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Celebration as Self-Expression in Early Childhood Learning

Celebrations in Early Childhood Education
Celebration as Self-Expression in Early Childhood Learning

Villages are places of warmth and nurturing; extensions of family. They are also places of celebrations and commemorations. Since ancient times, communities have joined together to express their deepest ideals and emotions through holidays – festivals marking the seasons, historical events, and core values. Celebrations remain central to the self-expression of children in early childhood education programs.

At Discovery Village, designed to offer a village environment of nurturing and creativity to children, celebrations are very frequent, typically occurring once a week. They are not just “add ons”, but are among the most central ways that we playfully embed in our program our three pillars – Relationships, Experiences, and Values. (REV – REV it Up with Discovery Village!) Celebrations are central to learning in exemplary early childhood education programs.

“Celebrations not only enrich our program, they are core to our understanding of ourselves as a village” explains Anna Hobbs, Assistant Director, who has both inspired and organized our robust calendar of events. “Festivals create opportunities for children to experience our ideals and values as a community in ways that are exciting, meaningful and so much fun.” 

Some of the Discovery Village core values celebrated at our festivals include creativity, caring, community, and discovery.

Celebrations of Creativity

Some celebrations of creativity are whimsical like 

National Play-Doh Day 

and

 Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Others are more substantive investigations into the arts such as

National Color Day 

(which was actually an interdisciplinary celebration of art and science)

and

 Pablo Picasso’s Birthday.

Celebrations of Caring

Celebrations of Caring (for others and for the world) have included 

National Do Something Nice Day (caring for others)

and

National Recycling Day (caring for our earth)

 

Celebrations of Community

Deliberating building community we include days in which we celebrate Discovery Village as a home away from home. We had an especially good time on 

Pajama Day

Community celebrations also include festivals connected to the seasons such as 

Fall Festival and Harvest Parade.

We’re now gearing up for Friendsgiving.

Celebrations of Discovery

We also enjoy celebrations connected to learning and Discovery. A favorite was our recent

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Day

 

All of this, and we’ve only been open a little over four months. 

There is so much more to come as we consider our core values and days to commemorate them. 

 

What holidays and festivals would you like to see? 

We are truly looking forward to celebrating with you!

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How to Get Your Child Eat Healthy with a Childcare Provider in Sleepy Hollow

featured image of blog titled "How to Get Your Child Eat Healthy with a Childcare Provider in Sleepy Hollow"
How to Get Your Child Eat Healthy with a Childcare Provider in Sleepy Hollow

Kids either love or loathe veggies – there is usually no in-between. Most parents experience an uphill battle with feeding their little ones due to peer pressure and TV commercials. Once you factor in their hectic schedules it is no wonder that their kids’ diet includes takeout food and meals with little nutritional value. 

Food is a vital part of life, especially for kids – a time to nourish their bodies and minds. But what’s the harm a burger or fried chicken? And what’s wrong with keeping a pack of chips or even crackers in the cabinet? While these choices might seem harmless, it turns out that poor eating habits tend to stick with kids as they grow up. Thus, it is essential to teach your kids how to make healthy food choices at an early age.

If you’re a busy parent with loads of tasks on your plate, childcare is a fact of life — and this is where a childcare provider in Sleepy Hollow comes into play. When parents choose trusted people to care for their kids in their absence, they are valuing their child’s early development. Nutrition should be as vital to parents since your kid may never outgrow poor eating habits.

How Healthy and Nutritious Food Benefits Your Kids

It is challenging to feed children nutritious food. Then if you have a picky eater on your hands that challenge becomes even greater. They tend to refuse foods based on color or texture that doesn’t seem pleasing to their eyes. 

However, children need to receive the necessary nutrients in their body for growth and development. When your little ones start a life with healthy meals, they can avoid several health issues. This can have a massive impact on both their childhood and adulthood years. 

Aside from avoiding health problems, children under a balanced diet also see benefits in brain development. A child who is not receiving an adequate amount of iodine and iron may experience both motor development and cognitive delays. 

5 Ways to Promote Healthy Eating Habits 

Is your kid hooked on junk food? Does your little one turn up their nose when they see the salad and casserole on the table? They would probably ask for macaroni or chicken nuggets. As you tear open the bag of frozen chunks, you ask yourself: “What can I do to get my child to eat nutritious foods?”

Whether you’re a childcare provider in Sleepy Hollow or a frazzled parent, you need a few tricks up your sleeve to get your kids to eat healthily. Here are five simple tips on how you can get your child to eat better without turning mealtimes into a battlefield: 

Sneak in some greens

If you’re tired of arguing with your child about eating vegetables, you can sneak in servings of greens without them knowing it. If they love eating pizza, you can make your version and spice it up a bit by making the tomato sauce even healthier by adding unseasoned pumpkin puree. You can also make homemade french fries by baking the potato instead of buying them deep-fried from fast-food chains. 

Talk to them about eating healthy

You can talk to your kids about eating healthy even if they can barely understand it all. By teaching them where the food they’re eating is coming from, how to make and how to grow them, they can develop a frame of reference about making healthy choices. In addition, give your kids praise and encouragement when they try new foods.

Involve them in food choices

When you’re grocery shopping, make it a habit to involve your child and create a healthy food shopping list with them. You can also present them with some healthy snack ideas and have them pick the ones they want (avoiding unhealthy options). By doing this, your kids will acquire the habit of searching out and selecting nutritious foods.

Please don’t force it

As you expose your children to different foods and flavors, always encourage – not force — them to eat healthy food. Pressuring or bribing them to eat a particular food will do more harm than good in the long run. 

Be a role model

We all know that learning does not only happen inside the four corners of the classroom. If you have a picky eater, you can be a positive role model by eating nutritious and balanced meals as well. Drink water with your kid, eat your greens and try new foods with a smile on your face to encourage them to do the same. 

Now that you have an idea of how to get your child to consume healthier foods, put them into good use. Childcare providers should prioritize children’s health and wellness. Children under care should have regular healthy meals, snacks, and fluids while at the same time enjoy positive meal experiences. So if you’re looking for a childcare provider in Sleepy Hollow, let Discovery Village Center help you in getting your little one to eat better. We support families in the process of ensuring good health for future generations. Call (914) 631-1009 today!

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The Reggio Emilia Educational Approach

featured image of blog titled "Reggio-Inspired Learning and Care"
Reggio-Inspired Learning and Care

In the days and weeks following the end of World War II, the area of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy was left in ruins. The combination of military action against resistance to the Nazis and allied bombings had devastated the region. Amidst the rubble, on land contributed by a local farmer, using materials from bombed-out buildings, a small group of parents set out to build a preschool for their children. Funding came from the sale of an abandoned tank, three trucks, and a few horses remaining from the war. The parents, having just emerged from the horrors of World War II, envisioned a school that would prepare their children to stand strong against oppression, injustice, and inequality. 

Having heard rumors of the preschool being built out of the rubble, a young educator named Loris Malaguzzi, himself strongly shaped by growing up under fascist rule,  set out on his bicyle to see what was happening. Inspired, he commited the rest of his life to working with families in the region to create a school, then several schools, then a municipal network of schools, and over the years an international network of schools. 

Core to the Reggio approach is the belief that children form their personalities during their early years and possess “a hundred languages”, or a multitude of ways to express their personalities, ideas, feelings, and creativity. These “languages” include painting, storytelling, movement, dramatic play, and so much more. Teachers work with children to plan both long and short term projects based on children’s interests. They document children’s activities and work, using photos, videos, audio, and written descriptions. This documentation is used to reflect on children’s learning, and to plan ongoing learning experiences. Nurturing strong relationships between children and their teachers as well as their peers is central to the approach. Respect, responsibility, and community are highly valued. 

Reggio-Inspired

Schools adopting the Reggio philosophy typically call themselves “Reggio-inspired”. While embracing core principles of the Reggio approach, each Reggio school designs its own program reflecting the interests of children, educators, and families at the school. There is no one “Reggio Way”, no certification process to become a Reggio school, nor any particular curriculum that must be followed. Such standardization would be antithetical to the Reggio approach, which embraces exploration, creativity, and discovery based on children’s interests. 

The Reggio Approach at Discovery Village

Offering our own unique flair to a Reggio-inspired approach, Discovery Village’s name speaks to our three core pillars:   Relationships, Experiences, and Values (REV – REV it up with Discovery Village!) With the warmth of a close village, we focus on developing caring, trusting relationships. Experiences are viewed as the key to learning and creating with a robust project based approach. Children and teachers transform their classrooms into places that could exist in our village, stemming from children’s interests. Learning in all subject areas is carefully integrated into the experience of designing and living in these village places.  Inspired by the vision of the founding families of the first Reggio school, who focused on preparing children to oppose oppression, injustice, and inequality, we embed an emphasis on living out core values within our village.  

Key principles of Discovery Villages Reggio-inspired approach include:

 

Student Interest: Our curriculum emerges directly from student interest. We integrate learning experiences into the design of our village places and into activities children engage in within these places.

Self Expression and Creativity: We embrace the Reggio notion of “100 languages” or the many ways children can express their ideas, feelings, and creativity. These include painting, storytelling, theater, sculpting, music, science, math, dancing, and so much more.

The Physical Environment as a Teacher: Our classrooms are quite literally transformed again and again into places of interest to our children.

The Flexible Use of Time: Village places shift with student interest. They can last for as short a time as a week. Alternatively, as students become more deeply engaged and invested in a place, they can remain much longer.

Documentation and Sharing: Student work is documented in a range of media. This enables teachers, and children themselves, to reflect on learning. It also enables children to share their work with others. Children will publish their learning in our Village Magazine. They will also present to family and community members at Village Festivals, celebrations featuring what children have designed and learned in our village spaces.

We look forward to documenting our journey in designing and redesigning our village.

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Why Preschool Matters for Children in Tarrytown, NY

featured image of blog titled "Why Preschool Matters for Children in Tarrytown, NY"
Why Preschool Matters for Children in Tarrytown, NY

Although some parents consider kindergarten as a stepping stone for their child’s education, the early years of their lives are critical in the long run. Many parents would agree that the first years of their child’s life seem to pass in the blink of an eye. Before they knew it, they are already thinking of enrolling their kids in preschool. However, choosing the right preschool for your child is not a simple task. Some parents tend to lose sleep over finding an environment where their children can learn and grow. With all the daycares and preschools to choose from in Tarrytown, NY, it can be downright overwhelming. 

A preschool is an exciting place for children to learn the ABCs and 123s, but there is much more that happens during these early years. As parents, the thought of sending your kid to preschool, into a new environment, is both nerve-wracking and heart-wrenching. However, it is in this warm and secure setting where children develop crucial skills, interact with others and learn through play time that nurtures innate curiosities. So how do the children from Tarrytown, NY, benefit from a high-quality preschool program? 

What is a High-Quality Preschool Program?

The young mind is wonderfully malleable. It can develop new habits with relative ease. For young learners, every experience and encounter is a unique learning opportunity. In a high-quality preschool children learn numbers, shapes and letters. It is the first time they become part of a structured learning environment and large group learning. These kids begin to develop a positive relationship with their peers and learn to respect authority.

While no preschool is the same, high-quality preschool programs have some things in common. They have warm and caring educators who get to know every child and family personally, as well as help kids interact with each other and make friends. In addition, teachers help preschoolers develop their thinking skills by asking open-ended questions and offering suggestions. They also provide new materials and plenty of time for children to explore new things and make sense of their world. 

5 Importance of Preschool for Your Child’s Development

Preschool matters for several reasons. Experts believe that attending a high-quality preschool program can help kids thrive in kindergarten and beyond. However, finding the best option for your child takes time and research. There is no doubt that early childhood education matters and here is why: 

It serves as a foundation for learning

In preschool, your child will learn to strengthen not only their academic minds, but also develop their social and emotional skills. They are in a secure and warm environment where they can explore, gain a sense of self and build self-confidence. For instance, your kids will learn how to get their teacher’s attention by raising their hands or how to spend their time away from their parents without getting anxious. 

It nurtures a child’s creativity and natural curiosity

Early childhood is the peak time to nurture a child’s imagination. Preschool teachers use children’s interests and ideas to create activities. Since preschoolers have an active imagination and learn through make-believe play, even simple events can be an exciting opportunity to learn.

It structures learning through play

Children need an opportunity to pretend, create and tell stories. If you are trying to get your child to pick up a few foundational skills before formal school starts, structured play is your kid-friendly solution. Similar to curiosity, play is a natural thing for young learner, especially in today’s society. Thus, using games and attention-grabbing activities is an effective way for kids to develop new skills and have fun. 

It builds social skills

When children start preschool, they are introduced to a new environment that allows them to develop social skills. Although they are more comfortable in their homes, a preschool setting can help them solve problems, listen and learn how to take turns. While these skills are not the natural strength of a preschooler, these skills can be grown and developed in preschool.

It helps in developing motor skills

Enrolling your child in preschool can help them develop motor skills and improve their physical coordination. High-quality preschool programs provide opportunities for kids to establish excellent motor skills. It may include building a tower of ten blocks, completing puzzles, cutting out simple shapes or even clapping their hands. 

You cannot deny and overlook the long-term benefits of enrolling your children in a preschool. Allowing them to thrive in these communities can propel them to fun-filled and positive experiences later in life. At Discovery Village, we can help your young scholar shape their academic, social and emotional success. Each day with us gives you peace of mind and your child the opportunity to embrace new experiences and learn new skills. Call us at (914) 631-1009 and get your preschooler enrolled today!