Don Earl Parent Blog

Batteries Not Needed          We’ve all seen it happen.  A child unwraps a gift and becomes more interested in the box than the toy!  A big box can be a boat, a car, a gingerbread house, a cave, or whatever a child imagines.  It is not only typical but also important for preschoolers to play make-believe.  Here are a couple of short articles about the importance of pretend play for 3-5 year-old children and choosing educational toys: The Importance of Pretend Play If you want an educational toy for your kids, go old-school, says new study              Some of the best gifts for children are imagination-powered rather than battery-powered. Listed below are a few toys that encourage pretend play and creativity and are loved by preschoolers: Animal figure sets Art supplies (blank paper, paint, markers, etc,) Balls Capes ( https://tinysuperheroes....

Welcome Back to the Don Earl Early Childhood Parent Blog. We cannot wait to share new information with you all each month! November is in full swing we will be discussing using manners and surviving the holiday meals upon us! -Model manners for your child throughout your day: Have your child use "yes, please" and "no thank you" -Talk to your child about greeting the people they encounter, saying hi, hello and bye or asking how are you? -Washing hands before eating -Always serve yourself last -Do not bring toys or books to the table -Chewing food with mouth closed, taking small bites To reinforce all of these tips above: -Give lots of positive praise -Start with one rule at a time -Teach by example -Be consistent and deal with inappropriate behavior immediately Practice make perfect, so begin to teaching table side behavior as soon as possible to ensure a pleasant holiday season! Here are some links for more manner resources: https://www.verywel...

Welcome to School Year 2019-2020

May- Assertiveness Skills Assertiveness skills are used to defend yourself in a respectful, non-violent manner. Being assertive is often referred to in reference to being bullied. Parents and teachers should teach these skills to young children so they are able to stand up for themself and make their feelings known if someone is picking on them. While this is a very good point it is not the only reason young children should learn assertiveness. At Don Earl we have an assertiveness group for students who may be shy or quiet all around. Our school social worker gives them the skills they need to find their voice within the daily activities of the classroom. Some simple assertiveness skills to teach young children are keeping it cool, ignoring, and answering yes or no. Keeping it cool meaning teaching children about listening to their own emotions. If someone takes their toy away they may be angry at first. Teaching them to count to 5 and then politely ask the other child for their...

April-Using Visual Supports At Home April is Autism awareness month so what better topic to discuss than using visual supports! Visual supports, such as, visual schedules are beneficial for children of all ages and abilities but are most commonly used with students on the  Autism spectrum. Using a visual schedule allows young children, especially those with limited verbal language to understand the daily expectations and routines. A visual schedule is made up of pictures in a child’s daily life. Using real pictures of the real people, places, and things in a child’s daily routine help them to organize and process expectations. Some children benefit from using a picture schedule to represent their entire day while others may benefit from smaller visual schedules used for specific times of their daily routine, such as, meal times. The great thing about picture schedules is you can make them as simple or as elaborate as you like. As long as it is benefiting the child. Involvin...

March-Anxiety/Separation Anxiety Anxiety- is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. Separation Anxiety- anxiety provoked in a young child by separation or the threat of separation from their mother. There are many signs, physically, emotionally, and behaviorally that your child might display indicating they are experiencing anxiety. For a detailed list of those symptoms visit the website below. https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/managing-feelings/stress-anxiety/signs-your-young-child-might-be-struggling-with-anxiety There many strategies available for adults incorporate with children experiencing anxiety. For example, creating clear expectations. This one seems to be the case when working with young children all around. Providing children experiencing anxiety with clear expectations allow them to take some of the worry out of the unknown.  Another strategy to use is to slow do...

February-Daily Routines Establishing daily routines are an important part of making early childhood learners successful both at home and in school. Routines do not need to be elaborate or take over your entire day. In fact, keeping routines simple and direct are more beneficial for young learners. Having daily routines provide young learners with the security of knowing what to expect. It eliminates the unknown and helps minimize behaviors. Most common routines start in the morning or evening. In my opinion, these are the parts of the day usually filled with the most stress for parents so setting simple, and direct expectations is important. For example, at bedtime first put on our pajamas, then brush our teeth, and then we get in bed and read two books. When we are finished we turn the lights out and go to sleep. Repeating this routine nightly becomes a routine everyone can follow. School is another place young learners learn routine. It can be a hard adjustment in the beginn...

BUNDLING UP AND PLAYING OUTSIDE The coldest winter months are upon us. Here is some information about why it is good to get outside for our little ones! There are many benefits that come with playing outdoors, even when it is cold. Your little ones get to see the outside world through a new lense! Increases in exercise and using different muscles Getting fresh air and avoiding bacteria New challenges and problem solving- motor planning and figuring out how to maneuver the terrain Vitamin D exposure Some activities to do to introduce winter play to your little one: Playing seek and find with items in the snow Spray paint art: fill spray bottles with water and food coloring and draw in the snow Target snowball: Hanga target on a tree or lean it up against something, and let the little ones take aim with a snowball Tic Tac Toe: use pine cones, twigs and sticks outside to make a grid and play tic tac toe Snowflake magnifying: use black const...