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.

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.

Music for Kids Summer Line-up

This is too good to pass up and who doesn't love free music! 

The Music Division and Austin Public Library have partnered to host Music for Kids. Music for Kids is a six-week summer concert series featuring local, live musical performances suited for kids and teen youth at library locations throughout Austin.

Performances are free and appropriate for the whole family. All are welcome and invited to attend.

Music for Kids Summer Line-up

Date	Musician	Time	Location
6/24/13	Lucas Miller	4 pm	Howson Branch
6/27/13	Neal Kassanoff	2 pm	Pleasant Hill Branch
6/28/13	Lucas Miller	2 pm	Terrazas Branch
6/28/13	Neal Kassanoff	2 pm	Faulk Central Branch
7/2/13	Lucas Miller	2 pm	Cepeda Branch
7/3/13	Gina Chavez	2 pm	Ruiz Branch
7/8/13	Gina Chavez	2 pm	Spicewood Springs Branch
7/9/13	Gina Chavez	4 pm	Twin Oaks Branch
7/10/13	Neal Kassanoff	2 pm	Windsor Park Branch
7/11/13	Neal Kassanoff	2 pm	Carver Branch
7/15/13	Neal Kassanoff	4 pm	Old Quarry Branch
7/16/13	Gina Chavez	2 pm	Southeast Austin Branch
7/17/13	Gina Chavez	2 pm	Little Walnut Branch
7/18/13	Neal Kassanoff	2 pm	University Hills Branch
7/24/13	Lucas Miller	2 pm	Hampton Branch at Oak Hill
7/24/13	Neal Kassanoff	4 pm	Manchaca Road Branch
7/25/13	Lucas Miller	4 pm	Milwood Branch

Ways to Get Preschoolers to Stop and Listen

Ever feel and sound like a broken record when you are trying to communicate with your preschooler?We do too sometimes. Getting a child to stop and listen can be hard, especially if your child is engrossed with an activity and it's time to move on to something else. Here are some tips on how to help your preschooler stop and listen.

1. Walk over to your child. It's just much more easier than shouting across a room and more effective just to walk over to your child or a group of children. Position yourself at eye level with your child and communicate with he/she in a friendly and positive manner. Children have a tendency to tune out others around them.

2. Eye contact is key! It's really important that children try to make eye contact with you. Children will look around and sometime avoid making eye contact. When this does happen, we remind the child and say, "When you look at me, your eyes tell me that you are listening to me" or "I need to see your eyes" also works too. Please remember to be communicate in a friendly and positive manner.

3. Your message should be short, sweet, and to the point. Children are not fans of listening or being lectured for extended periods of time. Convey your message quickly and effectively.

4. Practice makes perfect! You may have a child who refuses to look at you or even not want to listen to your words. You may want to lead your child to another quiet area away from other children and adults. Children (and adults) don't enjoy being called out or redirected in front of a group. Treat and communicate in a manner in which you want to be treated or communicated with.

How Does Your Infant Learn?

We love our infant program! Our infant team is incredibly dedicated and highly knowledgeable about infant and toddler development. An infant's first form of communication is by crying. When an infant cries, he/she is only communicating their needs and interests. Parents and caregivers are the infant's first teacher and it is vital that we do our best to provide opportunities for our infants to explore what's around him/her.  So how do we give opportunities to our infants so that they can explore? Our curriculum coordinator, Nicole Chisolm recommends spending lots of "face time" with your infant. Talk to your infant as you would to an older child or adult. By talking to your infant, you are promoting language.  Be sure to point out objects and people to your infant within your environment as this will help your infant to associate the object with the name.

Infants love to put objects in their mouth. This is commonly known as mouthing. Mouthing helps your infant to feed a need to better know the world around them. By mouthing, infants are able to determine textures, shapes, sounds, and tastes.

By providing your infant opportunities to see, hear, taste, and touch, you are helping your infant to build his/her motor development as well as social and emotional development.

New Holiday Traditions

Host an Ornament Party!

Making homemade ornaments is a great way to spend some time with the kids and also create memories for years to come!

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Santa Hat Ornament

Materials:

STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:

Balls, 1-1/2", three

Cones, 6" x 3", two

Wool roving: red; green; natural

Serrated knife

Red embroidery floss

Candle stub or paraffin

Scissors

Felting needle

Fine-line black permanent marker

Ruler or measuring tape

Embroidery needle

Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks

Thick, white craft glue

Steps:

Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut 2"-thick slice from bottom of each foam cone; set aside. Cut remaining portion of each cone in half lengthwise; flat side forms ornament back. Press foam balls against work surface to flatten bottoms slightly.

 

For pom poms, loosely cover each ball with one color of wool roving. Follow felting needle manufacturer's instructions to felt roving into place. Note: Keep fingers safely out of the way when felting; needles are extremely sharp. Continue needlefelting until roving is tight against foam surface.

 

Loosely cover one half-cone with natural roving and two more half-cones with green. Felt roving into place.

 

For polka dot hat, roll and needlefelt eight small red balls to green hat. Pull 1" x 8" natural strip and loosely needlefelt around bottom for trim.

 

For striped hat, pull seven 1/2" x 8" red strips and wrap evenly spaced around green hat; needlefelt to hat. Pull 1" x 8" green strip and loosely needlefelt around bottom for trim. Roll and needlefelt 10 small natural balls to trim and green pom pom.

 

For plaid hat, pull three 1/2" x 5" red strips. Needlefelt one strip down center of hat and other two evenly spaced on each side. Pull six 1/2" x 9" roving strips, three red and three green. Refer to photo to felt red strips horizontally around hat and green strips diagonally. Pull 1" x 8" red strip and loosely needlefelt around bottom for trim. Roll and needlefelt three small green balls to center red line as shown.

 

Glue pom poms to hats as shown. Cut three 8" floss lengths. Stitch one length through top of each pom pom; knot ends to create hanging loop.

Reindeer Ornament

Materials:

Paint

 Bright White

 Real Red

 Burnt Sienna

 Coal Black

Foam plate

1" wood split ball, industrial strength craft glue

Lo-temp glue gun and glue sticks

Craft foam in beige, brown

Small sharp scissors

1/2" flat brush

Liner brush

Regular-mouth metal canning jar lid

Pattern

 

Instructions:

Use flat brush and Burnt Sienna to paint top of lid.

 

Mix one part Bright White with one part Burnt Sienna. Use mixture to paint split ball.

 

Refer to photo for placement of muzzle and glue flat side of ball to jar lid.

 

Use end of brush handle dipped in Bright White to paint ovals for eyes.

 

Use end of brush handle dipped in Real Red to dot nose on muzzle.

 

Use liner brush and Coal Black to paint line for mouth and dots for pupils of eyes.

 

Trace and cut two ear patterns from brown foam; cut two antler patterns from beige foam.

 

Refer to photo for placement and use glue gun to attach ears to back edge of lid; glue antlers behind ears on back of lid.

 

Finish item as desired to create ornament, gift tag, pin, or magnet.

Pin: Attach self-adhesive pin back to upper center at back of completed lid;

Magnet: Attach 1" piece of self-adhesive magnetic strip to back center of completed lid;

Ornament or gift tag: Form loop from 10" length of 3/8" wide ribbon and glue between ribbon ends, aligning edges; glue ends to upper center back of lid.

Note: Let dry after each step.

Helpful Tip: We used a new lid with silver finish and minimal lettering. Using lids with printing or colors may require basecoat of Bright White.

The Thanksgiving Story

The Thanksgiving Story

After Thanksgiving dinner is finished, settle down with your family and take a breather...and a refresher course on the Thanksgiving celebration!

Here is the story of Thanksgiving, written for smaller ears:

Long ago, in the early 1600s, a group of people in England wanted to pursue their religion in their own way. The King controlled the Church in England and ordered everyone to attend his Church. Anyone who didn't was punished.

The group of people who wanted to free the Church of England from the King's rule were known as Puritan. To escape the King, around 100 of these men, women and children left their home and sailed away on a ship. the Mayflower, on a trip to the New World.

These brave people, the Pilgrims, landed in Plymouth after a long six week journey. It was December 11. 1620. The winter in the New World was bitter and cold. It was a strange land to them and the Pilgrims could find nothing familiar.

The winter was long and hard for the Pilgrims. Luckily, Native Americans helped by supplying them with seeds and food and taught them how to survive in their new land.

The first year was very difficult for the Pilgrims and many didn't survive. With the seeds and plants received from the Native Americans, the Pilgrims planted crops and their fall harvest was a good one. To celebrate their good fortune, the Pilgrims had a feast to celebrate. A feast of Thanksgiving.

Many foods were cooked for the feast- wild turkey, duck and venison along with fish, pumpkins, squash, corn, sweet potatoes and cranberries. 

Captain Miles Standish, the leader of the Pilgrims, invited all of the Native Americans who had helped the Pilgrims survive and taught them so much their first year. The feast lasted for three days! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Looking for something new to make this Thanksgiving? This pie is easy to make and super healthy- filled with all the goodness and nutrition of pumpkin and nuts!

For the crust:

1 c cashews

1 c almonds

1/4 c raisins

1 c dates

1/8 t salt

For the filling:

1 sugar pumpkin, peeled, gutted and cut into cubes

1 c dates

4 T melted coconut oil

1/3 c maple syrup

1-4 T pumpkin pie spice

To make the crust:

Process nuts in food processor until they are a rough flour. Add dates, raisins and salt. Pulse until sticky. Press into the bottom of a pie dish and refrigerate.

For the filling, process the cubed pumpkin until the cubes can't get any smaller in the food processor. Add other ingredients and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to the blender and ble!nd until smooth. Add spices to taste. Spread the filling in pie crust and let sit in the fridge for a few hours.

Enjoy!

Thanks to One Green Planet for this wonderful recipe.

Community Helpers

    One of the things that I have always enjoyed about the Steiner Ranch area is the sense of community.  Steiner Ranch really seems to rally together, whether it is a concert in a park, school fairs, or the various groups that meet throughout the week.  However, what does it mean to really be a part of a community, and what does that word mean?
   
 http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/community 
defines the word community as: (n) a unified body of individuals. 

    I don't know about you but those words can really make a person feel secure, confident, and warm inside.  Our communities are important to us, as well as the people that embody them.  
   How can you teach your child(ren) about community or help them to feel "a sense of community".  First, we must start by explaining to our children what a community is!  Our community is where we live and is full of people we often see! 
   In October our students will get the opportunity to learn about community and community helpers.  We will introduce the students to specific jobs/careers that are more popular when it comes to actually being a contributor to the safety of the community; police/fire men and woman, EMT, nurses, doctors, and soldiers.  In addition they will learn about the careers people chose that also benefit our communities; teachers, mail carrier, bakers, butchers, vets, bus drivers, etc. 
   Great ideas to get your children involved in the community are volunteering opportunities: serving Thanksgiving Dinner to the less fortunate, making cookies for the fire department, sending letters to the soldiers over seas, making thank-you cards for the police department, etc.

    Make sure to engage in conversation with your child throughout October asking them what they have learned and what their idea of a community is!  We will also have a mailbox set up in the lobby for your child to "mail" a letter to their teacher. 
  

Enjoying the Second Half of Summer Break

 

Well, I can't believe that summer is already half over! It is amazing how time flies, and it is also amazing when you look back and note all of the hard work put into making “fun” happen. With all the prepping and planning to create memorable experiences, it is easy to forget to enjoy it yourself! As parents, you can be busy planning vacations, weekend get-a-ways, pool parties, slumber parties, or just a good ol' get together in the backyard, but how often do you really get to enjoy yourself during these events?  Well it is time to stop and breathe and enjoy these last few weeks. 

                In my line of work, I am always inundated with materials pertaining to children.  I get emails, fliers, faxes, and magazines on a weekly basis, and all of it is filled with articles pertaining to raising children.  “Should your 10 year old watch Pg-13 movies?” or “How to potty train in 10 days!”  However, recently I have been exposed to ideas to bring families closer; fun activities for everyone to enjoy.  I would like to take this time to share those with you.

 In this month’s issue of Parenting magazine, Janene Mascarella suggests that you create a “yes jar.” Every time you are busy and have to tell your child no, you have them (or you help them) write the activity on a piece of a paper and place it in the jar.  Then, when you have spare time you pull the ideas from the jar and enjoy these activities.  You don’t even have to be an expert for this next one; read every night to your child.  Reading a book or two is the best way to close out not only your child’s day but yours as well. 

                Dr. AlanGreene, who is a pediatrician and wrote the best-selling book Raising Baby Green, suggests that you dedicate 7 meals a week to eat with your family.  Dr. Greene continues to clarify in the August 2012 edition of Parenting that “First, I said meals, not dinners. Dinners may work for your family, but for mine the easiest to coordinate hands downs is breakfast.”  Dr. Greene continues by saying that it is important to eat at the dinner table and not around the t.v., and that this is a good way to bond and teach healthy eating habits.

                In addition to family vacations, weekend outings, and other summer activities that will build life long memories, try doing some small projects together.  Find what really interests your children; it could be baking, treasure hunts, exploring nature, researching new ideas, or crafting.  I stumbled across this great website that mails you a “craft box” monthly; www.kiwicrate.com.  The boxes from Kiwi Crate come complete with everything you will need to dive into a craft; they offer a variety of crafts from gardening to dinosaurs.  You can order month by month at your discretion or sign-up for a yearly membership (paying in full and receiving one month free). 

                Lastly, record your summer fun!  Create a family journal writing the adventures you had, or start a scrapbook!  At the beginning of this year my husband and I started a memory jar and we write our 2012 memories on a small piece of paper and place them in a mason jar.  We plan on reading back these memories to each other on New Year’s Eve!  Just some ideas, but the most important thing is to just have fun!

CCOA Steiner Ranch, are you Ready for Summer Camp?

Summer is fast approaching us, which means it is time to start thinking about summer camp!  CCOA at Steiner Ranch kicked off a great camp last year titled, Jammin' in the Jungle; and we are very excited to roll out our New Summer Camp 2012 theme: A Summer Under the Rainbow.  We are privileged to be a part of the exclusive Steiner Ranch Community which gives us access to close and fun activities throughout the summer.  Last summer we enjoyed activities in the park, ice cream at Cups-n-Cones, lunch at the Boat House Grill and many more activities that spanned our great city.  This year we are planning a summer long-city wide scavenger hunt amongst our three schools.  The campers will be given the opportunity to explore the hidden gems of not only Steiner Ranch but Austin as well.

   We not only offer a summer camp program for campers kindergarten through fifth grade, but we also provide a fun-filled summer for children starting at 8 weeks to five years.  Each week will be filled with fun recipes, crafts, and activities that correspond with our camp them. CCOA Steiner also offers morning swimming lessons, these fill up fast, so reserve your spot quick! Stop by the front office today or call today and speak to someone about signing your child up today.  Enrollment packets are ready!

Contact information
Phone: 512-266-6130
email: nicole.chisolm@childrenscenterofaustin

4308 North Quinlan Park Rd.
STE 100
Austin, TX. 78732