PRESCHOOL: Age, teacher, books, songs, crafts, games, etc. – I think toddlers are so adorable!*
Vol. 4, No.23, Monday, September 16, 2013
TITLE: “PRESCHOOL: Age, teacher, books, songs, crafts, games, etc. – I think toddlers are so adorable!*”
INTRODUCTION
With my grandson starting pre-school and joining my granddaughter, I thought of preschools for toddlers as a subject for my next blog. Children at an early age are a handful, but they’re so cute. Therefore, my book of the week is “Brain Quest Workbook: Pre-K: A whole year of curriculum-based exercises and activities in one fun book!” [Paperback] by Liane Onish (Author). (Editor’s Note: This is another post in a continuing series on schooling and returning to class.)
ANTOINETTE’S LIFE & TIMES*
My Childhood: When I was a very young child, I did not have the opportunity of preschool. I also did not attend a kindergarten. In those days, our school boards did not offer kindergarten. I started school at grade 1. I also had a language challenge. My parents were immigrants; so their English skill was not great. They had difficulty helping me with my homework. They hired a young lady to assist me. When it came to my brothers, I got the job of assisting them when they needed help.
My Daughters: While my daughters were growing up, it was important for me that they play with kids their own age. Interacting with such children is necessary. Since grandparents were babysitting my daughters all day, I realized that I had to do something. I wanted them to mingle with other children. I arranged for my first daughter to go to a pre-school. She loved it. For my second daughter, I asked if there was an opening in a small babysitting group of children hosted at her house by a loving woman whom I knew well. She said: “Yes!” My youngest loved it. So, both of my daughters were happy with their pre-school experience.
At the age of 5, my daughters attended kindergarten. Due to pre-school, both of my daughters were well advanced. This helped them to do well in kindergarten. Later, I sat with them every evening to help them with their homework.
My Grandchildren: Before choosing a preschool for her eldest, my daughter researched carefully. She looked for a preschool, fully licensed with high standards. It also had to have teachers who were well-trained and experienced. She found one! My granddaughter is now starting her 3rd year – she will start kindergarten next year. This year, my grandson, age 2-½, started pre-school. He was soooooooooo excited. He adjusted and fit in immediately. This can be explained by the fact that his sister also attends the same pre-school. This made a difference. When I asked him about school, he replied that he had a new friend with black hair. He’s so happy about his new surroundings. Both my grandkids are now advanced for their age.
THE AUTHOR: Liane Onish
Liane Onish is a writer with credits of several books that have been published. She is also an editor of children’s books. Several are: Storytime Stickers: Mr. Potato Head: The Busy Day (Storytime Stickers), Brain Quest Workbook: Grade 2, Brain Quest Workbook: Pre-K, and (Pre-K) Get Ready for Pre-K with PB & J: Concepts for Early Literacy (the Clear and Simple Workbooks).
SERIES/COLLECTION
Books/Articles:
Here’s some, to name a few:
· Brain Quest Workbook: Pre-K: A whole year of curriculum-based exercises and activities in one fun book! by Liane Onish (Jul 9 2008)
· Brain Quest Workbook: Grade 2: A whole year of curriculum-based exercises and activities in one fun book! by Liane Onish (Jul 9 2008)
· Building Real-Life Math Skills: 16 Lessons With Reproducible Activity Sheets That Teach Measurement, Estimation… by Liane B Onish (Oct 1 2011)
· Solve-the-Riddle Math Practice: Fractions & Decimals: 50+ Reproducible Activity Sheets That Help Students Master… by Liane B Onish (May 1 2012)
THE BOOK: Brain Quest Workbook: Pre-K: A whole year of curriculum-based exercises and activities in one fun book! [Paperback] by Liane Onish (Author)
First, Brain Quest Pre-K is curriculum-based. It helps the children with their lessons in class. It is directed to parents. It is well organized. It has photographs and the explanations are easy to understand. The workbook makes learning fun – it has exercises and games. The book includes such subjects as alphabets, numbers, letters, shapes, colors, sounds, etc. It uses mazes, sorting and matching, picture games, etc.
CONCLUSION
As parents, we love and take care of our children. Our overall job is to bring each of them up to become a well-adjusted and productive adult and a good citizen. But, one of our jobs is to prepare our children for their school career.
Personal Comments
I say:
1. That attending a preschool with a high-quality program will not only prepare a child for kindergarten, but also their full school career.
2. That it’s crucial for a child at a young age to develop the brain. This will have a positive effect on him or her throughout the rest of life.
3. That it’s good to keep a child active while they’re learning;
- That children can learn to like school by starting with a preschool in which they’ve had a pleasant experience. They’ll realize that learning can be fun.
- That preschool is where children will learn to interact with other children. A child needs to learn how to play in a group. They will learn to socialize, share and play in a group. Since they will have a group of friends to be with daily, they could make friends.
- That preschool contributes to a child’s social and emotional development.
- That preschool is where a child learns to follow instructions.
- That a good preschool can make a difference in how well a child develops socially and mentally. It helps a child to advance in his or her education.
The Point
A good preschool is a great advantage to children. It could be an expense, but if you can afford it, it’s worth every dime.
ANTOINETTE’S TIP SHEET*
Every parent of a toddler should:
- Research the topic of preschool;
- Search for a preschool that is licensed and highly qualified. Your child is the reason;
- Look for a preschool with teachers who are well-trained and experienced;
- Keep in mind the recommended teacher-child ratio of preschoolers per staff member;
- Check out to see if the school has a good program. You’ll know a good one, if it has a wide variety of singing, dancing, painting, reading, play time and also learning alphabets and counting. It also makes learning fun for your child.
Preschool is a place and time for coaching and practice; and that’s very good! Doesn’t that make sense?
And that’s my thought of the week on books, what’s yours?*
Take it out for a spin and tell me if you agree.
ALP
“Books are life; and they make life better!*”
P.S. Big News: There are big changes coming to my blog – Please stay tuned.
P.P.S. #1 I have a TWITTER page. Consider becoming a follower? Visit www.twitter.com – saveandread
P.P.S. #2 I also have a FACEBOOK page. Consider becoming a friend? Visit: www.facebook.com – Alp Save Andread – please check it out.
P.P.S. #3 I am on Linkedin. Consider becoming a connection? Visit www.linkedin.com – Antoinette La Posta
CREDITS
-Web Tech: richmediasound.com
The above is a new media production of Valente under its “United Author*” program.
*TM/© 2013 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.
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NEED SOMETHING FURTHER? TRY SAVE AND READ* (S&R*) .
ONE – “IT WORDS FOR ME!*”
For today, my word/phrase(s) are: “preschool”, etc.
“Preschool education (or infant education) is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of three and five, depending on the jurisdiction.” (Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia) –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preschool_education
TWO – STUDY/STATISTICS:
“Preschoolers
- In a typical week during spring 2011, 12.5 million, or 61 percent, of the 20.4 million children under 5 were in some type of regular child care arrangement.
- Family members continue to serve as an important source of child care for preschoolers. In 2011, 24 percent of preschoolers were regularly cared for by their grandparents, 18 percent by their fathers (while their mothers worked) and 10 percent by a sibling or other relative. The percentage of preschoolers cared for by grandparents has risen from 1997, when it was 21 percent.
- Similar percentages of preschoolers with employed black or non-Hispanic white employed mothers were cared for by grandparents (32 percent and 31 percent, respectively).
Hours in Care
- On average, preschoolers with employed mothers spent 15 hours more in child care than children with nonemployed mothers: 36 hours per week and 21 hours per week, respectively.
Father-Provided Care
- Preschoolers whose mothers worked nights or evenings were more likely to have their father as a child care provider than those with mothers who worked a day shift (42 percent and 23 percent, respectively).
- The use of any father care among Hispanic children with employed mothers increased to 32 percent in 2011, up from 20 percent in 2005.
Child Care Costs
- Mothers with children under 5 were more likely to make child care payments than mothers with children only between 5 and 14 (46 percent and 23 percent, respectively).
- While the cost of child care increased over time, the percent of monthly family income spent on child care stayed constant between 1997 and 2011, at around 7 percent.
- Families in poverty who paid for child care in 2011 spent a greater proportion of their monthly income on child care than did families at or above the poverty line (30 percent compared with 8 percent).”
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau) – http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/children/cb13-62.html)
THREE – BONUS ARTICLES
S & R*NEWS ALERT*#1: Motivation for success at school
“(NC) For a child to become motivated about school, they need to see learning as an enjoyable experience and believe that it is a sound investment in their future. Here are three steps parents can take to help children be more successful at school:
Set attainable goals: Teach or help your children to establish many goals within projects, both in school and with respect to everyday activities, such as cleaning their room and getting dressed in the morning.
Celebrate when your child has achieved a goal: Recognition and praise are powerful factors that encourage motivation. Reward your child with your time and attention. These are more important than anything else you could possibly offer.
Be specific with your praise: Saying you did a great job” is not clear enough. Tell your child specifically what you think is wonderful about them and what you liked about what they did. This will highlight the behaviours that you would like to see again and again and again.
Enrolling your child in an after-school program can help develop their excitement about school and learning, says Jasmina Zurovac, director of corporate donations at RBC. We’ve seen thousands of children who participate in these programs develop self-esteem and an increased motivation to excel in school.
Zurovac points out that the tips above were initiated by the RBC employee assistance provider, Ceridian Canada. Since 1999, she added, the RBC After School Project has provided more than $30 million in grants to 248 community-based after school programs in Canada, helping almost 31,000 children learn, grow and reach their full potential. More information is available online at www.rbc.com/afterschool.” www.newscanada.com
S & R*NEWS ALERT*#2:Four tips to ease the transition back to school
“(NC) Autumn marks a crucial time for families, especially for kids back to school and the daily routine of class, extra-curricular activities and homework. To ease your child back into the school year, make learning fun outside the classroom to keep their minds sharp. Tech expert, Amber Mac, the co-host of television show AppCentral, shares her tips for helping kids gear up for the school year ahead.
Read
Reading is fundamental to childhood development. To make it interactive, replace the television with reading exercises in your child’s downtime. For example, the LeapReader (by LeapFrog) is a new technology tool that helps children sound out words, read sentences and works with your child’s skill level to improve their reading and vocabulary. Reading at home bolsters children’s imaginations, develops their interests and above all, is the ideal complement to school studies, says Amber Mac.
Challenge With Games
One of the key ways to make learning fun is to add an entertainment component. Games with an educational foundation are an easy way to ensure your child is learning while having fun. There are a number of kid-friendly tablets available, and one of the favourites is also from LeapFrog, the new kid-tested, LeapPad Ultra. With over 800 downloadable games, apps and videos for this device, your child will be able to tailor content to best suit their interests.
Make It Personal
With the return to the classroom come new wardrobe additions and fresh supplies. Spark your child’s creativity and encourage them to personalize. Whether it’s patches on a backpack, a keychain for their backpack they make themselves, or stickers to personalize their agenda, getting the creative juices flowing will give them a sense of accomplishment and allow them to express their unique personalities.
Schedule time for Fun
Plan educational and fun activities/outings on the weekends. For instance, visit a museum one day, play a word association game the next, or head to a sports game. The key is to switch up the routine and still integrate learning, while helping kids stay inspired and have fun.
Keeping kids engaged in learning activities outside of the classroom will ensure their minds are fresh and prepped for the school year ahead. Back to school is a special time for parents and children alike, so make the experience fun and keep the excitement and learning going throughout the year.” www.newscanada.com
*TM/© 2013 Practitioners’ Press Inc. – All Rights Reserved.