Events & Updates - Young Scholars Academy

Good Nutrition Made Simple: What to Remember During National Nutrition Month

March 3, 2017 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

If you feel like you’ve fallen off the healthy habit bandwagon, you’re in luck. March is National Nutrition Month, so it is the perfect time to tackle that health commitment you made at the beginning of the year with renewed energy.

You may be wondering why we celebrate nutrition month and how it can help you get back on track. It’s simple really. Nutrition Month is a time set aside to focus on the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and exercise habits.

This year the National Nutrition Month theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward.” So instead of feeling like you have to change everything at once, you can start small, with just one fork at a time. Whether your eating habits involve preparing meals at home or making choices while eating out, it’s important to develop a way of eating that is sustainable.

Are you ready to join the movement? Then here are a few effective ways you can start putting your best fork forward.

Eat a balanced, varied diet.

Eating a variety of nutrient dense foods across all of the food groups reduces your risk of many preventable and primarily lifestyle-based chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Work to incorporate a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats into your daily diet.
Choose lighter options while dining out.

Finding healthy options at restaurants is now easier than it ever has been. Most restaurant chains offer lighter, healthier choices. As you peruse the menu, look for options that are steamed or roasted. Likewise, ask for sauces, dressing, and cheese on the side, and control your own portions by asking for a to-go box and putting half of your meal in the box.
Set a good example for children.

If you have children, you know how quickly they pick up on things. That is why it is especially important to model good eating habits for children. This modeling begins in the kitchen. Inviting your child into the kitchen to participate in age-appropriate cooking tasks is a fun way to get young ones involved. Serving balanced meals and making the time to enjoy dinner together is also important to help your family build healthy, mindful eating habits.

Eat breakfast every day.

Breakfast is one of the most frequently skipped meals by everyone, but it’s also one of the most important. Breakfast helps get your metabolism going and sets the tone for your eating all day long. If you really don’t have time for breakfast, then at least grab a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts to give you a good mix of carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats.

Drink more water.

Water is another essential to a healthy lifestyle. Your body uses water for nearly ever metabolic process it completes. If you have a hard time drinking enough water, try keeping a water bottle with you all day, using a simple tracking system, or flavoring your water with a few pieces of fresh fruit. Try to drink at least half your weight in ounces of water each day.

Adopt the “one more” mentality.

It can be tough to completely overhaul the way you eat all at once. Instead of trying to do it that way, focus on getting in just “one more” healthy food choice each day. If you struggle with veggies the most, work on fitting in one more serving each day. Then once you have that mastered, move on to another healthy habit. Doing a little at a time will make the process much easier and help you stick with it.

If you really want to make your celebration of this month fun, then consider getting involved or organizing some nutrition month activities, such as

A cooking demonstration or nutrition event
A presentation at your local park or senior center
A food donation campaign for your local food pantry or shelter
A commitment to try one new healthy recipe as a family each week
A visit to a local farmers market or farm
A “lunch and learn” on healthy eating
A scavenger hunt for healthy foods or recipe ingredients

National Nutrition Month is the perfect time to refocus on the healthy habits you started in January or to invite others to join you in your efforts. Use these tips and remember that it’s about starting small and making simple changes every day that you can stick to long term.

7 Sensational Ways Sign Language Classes Benefit Your Child

January 17, 2017 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

There are many ways to teach your child. Whether they are visual or auditory learners, you have to mold the way you teach to their required learning ability. One of the best ways to teach your child is sign language classes. Not only is it a noble language to learn, but it can help if your child is primarily a visual learner.

If your child encounters a deaf student, communicating will be much easier and will help build social skills. Today, we will go over the 7 ways teaching your child can be fun and beneficial and how Colorado Springs child care is a great learning option for your child.

1. Teaching Sign Language Can Decrease Tantrums

Every child has their bad morning, or night…or days. But you have to think to yourself, why does my child have a tantrum? That question can be easily answered because there is a communication block. Younger children haven’t adapted the entire alphabet and the best way they know to get what they want is to scream and hit things. By adopting sign language, the language barrier is broken and communicating with your child is much easier.

2. Teaching Your Child To Sign Can Increase Their Vocabulary Skills

Young Scholars Academy teaches ASL! — Anyone can learn to sign!

Not only are you teaching your child visual learning skills when teaching them to sign, but auditory as well. With sign language classes, you constantly repeat the word out loud and repeat each letter as you sign it.

This benefits your child because they are learning how to physically sign the words as well as how to pronounce it when talking out loud. Believe it or not, you are teaching little Einstein two vocabularies at the same time.

3. Teaching Sign Language Can Increase Your Child’s IQ

Not that they will be taking a serious IQ test anytime soon, but you are teaching your child two different languages, two different vocabularies. This will not only help them down the road with other disabled students but you are helping sound out the words clearer with visual and auditory learning improving their spelling as well as reading skills.

4. Teaching Your Child to Sign Can Help if They’re A Visual Learner

Most kids today are both auditory and visual learners. By physically shaping the letters in their hand while teaching sign language, it helps visual learners in a massive way. Even with auditory learners, when signing you are also going over the syllable of every letter improving their auditory listening skills. In the end, you are improving both their auditory and visual skills and making it easier to teach if they are a specific type of learner.

5. When Your Child Knows Sign Language, Talking To Deaf Students is Easier

Like we mentioned before, learning sign language can improve social interactions with a deaf student. Not many schools teach sign language, and not knowing the language can present and obvious language barrier separating certain disabled students. Not only will learning to sign make a deaf student more comfortable at school but your child can make some great friends as well.

6. Teaching Your Child Sign Language Can Be A Great Bonding Experience

Interactions make for a great bonding experience. When you are teaching your child to sign you are using your eyes, hands, fingers, and mouths. These numerous interactions with your child help you understand them more which can promote a more strengthened relationship. Not to mention your child will thank you down the road when they can speak a different language which can help build more important skills down the road.

7. It’s Fun to Speak a Different Language!

Sign Language Classes Fort Children | Young Scholars Academy in Colorado Springs — Learning a new language is a great bonding experience!

It can’t get simpler than that! Learning a new language is not only a great bonding experience (as mentioned above) but is extremely fun for you and your child!

There are great activities to do on a day to day basis when you combine sign language with the English language and helps create a quieter and calmer atmosphere. Your kid will also love signing with other students their age if they participate in sign language classes for children.

It doesn’t matter what kind of learner your child is, auditory or visual. Attending sign language classes for children will not only improve either learning skill but will help with other skill sets like reading and writing. The most important are always challenging your child with new activities daily to promote constant growth and teaching to sign is a very important ability.

If you’re ready to start, you can select some rather affordable sign language book on Amazon or check with your local library if not the internet. In case you want more help with sign languages classes for children, check out Colorado springs day care. Colorado Springs preschool also offers excellent classes to improve visual and auditory learners with sign language classes for toddlers.

You can contact our Colorado Springs child care here. I wish you and your child the best of luck. Happy signing!

Holiday Joy to You and Yours!

December 22, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

We hope you all have had such a great time this holiday season!

One thing we try and foster with the kids in community and the importance of giving. For the 5th year in a row we were able to support the Colorado Springs Christmas Tree project! The CSCTP donates Christmas trees to families not just in Colorado Springs but all over the state to families who are in hardship, just went through crisis or simply just need some help.

We wrangled up a couple different recipes and the kids put on their aprons and went to work! We are more than a little proud to say that our kids collectively made OVER 700 handmade ornaments for these families! To learn more about this for next year visit: The Christmas Tree Project

Merry Christmas from the Young Scholars Academy kids, parents and team!

What is the Difference Between Preschool and Daycare?

December 20, 2016 by Admin 1 Comment

If you want to start your child’s education early, you may need a preschool. If you need child care in a positive environment, you may need a day care. The process of evaluating each can be confusing. It can also be hard to tell the difference between preschool and day care. There are distinct differences between them which may sway your decision in either direction.

How Preschools and Day Cares are Similar

When looking for a good Colorado Springs child care facility, you will want to check the details of each. Both preschool and day care centers should have licensed and accredited teachers and caretakers. Both preschool and day care centers should have a structured curriculum. This structure will give your kids a proper pre-kindergarten or supplemental education.

The cost is about the same for your child with either choice in Colorado Springs. Don’t think that preschool should to be more expensive. If you find that preschools are more expensive, it might be a better idea to save money and enroll your child into day care. Either choice should provide a great education for your child.

How Preschool and Day Care Differ

Both preschools and day cares can give your kids the education they need to excel in kindergarten. The first big distinction between preschool and day care are the age limit differences. Preschools are designed for children ages three to five. They lay the foundation for kindergarten. Day cares accept a wide range of ages. They care for children in households where both parents work.

Because of the limited age range, preschools tend to have a specific curriculum aimed at pre-kindegarten children. But is a preschool considered a preschool only if there is a focused curriculum? The short answer is no. While day care centers are often seen as babysitting solutions. Many also have focused and structured curriculums. These are usually geared for children of different ages. These centers can tend be larger to accommodate different age groups.

One important thing to consider is that you may need to be more involved with your preschool. For example, if your child gets sick, you would need to come in to take care of the problem. Some preschools also require your child to be properly potty trained. Preschools also have stricter rules then day care centers. A day care centers’ emphasis is on caring for your children while you are working.

Another consideration will be their hours of operation. Preschools tend to have shorter hours and often operate on the regular school calendar. Day cares are generally more flexible. They have hours to focus on caring for children with working parents. Day care is the preferred option for households with working parents as they need to pick up their children after work.

Other Things to Look For

There are other things to consider when looking for a Colorado Springs child care center. For example, some centers will have music and art programs to help your kids develop their creative brains. Other centers may have language classes to get your kids started on a second language at an early age. While these programs are nice, not all Colorado Springs preschools offer these programs. Try to focus on what is most important to you and your child when deciding on a Colorado Springs day care or preschool.

You may want to avoid child care centers that have an accelerated education curriculum unless your child has already started kindergarten. Understanding that child care centers provide a foundation for education is helpful. Toddlers may not be able to comprehend or keep up with the details of accelerated education. These centers charge more than average preschools because of the advanced education level.

If you’re looking for a reputable Colorado Springs child care center, you should consider the Young Scholars Academy. We offer education for a wide age range, have diverse child care programs, and also have before/after school programs for busy parents. Contact us to learn more about how we operate and how we can accommodate to your needs.

Holiday Spirit

December 9, 2016 by Young Scholars Academy Leave a Comment

Winter is coming, and that means that the holidays are on their way. It’s the perfect time to feel the holiday spirit and try to help your fellow man. There are a lot of different ways to do that, so it’s easy to find something that can make a difference for a small part of the world that anyone can handle.

Donate Blood

The Red Cross always needs blood donations, but the need increases during times when people are more likely to be injured. People travel a lot around the holidays, which means there are more accidents and thus more injuries, so blood banks can run into trouble during the holidays. Blood also spoils quickly, so you can be sure that your donation is needed, especially if you have a rare blood type. Donating blood is quick, easy, and free, so it’s a great option for people who are interested in giving back to others without going to too much trouble.

The best way to donate blood is to schedule a visit to a local blood drive. Most blood drives will advertise for several days before the event, so it’s relatively easy to find one. The Red Cross can also help you to find the nearest blood drive if there aren’t any local advertisements. If there aren’t any blood drives to attend, consider organizing one of your own. It takes more work, but blood can save lives, so it’s certainly worth the effort.

Volunteering as a Tutor

Education is one of the keys to building a better life, but sometimes getting an education is easier said than done. Volunteering your time as a tutor can give the gift of knowledge to someone in need, and that gift can pay dividends for years to come. There are several ways to do this, so most people can find some way to help.

Literacy is one of the most important skills because it enables people to learn other things, but some people have trouble with it. Children need to practice reading if they’re going to get good at it, but they don’t always get that chance at home. Providing it is a great way to give back to the community. Simply handing out simple books and giving children the chance to read to you as you fix their mistakes can be a big help. Reading to them is also useful, and almost any adult can do it.

Older students often need help with specific subjects. Helping them requires more specialized knowledge, but you can still do it if you understand the subject. Adults with specialized skills, like woodworking, can also take the chance to pass those on. They aren’t always taught in school, but they’re still useful.

The best way to get involved through tutoring is to contact a local school and ask if they need help with any of their clubs or programs. Libraries are also a good choice, especially for people who want to help with literacy issues. Even if they don’t need volunteers themselves, they can usually point you towards a program that does.

Cook a Feast

Most holidays involve big meals with big groups of people. If you’re filled with the holiday spirit and want to give back in a way that fits the season, you can’t go wrong by contributing to a meal for the community.

These community meals help to solve several different problems at the same time. At a basic level, they can help to fight hunger in the community. They can also spread some holiday joy to people who aren’t able to afford the traditional meal on their own. One meal may not seem like much, but it can make a big difference to people who are on the verge of poverty.

Community feasts also offer a hidden benefit. It isn’t much fun to be alone for the holidays, but it happens to a surprising number of people. These events give those individuals a chance to come together with other people for the holidays that would otherwise be denied to them. That’s a powerful gesture, and it can make the holidays much brighter.

Remember the Essentials

In the end, the holidays are a time to give back to the community. Even a small effort can make a big difference, so there’s no reason not to do something to help others. As long as you remember the golden rule when you volunteer, it’s hard to go wrong.

image credits: http://kut.org/term/thanksgiving, https://dougmatlock.wordpress.com/2013/11/13/i-hate-giving-blood-but/, http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/haveamagnificentday/2011/12/holiday-spirit-the-spirit-of-giving.html

Eat a balanced, varied diet.

Choose lighter options while dining out.

Set a good example for children.

Eat breakfast every day.

Drink more water.

Adopt the “one more” mentality.