Category: Blogs

Categories
Blogs

How to Get Your Child Ready for Preschool in Sleepy Hollow

preschool in Sleepy Hollow
How to Get Your Child Ready for Preschool in Sleepy Hollow

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.

Categories
Blogs

It’s Not Small Talk: The Wonder of Weather In Early Childhood Learning

The weather in early childhood learning
It's Not Small Talk: The Wonder of Weather In Early Childhood Learning

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

  •  

    Creating Our Own Rain Clouds

 

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

  •  

    Fun In The Snow

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

Categories
Blogs

REV It UP! Relationships, Experiences, Values

Relationships, Experiences, and Values in Early Childhood Education
REV It UP!

The first five years of life; a time of wonder, imagination, creativity and discovery, are marked by incredibly rapid development of both mind and body. Through play, interaction with others, and exploration of the world around them, children reveal their emerging personalities and identities. While a child’s home is the most central of environments in which to learn and explore, children benefit enormously from widening the circle of individuals with whom they interact. Through relationships with adults and peers; learning by doing as part of playful experiences that emerge from children’s interests; and a focus on values in early childhood education, children set lifelong foundations from which to learn, develop, and thrive. 

In some places throughout history and around the world, children have been organically embraced in communities of caring relationships, engaging experiences, and meaningful values. However, more often than not, parents in contemporary times are tasked with the challenge of actively putting together their own community, their own village, so vital to nurturing children’s healthy development. Many turn to childcare and learning centers, not only out of a need for their children to be cared for while they are at work, but out of a commitment to providing an exemplary environment for their children. Embracing the Reggio Emilia approach to learning, Discovery Village is actively designed to be the village children and families deserve, grounded in these three central pillars: relationships, experiences, and values in early childhood education.

Relationships

We consider relationships to be the fundatmental, organizing strategy of our educational system.

Loris Malaguzzi

Founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education

Grounded in the educational vision of Loris Malaguzzi, founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, relationships between children and teachers as well as peers are not an “added bonus”, a nice benefit for families who choose a childcare center rather than in-home care. They are at the very center of our understanding of powerful learning for children. Through developing friendships, and forging strong bonds with their teachers, children learn about themselves, others, and their world. They develop social-emotional vital for success and well-being, while experiencing the joy of being understood, appreciated, and respected for who they are and for who they are in the process of becoming.

Experiences

Creativity seems to emerge from multiple experiences, coupled with a well-supported development of personal resources, including a sense of freedom to venture beyond the known.

Loris Malaguzzi

Founder of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education

At Discovery Village our curriculum is dynamic, emerging from children’s interests. Guided by children’s creativity and curiosity, each day children participate in multiple projects incorporating the arts and sciences, literacy and math. Topics of exploration have included life in a science lab, on a farm, as an astronaut, in a museum, and within a transportation center. A vibrant village, located in the lower Hudson valley and its magnificent changing seasons, the outside world is incorporated into our learning as children spend time daily in our playground and on nature walks, from which they bring back materials from the outdoors to include in our learning. Celebrations are also incorporated into our learning with holidays as varied as Friendsgiving, Pablo Picasso’s birthday, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) day, and pajama day. These events bring us together as a village, engaged in learning and fun.

Values

Our image is of a child who has his/her own values and is adept at building relationships of solidarity.

Carla Rinaldi

Renowned Leader the Reggio Emilia Schools; President of Reggio Children 

The parents who built the very first of the Reggio-Emilia schools, in the days following World War II, were deeply motivated by the desire to prepare their children to stand strong against oppression, injustice, and inequality. From those courageous beginnings, many Reggio-inspired schools throughout the world have embraced a deep concern for nurturing values central to their own communities and contexts. At Discovery Village, supporting children to live values of care for themselves, others, and their world is central to our experience. In age appropriate ways, children are supported to be good friends and good villagers, doing what they are able to contribute to the betterment of others. We celebrate core values in early childhood education.

Categories
Blogs

How a Daycare Center in Tarrytown, NY Benefits Both Parents and Kids

daycare center near Tarrytown
How a Daycare Center in Tarrytown, NY Benefits Both Parents and Kids

Every experience and event during the formative years of your child’s life shape the foundation for later learning and their relationships with others. In a daycare center, you can expect your child to have plenty of exploratory time, free-play and play-based learning. Some even provide some structure learning activities to hone the children’s academic skills and knowledge, including solving numbers, reading and writing. 

Working parents in Tarrytown, NY, need and want accessible, high-quality, and affordable daycare centers for care, supervision, and learning that their children deserve. But with the plethora of options in town, the juggle is real in finding the right place to care for them.

Daycare doesn’t just help kids; they help parents too! 

Many parents agonize and feel guilty about enrolling their child in a daycare. But if you take a look at what a daycare center has to offer, that guilt is not necessary. Whether you are working or a stay-at-home parent, sending your kid to a daycare facility benefits your child, but also you. It gives you the time you need to fulfill your corporate and personal duties while your child socializes and learns in a caring environment.  

Some parents also need a break from their little one sometimes, so there is no shame in sending your child to a daycare center for a few hours a day. For instance, moms have one of the toughest jobs in the world: working for a living, taking care of their child and performing home duties. It can take a toll on their mental health, so having free time is a blessing for them. They can use the time without their kids to go grocery shopping, catch up on household chores and maybe even pamper themselves for some relaxation. The best part is that their children get to have fun and socialize with other kids close to their age as well. 

5 Benefits of Enrolling Your Child in Daycare

Did you know that putting your kid in a daycare center can help in enhancing their communication skills? If you send your kid to a daycare facility, and you feel guilty about it, you will love to learn how it benefits your little one. If you are pondering the idea of a daycare that best fit you and your child’s needs, here are some points to consider:

It prepares your kids for school

Sooner or later, your child will leave his nest to attend formal school. But if he has been going to daycare centers for a while, the transition of leaving home will be a lot easier as the time preschool and kindergarten rolls around.  

It has flexible hours and regular schedules

Daycare centers are flexible when it comes to hours – they open early and close late to cater to busy and working parents. It is also a place where your child can learn about routines while partake in a sequence of fun and different learning activities like singing and storytelling. Moreover, the structured time for playing, napping and eating can also shape your kid’s behavior at home, which can benefit parents too. 

It can make parents happy

While some parents have the means to stay home and provide their own childcare, not all can follow this path. For instance, some moms prefer or have to return to work after a few months of giving birth. Knowing that your kid is in a warm and safe daycare can help you feel content and give you peace about your choice to return to work.  

It’s fun!

Daycare is not only a place where kids stay while their parents work – it’s more fun than that! Your children spend their day playing with toys, interacting with others and assembling puzzles. They also learn better while playing outside and partaking in fun activities. 

They can adapt better behavior

A daycare center provides children an opportunity to socialize and play with other kids their age. Working with others can show how to behave and become a team player. Moreover, they also learn to play and share while their personalities develop and their minds grow. 

Parents should not feel guilty because they have to work or cannot afford a nanny, or because they want to take some time off to do some grocery shopping without a toddler. It takes a village to raise a child and if you are fortunate enough to live in a village such as Tarrytown, you can find high-quality daycares like Discovery Village Center. Let us help your child experience the love of learning and you benefit from it in more ways than one! Call (914) 631-1009 and see how we go beyond daycare.