Summer is finally here!!

We are very excited about summer being here.  Our Junior Scholars summer camp began last week.  This year we have welcomed a few new faces as well as welcomed back returning campers and kids we sent to kindergarten last year.   This year’s camp promises to be very exciting for the kids.  Ms. Kristin and Ms. Jill have planned a lot of fun fieldtrips and activities on campus.

We have a lot of exciting things going on this summer at our main center as well.  We have had our wading pools delivered for our two year old.  The older kids will be able to run through the UIS fountain.  Talk to your child’s teacher about how to dress your child for swim days.

 Reading adventures for the older kids will also be starting soon.  The kids will take walks across campus and read books.  Watch for updates on where their adventures take them!

Please remember to bring in sunscreen and fill out a form.  We ask that you please apply sunscreen to your children in the morning.  We try to get the kids outside as much as possible to enjoy the weather.  We will reapply sunscreen in the afternoon before going back outside.

The Importance of Family Meals

Why are family meal times important?

Less than half of the families in the United States eat dinner together at the dinner table.  Our society is so busy with “things we need to do” that we forget that we need to take the time to slow down and enjoy meal times with our family.  Studies reveal that family meals are an important part of a child’s development, emotional health, and nutritional views. 

Family meal times promote family communication.  Along with this your child will learn how to effectively express their ideas.  They will also learn to listen patiently while others speak.  This leads to children being able to form and express their own opinions in a respectful manner.  For these reasons it is important to turn off other distractions.  Turn the television off so that it doesn’t distract your child and other family members.  Focus on teaching manners, these manners will carry across to their interactions with other in all situations.

A very good way to start family meals is to have your child participate.  Let them become involved in the planning of the meals.  You can use this to encourage them to try new foods.  They will be more excited to try different foods if they have a hand in preparing them.  Children can also help with setting the tables and cleaning up. 

Family meals are a time when you can show your family that you love and appreciate them.  This will help boost your child’s self-esteem.  Family meals create a sense of routine for children and give children an extra sense of security.  It can be a safe haven time for not only your children, but your whole family as well.

Creative Curriculum- new curriculum to be implemented at the Cox Children's Center

For the past few months, the Butterfly Room and now the Lincoln Room have been experimenting with a new curriculum style. We began looking into other options in an effort to better connect our observations and assessment of children with our purposeful and planned curriculum. The preschool teachers have completed a 15 hour training on Creative Curriculum and the infant, toddlers and two year old teachers will complete theirs this Saturday.

The care that infants, toddlers, and twos receive and their experiences during the first 3 years of life have a powerful influence on how they view the world, how they relate to others, and their ability to succeed as learners. Infants, toddlers, and twos who receive high-quality care are more likely to become sociable, capable preschoolers who get along with others, demonstrate self-control, and love learning.

Certain fundamental beliefs underlie The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos:

• building a trusting relationship with each child
• providing responsive, individualized care
• creating environments that support and encourage exploration
• ensuring children's safety and health
• developing partnerships with families
• observing and documenting children's development in order to plan for each child and the group
• recognizing the importance of social/emotional development
• appreciating cultural, family, and individual differences
• taking advantage of every opportunity to build a foundation for lifelong learning
• supporting dual language learners
• including children with disabilities in all aspects of the program

Creative Curriculum for Preschoolers is based on five fundamental principles. They guide practice and help us understand the reasons for intentionally setting up and operating our programs. The five principals are:

1. positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for successful learning.
2. social-emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
3. constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning.
4. the physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
5. teacher-family partnerships promote development and learning.

Using Yoga with Young Children

Many people use yoga as a way to stay healthy, focused and relaxed. We have recently used yoga with our preschoolers and found it to be a natural way for children to help transition into the naptime routine. Through this technique, we found that it also enhanced children's learning experiences in the classroom. Some of the other benefits include: promotion of social emotional development, increased control of impulses, increased focus and attention to body placement and confidence.

Here are some examples of yoga moves that are developmentally appropriate for young children (mostly concentrating on children 2 1/2 to 5). These moves are inclusive while also allowing for independent expression and creativity.

Turtle Shell:

1. Fold your body forward
2. Tuck in legs, arms and chin (like a turtle)
3. take breaths- deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth
4. remain quietly tucked in your shell

Growing roots:

1. raise arms out to sides, overhead, and back down
2. inhale as arms go up and exhale as arms go down
3. pause with arms raised
4. repeat as needed/desired

Monkey Breaths:

1. make fists and take deep breaths through the nose
2. exhale and pull the right fist up toward right armpit
3. inhale and release the hand down
4. repeat with the left side
5. alternate sides and quicken the pace
6. gradually slow down movements
7. take 3 breaths