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Parenting Guide for Teaching Financial Literacy for Kids

November 24, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

It’s important for parents to make sure they speak with their kids about the fundamentals of finances. While many traditional schools tend to focus on core subjects such as math, science, English, social studies, and foreign languages, they may not be  teaching the concepts of financial literacy. Therefore, this is something that parents may need to address with kids on their own. Unfortunately, a lot of parents are not comfortable discussing money with their kids, often viewing it as a “taboo” topic. However, it’s important for kids to learn about money at a young age so they can be prepared to manage their own finances as they face the future. When it comes to financial literacy for kids, there are a few key points to keep in mind.

Discuss how people earn money

The first step when it comes to talking to kids about finances is to teach them that money comes from hard work. Too often, many kids think that money simply comes from a piece of plastic with their parent’s name on it that they swipe at the store. By teaching kids that money can only be earned through hard work, parents can eliminate any sense of entitlement that their kids might have.

Parents should talk to their kids about their own careers, what made them choose that career path, and what kinds of tasks they perform at their jobs. It’s also helpful for parents to encourage their kids to think about what they might want to do when they get older. Furthermore, it’s wise to give kids an allowance for doing household chores as a means of teaching them the value of hard work and earning money.

Teach kids about budgeting

Oftentimes when kids receive money, the first thing they think about is what they can buy with it. Before kids jump into spending that money, it’s important for parents to talk to their kids about budgeting. While spending some money is okay, it’s vital that children learn the concept of budgeting. Otherwise, kids may grow up thinking that all of their money is meant to be spent immediately.

When kids start earning an allowance, it’s a good time to talk with them about deciding how much money they should spend and how much they should save. That way, kids can learn how to budget appropriately both for the present and in the future.

Talk to kids about giving back

It’s also important for parents to encourage their kids to donate money to charity, if possible. Giving back is important when it comes to raising well-rounded children. However, it might take younger kids some time to understand the importance of donating to charitable organizations. You can start by volunteering with kids at places like Goodwill or local food banks. This is a good way for children to see that these types of organizations can’t operate without charitable donations.

Teach kids learn about credit cards, checking accounts, and savings accounts

Financial literacy means understanding the different types of financial tools at our disposal, in addition to cash. Therefore, it’s important to talk with kids about opening a bank account and why this is important. Older kids might be able to understand the concept of interest as well. As kids grow up, parents also need to talk to kids about how credit cards work. While credit cards may seem great on the surface because of the convenience and rewards they provide, they also make it possible for people to spend more money than they should. Parents need to make sure they review these financial tools with their kids to make sure they manage their money well in the future.

Review investments and taxes with children

Finally, parents also need to talk to their children about taxes and investments. Investing is a great way for kids to use their money to save for retirement, college, or a home. On the other hand, parents also need to talk to their kids about taxes, where they come from, and why they exist. Parents can also talk with older kids about how they can use investments to shield their assets from being taxed. Some parents might even teach their older kids how to do their own taxes. These topics are critical when it comes to financial literacy.

Trust the team from young scholars academy in Colorado!

These are some of the most important tips a parent can follow as we aim to teach our kids about financial literacy. Make sure that you provide your children with the strong foundation they need to set themselves up for success, both in and out of the classroom. At the Young Scholars Academy in Colorado, we focus on childhood education, providing your kids with the practical skills they need to succeed. Contact us today to learn more about how we can set your kids up for success!

Filed Under: Family Tips

Teaching Kids Chores: 6 Tips to Get Your Child to do Chores

October 20, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

We all know that house chores or chores of any kind  can be a bore for kids! Teaching kids about chores, or even getting them to do simple ones, can be challenging for parents. It takes a lot of effort, may lead to disagreements, and it may even involve bribery! If we don’t get them moving in order to get a couple of things done, we get agitated, which can lead to frustrating and unnecessary arguments.

The goal here is to help children understand why they have to do chores, and how it will benefit them as they get older. Here are seven tips for how you can get your child to do chores in your home.

Give kids a clear idea about the purpose of chores

When we ask our kids to do something, the first thing they often ask is “Why?” – which is why it’s so important for children to understand what we are asking them to do and also why. For example, you may ask your kids to make their beds and tidy up their rooms. Kids may want to know what they are getting in exchange, or how it’s going to benefit them. Explain how tidying up their rooms or making their beds will make the place a more pleasant area in which to hangout and play during the day. Giving them a sense of cause and effect will help kids be more accepting of your expectations, and positive the next time they are asked to do chores.

Create a fun schedule and to-do list for your kids

This technique is very effective because it is visual. Kids can see what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it. What makes it even more fun for them is the feeling of accomplishment that comes from completing each chore. You can print or cut out something like their favorite cartoon character to serve as an item checker to use whenever they have to check off a task. Make a list of daily chores that need to be completed during school days, and a separate one for weekends.

Do away with using chores as a form of punishment

Chores are already a drag in kids’ minds. This is made even worse if you use chores as a punishment in your home. This is not productive. Chores will be more fun and enjoyable when they are presented as something that will benefit them (and others). Therefore, never use chores as a form of punishment for misbehavior, or as a consequence if they failed to study for their quiz or if they didn’t finish their dinner.

Go big when it comes to a reward system

One huge motivation, especially for school-aged kids, is a reward system. They get excited and tend to be more inclined to get tasks done when they know they will be rewarded. However, rewards do not always have to be in the form of material things. A reward can be as simple as a treat from their favorite ice cream shop or an extended 30 minutes of play time.

Play the “Big Kid” card

A little change in a kid’s chores list from making their beds, to emptying the dishwasher, may make them wonder “Why?” again. That’s when you pull out the “Big Kid” card. In a way, they will feel like a grown-up by doing grown-up things. Establishing a routine can also be a great way to instill a sense of responsibility and accountability. For instance, if children forget or miss a chore like setting the dinner table, family dinner time will start a little late, and everybody will be hungry. They will begin to understand why these so-called chores are actually essential in  their day-to-day life.

Learning about chores is an important part of growing up. It helps with instilling a sense of responsibility and accountability in children from a young age. Completing chores also provides a form of training as kids get older and learn the skills needed in order to take care of themselves in the long run and become more independent.

For more tips on good and effective parenting, you can check out our website at https://youngscholarsacademycolorado.com/.

Filed Under: Family Tips

Supportive learning

October 12, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Teaching children new and difficult skills can be frustrating for the teacher, the student, and the parent. As an adult we forget that children need practice and repetition to learn. The key to learning is having support, positive guidance and making learning fun. Helping them work through frustration but keeping their interest is a challenge. Here are five strategies to help accomplish this: allowing time and opportunities to practice, providing lessons to guarantee success, allowing for mistakes, verbalizing your support and teamwork.

Supplying opportunities to practice can be integrated into everyday practice. When going to the grocery store you can point out the beginning sounds of the food you choose to buy. This is a bbbbanana. We have one, two, three bbbananas. Providing activities that are fun and feels more like playing can be great practice. Playing hopscotch with numbers, letters or letter sounds depending on what your child is learning is a great interactive technique. Just don’t go bananas with the practice lol. A couple of minutes here and there will do wonders to help your child learn but we don’t want to stress them out to where they don’t want to participate.

Sometimes if you feel like your child is struggling to learn a skill it is important to set them up for success. This way they don’t start to feel that they can’t do it and stop trying. If you are teaching the beginning letter sound of s words and ask what words start with s make all the answers be correct. Does snake, sign, or silly start with s. Emphasize the sound of sssss when you say each word. As you see their confidence grow throw in the challenge word such as snake, sign, and car. I feel this can be difficult. How are they learning when every answer is correct? When you do this remember that you are teaching through repetition and focusing on the process of learning and not the answer.

Allow them to make mistakes. Many times, during writing I encounter children who grow sad and want to quit because they made a mistake in the forming of a letter. You can see the frustration when they are erasing so hard, they put a hole in the paper, then they are mad about the hole. Reinforce the idea that everyone makes mistakes. Help them to try again and make a big deal out of the fact that they are trying. One thing I do is discourage them from erasing the mistake and help them see that they can start over or move on to the next attempt. Explain to them that trying their best is more important than doing it right. Working through these mistakes can be very fulfilling to both you and your child. Often children will go from disliking writing to looking forward to it because they have more confidence in their ability even when they make mistakes.

Working through frustration is an emotional trial for everyone. All parties involved want to quit. The important key to this is to not quit. Take a breath, do jumping jacks or sing a little tune to give you and your child a chance to restart. Sometimes breaking down the expectations of the lesson into smaller parts can help the goal of skill seem more attainable. Take tying shoes as an example. It can be difficult and frustration to learn this skill. If your child is frustrated start with just the first part, crisscrossing the laces then you take over the rest. As that step is meet add the next step. A great way to help defeat frustration in learning a new skill is changing their vocabulary. Change the words I can’t too I’ll try. Encourage their effort more than the results.

You and your child are a team when it comes to learning. A simple three step plan can make a big difference. First model the skill you want to teach. Then practice the skill together and finally let them try on their own. Show them how to dribble a basketball, work with them to do it together, then step back and let them try. You can use this method for any skill. Beginning letter sounds, counting, anything you wish to teach.
The most important thing in being supportive of your child’s learning will always be that you are present. Be active in their learning experience. Learning can be a fun adventure for you both!

Ms. Dotty
NAEYC Coordinator
Lead Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten Teacher

Filed Under: General Updates

Fall Pumpkin Fun!

October 12, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Fall is finally here! So many fun fall activities go on during the month of October. One of the topics we really enjoy doing is pumpkin exploration at YSA. This year we are unable to do some of the normal sensory and exploration with pumpkins that usually happens during this month due to Covid. I wanted to give parents a few activities and ideas that are easy to do at home with your preschooler that will for sure keep them busy and excited during the fall months!

Go over the parts of the pumpkin with your kiddo. Explain how pumpkins grow and give them the details of the life cycle of a pumpkin. If you happen to visit a pumpkin patch, point out the area where the pumpkins grow so they can see them on the vine and make that real-life connection. If you have talked about the life cycle beforehand, let your child pretend to be the “teacher” and let them walk you through the details. It’s extra fun for them to take that role and having them explain the details of the pumpkin life cycle back to you is taking that knowledge base a step further.
One of the gooey fun activities is exploring a pumpkin. Have your preschooler help you pull the gooey guts out of the pumpkin. For some, this will be the first time they have ever touched the inside of a pumpkin. There may be some mixed reactions at first. Be encouraging, allow them to take their time reaching in and pulling out the stringy insides. This is a new type of sensory touch for some, sometimes having gloves on hand is a good idea. Some children will not want to touch and manipulate the pumpkin guts, just be patient and demonstrate for them. Lay the pumpkin goo and seeds on a baking tray, save the seeds! Let your preschooler pick through and sort the seeds from the slime. This is such great exposure to a new texture and use of fine motor skills.

Pumpkins seeds are a fantastic manipulative to use. After your seeds have dried out, it’s time to put them to use! Have your child use the seeds to do basic math problems. They could practice counting the seeds, this is called 1:1 correspondence and it is a skill we work on and assess at YSA. Being able to count objects and make that connection can be challenging for a kiddos at times, so this is a fun way to practice at home. Have your child touch and count the seeds in different quantities. Keep practicing! If they don’t get the hang of it right away, model how to touch and count for them. If their math skills are more advanced, you can have your kiddo use the seeds to do simple addition and subtraction. Even create a story problem while using the seeds! They will really enjoy “playing” with seeds while working with you!

Another fun activity to do is create pumpkin faces using the seeds as teeth. Depending on your preschoolers age, either draw a pumpkin outline for them or let them draw their own pumpkin face. Don’t fill in the teeth! Let your child glue on seeds for teeth, there will be some silly and fun smiles from your child once they create their masterpiece. This is also a fun art project that grandparents would love to get in the mail around Halloween time!

Have fun this fall with pumpkin exploration! There are so many fun pumpkin activities that you and your child can work on together. These are just a few that encourage science, fine motor, math, and art! Be creative and think up your own, the pumpkin play is endless!

Ms. Whitney
Curriculum Coordinator
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher

Filed Under: Activities

It’s OK To Let Your Kids Grow Up

October 12, 2020 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

A lot of us parents say how we wish time would slow down and that our kiddos will always be our baby. I get it, every time I turn around it seems like they boys are in a new size clothing or hurdling over the next big milestone. I stop for a quick second and ask where did the baby go? However, it is not about us as parents or our “need” or want to keep our kiddos babies forever.
It is our job and of utmost importance to build self help skills in our children. Not only does it make our life so much easier for our little ones to be helping with the basic factors of getting the day going but, it helps them become confident and self-reliant to be able to do for their selves a little. Below are five things that I think every three-year-old needs to be introduced to in regards to self-help skills and why they are important.

  1. Potty training
    Potty training is not an easy task at all and requires a lot of planning out and packing to make this task become a success. But it is also one of the major steps of becoming independent to a little person. It is their first introduction into being able to make a call and choice of their own.
  2. Picking out clothes
    Talk about handing of the reins. Allowing a child to express their selves through clothing is a big step for everyone involved. We have all seen those kiddos in underwear over their pants, rainboots and a swimsuit top. But it is okay because your child has been given a choice and can also learn about weather appropriate clothing and help with prepping themselves for the next day. We always pick out our outfits the night before so we are able to do the next self help skill.
  3. Getting dress
    This self-help skill really focus on patience and self-soothing to get through out. But oh the wonderful independence gained by dressing yourself is priceless for a little person. This skill at first will take time to guide and talking through. Buttons, zippers, and buckles can be frustrating at first. Do not give up because once this self-help skill is mastered you get to sit back and enjoy getting yourself ready while your little does the same. Being able to independently pull their pants up and down is a skill your child will need before you can start potty training.
  4. Clean up after self and basic household chores
    No one likes to feel like they are picking up constantly and doing all the household chores. This self-help skill is important to teaching helping out and being apart of the household. This includes putting clothes in dirt laundry basket, clearing their plate from meals, picking up toys after they have used them. Our job as parents is not to cater to our children none stop but guide them in the skills necessary to become amazing adults.

Ms. Michaela
Child Success Advocate
Lead Preschool Teacher

Filed Under: General Updates

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