Early Childhood Education is important.

Abstract: If your child getting a good education is important to you, make sure you at least read to them EVERY night or send them to a good preschool.

My family in 1999.

In the process of getting a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, I began to wonder what my husband and I did right that we now have four children graduated from high school (generally speaking, educators believe that education is important and is demonstrated by graduating from, at the very least, high school). I am into my 31^st year of being a mom: the oldest is working on her nursing degree (she’s been sidetracked with four children of her own); the second one has ADHD and went to the local community college for two years after which he was accepted to both UCLA and Berkeley; the third (with ADD)  is working on an electronic music career; and the last will be attending UC San Diego in the fall. Early Childhood Education is important. My children stayed home with me (after the third was born) until they went off to public school. My husband and I talked to them a lot, read to them almost every night at bedtime, we counted electric poles while driving down the road, and I quizzed them often about their colors and shapes. They didn’t read when they started kindergarten and they couldn’t add and subtract. BUT, something happened in those early years that gave them a great start to education. Lest you think that it was in their genes, studies have shown that it is nurture not nature that determines a child’s intelligence. If you have time to do only one thing with your child every day, read to them! Do this even if they are enrolled in the greatest preschool in the world.

Child care: quality vs economy

Preschool Simi Valley. When my children were very young (they are 18, 20, 25, and 31 now), it seems that we didn't spend that much quality time together. I was, however, by choice, a stay-at-home mom because if I was going to have FOUR! kids, I didn't want someone else to raise them. Today, many parents don't have a choice so quality child care is a must. As Stephen Covey says, "Begin with the end in mind." Do you want your children to do well in school  through college or  are you looking to find the cheapest but safe place to put your child? If you want the first, then there are a few things you need to look for in the facility you enroll them in. First, the preschool Simi Valley  needs to be safe and secure and the teachers need to be well trained. Second, the focus needs to be not only on social and emotional development (which is important) but they need to be reading books, having many math manipulatives available for sorting, counting and patterns. The school needs to have a variety of activities which include science (gardening, sand and water tables, etc.), physical fitness (gross and fine motor skill drills, free play time, etc.), and arts and crafts. AND, MUSIC!!!  Learning children's songs is FUN, engaging, and an excellent way to learn things not to mention the value in the continuity of learning the songs we learned as children. Check out Leap & Bound Academy in Simi Valley to see an example of a great learning environment for early childhood.

Brain Growth critical in early years

Childcare Simi Valley must create an optimum brain-compatible learning environment to optimize brain development in the areas most critical for success in life. Everything that happens in a child’s life, most critically from birth to 12 years of age, has a direct impact on how their brain is wired. This includes what a child eats, how his or her senses are stimulated, and what kinds of experiences are repeated. Repeated experiences strengthen the brain’s connections and when this repetition continues, it will become hard-wired in the brain, making up their personalities and becoming the foundation for all later learning. Child care Simi Valley educators need to provide a variety of engaging experiences in a safe and secure environment for optimal development. Attention to emotions is also important as it directly influences attention, memory, learning, meaning, and behavior. For example, attachment is crucial in the infant stage. Children are ready for learning when they are content. Individual attention and validation of feelings help a child feel love and respect. Leap and Bound Academy in Simi Valley provides such an environment.