Posts Tagged ‘Literacy’
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
Excerpt from Me, Myself and I
by Dr. Kyle Pruett
With all the current focus on accelerated learning, parents may be tempted to do too much of a good thing, jettisoning playful games and enjoyable family events in favor of boring early learning programs. As with adults, too much input from the outside can cause children to tune out.
Young children have a fierce drive to learn, and they are thrilled with their new discoveries. This is a wonderful time to strengthen the foundation for a child’s lifelong love of learning. They key is to do it in a way that respects and responds to each child’s interests, pace and temperament, and not to some external need to keep up with the Joneses or their kids.
One well-documented trait of children who do well in school is that they love to learn. Activities that build love of learning are money in the bank for a child’s educational success. You don’t want to squelch that drive to learn by substituting joyless, skill-pushing memory activities for real exploration, discovery and learning.
So what do you do? Follow your child’s cues. Other than fatigue, cues are all emotional. Children show interest or disinterest, curiosity or frustration, boredom or enjoyment, impatience or pleasure, anger or delight. Pay attention to your child’s moods and heed his cues. Sometimes parents find this hard to do. If you are engaged in some activity you think is really worthwhile, it’s easy to push the envelope until your child seriously wants out. There is no gain in this. Much better to move on to something else or just give things a rest when your child begins to show disinterest or fatigue. You know all the signs. No one is as expert as you at reading your child.
For young children, the best learning is filled with a blend of wonder, giggles, excitement, interest, concentration, a touch of manageable frustration, concerted effort and laughter – all signs of the most positive emotional states. Lessons learned and achievements mastered in these states are gilt-edged in three ways:
- The child learns something new.
- The child learns more about how to learn.
- The child enjoys learning.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Back To School, Biting, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Vacations, Fun in the Sun, Learning through Play, Literacy, New School, Pacifier, Preventing Biting, Saving Money, Sleeping, The Goddard Schoolol, Thumbsucking, Worrying in Children
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Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Pets enrich the lives of many children and families. While children raised with pets show many benefits, safety concerns should always be a determining factor when deciding to get or keep a pet in a family with young children.
Choose wisely from breeds or species that are a good fit for your family, your home and your lifestyle. Behavior, temperament, excitability, patience and size are important characteristics to consider in a child-friendly pet that your little one can help care for. Pets should be free of disease and regularly checked by a veterinarian. Family allergies should also be taken into account. Young children should always be supervised during their interactions with pets. Animals can be easily harmed or provoked to attack if hit, poked or grabbed by young children. Children must be taught to play gently with pets and to keep their distance when an animal is eating, sleeping or caring for their young.
Involved parents, planning and open discussion are necessary in order for a family pet to be a positive experience. Young children can help with pet care, but can’t be completely responsible. They may only be able to help you with a few small tasks when feeding, cleaning or grooming your pet. For example, your child can join you when walking the dog, but certainly shouldn’t walk the dog alone. Allow your child to help care for the family pet in small, safe ways and always under adult supervision.
There are many benefits to children raised with pets. Positive relationships with pets can encourage children to love and trust others. Bonding with a pet can also help young children develop non-verbal communication, compassion and empathy. Caring for pets teaches children responsibility and respect. Both children and animals need exercise and pets are great playmates and a fun way to add physical activity into a child’s day. A pet’s life span can also provide parents the opportunity to teach life lessons about reproduction, birth, illness, loss and death.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Back To School, boredom, car, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Child Development, Controlling Worrying in children, Literacy, New School, Pacifier, Phonics, Reading, Role of Fathers, Sleeping, Staying Cool, Summer Games, Sun Protection, Transitions, water Play
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Friday, January 21st, 2011
The Goddard School® located in Charlotte, NC, recommends trying new activities with your child!
This is a great way for your child to play in the snow during bath time! It’s simple to make a soapy snowball, just follow the directions below.
Materials:
Bar Soap and Water
Directions:
- Soak the bar of soap in water until you are able to break it into two pieces.
- Mold the soap into two snowballs.
- Dry the snowballs – they will flake giving a more realistic look.
- Use the soapy snowballs during bath time!
*Children should have adult supervision throughout this activity.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Add new tag, Back To School, Biting, boredom, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Child Vacations, Fun in the Sun, Goddard School, Literacy, Pacifier, Role of Fathers, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, Thumbsucking, Worrying in Children
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Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
by Dr. Kyle Pruett
When setting limits, there are two key points to remember:
- The fewer words the better.
- Actions speak louder than words.
Fewer Words
My own decades of experience in clinical practice shows me that when parents use discipline phrases of more than 20 words, their children do not respond most of the time. If the emotional tone of that discipline is negative and nagging, children are particularly deaf. This is so hard for many parents because we feel we are so right (actually righteous), compared to our children. We want to believe that the more we correct them, the better they will behave. The data shows exactly the opposite.
Effective Actions
Few words only work in the self-control area if you back it up with action. Otherwise, internal shame will turn into the humiliation of being useless. When your child bites someone during a visit, take her home after a simple reprimand, and don’t endlessly berate her in her car seat. The action of losing her playtime speaks louder that anything you might say. Handing a spoon to a child who is mashing food into her mouth at dinner beats a lecture on manners.
Your love and opinion of your children matters deeply to them, especially when they are struggling to develop more self-control. Showing your children that their behavior affects the way you feel, helps children understand that you have feelings, too. Empathy and compassion begin to grow. When children see that their evolving self-control can make their parent feel good, the affirmation adds social and cognitive accomplishment to the achievement of controlling one’s behavior.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Choosing a Preschool, Controlling Worrying in children, Goddard School, Literacy, New Place, New School, Preventing Biting, Role of Fathers, Sleeping, Summer Games, The Goddard School, Thumbsucking, Traveling Children, water Play, Worrying in Children
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Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
by Kyle D. Pruett, M.D
Love and time…need we say more? How about wise historian, mentor, confidant, elder, counselor, spiritual guide, financier, playmate or parental antidote? These are all roles that grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren. And grandparents are a growing force! The number and percentage of the population that grandparents account for has grown dramatically in the last 15 years – from 58 million to 78 million.
Here are a few ways that you can help foster a healthy relationship between your parents and your children:
- When planning a visit, talk about how you can help and what you should bring to help things go smoothly. Discuss recent routines and help your parents childproof their house – more to keep your child safe than to protect the crystal. This communication
provokes less defensiveness in grandparents, and helps them be a part of the solution from the start.
- Relax some rules, but don’t compromise your core values. For instance, sweets seem to be a generational prerogative, but television monitoring should continue according to your child’s habits and your beliefs.
- Children and grandparents are so close because they share something in common – you! They can share stories, secrets, etc. that allow children the experience of close relationships with a loving family member who is not wholly responsible for their future happiness, homework or well being.
- Spoiling is not a helpful approach to grandparenting and most of them know it. Positive expectant attention is best. Interestingly, today’s grandparents are so busy, I think this is less of a problem these days.
- Enjoy the relationship your children are developing with your parents.
When misunderstandings or problems occur (and they are bound to), it’s better to figure out a way to talk about them than to avoid each other. That is too steep a price for your children. We all want this relationship to work because the benefits are forever.
Kyle D. Pruett, M.D. is an advisor for The Goddard School®. Dr. Pruett is an authority on child development who has been practicing child and family psychiatry for over twenty-five years. He is a clinical professor of child psychiatry at Yale University’s Child Study Center.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Back To School, Biting, boredom, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Controlling Worrying in children, Fun in the Sun, Goddard School, Literacy, Pacifier, Phonics, Reading, Saving Money, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, Transitions, water Play
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Friday, December 17th, 2010
Winter is a great time to snuggle up with your little one and share in the adventures of a good book. Children of all ages will benefit from this quality time with you and their imaginations will soar with every turn of the page.
Stick to simple board books with one picture per page and contrasting colors for the youngest readers (Infant to One Year). Make exaggerated faces to express emotion, change your voice, describe everything and point to the items on each page as you make your way through the book. Watch your child for clues as to what part of the book is his/her favorite.
As children grow, so can their stories. Progressively move to longer books and allow your child to interact by pointing to items, turning the pages and even reading some themselves, if developmentally appropriate. Continue to make faces and change your voice for characters or make sounds for objects and animals. If they’re still learning to sound out words, help them along by annunciating sounds in a normal tone and prompting them to repeat after you.
Together, you and your child can learn, laugh and create fond memories as you beat the winter blues, book after book.
Some great winter books to check out: Biscuit’s Snowy Day by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Welcome Winter by Jill Ackerman, Winter Friends by Carl R. Sams and Jean Stoick and Winter by Gerda Muller.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, 5-star Preschools, Back To School, car, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Choosing a Preschool, Goddard School, Literacy, Sleeping
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Friday, November 19th, 2010
by Dr. Kyle Pruett
When setting limits, there are two key points to remember:
- The fewer words the better.
- Actions speak louder than words.
Fewer Words
My own decades of experience in clinical practice shows me that when parents use discipline phrases of more than 20 words, their children do not respond most of the time. If the emotional tone of that discipline is negative and nagging, children are particularly deaf. This is so hard for many parents because we feel we are so right (actually righteous), compared to our children. We want to believe that the more we correct them, the better they will behave. The data shows exactly the opposite.
Effective Actions
Few words only work in the self-control area if you back it up with action. Otherwise, internal shame will turn into the humiliation of being useless. When your child bites someone during a visit, take her home after a simple reprimand, and don’t endlessly berate her in her car seat. The action of losing her playtime speaks louder that anything you might say. Handing a spoon to a child who is mashing food into her mouth at dinner beats a lecture on manners.
Your love and opinion of your children matters deeply to them, especially when they are struggling to develop more self-control. Showing your children that their behavior affects the way you feel, helps children understand that you have feelings, too. Empathy and compassion begin to grow. When children see that their evolving self-control can make their parent feel good, the affirmation adds social and cognitive accomplishment to the achievement of controlling one’s behavior.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Charlotte, Child Vacations, Choosing a Preschool, Goddard School, Literacy, Preventing Biting, The Goddard School, The Goddard School-Ballantyne, Worrying in Children
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Monday, November 15th, 2010
by Dr. Kyle Pruett
Don’t pretend you’re fine when you’re not.
It’s much better to acknowledge your feelings. It’s normal to feel grief at this change. You will come through sooner and better if you face your feelings head on.
Don’t believe you are a bad parent for choosing childcare.
If you have chosen a good center or caregiver, you can be confident that your child is in good hands, so there is no logical reason to feel guilty. But if you continue to feel guilty, it’s important to come to grips with these feelings. Be especially alert if you are tempted to change your parenting style. For example, some parents start easing up on setting limits to compensate for their guilt. Such behavior leads nowhere you or your child want to go.
Don’t become critical of your child’s caregiver.
It’s important to have a good relationship with caregivers. Their observations and advice can be extremely helpful to your parenting. If you find you feel critical even though the caregiver’s work doesn’t merit such an attitude, recognize that your feelings are a part of the separation process. Then begin to focus on the caregiver’s talents and good qualities. Rest assured that no caregiver will take your place in your child’s life or heart. The new attachments to other warm and loving caregivers are beneficial. They also are good signs of your child’s emotional maturity and your achievement in nurturing that maturity.
Don’t underestimate the importance of the transition to childcare.
If you pretend the new routine doesn’t matter, you may underestimate the good things that can come from this new experience for your child and you – new friends, new learning, new sources of information and new ideas on parenting.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, boredom, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Charlotte, Controlling Worrying in children, Goddard School, Learning through Play, Literacy, New School, Worrying in Children
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Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
The Goddard School® located in Charlotte, North Carolina recommends trying new activities with your child!
Materials:
Contact paper (clear)
Colored tissue paper
Permanent marker
Double-sided tape
Scissors
Ruler
*Children should have adult supervision throughout this activity.
How To:
- Cut two pieces of contact paper into 5” X 5” squares.
- Place double-sided tape on the dull side of one square and secure the square to a table or flat surface.
- Peel off the contact paper backing so the sticky side faces up.
- Cut or tear small pieces of different colored tissue paper and place them on the sticky side of the contact paper square until completely covered.
- Place the second square on top of the first square (sticky side down) so the tissue paper is sealed between the two contact paper squares.
- Trace a leaf shape onto the contact paper squares.
- Cut out the shape to make a colorful fall leaf.
- Use tape to adhere the leaf to a window where the sun will shine through it!
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Add new tag, Back To School, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Care Centers in Ballantyne, Goddard School, Literacy, Pacifier, Saving Money, The Goddard School, Thumbsucking, Traveling Children
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Monday, September 13th, 2010
True toys have no bells or whistles, they do not do anything and you do not turn them on. Most toys today have taken the fun out of imaginative play. Manipulating toys and giving them life develops reasoning and problem-solving skills as well as creates a base of simple knowledge of how things work.
Infants
Rattles – Fine motor development toy of the century. Grasping, repetitive motion that creates a desired outcome, music, hand-eye coordination and focusing visually on a moving object are all part of infant learning. Have rattles handy in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes and sounds.
One-Year-Olds
Blocks, blocks and more blocks – Spatial relationships, size and shape discrimination leads to early math skills, fine motor control as well as cause and effect. This true toy is fun at any age! A child may spend hours building and knocking down blocks while developing science skills including balance, gravity and concepts of weight.
Two-Year-Olds
Paint and play-dough – It is messy and that is why they like it so much. This tactile experience will open the doors of creativity and thinking. Let them mix the colors, use different tools and add to the experience by playing some music in the background. Finger paint, paintbrushes and textured paint can be mixed with a variety of painting surfaces for further explanation.
Three-Year-Olds
A ball – Look at everything you can do with a ball – kick it, catch it, sit on it, bounce it, dribble it, play alone or with someone. A ball develops gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination and encourages healthy practices. A child needs to learn to handle a ball before they can handle a pencil.
Four- to Five-Year-Olds
Dramatic Play – Dramatic play is more than dress-up. It is a shovel, a whisk, a pad of paper. It is a pile of dirt, an old tire and a cardboard box. The sky is the limit – if your children have seen it, they want to explore it. Cut the cord off an old landline telephone and let them look inside as the telephone repair man. True toys for a four year old are simply real life items. These toys will allow children to try on new personalities and play out roles.
To learn more about The Goddard School, click here.
Tags: 28277, 5 Star Child Care Centers, 5 star Preschools in Charlotte, Add new tag, Back To School, Biting, Charlotte Preschools, Child Care Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Ballantyne, Child Care Centers Charlotte, Child Development, Child Vacations, Controlling Worrying in children, Learning through Play, Literacy, Pacifier, Preventing Biting, Saving Money, Staying Cool, The Goddard School, The Goddard Schoolol, Traveling Children, Worrying in Children
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