Imagination Room at Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau

We at Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau understand the importance of an emotionally safe environment, and we make sure to insure one for your child. This is an article from www.scholastic.com written by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D. about how to create an ideal environment for your child.

Why are the first days of the new school year so important? What can teachers do during these first weeks to help their new students come to enjoy school and love learning?

Life is discovery. From the moment of birth we are exposed to a continuous flow of sensory experience — sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Our remarkable brain takes the images and sounds, the feelings, scents and tastes of each moment to create an internal representation of the external world. In the beginning of life, all is new. Each experience is a first. Each image, melody, scent, and caress bathes the newborn’s brain as it attempts to organize and make sense of this world. Over time, we create memories, and we learn.

And it is in the learning from first experiences that our future is directed — the first smile, the first words, the first kiss, the first love, the first loss, and the first days of school. These new experiences shape our emotions, beliefs, values, and behaviors. Our first experiences create the platform from which we will view the rest of our life.

Over time, there are fewer firsts — the world becomes more familiar, less novel. For many, active learning slows in age. For those who find pleasure in discovery, however, there will be a lifetime of learning. They will seek novelty and reap the rewards of mastering new experiences — maturity, creativity and wisdom. We wish this gift for our children.

Every September, thousands of young children enter a classroom for the first time and swim in novelty. Indeed, for these children, the first days of school are filled with more new experiences than any other time aside from birth. There will be new sights, sounds, schedules; new children, adults, challenges, and expectations. How can we help our children find pleasure in these first classroom experiences that will lead to a lifelong hunger for knowledge? The key is safety.

Optimal learning is a driven by curiosity, which leads to exploration, discovery, practice, and mastery. In turn, mastery leads to pleasure, satisfaction, and confidence to once again explore. The more a child experiences this cycle of wonder, the more she can create a lifelong excitement and love of learning. The cycle of wonder, however, can be stopped by fear.

The fear response is deeply ingrained in the human brain. Under threat of any kind — hunger, thirst, pain, shame, confusion, or too much, too new or too fast — we respond in ways to keep us safe. Our minds will focus only on the information that is, at that moment, important for survival. Fear kills curiosity and inhibits exploration.

This is important for the first days of school because the brain tends to interpret novelty as threatening. In new and strange settings, a young child will be overwhelmed by more novelty and find little pleasure in “learning.”

Fortunately, there is another deeply ingrained feature of the human brain — curiosity. We are fascinated by and drawn to the unknown — to new things. Humans are explorers. When we are safe and the world around us is familiar, we crave novelty. When a child feels safe, curiosity lives. Yet when the world around us is strange and new, we crave familiarity. In new situations a child will be more easily overwhelmed, distressed, and frustrated. This child will be less capable of learning. The hungry child, the ill, tired, confused, or fearful child does not care about new things — they want familiar, comforting, and safe things.

In the first weeks of school, very young children are almost drowning in novelty. We can make these new experiences easier. We can do things to make the environment more predictable, structured, familiar, and, thereby, safe. It is the invisible yet powerful web of relationships in the classroom that creates an optimal learning environment. The most important learning “tool” is the teacher. And it is the teacher who creates the safe “home base” from which the child will explore.

A sense of safety comes from consistent, attentive, nurturing, and sensitive attention to each child’s needs. Safety is created by predictability, and predictability is created by consistent behaviors. And the consistency that leads to predictability does not come from rigidity in the timing of activities it comes from the consistency of interaction from the teacher. If a schedule is consistent, but the teacher is not, there is no predictability for the child. Predictability in time means less to a young child than predictability in people.

How can a teacher provide this? Use your most powerful teaching tool, your personality. Your smile, your voice, and your touch make a child feel safe. Face-to-face, “on the floor time,” and eye contact are essential in this process. Be predictable in your interactions with the child and not in the number of minutes spent in each activity. Be attuned to each child’s overload point. Let children find some space and solitude when they seem to be overwhelmed. In these quiet moments the child can find pleasure in reviewing the discoveries of the day.

Article Source: Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D. @www.teacher.scholastic.com

Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau

Ready Set Grow Preschool understands your child’s need for a stimulating and safe environment. We provide a safe environment for your child, so we hope that you do at home as well. A stimulating environment is just as important as a safe environment so we found this article for you to read about how to provide one.

Environments that are stimulating for babies and young children up to age 5 are filled with safe objects to explore, allow freedom of movement, and provide a variety of experiences. A stimulating environment can be created in one room of a home, in a home child care setting, or in a center-based environment.

The following suggestions may help you create a stimulating environment for your baby or young child and may help you evaluate other settings where your baby or young child spends time. The most important aspect of a stimulating environment is a caregiver (or caregivers) who can create inviting, challenging play spaces in which to interact with babies and young children, can set limits and be emotionaly available to babies and young children, and can read babies’ and young children’s cues and support them when they become overstimulated, fatigued, or bored.

Provide developmentally appropriate toys for young children to give them chances to practice their new skills in movement, thinking, and interacting. The following is a list of activities and of the toys appropriate for learning skills associated with each activity:

• Movement: Walker wagon or ride-on toy (with a push handle for early walkers); pull toy (string must be less than 12 inches long); big, bouncy balls.

• Pretend play: Parent’s old clothes for dress- up; toy phone; plastic kitchen utensils, spoons, and empty cereal boxes and milk car- tons; dolls, bottles, and blankets; mirror; toy tool set; toy vehicles.

• Music: Drum or old pots and pans; musical tapes; singalong videos; child’s audiotape player.

• Language: Sturdy, colorful board books.

• Using hands: Blocks (made of wood, plastic, or recycled milk cartons or boxes); shape sorter, nesting cups, simple puzzles; dump- and-fill containers (use recycled plastic containers); scrap paper, old magazines, paper grocery bags, drawing paper; crayons; an old set of keys; a flashlight; nontoxic play dough.

• Water play: Squeeze bottles; sponges; plastic cups; soap crayons.

Article Source: www.brightfutures.org

Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau, Long Island

Sometimes children can have a hard time adjusting to preschool. Ready Set Grow Preschool has found and article on www.kidshealth.org that is all about helping your child adjust to preschool and some tips for the first day. Take a look at this article and maybe it can help your child to adjust!

Preschool offers many benefits — it can be a great place for kids to interact with peers and learn valuable life lessons such as how to share, take turns, and follow rules. It also can prepare them for kindergarten and beyond.

But going to preschool does come with its fair share of emotions, for both the parent and the child. For a kid, entering a new preschool environment filled with unfamiliar teachers and kids can cause both anxiety and anticipation. Parents might have mixed emotions about whether their child is ready for preschool.

The more comfortable you are about your decision and the more familiar the setting can be made for your child, the fewer problems you — and your little one — will encounter.

Easing Your Child’s Fears

Spend time talking with your child about preschool even before it starts. Before the first day, gradually introduce your child to activities that often take place in a classroom. A child accustomed to scribbling with paper and crayons at home, for example, will find it comforting to discover the same crayons and paper in his or her preschool classroom.

Visiting your child’s first preschool classroom a few times before school starts can also ease the entrance into unfamiliar territory. This offers the opportunity to not only meet your child’s teacher and ask about routines and common activities, but to then introduce some of those routines and activities at home. While you’re in the classroom, let your child explore and observe the class and choose whether to interact with other kids. The idea is to familiarize your child with the classroom and to let him or her get comfortable.

You can also ask how the teacher handles the first tear-filled days. How will the first week be structured to make the transition smooth for your child?

While acknowledging this important step your child is taking and providing support, too much emphasis on the change could make any anxiety worse. Young kids can pick up on their parents’ nonverbal cues. When parents feel guilty or worried about leaving their child at school, the kids will probably sense that.

The more calm and assured you are about your choice to send your child to preschool, the more confident your child will be.

The First Day

When you enter the classroom on the first day, calmly reintroduce the teacher to your child, then step back to allow the teacher to begin forming a relationship with your child. Your endorsement of the teacher will show your child that he or she will be happy and safe in the teacher’s care.

If your child clings to you or refuses to participate in the class, don’t get upset — this may only upset your child more. Suggestions for leaving kids at preschool are simple but can be hard on a parent. Always say a loving goodbye to your child, but once you do, you should leave promptly. Never sneak out. As tempting as it may be, leaving without saying goodbye may make kids feel abandoned, whereas a long farewell scene might only serve to reinforce a child’s sense that preschool is a bad place.

A consistent and predictable farewell ritual can make leaving easier. Some parents wave from outside a certain classroom window or make a funny goodbye face, whereas others read a short book before parting. Transitional objects — a family picture, a special doll, or a favorite blanket — can also help comfort a child. Also, keep in mind that most kids do well once their parents leave.

Whether your child is eager or reluctant to go to preschool, make sure that a school staff member is ready to help with the transfer from your care to the classroom when you arrive in the morning. Some kids may jump right in with their classmates, whereas others might want a private cuddle and a story from a caregiver before joining the group.

Many preschools begin with a daily ritual, such as circle time (when teachers and children talk about what they did the day before and the activities that are ahead for the day). Preschoolers tend to respond to this kind of predictability, and following a routine will help ease the move from home to school.

Article Source: D’Arcy Lyness, PhD @www.kidshealth.org

Ready Set Grow Preschool Finger Paints

Preschool can help young children learn social skills and help them interact with others but the importance of child-parent bonding with without parallel. Ready Set Grow Preschool wants your children to develop into loving and caring members of society. Parent-Child bonding is very important, read this article about what you can do to bond with your child.

According to an article on the site ParentingScience.com, preschool can actually create problems. This isn’t to say that preschool isn’t an important part of a child’s social development, but that parents must take an active role in that development to assure that their children develop social skills that are appropriate for their future roles as upstanding members of society.

Among the skills that children develop during their preschool years, ParentingScience.com cites empathy, emotional self-control and communication as being the core skills that children develop during this stage of life. However, unlike other studies which view preschool as a time in which children learn to interact socially with their peers, ParentingScience.com’s article, which relies upon numerous academic resources, cites preschool as a time in which a child’s behavior can actually become problematic. This is because children learn to model social skills based upon their interactions with others. While preschool provides plenty of time for children to interact with peers, it doesn’t follow that the behaviors they will model from these interactions will be positive.

To offset the negative potential that preschool may have on a child’s social development, ParentingScience.com cites the necessity of strong parent-child bonding during these formative years. That is because, the site argues, parents are best equipped to teach their children about emotions, appreciate long-term consequences of behavior, model empathy, and demonstrate appropriate self-control and problem-solving skills. When tailored to the child’s developmental level and pared with close parent-child interaction, including talking about the world around the child and supporting a child when he or she exhibits negative emotions, the parent can teach the child how to interact with others in a caring respectful manner. In doing so, the parent helps to counter the negative impact which other children’s behavior might bring and gives the child the skills he or she needs to interact successfully in preschool.

Article Source: www.preschoolplaybook.com

Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau, Long Island

The Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning discusses how classroom interactions can enhance social development among preschoolers in their short brief “Using Environmental Strategies to Promote Positive Social Interactions.” They maintain that meaningful social development can occur amongst preschools peers when the children are not only given the opportunity to interact, but when their interaction is facilitated.

Among their recommendations is that the preschool classroom should feature learning centers that change in composition frequently, new toys that are introduced on a regular basis to encourage interactions that might not otherwise occur, and to keep children near peers who have already demonstrated social competence. In this way, children interact with others, learn principles like sharing, and model the positive behaviors of those who have already developed essential social skills.

This model emphasizes the role of childhood interaction in the development of social skills and does not address the role of adults beyond that of the teacher as a facilitator of these opportunities for interaction and a guide to reinforce positive behavior. However, it should be noted, again, that the role of the parent, while not studied, should not be discounted, nor should the role of the teacher as a positive role model—or a redirecting force when behavior needs to be corrected.

The theories studying how children develop social skills during the preschool years are myriad. Many look at the role of the preschool itself. Others examine peer interaction and still others look at the role of the parent in teaching social skills. What each agrees upon is that no child develops social skills in a vacuum. Rather, it is a complex process that requires the interaction of multiple individuals to reinforce proper social behavior. When reading up on childhood social development, it is important to remember that parents, educators and peers all play roles in a child’s development and none of them can substitute for the absence of another.

Article Source: www.preschoolplaybook.com

Preschool Kids Playing Music

We’ve said it numerous times that here at Ready Set Grow Preschool we want your child to have a memorable, exciting experience at preschool. The preschool years set the ground for the future and we want to insure your child not only learns a lot but also has a lot of fun. So if your preschooler is a little shy they can still have social interaction with other kids. Read this article about how to build social skills with shy preschool children.

Building Social Interaction in Shy Preschool Children

Some children enter preschool and seem very quiet, timid, shy, or withdrawn. Sometimes parents and teachers are concerned about ways to promote social interaction in shy children. Listed below, you will find a number of ideas on ways to intervene with shy children in order to promote their social interaction.

Initially, it is important to make sure a child is comfortable and secure in all of the settings where he lives. If he has just entered preschool, the first intervention will be to provide structure and routine so the child can develop a sense of security. Other interventions should wait until the child shows some indication of being comfortable and secure in the classroom.

If the child has a preferred adult in the classroom, this person should be very heavily involved with the child. The preferred adult should spend much time in interaction and play with the child. Gradually, over the course of a number of weeks, it may be possible to add another adult or child in the play. The preferred adult can serve as a bridge to others, but this must take place slowly over many weeks.

Sometimes a preferred child can also serve as a bridge to other playmates. If the shy child shows a preferred friend, it may be important to structure the classroom so that these two have many opportunities to interact.

Provide opportunities for one-to-one play with the preferred playmate. At home or at school, it may be important to limit the number of playmates. It is difficult for a child to learn social skills with their brothers and sisters. It is also difficulty to learn social skills in a large group setting. Even with four or five playmates, it is difficult for the shy child to become involved. With daily opportunities for one-to-one play, it become much easier for the child to learn ways to interact and to feel comfortable in social interaction. In the classroom, it can be helpful to provide 10 or 15 minutes each day when the child has one-to-one play with a preferred friend.

Sometimes it is helpful simply to label a child as friendly. It may also help to identify another child as his/her friend. With some discussion about what it means to be a friend, the child might begin to think of himself/herself as a playmate rather than as an onlooker or bystander.

If a child has difficulty building friendships at school, it can often help to have a playmate visit him at his home a few times. Once the shy child has had a playmate visit, they begin to think of themselves as playmates and as long-term friends. This often paves the way for more interaction at school.

Turn-taking activities are often helpful in building social interaction. This can include passing the beanbag during a song or throwing a ball back and forth. Nonverbal turn-taking can be especially helpful (e.g., games, building blocks).

Cooperation activities can be beneficial in building social skills as well. There are many books available on cooperative play for young children. Any type of cooperative play can increase social interaction.

It may be important to explicitly teach social interaction skills. Sometimes children need explicit instruction on ways to join a group. Teachers can often give simple instructions on ways to join play. Teachers can offer instruction on other social skills, such as resolving conflict. Social skills must be explicitly taught, modeled, and cued by the teacher. Children must be reminded and encouraged to use new skills. Also they must see adults use these frequently.

It may be important to promote interaction first by focusing on nonverbal interaction. This can be done by encouraging the shy child to assist another child in moving some larger play equipment or simply handing an object to another child or accepting an object from another child. Any type of interaction will facilitate the process of learning other types of interaction.

Sometimes opportunities for pretend role play can help with social interaction. Parents can assist a child in playing at different types of roles at home. This helps the child develop a better sense of play and role-playing, which is important to interacting with others. At home, you might have the child pretend to be a parent who is fixing a meal and preparing a child for bed. The child can pretend to be a super hero who is helping others. A variety of different types of role-play can help a child understand and develop social skills.

It is important to be sure that the child has adequate language skills for social interaction. If you have concerns about language development, talk to the speech-language pathologist at the child’s school or preschool.

It is important to gradually expand the child’s range of social interactions in a non-threatening manner. Provide support, security, encouragement, opportunities, and skills for interaction but do not require social interaction in any particular setting. Some children will resist when they feel there is high pressure to become socially involved.

Monitor the child’s performance in preschool. Some children make dramatic increases in social interaction after four to six months of preschool. If problems persist after six or seven months, it may be important to consult with the teacher or with a child development specialist.

Article Source: www.parent-childservices.com

Establishing and maintaining an open, clear channel of communication with the preschool teacher can lessen many parental concerns.

Getting to Know the Teacher

When selecting a preschool, consider these factors: safety, cleanliness, general curriculum, overall philosophy, cost, and location. Try to meet the teacher before making your selection and make an appointment to visit the classroom. Watch how the teacher interacts with the kids, talk with the teacher, and ask questions.

While in the classroom, pay attention to how the teacher runs the class and how the children respond to his or her direction. If the kids seem happy and interact well with the teacher, chances are good that the teacher’s classroom style will be a fit for your child as well.

When you talk with the teacher, ask about a typical day. You may also want to ask specific questions, such as, “If my child came into class crying one morning, how might you handle that?” or “How do you deal with a child who hits others?” Other useful questions might include how the teacher handles discipline, temper tantrums, toilet teaching, biting, or other preschooler concerns.

A teacher’s answers can help you evaluate how creative he or she might be in responding to everyday classroom dilemmas. You can also learn a great deal from how responsive a teacher is to your questions. If the teacher appears defensive, uncomfortable, or uninterested while replying, that could signal future communication problems and may mean that the teacher and preschool aren’t right for your family.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Some preschools schedule meetings during the year to discuss the kids’ developmental and behavioral progress. Usually, these conferences cover play style and social, language, cognitive, and physical development.

A parent-teacher conference should be the time for listening and communicating openly. If your child’s teacher has prepared a formal report for the meeting, let him or her go through it before asking questions.

Most of the time, a preschool teacher will emphasize a child’s strengths. But the parent-teacher conference also offers an opportunity to point out areas that kids might need to work on. For example, a teacher may suggest writing letters, stringing beads, or practicing cutting skills at home to improve fine motor skills.

If the teacher has concerns about your child, try not to become defensive — this could make the teacher hesitant to discuss any problems for fear of confrontation. Try to ask direct and focused questions, with the assumption that any problems raised are ones that can be solved. Because of the limited time of most parent-teacher conferences, however, it might be useful to schedule a future time when any troublesome issues can be discussed in more detail.

If your work schedule doesn’t allow you to attend conferences or if the preschool doesn’t schedule them, you should feel comfortable making arrangements to speak with the teacher at other times. Meeting or talking regularly with the teacher will help you understand your child’s progress and demonstrate your interest and cooperation.

Discussing Problems

When problems such as biting arise, the best tip is for parents and the teacher to sit down and discuss the issue together. If your child has serious behavioral problems, talk to your doctor, who can work with your child and may refer you to a psychologist.

If your preschooler complains about the teacher, try to find out the specifics. Often, preschoolers might complain if they’re put in time-out or not given a popular classroom job, such as line leader. It’s helpful if you support the teacher and talk to your child about following rules or taking turns.

In deciding whether to bring up a problem with the teacher, it’s important not to overestimate a preschooler’s point of view. If, for example, your toddler complains that “no one plays with me” or “I’m bored” in school, give it some time if it doesn’t seem serious.

Preschoolers’ likes and dislikes frequently change, and they’re just starting to learn how to interact with other kids their age. Also, a whole range of factors — including whether they’re sick, hungry, or tired — can influence day-to-day reactions to school. However, if your child continues to complain, acts different from usual, or is unusually unhappy, contact the teacher at once.

If you have concerns about the teacher’s style or performance, talk to him or her first. If your concerns aren’t resolved to your satisfaction, your next stop should be the teacher’s supervisor. Try to work out any problems rather than changing preschool teachers midyear, unless absolutely necessary. Kids who are switched to a new school might interpret that to mean that whenever there’s a problem, it can be solved with a new teacher or a new school. It’s better to show kids how to work through problems rather than avoid them.

Building a Relationship

It’s important to form a good relationship with your child’s preschool teacher — for both you and your child. Approach the teacher with an open mind and clear, direct questions, so that you can be a part of your child’s preschool experience and take pride in your little one’s achievements.

Remember to also share praise — both yours and your child’s — with the teacher, as well as his or her supervisor (“My child really enjoys storytime,” for example). This approach not only makes the teacher feel appreciated, but also creates a positive framework that makes it easier for teachers to receive any negative feedback in a constructive way.

Think of yourself and your child’s teacher as a team whose shared goal is to help make your child’s preschool experience a happy and productive one.

Article Source: D’Arcy Lyness, PhD @www.kidshealth.org

Ready Set Grow Preschool Imagination Room

At Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau we have an Imagination Room along with a Math & Science Room, and a little gym. We believe that free play is very important for a child’s development. Here is an article we found that explains why:

When your child plays freely, like when he hunts for bugs, pretends to be a knight, or romps at the playground, he learns to be resilient and able to manage stress.  Free play is also important for him to reach important social, emotional, and intellectual milestones.  This is according to an American Academy of Pediatrics report.

Unfortunately, we live in an era where a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics at the expense of recess or free child-oriented play decrease the child’s opportunity to reap the benefits of free play. 

You should give your kid more time to play freely, and not pressure him too much with enrichment activities and lots of classes.  Play protects your child’s emotional development. A hurried lifestyle without play can be a source of stress, anxiety and may even contribute to his depression.

Free play teaches your kid skills that are essential to his everyday life. For example, games like Simon Says and Red Light, Green Light teach your kid to restrain impulses and exert self-control. New research suggests that your kid can benefit from play that gives a mental workout to his faculties of “executive control”. Executive control is the power to think twice. Research suggests that your kid’s ability to control his impulses and make conscious, deliberate choices can predict his future success in school at least as well as IQ tests.

In letting your kid play, the AAP report suggests the following:

• Encourage your kid to play with toys that requires imagination, like blocks and dolls.  They are much better than passive toys that require limited imagination.

• Avoid “passive entertainment” including television and some video and computer games.

• Spend time talking and listening to your kid.  This will help you become a role model to him and prepare him for success.  This is better than loading him with extracurricular activities.

• Play with your kid.  This will give you the opportunity to glimpse into his world.  You will learn to communicate more effectively with him and gives you another setting to offer him gentle, nurturing guidance. If your kid is less verbal, he will be able to express his views, experiences, and even frustrations through play, allowing you an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of his perspective.   By playing with your kid, you are being supportive, nurturing, and productive.

• Avoid conveying to your kid that he needs to excel in many areas to be a success or be prepared to compete in the real world.

• Your kid should have a balance of appropriately challenging academic schedule and extracurricular activities.  This should be based on your child’s unique needs, and not on competitive community standards.

• When choosing childcare and early education program, choose one that meet your child’s social and emotional needs as well as academic preparedness.

Article Source: www.raisesmartkid.com

Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau Plants & Arts and Crafts

Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau loves reading articles from preschoolers.about.com and this article is no exception! “Going green” and being environmentally conscious is one of the greatest lessons in generativity. Teach your preschooler to think ahead and care about the world, teach them to keep it clean.

Think your preschooler is too young to understand the concepts of going green and recycling? By teaching your preschooler the important lesson of taking care of the earth you will instill good habits in your little one that they will be sure to carry with them for a long time. Here’s how.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: Over a lifetime!

Here’s How:

1. Set a good example. In a 2008 Harris Poll 91% of Americans said that they have recycled. By being good to the earth in your daily actions and deeds, you are already teaching your preschooler. You are the person your preschooler most wants to emulate and using the principle, “monkey see, monkey do” your little one is learning simply by observing your actions.

2. When taking out or sorting through the trash, separate out any recyclables like cans, bottles, plastic containers, newspapers, magazines and pieces of cardboard. Make a point of doing this task in front of your preschooler and asking him to help. Point out when the garbage truck comes and when the recycling truck comes (if they are different). When bringing the cans to the curb, show how each item is separated out.

3. When you are at the supermarket, buy big bags of your preschooler’s favorite snack as opposed to the smaller, snack-sized packages. When packing a snack for a day out or for preschool, use reuseable containers instead of plastic bags. By setting a good example, your preschooler is likely to follow your lead in the future.

4. When you are outside, point out nature’s beauty to your preschooler. Show him the different types of trees, flowers and plants that exist in your neighborhood. Try to find a local nature trail and when the weather is nice, take a hike together. You’ll have an enjoyable afternoon and your preschooler will develop a love of being outdoors.

5. When possible, walk instead of drive. You’ll both enjoy the exercise and will get a nice boost of energy from it. Explain to your preschooler how walking is not only good for her body, but for the earth too as we don’t use as much gas and energy.

6. Whether they are battery-operated or plugged in, teach your preschooler to turn off any lights, video games or other electronic toys once they are finished playing or when the leave the room.

7. Make good use of scrap paper like old envelopes or grocery store lists by having your preschooler use them to create works of art. Encourage her to color on both sides of the paper. Keep a stack in easy reach so your preschooler knows where it is and can get to it whenever she is inspired to draw.

8. Going out for the day? Instead of bringing pre-packaged juice boxes or water bottles purchased from the store, pick up a couple of BPA-free reusable plastic bottles and fill them with water from the tap or juice from the bottle in the fridge.

Tips:

1. Don’t feel you need to teach your preschooler everything all at once. This is a lifelong learning process. If she forgets to put a can in the recycle bin, it’s OK — correct her and move on.

2. If you haven’t been great about recycling until now, don’t fret. Any time you start is a good time.

3. Make sure you check with your local community or town the guidelines for what they recycle and when. Some towns have home pickups, others ask that you drop off your recyclables.

4. Keep up on any new guidelines or laws that are passed in your area so you stay up-to-date.

What You Need

• Containers to separate recyclables

• Reusable plastic bottles for water and drinks

• Reusable containers for snacks

• Scrap papers for art projects

• A sunny day for walking or biking instead of using the car

• The address for your local recycling plant

• Rules and guidelines for recycling in your community

Article Source: Amanda Rock @preschoolers.about.com

Ready Set Grow Preschool Nassau Preschoolers Playing Nicely

Ready Set Grow Preschool always wants children to play nicely. This article is all about teaching children to be polite and teaching children “nice” words. We think all parents should take a look at this article.

Teaching Manners to Children: Learning “Nice” Words: There is a place for “Please” and “Thank You” in your preschooler’s vocabulary!

Is there anything nicer or more pleasant than coming across a child who is polite? You know the kind I mean. One that says “please” and “thank you” without being prompted — maybe she even asks to be excused from the dinner table. He’s one that every parent wants to invite over to have a playdate for their child with and girl whose parents you always offer to carpool with.

Believe it or not, your preschooler can be that child. Really. Although it may seem like a near-impossible task, teaching manners to children doesn’t have to be a stressful endeavor. With a little time, patience and some good grooming of your own, you’ll soon have a child that will be advising Miss Manners. Here’s how.

The key to teaching politeness is to start small, start early and be consistent — in your own behavior. You are your child’s first and most important role model. If your 3-year-old hears you saying, “Please pass the potatoes,” or “Thank you for the wonderful gift!” on a regular basis to a variety of different people — themselves, friends, family and strangers alike — then it’s very likely that she will follow suit on her own accord. (And realize that this is true for teaching manners to children and any life behavior that you’d like your child to follow.)

But even with you pledging to be on your best behavior on a regular basis, there does need to be some teaching and explaining involved — manners can’t be learned strictly by osmosis. Start at home and with the daily interactions that you and your child have each day. In any instance where manners should be used — the dinner table, any social exchange, even in pretend play with dolls or trucks — use manners and point out to your little one that you are doing so. Encourage him to follow suit.

As she gets comfortable with these new words in her vocabulary, you can start encouraging her to use them in social situations. Even a young preschooler can comprehend that after someone gives them something, “thank you” needs to be the automatic response back to the giver, whether it they are receiving a birthday present at a party or a juice box from the refrigerator at snack time.

Certainly you should teach your child to say “thank you” in any situation that it is appropriate, but to start, showing appreciation for a gift is probably the easiest and most natural social setting for them. Explain to your child that saying “than you” is a way to tell a person that you are thankful and grateful for what they have done or given.

To explain the word please to your little one, talk about how it’s an important word that tells people that you need help — either doing something or needing something and by using it, people are more likely to lend a hand. If your child seems to understand and is consistently using “please,” and “thank you,” you can start with “you’re welcome” and “excuse me.”

An important part of teaching your child manners is to heap on the praise when they use the correct word or phrase and to not necessarily scold them if they don’t. Simply point out that they need to use the appropriate word and move on. They’ll catch on soon enough.

The reality is, most kids won’t be able to purposefully use “nice” words by the time they are four. They may say the words, but not necessarily understand the meaning behind them. That’s OK. The important thing is that you’ve started.

Article Source: Amanda Rock @preschoolers.about.com