December 9, 2019

Each day is a new adventure for a young child in Sleepy Hollow. Soon enough parents will need to start thinking about what preschool they wish to send their child to. It is a big decision to make, but it does not need to be a difficult one.

Starting preschool is the beginning of a new chapter in a child’s development. You may ask yourself, “Is my child ready to start preschool?” Even if your child has previously attended a toddler program, preschool in Sleepy Hollow is a big step. They will make new friends, gain independence as well as confidence and learn new skills along the way. Although this new undertaking will set your little one on a path to later success in school, it is not always easy. Both you and your child might have mixed emotions of excitement, worry and even sadness as infancy disappears. Emotionally preparing your child – and yourself as well – will take intentional effort. But with a little preparation, you can make it a smooth transition and a confidence-building experience for both you and your child.

Change is Inevitable: Preschool Adventure into the Horizon

We live in an ever changing world and the pace of change has never been more rapid than it is today. It can be overwhelming at times, so many parents will shelter their children. If you are ready to enroll your child in preschool in Sleepy Hollow, you may be approaching this upcoming change with conflicting emotions. For your little one, preschool can cause excitement as well as anxiety since it is a new environment filled with unfamiliar faces of both teachers and kids. Meanwhile, parents might feel unsure about whether their child is ready to enter preschool.

Enrolling your child in preschool in Sleepy Hollow has many benefits. School readiness is more than knowing the ABCs and 123s. A school-ready child is eager to learn, engaged and adjusted to the new environment. It is a place for them to interact with their peers and learn valuable life lessons. Children can also develop vital social skills and get better at following instructions, which will be useful in kindergarten and beyond.

5 Simple Strategies to Prepare Your Kids for Preschool

Starting preschool is a big step for a child and parents can play a vital role in preparing them for this new experience. There are several small, simple things that you can do at home to prepare your child for preschool. Here are five strategies you can use to smooth the transition, not only for your child, but for the whole family as well.

Use pretend-play to get the idea of preschool

Reassure your child that preschool is a safe place where they can learn while having fun. You can take turns playing a parent, child or teacher and act out typical preschool routines, such as saying good-bye to mommy and daddy, playing outside, singing songs, reading stories and taking naps. Familiarizing your child with these routines can help them feel comfortable and in control when it comes to the real thing.

Listen and acknowledge feelings

Preschool is an exciting yet heart-wrenching adventure and it is typical for both parents and children to feel anxious. To help your kids deal with the stress of change, let them express their feelings while you listen attentively and acknowledge their fears. Their worries — no matter how big or small — can spoil their preschool experience, which makes it important to talk them out so they do not build up.

Check out the preschool

Find out if your child’s preschool has orientation for new families. It is the perfect chance to meet the teachers ahead of time and have some of your questions answered. Your child will also get the opportunity to meet their teachers, other classmates and experience the preschool with you for the first time.

Use books to prepare

Spend time with your kids by reading books about preschool. You can choose from several books available in your public library and read with your child before preschool starts. Then talk about the story; it is an opportunity for your kids to ask questions and share any fears they may have.

Keep your child informed

It is only natural for your child to feel nervous and anxious about going to preschool. Prepare your child by talking about the preschool and what would they may do there. Try to make the conversation as light and casual as possible, so the child does not feel overwhelmed or intimidated.

Adapting to changes may take some time for both the child and the parents. Remember that becoming comfortable in a new environment is a process – not an instant transition. It is a big move for your family and worrying about the bumps ahead can spoil the joys of the preschool years for your child. Once your kids adjust to the new preschool setting, goodbyes will become much easier. Turn each “Good-bye, mommy” and “Bye-bye, daddy” into a happy experience with Discovery Village Center at Sleepy Hollow. Schedule a tour today by calling (914) 631- 1009.

Noticing, wondering, sensing, and experiencing are all characteristics of the curious and the creative. They are also at the very core of Reggio-inspired early childhood learning, a project-based educational approach in which learning stems from student interest. Among the countless topics that can ignite children’s inquisitive nature, the weather, with its seasonal, daily, even hourly changes has near limitless potential in early childhood learning. Connecting art and science, while holding the potential to lay the foundation for a life-long commitment to care for our planet, investigations stemming from weather, make for profoundly meaningful learning.

At Discovery Village, which opened this past July, we did not initially imagine how central the weather would be to life in our village. Committed to learning stemming from children’s interests, we watched, attentive to children’s conversations and self-initiated activities. With large windows in each classroom facing the outdoors, and outdoor play and nature walks twice daily, we quickly noticed our students’ conversation, wonder, and explorations into nature, the weather, and over time the changing seasons.

Summer

Family trips to pools and beaches, boating and fishing, rainstorms and puddles, plentiful water play, and love for the song “Baby Shark” opened up endless conversation and curiosity this past summer about water. We watched out our windows at the summer rain showers, jumped in puddles when the rain abated, and splashed around through water play outdoors and sensory bins inside.

Investigations stemming from children’s interests included ways people explore the sea, using boats, submarines, and scuba diving gear. We engaged in learning both about creatures that live under the sea, and about ways land animals cool down in the heat. Sensory experiences with water, sand, and even one in which we made our own mud abounded, as did loads of splashing around and water play. We took nature walks collecting items related to summer and watched the sun and the clouds, as well as the shifting colors of the sky. Science experiments using water, as well as art activities with water rounded out our experiences.

Fall

Sensory Activities with Materials We Collect on Our Nature Walks

As the weather cooled and our relaxed short sleeves and sandals gave way to cozy sweaters, beauty and gratitude emerged as Fall themes. Science activities relating to the changing colors of the world around us, and art projects incorporating fall items we collected on nature walks occupied our imaginations. This led to increasing interest in art and the creation of our own museum and range of gallery exhibits. We learned about the harvest and where our vegetables come from, took many nature walks, and celebrated with harvest festivals and a special Friendsgiving feast.

Winter

It is just the beginning of our winter explorations. We’ve already created a range of winter art, and are starting so many experiments with snow and ice.

Even more significantly, we’ve embraced our curiosity about the world in which we live. As we play, wonder, experiment, and create, we’ll also be thinking about ways of showing care for the world around us