Visiting a school to enroll your child, or just popping in to see your child’s class and what you see is not what you expected. Instead of quietly sitting at tables practicing letters, numbers and academics you see the children bouncing balls, preparing dinner in a kitchen area, building roads in blocks, building with legos and cutting paper up with scissors. They are loud and everything seems a bit chaotic. Not at all what you want to see right? But don’t worry there is more going on than what meets the eye.

The children in the music area bouncing balls. They are learning hand -eye coordination, rhythms and working on large motor development. In the kitchen making dinner they are about nutrition, sorting and classifying food, table manners and reading skills with recipe books. Building roads for the cars in the block area they are using beginning engineering skills to solve how to get their car from point a to point b. They are building on basic math skills making shapes and measuring distances. Let’s not forget the science of friction and gravity while building different sized ramps. Now what’s up with those legos? Legos are great tools to help develop fine motor skills. Strengthening those finger muscles to prepare for holding pencils. Once again it’s engineering, getting those little bricks to form robots, stairs and buildings. Cutting paper allows for more fine motor development and also hand-eye coordination while trying to cut those lines. All these skills are needed to build their readiness for school. While all this is important it’s not all they are learning.

The most important thing to me that they learn while in play is the social skills. Watching the children in my classroom play I see them learning how to deal with the world. Conversation skills are running amok. Using vocabulary to express what they need, listening to their friends, expressing their feelings in a positive way. Then I see problem solving skills. What do you do when the block you want is being used by someone else? Taking turns and sharing happens in the moment. It’s not something you can plan. They work out feelings of frustration and anger when friends knock over their towers. They build persistence when something doesn’t work the first time and they have to try again. They learn independence when they want to play dress up and need to put that cape on by themselves.

Supervision and guidance is always necessary during play. There will always be times when the teacher will be needed as a mediator but it is during this time that they learn the best on their own. Play is a powerful learning tool. Play should never be underestimated, it’s magic!

Ms. Dotty
Lead Jr. Kindergarten Teacher
NAEYC Coordinator

Parents who are raising or who have raised toddlers would agree that this phase in their child’s life is one of the most challenging. It’s during this time that their limits and patience are tested. But as to why toddlers misbehave is something that all parents need to understand. For one, a toddler has already formed a memory of their own preferences. They’re beginning to recognize what they like and what they don’t. They’re starting to have a sense of decision-making and autonomy which still confuses them at this stage. So if you’re having a difficult time with your little one right now, know you’re not alone and it doesn’t always have to be a battle. Take a look at these tips on how to get a toddler to listen.

Keep it simple

It’s easy to get frustrated when your toddler doesn’t listen after you have repeated yourself over and over. The solution? Keep it simple. There’s no need to give repetitive commands or instructions because the more you talk, the less they’ll understand. They already know what to do. They just need a little reminding. Keep it as short as possible. For example, instead of screaming “get your socks and put them on!”, you can simply say “put on your socks, please.” The calmer, the better. 

Get on their level

One trick to get your little one to listen is to get on their level when trying to get their attention. Instead of nagging or yelling from a great height, try to pick them up or sit down with them so that you are on the same level as them. Make eye contact and face them. This works best when you want their full attention. 

Be clear yet authoritative

Young kids tend to zone out when you nag them about a certain topic for too long. Send a clear, concise yet authoritative message. There’s no need for a lengthy speech. In fact, the message can be sweet and nice while subtly authoritative. 

Provide information

Instead of shouting at the top of your lungs for them to finish their food, try stating some facts instead. In this example, you could explain that they will get hungry later and won’t have the energy to play if they don’t eat their breakfast. Or when it is time to clean up their toys, you can say “keeping your toys in the right boxes makes it easy for you to find them the next time you want to play with them.”

Give them a choice

Young kids at ages 2 and 3 years are only beginning to exercise their freedom and independence. This is the reason why parents find it hard sometimes to get cooperation from their children. But since threats and punishments don’t usually work, make your little one feel that they actually have an option and that they are capable of making decisions. For example, instead of telling them to start putting their toys away, you can hand them a box and say “here’s a box for your toys.”

Follow-through

Following through with your instructions is important because it makes your child understand that you mean what you say. Be sure to stick to your word. Don’t give in to giving them sweets after telling them a couple of times they can’t have a slice of cake before dinnertime. Also, make sure you and your partner are on the same page when it comes to the rules you set for your child.

Make it fun

Yelling to your child may make them cooperate but they’ll end up doing it out of fear. Instead, try to make things more fun and exciting for them. Give them something to look forward to after complying with your instructions. For example, tell them “Go finish your milk and I’ll read you your favorite book as I tuck you into bed.”

Encouraging cooperation from a toddler can be extremely challenging for every parent. However, with the help of these tips, you can get your toddler to listen to you a bit more and focus on your words and follow your directions.

If you need more tips on parenting and childcare or if you’re looking for a school that offers the best quality early childhood education, please feel free to visit Young Scholars Academy.

 

The research is in and it all points to the benefits of play being an essential tool for children to learn.

The word play has been made to sound like it is a dirty word and that it just children wandering around. The definition of play doesn’t help highlight the importance of play either. According to the dictionary play is defined as-engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. Play is essential and very practical learning tool for children of all ages. The science of brain development is showing evidence that there is power in play. It is all too often that play is dismissed as “just fun”. But play is the essential activity that children use to learn and interact with their world. Children gain the mental, physical and social skills necessary to succeed in their adult lives. There are so many serious and practical reasons that you NEED to find an early learning center that focuses on play-based learning! Here are my top four reasons to not overlook the importance of play in your child’s learning process.

1. Social emotional health

Kids learn to interact with other children and peers though play. They learn problem solving and lifelong social skills. A child cannot learn to problem solve or work through making a friend by a lecture or being told this is how we introduce our self and the next step is. We overlook the power of a child working out a problem in the sand box or discussing the rules of a game on the playground. Some things just simply cannot be taught using a lecture teaching technique they must be taught by self-experience.

2. Foster Communication skills

Play allows children to have back and forth conversation. When children interact during play, they exchange ideas, information, and problem solve. They give this information through signals, speech, actions, and writing. This can even take place during individual play because a child will usually narrate their actions or give a break down of what is happening. During group play children usually handout roles and work together for a common goal.

3. Inspires Creativity

When a child can play, they are able to embrace their ideas and take charge. Children are very creative and when allowed to embrace play they can think outside the box and come up with other solutions and task. Creativity happens when your child’s critical thinking and skills merge to produce something new.

4. Builds Confidence

When a child can be a child, it builds them up for success. Building confidence is probably the number one benefit of play. Without confidence a child doesn’t take risks or try new things. When we compromise a child’s confidence, we break down their ability to explore. Play allows a child to take risks and experience others trying new things and taking various risks.
Find a school that encourages play and builds its foundation on allowing a child to be a child. Research continues to show that playing has positive benefits for active, engaged, meaningful, and socially interactive learning.

Ms. Michaela
Child Success Advocate
Lead Pre-kindergarten Teacher

For busy parents, eating out is like heaven. There are days when you don’t have the energy to cook, clean the mess afterward, wash dishes, or even order take out. You just want to sit down and be waited on. Dining out can also be a great way to relax and bond with the family – that is, if your kids are well-behaved and everything goes really well at the restaurant. Otherwise, it will just be another thing to add to your already long and stressful day.

Eating out can be an amazing experience for kids. This is an opportunity for them to develop social skills, learn table manners and etiquette, and experience new flavors all at the same time. While this is a great opportunity to teach your kids to explore new dining situations and have a taste of different food, for some parents, it can be daunting.

With some planning and practice, eating out with kids does not need to be excruciating. Here are some tips that will help you and your family enjoy peaceful and happy meals out:

Start practicing at home

Train your kids first before venturing out to a restaurant. Practice appropriate table manners at home. Invite some stuffed animals, dolls, or even friends to a snack or a tea party. Pretend that you are all in a restaurant and role play good choices such as using utensils, waiting patiently, and sitting still. Also, it is best to put an emphasis on table manners at every meal at home. By doing so, your child will be able to better understand and follow rules when eating out if they know what is expected of them at the table.

Choose the restaurant carefully

Remember that not all restaurants are kid-friendly. If you are craving for sushi, sadly, this is not the best moment to bring your child with you. Your cravings will have to wait. Be realistic in your expectations before deciding to eat out with your toddler. Choose a restaurant that offers a kid-friendly menu, where orders can be done quickly and waiting for the food to arrive will not take too long. Controlling a toddler may be difficult if you are overly worried about the tablecloth and expensive china. So bringing them to a fancy restaurant should be off the list as well.

Respect your child’s attention span

Waiting for your order to arrive when dining out in a busy restaurant is a test of patience for most adults. Imagine how difficult it must be for children who have a shorter attention span. Choosing a hometown favorite where everything is busy may not be a good idea. Consider fast casual restaurants instead. While fast food chains are quicker, the food served is really not healthy and you will just worry about being  responsible for childhood obesity problems. Fast casual food chains are reasonably affordable, comfortable and offer dishes that are healthier and of higher quality than fast-food restaurants. They also serve quickly and you will not have to worry about your child’s short attention span.

Bring activities to keep them busy

When dining out with toddlers, bring along some small puzzles or coloring books to keep them occupied while waiting for your food. You can also play simple games such as “Simon Says” or “I Spy”. Avoid checking your phone. Instead, focus on activities you can do with them. Check out restaurants that also include activities for kids on the menu. Some may not offer it automatically, but if you ask, some restaurants may have amazing kids’ packs.

Set expectations ahead of time

Training at home helps your child remember the manners they are expected to have when eating out. Be clear with how they must act and the consequences if they break the rules. You can tell them that if they don’t behave, their dad will take them out of the restaurant while the rest finish eating. It is not a form of punishment –it is just an indication that your child is not ready yet. Have more training at home and try again. Always stick to the consequences and make sure there is a follow through.

Here at Young Scholars Academy, we make sure that children are taught the right behavior as well as the skills that will help them become responsible adults. For more information, please feel free to visit our website.