Why Read To Babies

New moms often are told that they should read to babies, even if they are less than six months old. But if they can’t understand what you’re reading, how does it help your baby? Here are some ways reading to your baby can be beneficial.

It gradually introduces concepts such as stories, numbers, letters, colors, and shapes that are critical for your child’s development.
Your baby might not understand but by reading to them you are teaching them to listen.
Reading can also teach your baby the concept of communication through using sounds before they can speak.

Here are some tips on what types of books work best based on your baby’s age.
Newborns – books with bright colors and shapes
4 and 6 months – books made of cloth and soft materials they can grab onto
6 and 12 months – the more pictures the better, your baby is starting to focus

You can’t read too much to your baby so go crazy. Take every opportunity to pull out a book, at the doctor’s office, at the market and in the mall. This will keep your child’s attention and teach them that reading is fun anywhere and anytime. Teach your kids good reading habits and they will keep them for life.

For more information on Goddard Ashburn please visit our website: http://bit.ly/1wYOYNW

The Difference between Tattling and Telling

In most cases, kids don’t understand the difference between tattling and telling. And with all the bullying problems as of lately we want to make sure our kids know when to tell an adult.
Stopping unnecessary tattling might be as simple as helping your child understand the situations where it’s important to report about someone else’s behavior versus when it’s not necessary or when they can handle a situation on their own.

Rules are everything to a young child. Their life is so structured and rules-driven that the breaking of any rule no matter how minor is a big deal. To begin to determine the difference in severity of a break in rules they need examples. That is why it is important that the adults around them lead by example.

Here are a few tips you can use to reduce the occurrence of tattling:

• Start paying more attention to your child’s tattling. This will help you understand what your child feels is an important infraction of the rules. Plus you never know when they might be tattling about something important.
• Each time they tell you an unnecessary tattle explain to them why it’s not a critical infraction on the rules.
• Explain to your child how they might have been able to solve the issue for themselves rather than tattling.
• Then reinforce that it’s important for them to continue to bring important issues to your attention. You don’t want to discourage them from confiding in you.
• If tattling persists, try spending a little extra time with your child. Sometimes tattling is another way for your child to get attention.


Hopefully you’ll begin to see your child make their own decisions on what’s important to bring to your attention and what’s not.
For more information on Goddard Ashburn please visit our website: http://bit.ly/1wYOYNW

Teaching Preschoolers about Time

Younger children can have difficulty understanding the concept of time. When children ask when they are going to the zoo and you say Friday, they might not completely comprehend that they have to wait 4 days until the trip to the zoo. Education.com offers tips on helping your preschooler understand time. Click here to read the article.

Learning Rules

Rules are an important life skill. At home, at school and then at work, rules are a fact of life. So starting early to begin to teach and reinforce the importance of your children following rules is a good idea. You might be asking yourself, how early can I start to teach this skill? Well, studies have shown that kids start to understand the difference between right and wrong as early as a year one year old. And, since rules are based on right and wrong you can start with some very basic rules at this age.

 • Young babies need one word reinforcement. Use the words no and yes to reinforce good from bad. As your child gets older, begin to introduce the consequence behind the rule. No, don’t do that, because you will get hurt.

 • Be specific about rules as your baby develops. For example, no don’t color on that picture book. Rules aren’t always black and white; it’s o/k to color in a coloring book but not in a picture book.

 • Like teaching any skill, it is important to be consistent with rules. It may be a pain to always be the enforcer but if kids know rules can be bent or broken they will try to bend them and break them.

 Your child looks to you and other adults to provide structure to their lives. Rules can actually provide comfort, support and boundaries to your child. This can help them become confident teens and well-adjusted adults.

Leaving Your Child On The First Day of School

What do you do now? Your getting ready to leave your child’s preschool classroom for the first time and it starts: crying turns into grabbing which turns into a full blown screaming and a sense of panic.

Here are some tips for handling the situation.

• First, take comfort in the fact that this is normal – how kids react to their first day is as individual as each child. It’s a new environment and there is bound to be some fear and apprehension. If your child is crying it doesn’t mean that you didn’t prepare them enough for preschool. So don’t feel guilty.

• Remember that the teachers and staff have been through this many time before – take comfort in the fact that they have helped kids with this transition successfully and they have the skills to calm your child down

• Reinforce that you will be back to pick them up – explain to your child in a calm voice that they will be at school for a short time and then you will be back to pick them up as soon as school is over.

• Reinforce the fun they will have at school – tell them how much fun they are going to have doing activities and learning to become a big girl or boy.

• Stay committed to leaving – if you remove your child from the classroom on the first day it’s probably going to be even more difficult the second day and thereafter.

• Don’t sneak out – distracting them and running out sounds like a good idea but it may enhance your child’s feeling of abandonment. Tell them your leaving now, give them a kiss and reinforce you’ll be back in a short while and exit calmly.


Like many parents you might break down into tears in the car but it will get easier each day. Just remember that preschool is an important step in the growth and development of your child.
.

Source: http://kidshealth.org/
http://preschoolers.about.com/

Perks of daycare

Parents often feel guilty when they drop their child off at daycare. But here are some reasons you may not have thought of to feel good about your choice:

Long-Term Health Benefits - Some may argue that your child will have more sniffles than the average stay-at-home child. You may have heard that children who attend daycare are exposed to illness more frequently which serves to boost their immune system. Some research indicates that this boost to the immune system can help reduce the affects of allergies, asthma, and even some life threatening diseases.

Better Prepared for School – Your child benefits from a strong curriculum at Goddard that teaches the basics such as the alphabet and numbers, and vocabulary. By the time school starts your child has had exposure to the concept of learning environment. They understand what is expected of them when they go to kindergarten. This can provide a valuable head start that other children may not be getting.

A Social Network – Since your child has an established group of friends from daycare who will be joining them in Kindergarten the first day of school might not be as scary. You and your child have a connection to the other parents and children through your daycare experience. In addition skills like cooperation and making friends may be more advanced as a result of the daycare experience.

Sources:

http://www.parenting.com/

http://www.selfgrowth.com/

Discipline Mistakes

Have you ever wondered how your child learned to push your limits so well? Some of what they learn about pushing the limits of discipline actually comes from our habits. For example have you ever told your child ”I’m counting to three and you better stop, one, two, two and a half, two and three-quarters …”. Well here are a few ways you can try to make discipline a little easier.

1. Always follow through

It’s really about establishing boundaries and sticking to them. This means not giving them slack when you set limits. If bedtime is in 5 minutes extension should be rare not the norm. You might not get a tantrum immediately but the next time bedtime rolls around you’ll get a little begging for an extension and that could develop into a full tantrum. This how children learn to push the limits.

Of course it’s important to establish the right boundaries. Don’t set limits you can’t carry out. For example, if you’re not going to turn the car around and cancel the Disney vacation than don’t use it as a boundary. Once you start following through, your kids will know you mean business. Also, keep your limits concise. For example, “If you clear your plate, you’ll get dessert. If you don’t, no dessert.” Simple, relevant, and very effective.

2. Bribing

You’re in the checkout line at the store and the begging and tears start. “I want that toy, I need that candy bar”. Next start the tears and then the full fledged tantrum. Bribes are like junk food, they lack substance and they leave you felling empty once you’re done. In other words the bribe might work to get you out of a potentially embarrassing tantrum but your child won’t learn to change their bad behavior. In fact you have actually reinforced their poor behavior with a reward.

One tactic to try is to bring their favorite toy or activity to the market. Just when they start to request an item, pull it out and offer it to your child to occupy their time and distract them. You can also let them decide what toy or book to bring to the store. This gets them involved in the process of planning their trip and their own reward for good behavior.

3. Yelling

Yelling is like a game of chicken. You begin to yell and then you’re reinforcing that behavior with your child who ultimately begins to yell back. Each of you are trying to out-yell the other and bad behavior becomes reinforced.

Instead of dialing it up, dial it down. Use time outs or even quite times as punishment for bad behavior. This offers the fundamentals of conflict resolution. It teaches your child to remove themselves from the stressful, elevated fight situation to give time to calm themselves. Once they are calm then you can continue to reinforce with traditional methods of discipline.

No one has all the answers to disciplining a child. Try different methods until you find out what works and what doesn’t.

Source: http://www.greatschools.org/
http://www.parenting.com/

Backyard Fun

Are you looking for fun outdoor activities to do with the kids this summer? Here are a few ideas:

Gnome Village
Head to your local dollar store to find some inexpensive gnomes. Then have your kids uses some creativity and gathering sticks, rocks, leaves, berries, etc., to make a magical village. This is a great activity that you can add to throughout the summer.

Bugs are always fun
Make a homemade terrarium out of an old shoebox with dirt and rocks with holes punched in the top. Have the little ones search for bugs in the back yard and collect the in their homemade terrarium.

Scavenger hunt in the park
Make a list of things that you find in the park. Determine how simple or difficult the list of items will be based on your children’s ages. Have them find a flower or a type of rock. You can also use this opportunity to teach children about nature, science and history.

Create your own Water Park
Get the sprinklers out, baby pools, water slides, plastic toys and gym sets and have the kids create their own water obstacle course. Through in some water balloons and water toys and your kids can cool off on a hot summer day.

Let your kids lead the way, they have plenty ideas that can make adventures in the back yard even more fun!

Potty Training

Yes, that's right, June is National Potty Training Awareness Month, as if we need more incentive to potty train our children. So in honor of the momentous occasion, we are going to talk about potty training and give some advice to lead to fast success through the process.

First, it’s important to recognize that there is no magic solution for potty training. It’s a trial and error process. The second fact to remember is that it’s not fashionable for teenagers to walk around a diapers so chances are you’ll be successful.

That said, there are proven potty training strategies that have worked for parents over the years.

1. It’s important for you to wait until your child’s ready for potty training. Parents sometimes rush into potty training because the idea of no diapers is appealing to convenience and your budget. Your child must be mentally and physically prepared to learn to use a bathroom, otherwise the process will be frustrating for both of you.

Here are some signs that your child is ready to begin:

* Curiosity about the toilet
* Recognition - a child tells you just made or have to pee.
• Keep a diaper dry for two hours or more
• Physically sitting on and then get off the potty
• Pulling down diapers, or throwing away training pants or underpants
• Curiosity about wearing underpants

2. Make sure you have the proper training aids.

• A small portable potty – maybe even keep one in the car for emergencies,
• Floating objects can be placed in the toilet to peak your child’s interest.
• Pullup diapers

3. Buy clothing that’s easy to put on and take off. There is nothing more frustrating than a child wetting their pants because they took too long to get their clothes off. Slip on pants are the easiest and, of course, skirts and dresses make it easy for girls.

Each child learns differently it’s true in school and it’s just as true with potty training. Be patient, be positive and be prepared! Later this week we will offer some tips to help with potty training.

Bubble Fun

Who doesn’t like bubbles, they make you laugh, they float without effort and they can keep you clean. But if you’re looking for a summer activity, bubbles might be what you’re looking for. They are great way to play and learn with your child. Try a science experiment with kids who are little older by make predictions on what you think the bubbles will do once in mid-flight. Let younger kids experiment with art and movement by dancing while blowing bubbles and trying to recognize shapes and sizes in bubbles. This bubble activity encourages curiosity and reinforces the skill of observation.

What You'll Need:

* Bubble solution that you purchase from the store or make your own with 10 parts water to one part dish washing soap
* Straws
* Plate
* Bubble wands
* Pipe cleaners

Have some observations you can have your kids make

* Are your bubbles bigger when you blow slowly or quickly?

* Are your bubbles bigger when you dip the wand in slowly or slosh it around?

* Use pipe cleaners to make homemade bubble wands. Can you make a square bubble?

* What household items can you use to make bubbles? A slotted spoon? A flyswatter?

* Pour bubble solution onto a dinner plate or cereal bowl and use a straw to blow bubbles at the base. How tall can you blow your bubble tower?

* Add food coloring or tempera paint to your bubble solution and try blowing colored bubbles. Try to catch them; let your bubbles land on a piece of card stock paper to make bubble art.

* What color is a bubble? Bubble colors come from the light refracting through the soapy water.

So go out and have some bubble fun!

Gardening With Kids

This week Goddard Ashburn’s lessons will highlight the theme of plants. We are celebrating spring and it would be a good opportunity to plant a garden with your little ones. Planting a kid’s garden can help teach your child about nature, the environment, plants and what plants need to grow.

Gardening with your child can also help teach your child independence and confidence. As your preschooler tends to their garden by planting seeds, watering, and pulling weeds they will be rewarded with flowers, plants, or vegetables.
Where to start:
Take a trip to the local nursery to get your little one excited about planting. Children can pick out their own flowers and/ or vegetables for their garden or they can start from seeds.
You can really develop this experience for your child by supplying them with their own basic tools, gloves and watering can. Perhaps there is an area in the yard that could be designated as their own garden, giving them the freedom to plant whatever they like.

Next comes the fun, show your child how to plant the flower or seeds in their garden, kids love this part because they get a chance to play in dirt! When they are done planting, it’s time to play with water by watering the new plants. Watering is sure to be a favorite for most children.

What to plant
1. Sunflowers are a great choice because of their height
2. If your child really likes to help out in the kitchen how about an herb garden
3. If you decide to grow vegetables, pick vegetables they already like to eat. Also carrots and strawberries always peek a child’s interest.
4. Plant a Pizza Garden – grow tomatoes, herbs, peppers etc. and then make a pizza with all the ingredients.

Always supervise your child in the garden so they stay safe and Happy gardening from Goddard Ashburn!

Sources:
http://www.preschool-learning-and-crafts.com
http://kidsactivities.suite101.com

The importance of sending your to Preschool? Part 2

Is preschool an important and essential start to your child’s education? This is the question we asked in our last blog. Here are some more arguments on the merits of sending your child to a quality preschool like the Goddard School in Ashburn.

Learning Independence
The preschooler years are the perfect time to instill a spirit of helping others in your child. Responsibility is new to your child and they thrive on helping with even the smallest tasks. Teachers use teachable moments such as setting the table at snack time or feeding the classroom pet build on your child’s interest in helping in the classroom. There are also plenty of opportunities in the preschool classroom to teach personal responsibility for things like hygiene, washing their hands before snack time or keeping track of personal belongings or cleaning up toys in a play area. Preschools play an important role in teaching personal responsibility which will give them a sense of pride and independence

Language and Cognitive Skills
Cognitive skills involve teaching children to express themselves and to understand others by put their feelings into words through language.
The opportunity your child gets in a preschool environment to ask questions, test their ideas or solve a problems as teachers provide a wide range of hands-on activities help strengthen their cognitive skills.

The preschool teacher builds experience over time that allows them to understand that your child’s explanations of what makes the sun rise or why people grow may not be explained in a logical way. But just the task of trying to explain these things represents progress in your child’s development.

Math and Literacy Skills
You may be thinking that there is now way that your child is developing pre-math and pre-literacy skills at this young age but, everyday tasks, such as assembling a toy, or selecting the correct number of coins through games and activities help children acquire the pre- math and literacy skills they need.

Matching games, sorting games, counting games and board games all build children's understanding of number, categories and sequence, which supports later math learning. Putting together puzzles encourages children to notice patterns, plan ahead and problem-solve.

Motor Skills
A challenging and safe playground environment offers a chance for the development of motor skills. High-quality preschool programs like Goddard Ashburn’s provide opportunities for children to run, climb, and play active games. Teachers also provide activities to help children develop fine motor skills, such as threading beads or cutting with scissors. And children are challenged through a variety of activities to build their hand-eye coordination and balance.
But it all depends on you choosing a quality preschool program and facility for your child. Goddard Ashburn has the curriculum, facilities and staff your looking for. Come in and see the difference.

The importance of sending your to Preschool? Part 1

Is preschool an important and essential start to your child’s education? Most experts agree that preschool provides an important foundation for learning both socially and academically that will help your child succeed in elementary school.

Preschool is often the first opportunity your child has to learn to share, follow instructions and interact with other children in a structured environment outside of the home. It also helps to develop a familiarity with a school setting with trained teachers and groups of their peers. This initial experience can really help make the transition to elementary an easier process.

Preparing students for school
The primary grades are become more academic, this is raising the bar on preschools to provide instruction in pre-math and pre-literacy skills to help launch children on the path to success. At the same time, parents may worry that the current trend to focus on pre-math and pre-literacy skills in preschool cuts into important play time and pushing children too hard.

A high-quality early childhood education program like Goddard will provide a balanced program including both play and learning time.

For instance, children are expected to play well with others, sit in their seats during learning, and show teachers respect. Although most children are good at doing this, it can be fairly difficult for a three or a four year old to follow directions. Preschool teachers know this and work on following rules with their students in daily classroom activities, an essential skill for elementary school.

Social and Emotional Development
This is one of the most important benefits of preschool. Although many toddlers get social interaction in play groups and other social situations, preschools teach children how to work with their peers, without the safety net of a parent or guardian.

Teachers of three and four-year-olds understand when to step in to resolve children's conflicts for them, when to let children work out their problems and when to intervene. Without embarrassing a child, they encourage them to reflect on the impact of their behavior, teach them how to manage emotional outbursts and how to consider the impact of their actions on others. This is often difficult for parents to teach on their own in a home setting.

In our next blog we will offer several other compelling arguments supporting the importance of preschool.

Sources:
www.greatschools.org
www.associatedcontent.com/
www.professorshouse.com/