Early Childhood Education social and emotional skills

Early Childhood Education social and emotional skills are critical for children to be successful in school. Here are some things you can do to help: Building Cooperative play with other children: Cooperation is a key part of relating to others and forging meaningful relationships. You can promote cooperation in your child through activities like making play dates with friends and baking cookies together.

Conflict negotiation: Allow your child to participate in the resolution of conflicts to help them understand how the conflict began and how to resolve it. When a parent and child participate in solving conflicts together, the child learns how to conquer social conflicts and have better outcomes using a team effort. A good book that supports this method of conflict resolution is “When Sophie Gets Angry- Really, Really, Angry….” By: Molly Bang. Discuss with your child how to handle his or her emotions when he or she is angry, how to use methods that will alleviate many conflicts, and illustrate how to resolve conflicts on their own.

Awareness of diversity in self and others: Young children are aware of the diversity that surrounds them. Be supportive and aware of inclusiveness that your child’s teacher promotes in the classroom: • Displayed images of all the children and families in the classroom. • If the group is not diverse, she may display images of diversity in the community. • Toys and materials that reflect the cultures of the children and families in your group.     Then, expand to include materials that mirror the diversity in the world. • Removal of materials and visuals that promote stereotypes.

Expressions of empathy : Read books to your child which will provide you an opportunity to discuss and name emotions, an important step in teaching empathy: Elizabeth Verdick has written a “Best Behavior” series of books, including “Teeth Are Not For Biting” and “Words Are Not For Hurting”.  Cornelia Maude Spelman has written Way I Feel series of books, including When I Feel Angry and When I Care About Others. The Feelings For Little Children series by Elizabeth Crary includes When You’re Shy and You Know It and When You’re Mad And You Know It.

 

What you need to do with your child:

·            Play games.

·            Work with your child to resolve conflict.

·            Set up play dates with other families.

·            Read books that promote tolerance and empathy. 

Resources:

·               Deck of cards

·               Chutes & Ladders game

·               Play dough

·               Building blocks like LEGO and Duplo.

·               Ethnic and cultural books

 

         Books about feelings

Simi Valley Child care Halloween: Fact and Fiction

Simi Valley Child care and Halloween: What is fact and which is fiction?

Satanic cult sacrifices. Poison candy. Razor blades in apples. According to the Daily Breeze in an article on October 29, 2012, many of the things parents fear about Halloween are not grounded in fact. There is no uptick in the number of black cats and children that go missing on Halloween relative to the rest of the year. There are no records of children eating tainted candy that was given to them by a stranger (beware those relatives, though). A mom in New York said she was going to let her kids eat all of the apples and homemade goodies they received on Halloween - after she inspected them for slits that could indicate a razor blade had been inserted and other tell-tale signs of harmful 'ingredients.'

The key to Halloween safety is to be smart. Here are the facts:

• Dress your children up in reflective costumes that are easily seen by cars.
• Go with your children as they Trick or Treat from house to house.
• Always be aware of  your surroundings keeping an eye out for cars and teenagers who might try to take your child's candy.
• Check all of you kids' treats before they eat it.
• Go to the Daily Breeze article for more information and things to do.

Happy Halloween!

Preschool Simi Valley Lunch suggestions

Preschool Simi Valley suggestions for nutritious, satisfying lunches.

Many students in both public and private schools must bring a packed lunch from home. At preschool Simi Valley, we want to deliver whole-life learning. This curriculum includes not only the ABC’s and 123’s but subjects like personal hygiene and nutrition. As such, what children eat at lunchtime is extremely important for several reasons. Highly nutritious food, low in sugar, helps every child get the vital nutrients they need for their growing bodies and it helps them rest better during nap time. This translates into them being able to focus better during the afternoon which allows them to learn more and have a more positive experience at school

We recommend the following cold foods for Preschool Simi Valley lunch in the following combination: one serving protien, one serving milk (preferably cheese), one serving grains, two servings fruits and/or vegetables. Also remember that servings for preschoolers are small. Generally speaking, one protien serving is the same size as the palm of the hand (of the person who is eating the protien). For a preschooler, that's about one ounce. Go to http://www.nncc.org/Nutrition/nutrition.pres.html for a breakdown of a preschooler's daily needs for all food groups and the appropriate serving size for each group. Following is a list of foods we have found get eaten by the children (and that's really what all caregivers aim for: children getting the nutrients they need):

·        Protein-laden finger foods. For example: cheese sticks, meat and cheese rollups, meat and cheese rolled up in a tortilla, lavosh, or pita, and meat sandwiches on whole wheat bread.

·         Raw finger-size vegetables : carrots, celery, cucumber, squash, etc.

·         Rice cakes, soy cakes.

·         Plain yogurt, cheese.

·         Small sugar-free dessert.

·         Water to drink.

·         Finger size fresh fruit.

Together we can ensure children grow properly in body, mind, and spirit.

 

 

 

Simi Valley childcare annual Children’s Health and Safety Day

Simi Valley childcare will host a Health and Safety Day on November 3, 2012 including CHP Car Seat inspections and Kids Are 1^st Child ID kits.

         Simi Valley childcare. Together with a local Dentist, Leap & Bound Academy Simi Valley is hosting the 2nd Annual Children’s Safety and Wellness Day on November 3^rd and all families are invited to participate in this educational, family day.  In conjunction with Kids Are 1^st, the Los Angeles Police Department, and CA Highway Patrol, families throughout LA and Ventura Counties will participate in a free Child Safety Seat Inspection and Child ID Kit set-up (with a picture and professional fingerprinting). The school at 5165 Cochran Street in Simi Valley serves as the site for this great community service and there will be a Scholastic Book Fair for young readers, as well.

 
·         Come by to receive an invaluable inspection of your child’s car seat – if your seat “fails,” the CHP will provide a seat at no charge. Parents who have their seat inspected will receive a $50 Gift Certificate to help with the registration fee when they enroll their child at Leap & Bound Academy, Simi Valley Childcare.
·         Kids Are 1^st will be on hand to pass out Child ID kits and will assist you with fingerprinting and taking a picture of your child.
·         The local dentist will also be on hand to discuss the importance of good dental hygiene for your child and will have free supplies, as well.
·          Leap & Bound Academy will be giving out $100 certificates for new families who tour their facility and enroll their child on or before January 2, 2013.

·         The Scholastic Book Fair is an excellent opportunity to see a slew of books for the 0 – Five year old set and there will be a few books for older readers, too.

Leap & Bound Academy believes the health and wellbeing of all children is important and wants to do their part in keeping them all safe. We hope you will decide to come be a part of our family day.

Early Childhood Education for the 21st Century

Early Childhood Education: A Successful Preschool Program for the 21^st Century

 

Abstract: Early Childhood Education must adapt to the changes in research findings of brain development and educational goals in order to fully prepare  children for a successful educational career.

In order for Early Childhood Education professionals to fully prepare children for formal schooling starting in kindergarten, an effective preschool program strives to incorporate the curriculum of teaching math and reading with the style of preschool education exemplified by the Montessori concept. A typical school is set up so that one room would be devoted to one subject and there would be several different rooms, two of which are math and reading. The math room has several different possibilities from which a child could choose. Maybe in one corner there are things to sort. Another corner is devoted to geometric shapes. Another has paper and pencils to draw numbers. The reading room includes a library, a table for writing, computers, and a place with reading games and manipulatives. Other rooms might include a nature room where the child could explore the natural world around them with friendly critters and dirt. Music is another good possibility because it is fun and speaks to almost all children. It builds a foundational frame of reference for each child to relate to others as they grow up.

A typical early childhood education day is comprised of children moving from one room to another with the same teacher throughout the day, exploring each room in turn. The teacher follows a certain lesson plan, making sure that all students are engaged with her or in other activities throughout the room. In this way, children are not forced to sit and listen and perform to a specific lesson but are free to explore their world at their own pace. Students get both exposure to the academic subjects they will need to start kindergarten as well as the opportunity to develop their self-regulation skills.

It is more and more important for kindergarteners to have more and more knowledge before they begin: the pressure is on from the beginning to excel and do well in school. It is imperative that early childhood education adapt to this new need and build a program that will fully prepare children for success in elementary school. This new program needs to address all aspects of that preparation: reading skills, math skills, and self-regulation. In this way, preschoolers will be well prepared for any rigorous curriculum they encounter in the future.

Preschool Simi Valley: Kindergarten Readiness

Abstract: Preschool Simi Valley: Kindergarten Readiness is more than just social and emotional skills but that is a huge part of it.

Preschool Simi Valley. As early as 30 years ago, kindergarten was not included as a grade level in public schools. Because of the success of the Head Start program, established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, the kindergarten grade was added to public schools as early as the mid 1970’s. Where it used to be a place where unschooled children learned more social skills than anything else, it has now taken on the role of teaching the academics previously taught in first grade. Now preschools are taking on the task of preparing children for kindergarten and all that entails.

There are three skills that a child should have mastered prior to entering formal schooling (or kindergarten): basic reading, basic math, and self-regulation. A new kindergartener should be able to recognize all of the letters of the alphabet, read basic (high usage) words, and some word families. The child should recognize all numbers to 100 and add one-digit numbers. Self-regulation encompasses a variety of skills which includes:  interpersonal skills, self-control, cooperation, attention span, interest or participation in school, task persistence, and exhibiting positive approaches to learning.

Many would argue that self-regulation is not something that can be ‘taught.’ Preschool Simi Valley teachers would agree but counter that it can be learned from a specific regimen. That regimen is one they employ every day and have gathered over 100 years of evidence through observation of transforming children which confirms this philosophy. It is obvious that self-regulation is not something that can be demonstrated, taught, and learned like reading and counting. It is, however, perhaps the most important skill a child can master to insure success in kindergarten and beyond. The ability to get along with others through compromise and resolution of conflict cannot be neglected. The value of sticking with a task until it is done and an independent work ethic cannot be minimized. And, vitally important to success in school is having a positive attitude about school which comes through making learning fun when they are young! Check out Leap & Bound Academy in Simi Valley to fully prepare your child for kindergarten – and beyond!

Preschool Simi Valley Crisis resources

Abstract: Preschool Simi Valley Crisis Resource list for families in need.

Here is a list of resources in the Simi Valley, CA area for families in need. I hope it will be of some use to you. Please let us know if any of the contact information is incorrect. Thanks.

Substance abuse:
Police:	911 or (805) 583-6950
24-hour hotline:	1-888-565-6401
	(805)416-2556
Alcoholics Anonymous	www.aaventuracounty.org
Miracle for Moms:	(805) 558-3871
	(805) 750-0356
Narcotics Anonymous:	(805) 641-0451
County Behavioral Health:	(805)522-1724                                                 (800)339-1444                      www.vchca.org/bh/adp
Mental Health Services:
County help and/or referrals:	www.vchca.org/bh/adp
	(805) 981-4200
	(800) 671-0887
for children:	(805)582-4080
Screening for Disability and/or Developmental delays:
Child Development Center:	(805) 955-8120
Crisis Pregnancy:
Sarah's House:	(805 581-1910)
Food Banks:
	(805) 497-4959                                                            www.foodshare.com

Spousal/Child abuse:
Police:	911 or (805) 583-6950
Police: Victum Advocate:	(805)583-6254
Al-Anon:	http://www.alanonventura.org/meeting.htm
Counseling:	(805) 584-3258
	www.actionfamily.org
	1736 Erringer Road, Simi Valley, 93065
County of Ventura Health Care Agency:	(805) 582-4080
	www.vchca.org
County Family Violence Prevention Center:	(805)306-7926
Other:
First 5:	http://www.mpsvnfl.com/contact.html
	(805) 552-1917
	61 E. High Street, Moorpark, CA 93021
	moorparknfl@sbcglobal.net
Job & career Center:	www.vchsa.org
	(805) 955-2282
	980 Enchanted Way, Suite 105, Simi Valley, 93065

 

Early Childhood Education Simi Valley Literacy: Knowledge about Books

Early Childhood Education Simi Valley should prepare your child for kindergarten through knowledge about books.

Reading is the gateway to the world of knowledge and the gateway to reading is emergent literacy. In the preschool years, children will learn an amazing number of literacy skills from you, their parents, if you read to them from books, magazines, newspapers, or other printed material. This is the beginning of a long journey which will be much easier if you help build a good foundation for reading during Early Childhood Education Simi Valley years.

Books impart information: the fields of math, science, medicine, psychology, history, you name it, are learned through reading books. Even a car mechanic should know how to read the technical manuals for the cars he or she services. Books tell stories: fiction or non-fiction, comedy or drama, this is one way to learn about the world around us, what happened before and what might be in store for the future.

By the time your child starts kindergarten, he or she should be able to:

—  “understand how print is organized and read;

—  hold print materials in the correct position;

—  identify the front cover, back page, and title page of a book;

—  follow words from left to right and from top to bottom of a printed page.”

You can help this process by:

—  Going to the library often;

—  Reading lots of books;

—  Pointing to each word as you read;

—  Starting with an unopened book and reading every page;

—  Explaining the big words as you read;

—  Asking questions like: “What do you think that word means?” “What do you think will happen next?”….;

—  Talking about the story; and

—  Reading your own books (and other printed material) for pleasure.

You are the best Early childhood educator of your child!

Leap and Bound Academy preschool Tuition Rates

Leap & Bound Academy, Simi Valley tuition rates are a good deal for parents who want to optimize their preschool child’s future potential.

One of the most frequently asked questions is “What are your rates?” Leap and Bound Academy, Simi Valley, a preschool and kindergarten, rates are as follows:

 

		AM	PM	NPT*	ALL DAY	NPT*
TODDLERS & PRE-SCHOOL:
2 DAYS		$  75	$     59	$   7	$  99	$   8
3 DAYS		$  99	$     69	$   8	$140	$ 10
4 DAYS		$125	$     79	$   9	$170	$ 12
5 DAYS		$149	$     89	$ 10	$190	$ 13
KINDERGARTEN:
5 DAYS, Full Time only					$159
FULL DAYS: 6:30am to 6:30 pm
HALF DAY: 8:30 am to 11:30am or 2:30pm to 5:30 pm.

 

If you have done any shopping around, you will see that our rates are neither the lowest nor are they the highest. Some of the reasons our rates are a little bit more than others have everything to do with our quality of care and instruction. We will NEVER accept more children for our preschool than we are allowed by Licensing: 120 or 12 students for every teacher, whichever is less, at any given time. All of our teachers have at least a Bachelor’s Degree (<120 units) whereas the minimum amount of college level units required is 12. Our teachers have either a degree in Early Childhood Education (or equivalent) or a Bachelor’s degree in another field AND at least 12 early childhood education units. Our teachers also have valuable experience in identifying and evaluating students with learning delays and we have an excellent track record of referring parents to the best Simi Valley professionals for their child’s care. Our biannual student evaluations are invaluable in helping these professionals in diagnosis and parents are extremely grateful for our help. In addition to helping struggling students, we also have a program that challenges – without frustrating – exceptionally gifted students. Our program is flexible enough that we routinely are able to teach four year olds how to read – one of our kindergartners was even reading at a fifth grade level when she left for elementary school. Most of our students are placed in one grade level higher when they finish our program. At Leap and Bound Academy, Simi Valley, our focus is on learning. Young children are like mops: they will soak up all of the information they possibly can. Our goal is to train their brains to think by putting the information in front of them that will optimize their future potential. That’s something that makes any amount of money paid out a good deal.