Different Econony’s Inpact On Child Care

Child care costs are sometimes being axed in family budgets as parents scramble to save dollars in today’s tough economic times. As parents lose their jobs or have hours reduced, less costly child care is sought instead of traditional organized daycare or family child care. And as parents pull their children from these child care programs to save money, childcare providers are finding themselves at risk of losing their jobs due to shrinking enrollments. Reports show an increasing number of daycare centers closing or laying off employees.

How are struggling families coping? Parents may remove their kids from organized programs and make due with having relatives or neighbors watching their kids, having older siblings babysit younger ones, or even leaving young kids at home alone until times improve. While some arrangements can certainly work, others may pose health or safety dangers to young kids. Recent news reports portrayed a mall worker leaving a daughter in a locked car in the parking lot while she worked (checking on her at every break) or of 5 or 6 year-old-children walking home after school to an empty house until evening.

Child care advocates are urging a child care funding stimulus be included in any federal economic proposal being considered. Additional child care funding will help more parents afford quality child care while helping to retain the child care workforce. If quality child care centers close and child care state subsidies shrink or eliminated, working parents have even less options available to them during hard economic times.

Is Your Child Happy With Your Daily Care

Just as most providers plan special field trips for children, why not plan a special “field trip” with your child? After coordinating with your caregiver, plan to accompany your child on a special event or just drop in an visit and help out in the classroom. Then, watch and learn. Do you see happy faces, hear laughter, and observe learning. If so, chances are your child is benefiting from the placement. A key to ensuring a happy child is involvement! An additional plus is that most caregiver will welcome the extra set of helping hands and your enthusiasm!

Middle Tennessee – Back to School Hints

A list of ways for parents to prepare your child’s return to school in Middle Tennessee, get Back to School help and hints to ease into a new school year.

Top things that a parent can do to help develop communication with your child’s teacher

Being prepared for school is the number one thing that you can do for your child’s Education. Studies show that children do better in school, when there is an active involvement from the parents. There are number of ways that parents can do this:

First Impressions
Make sure to attend the Welcome Meeting at the beginning of the year-this is your first contact with your child’s new teacher and your first opportunity to let your child’s new teacher get to know you and your family.

Communications
Once School starts, maintain close communications with the teacher, make sure to find out from your child’s teacher, (every teacher will be different), the most convenient ways to communicate with them.

Volunteer
Teachers always need help. Let your child’s teacher know that you would like to volunteer in some capacity. Most of the time, depending on the teacher’s needs and your interest and availability you can find something, however minuscule, to help with.

Involvement
Become involved in your local PTO (parent-teacher organization). You will have added opportunities to communicate with teachers, and be better informed when you participate in the PTO’s activities and events.

Some tips To Share In Parent Teacher Meeting

Here are a few guidelines to consider before sharing too much at your next parent teacher meeting.

1. Let the school know that that the child is in a foster home and remember to include the foster child’s worker’s information on the pupil information form during enrollment. It would also beneficial to take this time to mention that the child is under stress and will need time to adjust.

2. Remember confidentiality, this means only share what is needed for the care of the foster child. Medical information, safety concerns and learning disabilities are some examples of things that a teacher would need to know. Gossip about the birth family is not necessary information.

3. If school staff ask questions that seem nosy and not necessary be prepared with a quick response such as, ‘I am not sure’ or ‘we are not allowed to discuss.’

4. Do not discuss anything around other children or parents. Children can be cruel and curious about a child in foster care. Your foster child could be faced with teasing or lots of questions causing unnecessary stress.

Montessori kindergarten – What Is It

Montessori education is based on the belief that children are individuals with their own strengths, needs, likes and learning styles. To used the latest educational catch phrases, Montessori education is “multi-modality, differentiated instruction.”

In more everyday terms, Montessorians disagree with the idea that all children learn in the exact same way at the exact same time of their life. They believe that a good teacher doesn’t say, “It is the 4th day, of the 3rd month, of second grade, so open your math book to page 49 and…” Instead we observe each child and ask ourselves, “What does this child understand? What is the next concept this child needs to learn? In which way does this child learn? (Are they observers? Talkers? Someone who needs to physically experience things? Do colors make things more clear? How about singing a song about the concept, will that help this particular child learn?…) What things interest this child so that I can use his/her natural interests and abilities to teach this concept that they need to know?

To achieve this a Montessori classroom is not filled solely with text books, writing paper and pencils. Instead it is filled with many materials that teach a range of levels and concepts all set up so that at a moment’s notice a teacher can reach for a material and teach a student or students the concept they need to know. Or students can reach for the same material and use it in the way that they were taught so that they can practice a concept that they are working on.

Obviously, a Montessori classroom will not look like a normal classroom. Rarely, if ever, will you find the whole class sitting with their books out looking at the teacher show them how to fill in a worksheet. Instead you will see children, some in groups, some by themselves, working on different concepts, and the teacher sitting with a small group of children, usually on the floor around a mat.

Some people talk about the lack of “structure” in a Montessori Classroom. They hear the word “freedom” and think “chaos” or “free for all”. They seem to think that if all children are not doing the exact same thing at the exact same time that they can’t possibly be working, or that they will be working only on the things that they want and their education will be lopsided. Yet, if the teacher is organized this does not happen. Children will be given a work plan or a contract and will need to complete an array of educational activities just like in a more traditional classroom. The main difference being that the activities will be at each child’s “maximum plane of development”, will be presented and practiced in a way that the child understands, and the child will have the freedom to choose which he/she does first.

Other people talk about Montessori children being able to do whatever they want. This is a misunderstanding of the word “choice” Montessori children do have the choice as to which they do first, reading or math. They do have the choice as to which material they will use to complete the lesson, but playing all day, only working in one area, hurting children, themselves or the environment are NEVER choices. Either are eating candy all day, or and so on (All things people have posed in the past about Montessori schools.)

In the past few years there have been more and more studies published comparing Montessori Education and traditional education. Contrary to what some people state, Montessori children DO NOT have problems in social situations, in fact, ALL studies show just the opposite, Montessori children are ahead of their peers when it comes to social interactions.

The most comprehensive longitude research on Montessori Education in comparison to traditional education was published last year by a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, Dr. Angeline Lillard.. Her recent article was so well researched and documented, that it is the only educational article ever to be published in a scientific magazine.

Increase your Child’s Concentration

The power of concentration has innumerable benefits. Children when small are gifted with superior concentration levels which can definitely affect their performance as a human being in all possible areas of importance. you might have a question here: Why confidence is so important for my child?

When a child is small, a child’s focus is not developed that it can perceive life in its most original form. Concentration is required to develop your child’s focus in general. Once your child starts developing a focus, he/she can gain expertise in all areas of life as and when required. Thus, concentration is essential to develop a child’s focus in the most brilliant manner.

Another thing: A child’s capacity to discover life in the most beautiful way can only be done if the child’s focus is clear. Hence, to develop a clear focus, a parent must encourage steps such as games which improve your child’s concentration levels drastically.

Locker Bulletin Board – Craft With Fun

This fun cork board is disguised as a school locker door! Simply open the door to expose the cork board – it’s a great way for your kid to keep things neat and tidy the homework desk.

Basic Items Required

1. 17″x12″ sheet of green craft foam
2. Cork bulletin board (ours was approximately 16″x11″)
3. ½ sheet of orange craft foam
4. ½ sheet purple craft foam
5. 2 large black craft foam circle
6. 1 medium green craft foam circle
7. 1 small purple craft foam circle
8. White craft glue
9. Black fine tip marker
10. Blue glitter glue
11. 1 self adhesive hook and loop circle
12. Shipping tape

How To make IT

1. Place bulletin board onto green foam sheet. You want to trim the foam to fit the bulletin board, leaving about ¼” overlap of foam. (See photo.)

2. Set the bulletin board aside for now. Cut 6 strips (8″ x ¼”) from orange felt. Glue three strips toward the top of the green foam, and three toward the bottom, spacing them about ½” apart, to create the locker slats. (See photo.)

3. Cut a strip of orange felt 3 ½” x ½” for the locker handle. Glue it to the right side of the green craft foam.

4. To make the combination lock, place one of the large black circles on the work surface and glue the medium green circle to the center of it. Next, glue the small purple circle to the center of the green circle.

5. Cut the remaining black foam circle in half. You will only need one of the halves, save the other one for a different project. Cut the half circle in half again. Next, trim about ¼” of the border off of both pieces. You will use the two border trims for the combination lock handle.

6. Cut a triangle from purple felt measuring 9″ x 9″ 4 ¼”.(See photo.)

7. Without using glue just yet, position the lock handle and the lock itself just below the orange locker handle. When you have it where you want it, glue it in place. Use a fine tip marker to add lines around the green circle of the combination lock. (See photo.)

8. Glue the purple triangle to the front of the locker so that the point of the triangle is pointing upward at about a 45 degree angle. Do NOT decorate with glitter glue yet.

9. Position the “locker” on top of the bulletin board. Use clear shipping tape to secure the left side of the locker to the left side of the bulletin board. Open the locker door and lay it to the left. Tape the inside of the locker door to the bulletin board. (See photo.)

10. Close the locker door and attach a self adhesive hook and loop circle to the right border of the bulletin board, around the middle, somewhere near your combination lock. Attach the other side of the hook and loop to the locker door. (See photo.)

11. Decorate the purple triangle with glitter glue. You can write your name or something more general such as “RA RA” or “GO TEAM.”

12. Place your completed project somewhere out of reach for at least 4-5 hours to allow the glitter glue to dry completely.

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Making Math More Fun – Math Games Package

Fun Math Games For School Or Homeschool Education – Printable Board Games, Card Games And Game Sheets For Children. Educational Games Ready For The Classroom Or Home. Makes Math Fun and Easy. Kids, Teachers and Parents All Love These Fun Math Games.

Learn more

Let’s face it, math can be fun but not all kids think it is. Kids are used to being entertained and expect everything that you want them to do, to be just as entertaining as their favorite pastimes.

“Making Math More Fun Printable Math Games”

gives you 4 e-books jam packed full of kids math games and fun math activities to make math exciting and easy to learn.

# Math Board Games – Printable Math Board Games

# Math Print and Play Games Sheets – Printable Games Sheets for 2 Players

# Math Card Games – Printable Math Card Games

# Math Games Ideas – Math Games for School or Home

These are electronic books (e-books) that are downloaded to your computer in a flash. Which means you can be reading them and playing all these games in as little as 5 minutes from now. Read more

Learning Months of the Year in Musical Way

Materials Required: tune of “Frere Jaques”
Concepts Taught: learning the order and names of all 12 months

This an easy song to remember and will be stuck in your head for hours!!After we begin the song and they are instructed to clap on the current month once and continue singing.
Tune of Frere Jacques(Brother John)

JAN U ARY FEB RU ARY MARCH AP RIL

MAY AND JUNE JU LY AUG UST

SEP TEM BER OC TO BER NO VEM BER

DE CEM BER

The spaces are to initiate slight riffs
or just making the months fit the tune!

Don’t forget to clap!!!
 

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Preschool’s Contribution towards Children Success

The word “kindergarten” means “children’s garden,” and for years has conjured up an image of children playing with blocks, splashing at water tables, dressing up in costumes or playing house. Kindergarten teachers know from experience what a positive contribution preschool makes toward children’s success in school.  In one national survey, 84% of kindergarten teachers agreed that children who’ve been to preschool have an advantage over those who have not.