What you need to know about Pre-Kindergarten!

Ask a kindergarten teacher what she wants from her new kindergarten student. She will tell you she wants a student who demonstrates a love for learning! A child with an endless questions inspires a natural curiosity to learn more about their world around them. Children who ask lots of questions have a wonderful tendency to want to problem-solve!  Problem solving is such a wonderful skill for a child to possess!  Kindergarten teachers also want their students to demonstrate solid oral-language skills. Children need a background knowledge of their world along with the words which belong to it. Kindergarten teachers also want a child who possess a desire to be independent! Teachers expect children to master the following:

• Get coats on and off and hang them up 
• Follow simple two-step instructions such as "take off your boots and put on your sneakers"
• Go to the bathroom and wash their hands 
• Blow their nose and cover their mouth when they cough 
• Fasten and unfasten simple buttons and snaps 
• Eat neatly and pour into a cup 
• Open up a juice box and get the straw in.

Our School and its Teachers prepare children for school success! Schedule an appointment to meet our team today and learn more about why so many school administrators and teachers choose to send their own children to our school!

Join us at The Children's Center of Austin's Summer Camp, "Keep Austin Young"

How puppets can help with social skills

Puppets are a common device for playtime, and it's easy to see how children love to play together with puppets.  Puppets are also a great example of learning through play.  But what you might not realize is how helpful puppets can be in helping to teach children social skills, such as conflict resolution.

The use of puppets can also help with modeling good classroom behaviors, like asking a teacher for help.  This great article explains how these concepts are achieved, and how teachers prepare an effective and fun puppet show for your child.  Who knew puppets could be so beneficial?


Source: "Circle Time Puppets - Teaching Social Skills" Play and Children's Learning in the Classroom, NAEYC.org. Julia Luckenbill. Web.

The importance of play-based learning

A play-based learning environment may just be the best thing for your child's skills and academic success.  The creating, questioning, imitating, dreaming, and sharing are a child's first connections to the world that transcends book-learning and encourages the child to actively engage with people and ideas.  

This article explains so many of the key points of play-based learning and why it's beneficial for children, and it's definitely worth a read!

Source: "Want to get your kids into college?  Let them Play." CNN Opinion. Erika Christakis, Nicholas Christakis. Web. 29 Dec. 2009.

On-the-go conversation games

Since my kids were small, we've played a handful of games in the car on the way to work, school, and on errands.  It's amazing how fun they still are after several years!  These games are often a great way to get my children to converse with me, and for me to connect with them, so I don't feel like just a chauffeur!  Our favorites are "guess this character" and reading half of a road sign so they can guess the other half.  Here's another idea that's great for on-the-go fun that will have you and your child talking!  Thanks to Family Fun magazine for this idea.

Celebrate the first day of Summer!

What better time than now to have a summer picnic?  Imaging laying out in beautiful weather, relaxing with your loved ones, listening to music, and enjoying some delicious treats...now it's time to plan that picnic!

Here are some excellent ideas from food and drink recipes to storage, supplies, and travel blankets, courtesy of Parents.com.  Enjoy, and have a happy Summer!

  

  

Bathtime fun with cork boats!

We found this great craft idea that will have your child feeling like an admiral of the ocean sea!  These cork boats are easy to create and will be so much fun to play with.  Thanks to Kate's Creative Space for this fun craft.