Special Offer

Visit The Goddard School in Ashburn or Waldorf.

Our purpose is providing early childhood education at its best. We live to see each child discover and grow their own brilliance, and in doing so, set them on a path to a lifetime of learning!

Our programs are:

• Customized to meet each child’s needs,
• An ideal balance of academics and play,
• Inclusive of both shared and independent learning experiences, and
• Award winning!

PLUS! October is National Children’s Health Month and to celebrate families that schedule a visit will receive a free Choose MyPlate for Kids with Nutrition Lesson Plan. It is a fun and easy way to help kids establish healthy eating habits!

 

*Offer is valid at The Goddard Schools in Ashburn and Waldorf until October 31 or while supplies last. New families only.

Click or Call A Location Below to Schedule Your Visit Today!

 

Ashburn

(703) 724-0601

 

- OR -

Waldorf

(301) 638-9777

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade stickers

Kids love any stickers but they'll love making and designing their own. This activity won’t take you long to prepare and it will provide your child a lot of enjoyment.

Materials

• office labels
• colored markers
• crayons
• pens
• colored pencils

What you’ll need to start

Parents: start with standard office labels and cut them into interesting shapes.

Kids: can use pencils, pens, markers, stamps and more to decorate the office labels. Have them practice writing letters and words on the stickers to make the activity educational. Once the stickers are done, all you need to do is peel of the backing and presto, you have your own personal stickers.

Thumb Sucking

Parents worry if it is it normal if their toddler is still sucking their thumb, It’s considered normal until a child is 2 ½ years old

Why do kids suck their thumb?

Children tend to let go of this habit on their own, so it's best to let your child to stop on their own. For infants, it is a natural reflex that often begins in the womb. As babies grow, they learn a lot about their bodies and the world around them through sucking. They suck on their fingers, clothing, and toys.

Young children use sucking to soothe and comfort themselves. Since the action is relaxing, it often induces sleep—which is why parents notice children sucking their thumbs when they are tired. In fact, many thumb suckers fall asleep more easily, are able to put themselves back to sleep quicker, and sleep through the night much earlier than their non-thumb sucking peers.

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), after a child's permanent teeth come in, thumb sucking can cause problems. It can interfere with proper mouth growth, teeth alignment, and cause changes to the roof of the mouth.

Here's how you can get your child on track.

Make them Think it was their Idea

The biggest mistake parents make is to nag their child about stopping to suck their thumb, instead remind your child about how they are growing up and becoming a big kid. Talking about ways they can become a bigger kids by doing certain things like helping around the house, not crying all the time, hopefully they will talk about not sucking your thumb, if not talk about it without nagging.

Weaken the Habit
Take note to the times you child sucks their thumb, is it when their tired or watching TV? They keep their hands busy by having them hold the book they want you to read at bedtime. Or have them color a picture while watching their favorite TV show.

Help Them to Notice
Work out a secret single that you can give your child when you see them sucking their thumb, this will help to limit the embarrassment when you say something in front of other.

Seek help from Others
Sometimes you may need to illicit help from doctors or dentist. Because they are authority figures their talks about growing up may be all you need.

Peer Pressure
Peer pressure can help to if friends see your child sucking their thumb they may say something and this might just be the right motivation to get your child to stop

Sources: http://toddler.yeahbaby.com/

The Importance of Yoga for Young Children

Students at The Goddard School® located in Ashburn VA, benefit from our daily yoga class provided for children ages infants to six.

Teachers use the Apple Blossom Yoga guidelines, developed by the Yoga School, to augment cross-curricular learning through motor skills, science, math, language arts and social skills. Using nature, animals, and a little imagination, young learners gain improvements in focus, body awareness and control, balance, creativity and flexibility.

• The program is designed to educate the “whole” child through age-appropriate activities to enhance the emotional, social, intellectual and physical development of each child.
• Regular yoga practice helps children become more aware of their inner selves which can help them learn to release anger, frustration and fears.
Having children practice yoga is becoming an increasingly popular trend. Like adults, many expert feel that children do not get enough exercise and this can also lead to tension and stress. Yoga can offer the perfect solution to these issues.
Why is it important for kids?

Just like parents, children need to find balance and peace of mind. Since yoga is so successful with adults, a natural progression seems to be developing and adapting it for children through Yoga fitness exercises.

The benefits of yoga in young children
*Promotes Calmness
*Reduces Stress
*Increases Confidence
*Improves Concentration
*Develops a Healthy Body

Part II of Eating Together as a Family

Earlier this week we talked about the importance and the benefits of eating together as a family. But some parents might not know what to do once you get the family around the dinner table to get communication flowing. No one can benefit if there is too much arguing going on, if there is no meaningful conversation or even worse, if there is just plain silence during dinner. Below are a few tips to try to jump start the conversation and get to know your kids all over again.

1. Rule one - TV, radio, phones, text messaging- it all should be turned off during mealtime.

2. Set the table together with children and encourage them to clean up with you. This way everyone will feel important. This is especially important for the younger ones, since they can’t always help with cooking.

3. Adjust your meal time to accommodate as many members of the family as possible.

4. Skip the restaurant. Eat at home as much as possible. Restaurants may inhibit your child from really opening up and showing you their feelings. In addition, your family will get better nourishment from foods like lean meat, poultry, fruits, vegetables and whole wheat.

5. Remember that it is never too late to start a family dinner ritual. Just find a routine that works best for your family.

A regular family dinner can really develop into a family ritual like game night. Let’s bring it back into style. It is a great way for mom and dad to set and discuss certain rules, get to know more about your kid's friends, and be a good role model. The benefits of eating together will last a lifetime and change the life of you and your children for the better.

Sources: http://www.theparentreport.com
http://www.enotalone.com

Developmental Milestones -1-2 years

The ages of one and two, means increased mobility, increased awareness of self and surroundings. A toddler has an overwhelming urge to explore new objects and new people. They now can recognize themselves in pictures or mirrors. They are imitating the behavior of others, especially adults and older children. Your child is becoming more independent and even showing some defiant behavior.

Developmental Milestones

•Walks alone
•Pulls toys behind while walking
•Carries large toy or several toys while walking
•Begins to run
•Stands on tiptoes
•Kicks a ball
•Climbs onto and down from furniture unassisted
•Walks up and down stairs holding on to support
•Scribbles spontaneously
•Builds towers of four blocks or more
•Recognizes names of familiar people, objects, and body parts
•Says several single words (by fifteen to eighteen months)
•Uses simple phrases (by eighteen to twenty-four months)
•Demonstrates increasing independence
•Shows increasing episodes of separation anxiety toward midyear, that then will fade

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, please contact your pediatrician or for more information please visit the American Academy Pediatrics website

Source: http://www.aap.org
www.medicinenet.com
www.education.com

Friendship

Making new friends at any age is difficult and it often leads to social discomfort. Toddlers, are just getting used to the world and what’s around them and this can bring added pressure to your toddler when their making friends in a new environment like a daycare or school. Parents can do a lot to guide their children to feel more confident in social situations ultimately helping them make new friends.

Your child’s personality plays a role in how easy or difficult they make friends: Easygoing, cheerful children tend to make friends easily and adapt well to new situations. Sensitive, cautious kids often have a harder time and are more likely to cling to adults and be left out of other children’s activities and games. Observe your child’s temperament in social situations to get an understanding of where they fall on the scale and try using some of the tips below:

Play dates/Socialization

Play dates are the perfect opportunity to allow your toddler to socialize independently. If your toddler is hesitant about meeting a new friend, start by introducing them to the child. Explain that you will remain close by. This will let them explore the concept of making new friends independently with the safety net of knowing your close by.

Small-group sport activities such as gymnastics, dance, or swimming are a great environment for your child to learn valuable social skills. The sport represents a common interest or goal that your child can talk to other children about. This common interest will make it easier for a shy child to make new friends, plus they will reap the health benefits of an active lifestyle.

Take advantage of the free activities at local libraries or community centers. Story times, musical groups and open play dates offer socialization for moms, dads and your toddler. This will allow your child to interact with other child with you still close by.

Play through learning

Use your child’s imagination to role play a new friend encounter. This will allow your child to practice making new friends with nothing to lose. Pretend that you are a potential new friend and ask questions you might expect from a young child. Practice makes perfect and it will prepare your child for the real thing.

Teach your child how to interact in different common social situations. For example, if you are on the playground with your child and they refuse to share when asked by another toddler let them know the appropriate response “yes you can have a turn”. Follow it up with prompting your child to ask the other child’s name and introducing themselves through offering their name.

Making friends can be tough for anyone, hopefully some of these tips will help. Most toddlers will grab hold of the concept quickly after they make their first good friend.

Sources: http://www.greatschools.org
http://www.justthefactsbaby.com

Developmental Milestones 6 months to 1 year

Last week we talked about developmental milestones from birth to 6 months, this week we will talk about the milestones of babies 6 months to 1 year. The second half a baby’s first year is very busy and very fun. Developmental milestones get even more complex and challenging for your baby. Their aware of their environment, and they really want to begin to explore and become a little more mobile.

Development: Milestones 6 to 9 Months

Your baby is really beginning to move his body into different positions. Don't expect them to stay in one place for too long. Being able to move from place to place will give your child a sense of power and control and their first real taste of physical independence.

Here are some of the key milestones to look for:

•Gets to sitting position without assistance

•Crawls forward on belly by pulling with arms and pushing with legs

•Assumes hands-and-knees position

•Creeps on hands and knees supporting trunk on hands and knees

•Uses pincer grasp

•Bangs two cubes together

•Puts objects into container

•Takes objects out of container

•Responds to simple verbal requests

•Responds to “no”

•Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no”

•Explores objects in many different ways (shaking, banging, throwing, dropping)

•Shy or anxious with strangers

Developmental Milestones: 9 to 12 Months

At this time your baby exhibits extreme curiosity about their surroundings. They can now pick up things that they could only look at before. One way to help avoid them getting into danger is to get down on their level. Get on your hands and knees and look around your home for safety risks. Look for small items and other choking hazards like cords for blinds or draperies. Lock cabinets and put safety plugs in electrical outlets.

Developmental milestones 9-12 months

•Pulls self up to stand

•Walks holding on to furniture

•Stands momentarily without support

•May walk two or three steps without support

•Lets objects go voluntarily

•Tries to imitate scribbling

•Says “dada” and “mama”

•Uses exclamations, such as “oh-oh!”

•Tries to imitate words

•May be fearful in some situations

•Finger-feeds himself

•Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed

•Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver)

•Enjoys imitating people in play

•Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, please contact your pediatrician or for more information please visit the American Academy Pediatrics website

Source:

http://www.aap.org
http://www.emedtv.com/

Goddard School Ashburn Named Top Daycare

The Goddard School® Earns Top Honor


Ashburn preschool receives "Top Daycare Centers: 2010"

The Goddard School located at 45091 Research Place (University Center) in Ashburn has recently earned the "Top Daycare Centers: 2010" recognition.

The Northern Virginia Magazine selected the Goddard School “in recognition of going above and beyond what is required for molding the children who walk through your doors”.

"We’re proud to earn this top honor and be recognized for our commitment to reach the highest professional standards," said Madhu Govil, owner of The Goddard School located in Ashburn. "This recognition demonstrates to our community that children in our program receive the best possible care and early learning experiences. Our management and faculty have earned this achievement by performing their very best every day."

Excerpt from the Northern Virginia magazine (January 2010) states: “With so many households having both adults working and placing their bundles of joy in the hands of daycare providers, we here at Northern Virginia Magazine want to help parents make informed choices…The centers on the Top Daycare listing are centers whose staff and facilities go above and beyond both the state’s licensing requirements and the average center in Northern Virginia.” The evaluation was comprehensive and based on the Virginia Star Quality Program and NAEYC standards and the School was graded in five different areas: Teacher certifications, Teacher-to-Student ratios, Parent and Teacher Communication, Curriculum and Facilities. The Goddard School earned one of the highest Grades of all the Loudoun County Centers.


"We are humbled by this recognition and sincerely appreciate confidence and continued support of our parents. We encourage everyone to let their family and friends know about their School's achievement. Thank you" said Mrs. Madhu Govil.

About The Goddard School®:
The Goddard School located at 45091 Research Place in Ashburn, VA 20147 opened in January 2007. The premier preschool accommodates 140 children, ages six weeks to 6 yrs old. On-site owner, Mrs. Madhu Govil, along with her executive director, Ms. Teresa Roberts, and faculty, which includes teachers trained and experienced in early childhood development, are always looking forward to welcome children into this nurturing environment where the curriculum encourages learning for lifetime.

To learn more about The Goddard School, families are encouraged to please contact Mrs. Madhu Govil at 703-724-0601.