Parents-

It is hard to believe this year is almost over!  The children have all learned and grown so much it is hard to imagine that they are the same little ones who came walking (or strolling, or screaming) in last August. Our teachers have provided the children with many hands-on learning experiences and they have spent the year planning, exploring, building, creating, and imagining. We hope that you have enjoyed watching them learn as much as we have. 

Some of you have asked what you can do through the summer to help your child continue to progress.  Here are a few ideas:

1) Read to your child.  Children who are read to frequently are eager to learn how to read themselves.  They learn to appreciate the written word, the sequencing required for story telling and the functions of print.  Reading to your child is the best way that you can insure that he or she will become an avid reader.

2) Play games with your child.  Game time is a great way to spend time together, have fun and practice skills.  Number recognition, memory, matching, sorting, left to right progression, and one-to-one correspondence are all part of many favorite early childhood games.  In addition your child will be practicing fine motor skills and following directions. Remember that non-competitive games are best, young children hate to lose!

3) Go places with your child.  Novelty is food for the brain.  Any time your child sees, hears, or experiences something new his or her brain gets a charge.  Even a simple trip to the grocery store can fuel the brain.  Go to the park, to the zoo, on walks, etc. and talk about what you see and hear. This not only gets the brain's juices flowing, but also helps build vocabulary skills.  

4) Cook with your child.  Cooking offers a great deal of learning experiences. In addition to the wonder of watching something transform, children can practice fine and gross motor skills by pouring, mixing, sifting, etc. They can also practice math skills by measuring, counting and weighing.  It will be years before your child will fully understand the concepts of weight, measurement, time and temperature, but repeated exposure to these concepts now will promote development of these skills. 

Most of all, enjoy your time together.  Have a safe and wonderful summer!