropriate way to express feelings. Show her what she can do to express her angry feelings, like jumping up and down or stomp

Kids N Cars: Never Leave Your Children Unattended in Your Vehicle, NOT even for a minute!

Kids ‘N Cars^TM is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to pursue a greater level of public safety by informing people about the dangers of leaving children unattended in or around vehicles. People leave children unattended in vehicles more often than is widely publicized, and the results are often deadly. Kids ‘N Cars’^TM database, the only one of its kind, includes more than one thousand cases where children were left unattended in or around vehicles.

Below are just a few examples of what has happened to children who were left unattended in an automobile:

* Heat stroke that led to permanent brain damage and death.

* Climbed out of a car seat and shifted the car into gear.

* Carjacking – the car and the children.

* The vehicle can be set in motion by unattended children.

* Power control activation by curious children that can lead to strangulation and other loss of life and limb.

In 1999, 27 children died of hyperthermia (heat stroke) because their parents left them locked inside the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

* Never leave children alone or unsupervised – not even for a minute.

* Never leave car keys where children can find them.

* Always lock cars so children cannot get into a car unsupervised. Unlocked cars pose serious risks to children who are naturally curious and often lack fear. Keep the doors and trunk of cars locked when parked in the garage, driveway, or near home. Parked cars can be deathtraps for kids.

* Crawl around in your family vehicle and look at everything from a child’s perspective. Where are there potential problems? Do the automatic power windows controls “pull” to go up rather than being “pushed”? Does your vehicle have transmission or brake interlocks?

* Teach children about the dangers of a car. A car is NOT a toy. In fact it can be as dangerous as a loaded gun, but weighs over two ton.

* Arm children with facts. They must understand that a vehicle is used for transporting people from place to place; it is NOT a playground.

* Car trunks become a tempting, secret place to hide, and a quick and easy place for abductors to make children disappear.

* Practice escape techniques so that if children are trapped in a car trunk, they know how to get out by yanking the tail light wires, kicking out the brake light fixture and signaling for help by waving or banging on the trunk and screaming.

* If a car has a trunk release in the trunk’s interior, make sure the children know how to use it and have them practice.

* Never leave rear seat folds open. This should prevent children from climbing into unlocked cars and finding their way into a trunk from the inside.

* Install an inside trunk release.

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