Young Scholars Academy

Where Children Develop a Love of Learning

 5815 Tutt Center Point - Colorado Springs, CO 80922
 (719) 522-9099
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Earth Day Fun!

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Celebrating Earth Day at YSA is always filled with so many learning opportunities that really grab the kiddos attention. We celebrate at YSA by centering a curriculum theme around Earth Day and what it means to take care of the planet. The children really love learning about Earth, recycling, and taking care of the planet. Here are a few things that you can do at home with your child during the month of April to raise even more interest about our awesome planet.

Preschoolers love to be in charge, am I right?! So, when we talk about how they can be in charge of keeping their planet safe, they are all for it! Like so much that my own preschooler will say in utter disgust “There is some litter again mom! Why do people not take care of the Earth! Its so sad, right?!” This is a constant conversation we have anytime he sees trash outside. When we can, we do try to pick up trash while using caution. This is such a great conversation to have with your preschooler. Make them take ownership of taking care of their planet. Talking with them on how to handle their own trash is so important. When you are at the park having lunch, make it a point to talk about keeping track of their trash so they do not litter, teach them how to tell people if they accidently drop trash, talk about recycling! Even some parks have separate trash cans for recycling. Giving them some control and purpose can really encourage them to leave places better than they found them.

A fun art project you can do with your preschooler is to use recyclables to create art masterpieces. Here is another opportunity to discuss recycling with your preschooler. After separating those materials out together, you can then have your child use some handy glue to assemble a recycled art sculpture. We are working on these throughout the building this month so I know some will be raving about how much fun they had doing this in class! Why not do it at home as well!

Another favorite preschooler art project is to make a coffee filter Earth. You take a dry, unused coffee filter and have your child use blue and green markers to color their very own Earth. After they have colored in the land and water, they then take a spray bottle filled with water and slowly soak the coffee filter. This allows for the blue and green colors to mold together, creating some really neat and colorful Earths. After allowing the work of art to dry, these are great to hang in a window!

Preschoolers with a passion can take over the world! Teaching them at home about taking care of the planet is important and can be done in such a fun way. They really do love learning about how Earth works, its properties, and how to keep it healthy! So, this year please take a minute to chat with your preschooler on how you as a family can take care of the planet and make a difference.

Ms. Whitney
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Curriculum Coordinator

Speaking on the Unspoken

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If you were not aware, April is child abuse prevention month. As parents, I think it is very beneficial for us to be fully aware of the signs and symptoms of child abuse, how to prevent child abuse, and what we should do if we suspect child abuse. First and foremost, we should discuss the different forms of child abuse. The most common forms of abuse are physical, sexual, emotional, medical, and neglect. Physical abuse occurs when a child is purposely injured or put at risk of harm by another person. Sexual abuse is any sexual activity with a child. Emotional abuse is injuring a child’s self-esteem or emotional well-being. Medical abuse occurs when someone gives false information about an illness that requires medical attention. Neglect is failure to provide adequate food, shelter, affection, supervision, education, or medical care. Now that we have a better idea of what child abuse is, lets see how we can notice possible signs of the abuse. Without getting into the specific forms of child abuse and their specific symptoms, the general signs/symptoms are withdrawal from friends or their normal activities, changes in behavior, depression/anxiety/unusual fears, apparent lack of supervision, frequent absences from school, reluctance to leave school activities (child doesn’t want to go home), attempts at running away, rebellious or defiant behaviors, and self-harm/suicide attempts. If a child shows one or more of these types of issues, research specifics and see if this increases your concerns for this child’s well-being.

Next, we can get into how to prevent child abuse. The best ways of preventing child abuse are to make sure you are doing the following as a parent: Offer your child love and affection (nurture your child, listen and be involved to develop trust and good communication), don’t respond in anger (if you feel overwhelmed, take a break before losing your temper), think supervision (keep a close eye on him/her, do not leave them alone in public places), know your child’s caregivers (check references, make unannounced visits etc.), emphasize when to say no (make sure they understand it’s OK for them to say NO in uncomfortable situations), teach your child how to stay safe online (make sure you can monitor you children’s time and content), and reach out to neighborhood supports (parents, neighbors).

Now we can get into the steps that should be taken if we have no doubt that a child is suffering from abuse. If you’re concerned that you might abuse your own child, or another child is showing signs/symptoms, seek help immediately. There are plenty of organizations that will provide information and referrals. To name two, we have Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-Child, or 1-800-422-4453), and Prevent Child Abuse America (1-800-CHILDREN, or 1-800-244-5373).

Ms. Morgan
Lead Toddler Wrangler
Parent Connection Coordinator

What COVID taught us about Early Childhood Education

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With a light at the end of the tunnel there are a few things that COVID-19 has brought to the fore front. One being we are social beings, and it is essential that we are incorporating social emotional curriculum into our children’s overall curriculum. 95% of our pathways developed by the time we are five years old. That not only shows the importance for social emotional curriculum but for early learning as well. Here are 4 reasons that you should make sure that your child’s academic curriculum should also include social emotional curriculum as well.

  1. Social emotional curriculums help young children develop positive peer and adult relationships. Children’s emotional well-being during their early years has a powerful impact. Children who are emotionally healthy are better able to establish and maintain positive relationships with adults and peers.
  2. Children who have a foundation with social emotional curriculum can self-regulate and have a toolbox of resources to turn to when big emotions are taking place. When a social emotional foundation is established children are very quickly able to observe the situation and discover the proper way to handle an emotionally charge scenario.
  3. Children are better able to demonstrate and show empathy when introduced to emotions and self-regulation at an early age. Empathy is an essential skill needed to make connections and build relationships.
  4. Children feel understood when they can express their emotions and discuss how to respond to those emotions. By giving the tools and teaching social emotional curriculum to children we are empowering them to be in control of themselves and bond with others.
    Feelings and emotions change frequently, sometimes from one moment to the next. It is essential that we guide children on ways to cope and respond to emotions. However, they can not do that with out a foundation of identifying emotions and learning to self-regulate so it is our job as parents and educators to provide a social emotional education to our children and students.

Ms. Michaela
Social Emotional Coordinator

How to Strengthen Your Parent-Child Relationship

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One of the most important relationships children can have is the one they share with their parents. A strong and loving parent-child relationship is critical to the health and well-being of children. This relationship is one of the most significant influences on a child’s life. It impacts almost every aspect of his or her development and future success. This is why cultivating a close and healthy relationship with your little one is so important.

The quality of your relationship with your child will lay the foundation on which your child builds his or her future relationships. Children who are connected positively with their parents are more likely to develop healthy relationships with the people around them. If you spend a significant amount of time instilling discipline in your child, be sure to spend just as much time working on cultivating a strong bond as well. 

Follow these tips to help you strengthen your parent-child relationship.

Ensure that children know how much you love them

Parents love their children more than anything. There’s no doubt about it. However, it’s extremely important that we tell them about this precious truth every single day. We can’t assume they know it.

Make it a habit to children you love them, even during random moments of the day. Remind your child that you love him or her, even if he or she has made a mistake or has fallen short of your expectations. Kids shouldn’t feel they’re only loved when they exhibit “good” behavior. Let children know they’re loved unconditionally, even if their behavior is challenging or when they’ve messed up. These simple words can have a tremendous and lasting impact on your relationship with your little one. 

Remember to show nonverbal forms of affection

Besides telling your kids you love them, it’s equally important to express your affection through nonverbal forms of affection. Connect with your child with gestures, like hugging or snuggling. 

For example, make it a habit to kiss or hug your little one in the morning or before he or she goes to sleep at night. Give a tight and loving embrace to show that you’re proud when your child earns a high grade on a school quiz. Make use of every opportunity to give kids a comforting touch, as this one of the best ways to let them know that you care.

Spend quality time together

Life can be extremely busy for families. Parents juggle so many responsibilities that eat up time in our day. Because we never run out of things to do and our list seems to grow each day, other duties often take precedence over quality family time. No matter how busy you are, be sure to make spending quality time with your child a top priority. 

Find fun activities that you can do with your little one. Whether you choose to read a book together or take a fun trip to the beach over the weekend, the important thing is that you carve out adequate time out of your busy day to spend time with your child and give him or her your undivided attention. In addition to strengthening your family bond, your time together can also help children exhibit positive behavior and cultivate healthy relationships with the other people in their lives.

Join children in their playtime

Who says playing is just for children? Adults can enjoy playtime too. Take time to join your child while he or she is playing. Whether he or she enjoys playing with building blocks, video games, or games outside, playing together is a good opportunity for you to connect with your child and strengthen your relationship.   

Listen to children’s needs and wants

Another important tip for cultivating a good relationship with your child is to learn how to listen to his or her needs and wants. Connecting starts with listening. Encourage open communication. Ensure that your little one knows that they can tell you anything by listening to what he or she has to say (both good and bad). Try to understand things from your child’s perspective. This will help you arrive at a common ground, minimize misunderstandings, and foster mutual respect. 

A positive parent-child relationship plays a tremendous role in shaping a child’s overall behavior, values, and personality. Therefore, if you want to raise a happy and well-adjusted, be sure to cultivate a positive and loving relationship in your home. 

For more tips on parenting, or if you’re looking for a child care center that focuses on each child’s holistic growth and development, please feel free to contact Young Scholars Academy. 

 

Out of Baby-Land and into Childhood

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Deciding when to get rid of each baby item is hard. In your mind you have your goals, you hear certain family members opinions rambling on, the experts, your doctor, the list may go on. The best advice I can give is to go baby led on pretty much all things. Trust your gut on when you think it is time and start weening slowly in a way that gives the child the lead. It’s like giving options, but both options are ones that you like. Makes your child feel like they are a part of the decision-making process. Which is important; it’s human nature no matter how small the human.
I quickly realized this is how it had to be right before my daughter turned one. I wanted her off the bottles completely and using her pacifier less by the big day. I tried not to be pushy, but I stayed persistent. No matter how much I put milk into a cup she would refuse it. But at school she was beginning to drink with a cup only. I packed bottles and they stayed there clean for weeks. I was getting frustrated; and then one day she just took the cup from me, no fuss and we never looked back at the bottles again. It was like a flip of switch just when she was 100% ready, not when I was ready. It was only like two weeks after her birthday that this happened.

As for the pacifier I backed off a bit. We now only offer it at sleep times. She knows this. It works for all of us until she fires off a tantrum and goes to all the places she knows we hide them to tries to snag one. These are the times when we hold strong and don’t give in. This reinforces the parameters that we have set for the pacifier. We will move onto getting rid of it completely when we all feel that the time is right. I know this one is often the trickiest of all, but we will move forward and find other ways of comfort. Again, like with the bottles, she does not even have a pacifier at school, and she is okay with this. So, the day will come when she lets it go completely.

We have a highchair but rarely use it. Our daughter prefers to sit with us. She stands in the chair next to one of us and it works perfect for us. This one isn’t so hard. It’s mostly just a moving up step that goes with independence, which we really want to encourage appropriately at each age. Deciding when to ditch the crib is a big one for parents. This one can scare some because of safety factors. This one all depends on your child. Some children will roll off the bed and mess around purposefully. Some kids go right to sleep. You’ve got the crib climbers that just want a bed and the escapees that need to be contained in a crib. Then the decision of toddler bed or just plunging for the regular sized bed. These are all personal decisions and you deciding what works best for your child’s temperament.

Toilet Training! The most feared of all…

This is the most important one to make sure is child led. Give the tools and back off. As our little one has reached 18 months, I have made sure she has all the tools, but I have put zero pressure on any of it. We got her a potty seat, stool, and baby shark panties. We have showed them to her and put them in her reach. They are mixed into her playthings right now to just get comfortable with the items. Watch for signs of interest in seeing others use the toilet, use vocabulary, discuss what is going on “I am peeing in the toilet”. Be specific with words and body parts. The two main signs for potty training time are your child taking an interest and being able to communicate their needs to you. The less pressure you put on the matter they are likely to pick it up easier and faster than those that are pushed into it when they are not ready.

The best of luck to you and your littles as you journey from infants to toddlers and so on. It goes fast! Remember to savor it all, even the moments that you feel will never end…because they do. And one day it’s the last time it happens. Letting your children help make decisions about them is an important life skill, so start early and make your life easier.

Ms. Brooke
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Curriculum & Literacy Coordinator