Children begin discovering the world around them from the moment they are born. When you talk, read and sing with your child, you’re helping her learn. It can be as simple as counting your baby’s toes during bath time, asking your toddler a question about the sky, or encouraging preschool-age children to build with blocks! In fact, very young children can learn some of the basic concepts underlying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). You can discover STEM with your child in many ways. Talk, read, sing, play, sign or use other ways to communicate – whatever works best for your family.

For children with disabilities or developmental delays, communicate with your service providers and keep each other informed of your child’s individual learning style and methods you are using to make your child’s language environment as rich as possible. While we provide some tips, we know every child is unique. As always, you should do what is best and developmentally appropriate for your child.

•Why? Questions. When young children ask “why?” questions, they are being scientists! As a parent, you don’t have to have the right answers to help your child learn about STEM. You can respond by saying, “That’s a good question. How can we find out together?” Have fun and be co-discoverers.

•Laundry Time is Talk Time. When folding laundry with your child, make a pattern with socks. Line them up like this: big, small, big, small, big, small. Then, have fun matching the pairs of socks together. Every time you find the right pair, say, “It’s a match!”

•Setting the Table. While setting the table, ask your child tell you how many forks you need for everyone to have one, and then count them out loud together. You can talk about texture too. How does a napkin feel compared to a plate?

•Sing simple number songs and nursery rhymes like “Counting in Twos,” “One Banana, Two Bananas,” “Five Little Monkeys,” and “Tres Pececitos.”

•Let’s Measure. In the kitchen, point out and read the lines on the measuring cups and spoons as you prepare dinner. Talk about how half the onion gets used for the soup. Let your child fill and pour using different measurement methods: one cup of cornmeal for the cornbread; two tablespoons of oil to cook the chicken.

•Go on a Shape Hunt. You can discover shapes all around you. “The window is a rectangle. Look, it has four sides and four corners. Let’s see how many rectangles we can find.” Or, “The mirror is shaped like an oval.” It’s fun to make shapes too. Using a stick, draw a shape in sand or dirt while at the park. See if your preschooler would like to try. Practice making BIG circles and then little ones, BIG squares and little ones, etc.

•Math Walk and Talk. Take a math walk on the way to the bus. As you walk, play a game where you and your child need to take “four big steps,” find “six pebbles” or touch “seven green leaves.” Ask and work together to solve how many questions, such as “How many steps from the front door to the sidewalk?”

•What Comes Next? You can use snack time to make patterns: place a strawberry, a cracker, and a slice of cheese in a repeated line across the plate. On a walk, use a BIG-step, little-step pattern. Ask your child, “What comes next?”

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Parent Reminders

• Please be sure to wash your child’s hands upon entering the classroom.
• If your child has received any new immunizations, please make sure we have an updated record in your child’s file.
• All outside food must be store bought.
• Inform the front office if your emergency contact information changes.
• Please sign your child in and out each day.
• Label all your child’s belongings.
• Please put appropriate foot wear on your child for active play.

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  ANCILLARY PROGRAMS

 

Monday Morning: Daisy Dance is a ballet, tap and a creative movement dance program designed to teach children a life long love of movement and provide a foundation for all dance genres. New dance sessions will begin in September. Click here for the registration form.

Tuesday Afternoon: T.O.T (Teams of Tomorrow) is an awesome training program that focuses on basketball handling and dribbling skills. The onsite classes are fun, educational and active.  New TOT classes will start September 7th. Click here for the registration forms.

Wednesday Morning: Elevate Rock School is an awesome NEW music program that focuses on learning real instruments with small classroom sizes. registration forms are located at the front desk. Please read the flyer all about Elevate Rock School. Classes will start June 5th at 9:30a.m

Thursday Morning: Soccer Shots is a popular non-competitive youth soccer program. This program teaches confidence, fun, character, teamwork, coordination and imagination. The summer soccer shots will start March 2nd- May 18th, click here for the registration forms.

Friday Morning: King Tiger Tae Kwon Do is taught according to individual needs and levels of skills. Students begin to establish, and actually achieve, personal goals. Students learn that, by setting realistic goals and applying dedication and hard work, anything is possible. They develop confidence! The virtues of Respect, Concentration, Discipline, and Motivation are the characteristics of a truly confident individual. A new session will start Mar.24th-May19th  ,click here for the registration form.

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From the Education Department: