Don Earl Parent Blog

 Happy Holidays to all!! The month of December has begun and this month we are choosing to focus on incorporating your preschooler in cooking at home. There are many benefits, for you and your little learner, when spending time in the kitchen that can foster  interest in food and cooking that will last forever! -It builds basic skills, such as counting, measuring, direction following, language and science -Pushes young children to explore their senses -Creates  an adventurous palate -Can boost confidence in young children -Gives students a job and provides purpose When planning a cooking activity with you little learner, make sure to follow these general rules: -Plan the time frame to be within 5-10 minutes -Give little one's simple tasks, like pouring, sprinkling, and using cookie cutters -Go over safety rules,  and always stay in the kitchen to monitor and supervise -Make it fun, your little one will enjoy learning with you! Check out the link below for Holiday Baking with a Pres

  Hi early childhood friends and parents, Can you believe Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away?  Though it may look different this year, it is still an important time for families to make memories together.  This month we are giving suggestions on how to have fun and also improve your child's speech and language skills.   1.   Fun with crafts: https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/thanksgiving/handprint-turkey.asp (works on color identification and body parts) https://kidscraftroom.com/ pre-school-fall-craft-math-game /   (works on oral motor skills and counting 2.   Some suggestions for November books to target speech and language: a.   Turkey Trouble by Wendy Silvano - talks about farm animals and targets the sounds           /k, g/.  b.   Bear Gives Thanks by Karma Wilson - rhyming text and forest animal vocabulary c.   There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey  by Lucille Colandro - repetitive            speech,  articulation practice for /t, k, sw blends/ d.  10 Fat Turk

  COVID-19 Friendly Halloween As the evenings get cooler and fall quickly approaches, we can’t help but start to think about our favorite October holiday…Halloween!! How will it look this year? How can we safely celebrate? The following is a list of fun ideas to help your little ones get the most out of Halloween while still being safe!  Go all out with your Halloween decorations  Let the kids get involved by making craft decorations ( https://momspark.net/10-easy-preschool-halloween-crafts/ )  Halloween movie marathon  It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest Frankenweenie Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Party  Monster’s Inc Spooky Buddies  Mickey’s Treat Monster Mash Halloween dance party  https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/g27955468/best-halloween-songs-for-kids/   Boo your neighbors  Put some Halloween goodies and a nice note on your neighbor’s porch  Halloween scavenger hunt  Hide candy or Halloween trinkets in your house or yard

  Hi friends!! We are back to the daily in's and out's of going to school and all the fun that comes with it! While this school year looks vastly different than any other year we have experienced, keeping consistency is key. For this month, we are going to focus on routine and making sure that our little learners know their routine and follow it. Providing our children a consistent routine provides structure and understood expectations, which then give them the opportunity to experience success in school and life.  How to create and keep routines with preschool students: -Start the night before Following a nighttime routine: picking out clothes, getting backpacks ready, and making lunches the night before will allow you to begin the next morning with less on your list. -Begin adjusting to a routine that will work for your family as soon as possible  *remember that it could take a little time before everyone is in tune with the routine* Starting with breakfast and following the

This summer will be different for everyone considering it feels like we started it in March.  So coming up with ideas to make summer a magical learning time can be tricky.  We don’t know how our ‘summer’ will look and what places will be accessible so here is a simplified beginning point to help make your summer stress free, fun and of course educational. Step 1 – Make a Bucket List – Sit down as a family and make a plan.  It doesn’t have to be you’re going to go to this place on this day at this time.  Keep it simple and go somewhere you haven’t been before.  There are many places in the St. Louis area that are free or inexpensive that you can do in one day or less.  The important thing is have a plan. Step 2 – Read, Read, Read! – This is a good rule for year round and not just the summer.  Reading is educational, even if you are not the one doing the reading, but it’s also good for social skills and increasing language.  Ask questions about the book before reading and have yo

Hi all! April is the month that we celebrate our young learners and their journey in growing! We have a week of activities to try at home with our young learners. This week is very important to us and we wish we could be with the students to celebrate. These activities will allow students the learning opportunities to access their counting, math, literacy and language concepts. It will also give students time to build fine and gross motor skills and use their imagination. MONDAY: MUSIC  MONDAY : Make instruments and have a parade outside,listen to different music from other countries and dance TUESDAY: TASTY TUESDAY : Read the Books Give a Mouse a cookie,Give a Dog a Donut,Give a Pig a Pancake and Give a Moose a Muffin and make cookies,donuts,pancakes and muffins WEDNESDAY:WRITING DAY :  Make a Family Time Capsule and bury it in the back yard,Make a Family album of what you've been doing during the Pandemic,Draw a picture and write a story with parents help THURSDAY

Hi all!! While we are all stuck inside, we thought we could share ideas and resources on how to build fine motor skills in our little learners! Enjoy and stay safe and healthy! Fine Motor Skills in Preschool The words, “fine motor skills” is a phrase we hear often. It is something that has been around for a long time, so what’s the hype about now? What’s the big deal? The term, “fine motor skills,” refers to the coordinated use of the small muscles in our hands and fingers to perform everyday tasks. If you think back to when you were a kid, you may remember going outside, playing with toys, drawing, doing puzzles, etc. While kids today still do those things, there is one big difference…technology.   Technology is a wonderful invention, and iPads provide wonderful resources for learning as well as accessibility. However, it is now more important than ever that we be intentional about providing kids with opportunities for fine motor skill development. Recent research shows an

Hello all, with it being Valentine's Day and Random Act of Kindness Week we would like to share some info on being kind and teaching kindness with our little learners! Kindness is a tool that can carry you through life in so many ways! Working with your little ones and their siblings at home on ways to be kind can bring about a positive change within your home. Tips for Teaching Kindness at Home: Have family discussions about how families and friends treat each other Have a Kindness Jar: Fill it up with something (cotton balls) when we do something kind and make a family reward when the jar is full! Give Lots of Hugs/ Give Praise to your little ones: When they hear or see you being kind, they will follow! Reinforce manners: Please and Thank You are phrases that can be used all day everyday!! Introduce taking turns while playing family games- or even during family chats! Having your little ones help go through toys, clothes, etc. to share with the less fortunate. S