Puzzle Me This

Puzzles   are an awesome way to enter into reading and math.  They teach pattern recognition and congruency. At Little Sprouts Preschool we start them out small with just a two piece puzzle, but some of our preschoolers have been able to put together a 24 piece puzzle all by theirselves!

  Marcel Danesi Ph.D., the leading researcher in puzzles and what they do for your brain has said, "puzzles are beneficial to brain activity", and "solving puzzles can thus be characterized as a blend of imaginative association and memory." He goes on to explain how doing puzzles makes it easier for children to learn how to read, remember what certain words look like, and decode misspelled words. 

So don't just sit there...

Get Your Puzzle On!

Play Time

Play Time

is something all adults can get behind.

There is so much out there for your kids to do now, every once in a while it's nice to just relax and play with a friend, but to a child playtime is more than just playtime. 

"Play is the work of children" developmental psychologist, J. Piaget said. 

I make time in my preschool day for the kids to just play with each other.  They learn so much from their interactions with each other.  So many of the connections they make in their brains are there before they even go to kindergarten - and social skills need to be fostered, not forgotten.

So 

Let Them Play!

Music Time

There is something so fun and rewarding about

Music Time.

This is one activity that not only is fun, but it makes you smarter too!

There have been many studies done about music and intellectualism. Here are just a few facts from a bunch of those studies:

1. Listening to classical music makes you smarter.

2. Learning how to clap/tap/keep a beat organizes your brain waves.

3. Playing a musical instrument will raise your intelligence level, give you higher scores in math, reading, and SAT/ACT and is a good precursor for weather or not you're going to finish college!

4. Practicing music organizes thought processes and makes you better at accomplishing any organizational skill.

So Get Your Groove On!

Thanksgiving Feast

We had such a fun time at our Thanksgiving Feast!

It is one activity I really look forward to every year, and not just because we all pig out!

...wait for it...

Because we get to practice our Manners!

You Bet!

I said it, manners!

I love it when I get to teach little ones to say things like, "Please pass the penguins" and "could I have some more juice, please."

Ladies and Gentlemen,

You're Welcome!

Color Me This

One thing we can all work on with our own children is...

Coloring!

Why, you ask? 

 Well, I'll tell you. 

Coloring works a child's small motor skills, and if that doesn't sound boring enough for you, then it is also good for their brains by  helping their focus and attention span.

There are just a few things to watch out for before you break out the Crayola:

1. Monkey Grip

A lot of little ones want to grasp their writing implement with their whole fist, while this may seem a benign habit, Please don't let them do it. Why?  Because we are trying to foster good habits now instead of trying to break bad habits later.  Have them hold their crayon/marker/paint brush with their thumb and first/second fingers.

2. Have them watch what they are doing.  It seems like something simple, but this is where focus and attention span comes into play.  Plus, they will be much more pleased with their outcome when what they have done looks recognizable. 

3. Have them try to make small movements.  I try not to tell little ones to "stay in the lines", something that is almost impossible for them, but to make smaller movements. They find that when they make smaller movements, they are able to color only where they want and it actually gets done faster!

So break out the crayons 

and

Color Your World!

Sharpening Skills

It is just too much fun to see your kiddos work.  I love to see the concentration on their little faces as they try to learn a new skill like:

Cutting with Scissors!

I know, I know, I know what you're thinking: "Did that crazy lady actually give my 3 or 4-year-old scissors?"  The answer is:

YES I DID!

I remember when my first was that age actually having nightmares about him getting into the scissors!  And when he finally found them, yes he did cut off the locks of my little one - who didn't have much hair to begin with and ended up sporting a comb-over for a long while.  But I have found over the years that a little exposure, goes a long way, and if they can get their MANIACAL TENANCIES out of them while at Miss Heather's Preschool, all the better.

I only have three rules:

1. You can only cut paper - and only the paper that Miss Heather, or a parent gives to you.

2. You do not cut your clothes.

3. You do not cut your hair - or anyone else's hair!

These rules have served me pretty well over the years.  There are a few things that you, as a parent, can look for if you are brave enough to give your kiddo a pair of safety scissors:

1. Thumb goes on top, fingers on bottom.

You'll find some kiddos want to cut with their fingers on top.  While this isn't the worst thing, they do lose a bit of control and it is something that teachers watch for at school.

2. Have them move the paper instead of the scissors.

This also helps with more accurate cutting, especially when trying to cut a curve.

3. Have them try and relax their little shoulders.

Especially when they are trying to do something new, they will tense their little shoulders and arms.  This, of course, lessons their mobility and accuracy. 

So, save all your junk mail and let the kiddos have at it!

October Fun!

We had so much fun in October! 

  We learned letters, painted, sang, danced, 

 colored, matched, played,

 sorted, squished, dressed up, and partied! 

 We have learned letters A, B, C, & D.  We have also learned to poems (below).  If you get your Preschooler started, I bet they could recite them to you.

Fall

When the leaves are on the ground

Instead of on the trees, 

I like to make a pile of them,

way up to my knees.

AND

Trick-or-treat

Walking up the garden path

I smell a yummy sweet.

Halloween is here again

Knock, knock, trick-or-treat!