Archive for September, 2009

Newer Entries »

Flex Learning

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

 

What is FLEX Learning?The Goddard School FLEX Learning Program, based on the latest research in how children learn, provides the optimal environment for a young child’s development. The program’s foundation is the learning continuum that encompasses developmental guidelines with formative assessments, child-focused lesson plans, a creative and fun environment and a personalized child-centered approach that meets each child’s needs.7.physical development.

 

FLEX Learning is delivered by professional, trained teachers who use assessment results to select the materials and activities that create a fun, challenging and safe learning experience. The result is a confident learner who is ready for school!

The key elements of FLEX Learning are (each element is described in detail in the marketing and education materials available on the portal):

1. Developmental guidelines, state standards and formative assessments;

2. Child-focused lesson plans from the Goddard Curriculum Guide;

3. Creative and fun learning environment; and

4. Child-centered learning and teachable moments for a personalized approach

FLEX Learning incorporates seven core, academically accepted learning domains. These are the standard learning domains that are included in most state guidelines for quality early childhood education and are part of the curriculum requirements for most accreditations. The domains are:

1. personal and social development;

2. language and literacy;

3. mathematical thinking;

4. scientific thinking (including technology);

5. social studies;

6. creative expression; and

7. physical development

 To learn more about The Goddard School in Ballantyne click here.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Learning Materials | Comments Off

Back To School

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Getting Your Child Back into the Routine of Things

The Goddard School® located in Charlotte gives advice and tips to parents on how to prepare their children for the coming school year

 

Charlotte, NC (Grassroots Newswire) 9/3/09 – Back-to-school season is here and Charlotte-area children are probably getting excited about shopping for new clothes and being able to see their school friends. And, while education is an essential part of growing up, Dr. Susan Monbarren of The Goddard School located in Charlotte>, says other factors like waking up earlier in the morning, brushing teeth and packing a school lunch are also important, as it helps develop an organized lifestyle and further a child’s growth.

 

“It is so important for children to get into the routine of going to sleep at a reasonable time, knowing what daily morning chores they need to accomplish each day and other things of the like,” Monbarren said. “In addition, the school year is great because it allows children to be around their peers more often throughout the day, and this promotes social stability. We encourage parents to get the ball rolling and start implementing these routines – even before the school year begins.”

 

Routine establishes many aspects of healthy living, good habits and good behavior that even the slightest structure can make a huge difference in a child’s day-to-day life, Monbarren said. Monbarren suggests parents, with young children, ask themselves the following questions:

 

  • Do you post a list of nighttime and morning to-dos on your child’s bedroom door or on the kitchen refrigerator as daily guidelines for your children?
  • Do you read a bedtime story to your child each night?
  • Do you have a designated area in your child’s room or elsewhere in the home for your child to store his or her coat and school book bag?
  • Does your child have a bedtime on school nights and on weekends?
  • Do you wake up your child in the morning? Or, does your child have an alarm clock in his or her room to wake up on time?

 

If you have answered “no” to most of these questions, it might be time to implement more routine chores. Monbarren suggests the following ideas that could help parents save time and institute organizational skills for their kids:

 

  • Be sure to discuss the highlights and events that happened at school with your child each day.
  • Help your child prepare for school the night before, including assisting your child in selecting clothes to wear for school. After a while, he or she will be able to do this without your assistance.
  • Designate a time each night that your child should go to sleep. Children need 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night, depending on their age.
  • Choose an area in the home, such as by the front door, to store your child’s school bag and any supplies he or she may need for school (e.g., art projects, thank-you notes/gifts for teachers).
  • Have a daily to-do list posted in an area your child will see each day.

 

“Just like we practice at The Goddard School, regular schedules create a day with structure. The repetition of routines encourages your child’s memory development, and the consistency helps him or her adjust to a regular schedule,” Monbarren said.

 

The Goddard School located in Charlotte offers a year-round program for children from six weeks to six-years-old. Children are encouraged to develop at their own pace in a warm environment supported by a team of dedicated teachers. The Goddard School FLEX Learning Program™ is based on a unique learning continuum that encompasses developmental guidelines, formative assessments and child-focused lesson plans that are delivered in a creative and fun environment with a child-centered approach to meet each child’s individual needs.

 

For more information on why The Goddard School located in Charlotte is the place for fun and learning, please contact Dr. Susan Monbarren at 704-544-1998.

 

About The Goddard School

The Goddard School (www.goddardschools.com) is a nationwide franchise of Goddard Systems, Inc. headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. With over 330 franchised schools nationwide and 42,000 children enrolled, Goddard is the fastest growing preschool in the United States. Goddard was recently recognized by Entrepreneur magazine as the “#1 Childcare Franchise” for the eighth consecutive year (January 2009) and Franchise Times magazine as one of the Top 200 Franchise Systems (in worldwide sales) for the second consecutive year (October 2008).

To learn more about The Goddard School located in Ballantyne click here.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in General | Comments Off

Reading Readiness

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Focusing on Reading Readiness for Children

 

Many parents look forward to announcing that their child can read, but the truth is children are reading long before they can interpret the pages of the book. As with most things in life, reading requires the proper building blocks before it can begin.

 

Reading begins with language and how it relates to your child's world. Creating a language-rich environment will help your child's vocabulary grow. Language develops with every interaction you have with your child – infants begin by reading their parents' facial expressions while older children develop their vocabulary by listening and eventually repeating what their parent say. Verbalize your child's world and he or she will begin to repeat sounds and syllables – be sure to pause, speak and alter conversation style.

 

A print-rich environment may also help prepare your child for reading by making the connection between your child's world and the symbols we use to communicate, so make your home an active learning environment. Start labeling household items with pictures and words so your child will learn to associate everyday items with their symbols. Lead by example and let your child see you read often. Teach your child to respect books – while pages will rip and bindings will break; your child will learn that you value books and their content if you set a high expectation for their care.

 

Remember, it takes many interactions with the alphabet and phonemic awareness for reading skills to develop. While it may be difficult to remain patient, be assured that reading will happen when your child is ready.

 

The following are easy-to-follow steps for your child when it comes to reading:

 

Infant to One Year

·        Play appropriate music; it leads to acute sound discrimination used later in letter sound discrimination.

·        Read simple board books with one picture per page, contrasting colors or simple pictures, and point to the items on each page.

·        While reading to your child, make faces – it's fun and your child will notice subtle differences.

·        Offer choices and name options. Watch your child's eyes and hands for favorites.

·        Allow your child to point and turn book pages.

·        Describe everything; name colors, shapes and sizes.

·        Verbalize and describe your child's actions (e.g., "That's the blue ball. Uh-oh, it rolled away. I'll roll it back to you. You caught it.")

 

First Steps (12-18 months)

·        Read longer stories to your child and allow him or her to interact with the book – pointing, turning pages or even turning the book upside-down.

·        Name objects as your child points.

·        Sing and give characters of books funny voices.

·        Offer opportunities for discrimination.

·        Talk about the stop light (e.g., red circles mean ‘stop,’ green circles mean ‘go’).

·        Play with objects that are similar and point out the differences (e.g., cow versus horse, blankets with subtle pattern differences).

·        Make noises! Imitate cars, animals and eating sounds during play.

·        Speak to your child in a normal tone to demonstrate accurate sound recognition.

·        Enunciate words of interest like M-M-Mommy.

·        As syllables start to represent words, such as "juice" and "more," expand upon them (e.g., "apple juice," "Would you like more apple juice?").

 

Toddler & Get Set (18-36 months)

·        Read everything – signs, labels, toys and your child's name.

·        Take cues from your child – interested, not interested, read or just look at the pictures, read more or stop before the end of the story?

·        Sing and give characters of books funny voices.

·        Find and point out shapes and symbols in your home or community.

·        Recite rhymes and alliterations; pause to allow your child to fill in the last word or phrase.

·        Play games such as Candyland® where symbols lead to action (e.g., two orange squares on the card means to move two orange spaces).

 

Preschool (36 months +)

·        Read words and point to each one as you read it, moving your finger from left to right, top to bottom.

·        While grocery shopping, ask your child to find an item that starts with a certain letter or find a particular cereal. Have these items on your grocery list for comparison.

·        While in the park, ask your child to bring you nature items one at a time. Write the word for each item and then write a story with these words.

·        Show your child speech in the written form. Ask your child what he or she would like to buy at the grocery store and add it to your grocery list together, write notes to Dad or make "to do" lists.

 

Pre-Kindergarten (48 months +)

·        Read with your child. Take turns reading pages, modeling intonation and punctuation cues.

·        Make up silly rhymes and alliterations.

·        Play "Going on a Hike." Start by picking a letter and saying. "I'm going on a hike and in my back pack I have a …" Take turns repeating the sentence, naming the previously listed words and adding new word that starts with the chosen letter each time.

·        Help your child cut large letters from old magazines. Talk about words that begin with each of these letters.

·        Ask your child to get something in the pantry that he or she would not recognize by sight; provide the beginning letter sound of the item and ask him or her to search for it by reading the letters.

·        While driving, ask your child to help you find a particular street sign.

To learn more about The Goddard School in Ballantyne click here.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Learning Materials | Comments Off

Newer Entries »