Repetition and Extension Language Stimulation Techniques

Repetition and Extension are language stimulation techniques that teachers and mommies and daddies like you can use to keep conversations with children going. They can also increase your child’s vocabulary.

How to use repetition to increase your child’s vocabulary

Listen to what your child says and then restate or rephrase your child’s words.  Listen to your child, then use your child’s words in a more complete phrase or sentence.

Your child says: Car goes fast.
You say: Yes, your car is going very fast.

Your child says: Painting the box.
You say: Oh, you’re painting the box blue.

Your child says: That her dolly.
You say: That is her dolly!

How to use extension to increase your child’s vocabulary and continue the conversation

Expand your child’s phrase or sentence, and then add another sentence on the same topic to extend the conversation further.

Your child says: Car goes fast.
You say: Yes, your car is going very fast.  It’s coming around the table.

Your child says: Painting the box.
You say: Oh, you’re painting the box blue. It’s a good box for your rocks.

Your child says: That her dolly.
You say: Yes, that is Miya’s dolly. She looks like she is hungry.

Using Repetition and Extension helps to keep conversations going by focusing on your child’s language.

Listen carefully to what your child is saying and respond by expanding your child’s words into more complete phrases or sentences. Your child determines the topic. You follow the lead, adding more content to the conversation, new vocabulary, and new sentence structures.

The success of Repetition and Extension depends on your ability to understand not only your child’s words, but also her/his intent. And to add interesting information.

Conversations that are not child‐centered usually end prematurely, while child‐centered expansions lead to increased conversation.

Adapted from LAUP: Notari-Syverson, Angela, O’Connor, Rollanda, & Vadsay, Patricia F. (2001) Ladders to Literacy, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD. Pianta, Robert C,, La aro, Karen M., & Hamre, Bridget K. (2008) Classroom Assessment Scoring System Manual Pre-K, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co, Baltimore, MD. Sharp, Carrie (1987) Now You’re Talking: Techniques that Extend Conversations Facilitators Guide, Educational Productions, Inc. Portland, OR

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We all know children can be taught to throw a ball, sing a song, learn a rhyme, read and write, but can they be taught and guided to develop the qualities of character that are valued by their families and communities? Absolutely! Through guidance and modeling by caring parents, teachers and other adults, children learn to be honest and thoughtful, to stand up for their principles, to care about others, to act responsibly and to make sound moral choices.

Character is a set of qualities, or values, that shape our thoughts, actions, reactions and feelings. People with strong character

• show compassion,
• are honest and fair,
• display self-discipline in setting and meeting goals,
• make good judgments,
• show respect to others,
• show courage in standing up for beliefs,
• have a strong sense of responsibility,
• are good citizens who are concerned for their community, and
• maintain self-respect.

Babies may begin to cry when they hear other sounds of crying, and coo and laugh when they hear others making happy sounds. By the age of three, many children will make an effort to hug or comfort another child or a parent who seems upset. As children grow, compassion can guide their actions and behaviors in positive ways. They understand that by doing something wrong, they cause others pain or unhappiness.

How to help your child be compassionate

We can promote compassion by helping our children think about how others feel. For example, if your child says or does something hurtful to another child, help him to focus his attention on the feelings of the other child by saying kindly, “How do you think Zack feels? Would you like to feel like that?” Children develop compassion by practicing acts of caring and kindness towards others. As adults, we need to emphasize the importance of helping others, giving others the benefit of the doubt and being open to differences.

What You Can Do to help your child

• Talk about the point of view of others as you watch TV, read books or discuss other people with your child. For example, ask, “What do you think that character is feeling and thinking?”
• Be compassionate and show empathy yourself; show care toward others, such as doing errands for sick neighbors or opening doors for others.
• Give others the benefit of the doubt. If your child is upset that another child took her toy. Explain that sometimes younger children don’t do things to deliberately hurt someone or make someone angry. Sometimes they just don’t understand that it’s not o.k. yet.
• Be open to differences. If your child says “Our new neighbors dress funny,” explain that people often wear clothes that reflect their cultures or native countries.
• Get and care for a pet. Any pet will do. Or help take care of a neighbor’s pet.

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What’s an open ended question?

Questions that have more than one right answer, or ones than can be answered in many ways, are called open‐ended or divergent questions. This way of asking questions stimulates more language use, acknowledges that there can be many solutions to one problem, affirms children’s ideas, and encourages creative thinking.  

Open‐ended questions open up conversations

When you ask an open‐ended question, you don’t know what your child’s answer is going to be. Close‐ended questions usually limit conversation to a one or two word response, and sometimes they end the conversation. Examples:

Close‐ended question: “What color is this?”
Open‐ended question: “You used a lot of blue on your painting. What does it remind you of?”

Close‐ended question: “How many teddy bears are on the block?”
Open‐ended question: “What are those teddy bears thinking about?”

Close‐ended question: “What’s your doll’s name?”
Open‐ended question: “Your baby is so beautiful! Tell me about her.”

Children must have a high level of verbal skills to respond to open‐ended questions. Since open-ended questions have a wide‐range of possible answers, children are able to respond only if they have a fairly high level of verbal skills, vocabulary, and self‐confidence. If your child has limited verbal skills, use self-talk & parallel-talk, repetition, extension, or ask a close‐ended question.

The success of open‐ended questions depends on how you understand your child’s interest or focus. You may be used to asking questions aimed at assessing how much your child knows (about color, number, shape or alphabet) and may find it difficult at first to ask engaging questions with no right answer. Close‐ended questions usually end conversations. Open‐ended questions that are too general or unfocused may be difficult for your child to respond to and may also end the conversation.

Here’s an example: Your child has been using fingerpaint, mixing together orange, blue, and yellow. You say:

Close‐ended question:
“What colors are you using?” Child: “Orange.”

General open‐ended question:
“Tell me about what you are doing.” Child: “Mixing colors.”

Targeted open‐ended question:
“Wow! How did you get this color? What did you do first?” Child: “First I stuck my hand in the blue paint, then I stuck my other hand in the orange paint. I made the paint squeeze through my fingers. It felt yucky. Then it started changing colors!”

Open‐ended questions that are challenging can develop your child’s thinking skills: Challenging children by posing thought‐provoking, open‐ended questions that are rich and clear can stimulate and push at the edges of your child’s development. These questions are often expressed in conditional form “What will happen if you…?”

Types of open‐ended questions that are challenging include:

• Making predictions ‐ What do you think will happen if you keep adding blocks to your tower?
• Stretching thinking ‐ What would happen if there were no cars, trucks, buses, planes, or boats? How would we get around?
• Considering consequences ‐ What would happen if you left your drawing outside and it rained?
• Assessing feelings ‐ How would you feel if that happened to you? How do you think Juan feels?
• Thinking about similarities and differences ‐ How are these two blocks the same? What makes these things go together?
• Applying knowledge to solve a problem ‐ What could you do to keep the paint from dripping on the floor?
• Evaluating ‐ What made you decide to pick this book to read? How did this make you feel?

Try using these open ended questions with your preschoolers at home to get started:

Adapted from Preschool for All, San Francisco First Five (first5sf.org)

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We love parachute play at school. Try it at home too!

Parachute Play

• Encourages cooperation, team work & socialization
• Strengthens upper torso
• Is non-competitive & fun
• Refines perceptual skills
• Reinforces taking turns
• Encourages sharing
• Develops a sense of rhythm
• Helps children learn to follow directions
• Promotes social interaction
• Enhances language development & communication

Try these parachute games

• Run under it: Hold on tight, throw arms in the air then run under it and meet in the middle. Run back out before it lands on you! Try it again and let it land on you!
• Make Waves: Children can make small, medium, or large movements to make various types of “waves.”
• Popcorn: Place a number of beanbags, small balls, cotton-balls, or balls onto the parachute. Shake to make them pop up like “popcorn”.
• Ball Roll: Roll balls into the hole in the middle of the parachute or try to keep them away from the hole. (Or have children try to keep the balls from going into the hole in the center.) Try it with cotton balls too!
• Merry-Go-Round: Children turn their bodies sideways and hold the chute with one hand. They then walk around in a circle, making a “Merry-Go-Round.” Try it hopping, skipping, jumping, etc.
• Poison Snakes: Place three or four jump ropes onto the chute. Shake the parachute to keep the snakes from “biting” (touching) you.
• Infant Sensory Experiece: Baby lies on their back in front of their parent. Parents raising and lower the parachute providing a sensory experience as the baby watches the changing shapes and colors above.

Buy a small home size parachute on Amazon

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What is Self-Talk?

Self‐Talk is a strategy where mommies and daddies like you describe what you are doing as you’re doing it. You provide the words to describe your actions, without expecting your child to respond. You should use Self-Talk daily with your children. All infants, toddlers, and preschoolers will benefit. Self-talking is a great way to help your infants & toddlers develop vocabulary

Examples of Self‐Talk:

• I’m mixing the butter and sugar to make our cookies. I like to smell it. Now I’m going to taste it.
• I’m putting on my shoes to get ready for work.
• I’m sitting down at the table next to your sister. I want to see what she is doing with the play doh.
• Now I am writing a ‘W.’ I start here and go down, up, down, and up again. There‐‐‐a ‘W’.
• I am digging in the sand with Monique. Deeper…deeper…deeper. Oh no‐‐‐the sand is starting to cave in!

What is Parallel Talk?

Parallel Talk is a technique in which mommies and daddies like you describe what your child is doing or seeing. When you use Parallel Talk, you’re acting like a broadcaster. You watch the action and describe it to your child, without expecting a response. You shouldn’t ask your child questions during parallel talk. Parallel Talk also called: information talk, narratives, commentary, and broadcasting.

Examples of Parallel Talk:

• If your child is playing with colored blocks, you might say: Oh, you put the yellow block on top. Now you’re sliding the green one next to the long red block. The tower is getting taller.
• If your child is playing with Sesame Street characters, you might say: Here comes Oscar the Grouch. He’s riding in the car with Cookie Monster. Cookie Monster’s in the back. He’s looking around while the car goes faster and faster.
• If your child is upset because you won’t buy the toy. You might say: Cindy, you really want that toy. You are feeling sad that we are not buying it. You wish you could have it. 

Self Talk and Parallel Talk help parents and their children develop relationships.

The strategies of Self Talk and Parallel Talk give you a starting place, something to talk about as you make comments on your child’s actions and follow your child’s lead. If your child is upset, Parallel Talk helps him to feel respected and validated. If your child is engaged in play, she enjoys the time and attention.

Self Talk and Parallel Talk help children who are shy or have limited language.

Self Talk and Parallel Talk are a good way to begin talking with any young child, at any time. The child has the opportunity to develop receptive language, but there is no expectation that the child will respond. These techniques can be especially effective with non‐verbal children, with children who are shy, and with English language learners. It builds language for all children.

Parents often feel self‐conscious or awkward when they begin to use Self Talk and Parallel Talk.

To use Self Talk and Parallel Talk you’ll learn to talk in a new way‐‐‐describing, not questioning. But speaking is only part of it. Observing your child’s action carefully is the key.

Beginners using Self Talk and Parallel Talk often overwhelm children with too much description.

In the beginning, it’s easy to concentrate so hard on becoming a good describer that the natural pace and flow of conversation is overlooked. You don’t need to comment on every single action. Commenting on every second or third action creates a more natural conversational pace and gives your child a chance to respond, if he chooses.

Adapted from Preschool for All, San Francisco First Five (first5sf.org)

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Why it’s not okay to say “You’re O.K.”

Would you ever say “You’re Okay” to a sad friend? An injured parent? An angry spouse? You’re sick dog? Probably not, but many parents and even teachers often say “You’re O.K.” as soon as a child cries, falls, or gets feelings hurt by a friend or sibling. Why would we say “You’re okay” to a child but not to an adult?

We know if we don’t address the adults feelings or pain, we are invalidating what they are feeling and experiencing. We’re brushing it off like nothing happened. But with a child, sometimes we think it is reassuring, will keep them from crying, or will let them know we’ll take care of it. But when we say “You’re O.K.,” it’s not Okay. It communicates something totally different.

What does saying “You’re Okay” really tell a child?

If we say “You’re okay,” we are telling the child “What you’re feeling isn’t real. Nothing is wrong.” If we say “You’re okay,” we invalidate the child’s emotions, feelings, pain. It doesn’t make it better. It teaches children to hide their emotions and feelings because they are not accurate, important or maybe not even real. No one wants to do that. Right? So what should we say and do instead?

What to say and do instead of saying “You’re okay.”

When a child is in emotional or physical pain, acknowledge it first.

• “Is everything o.k. Michael? You look sad?”
• “Are you o.k.?”
• “Did Johnny take your toy? How do you feel about that?”
• “Ooops. Looks like you bumped your knee. Does it hurt?”

After you acknowledge and name the feeling, then offer solutions if need be.

• “Oh you’re sad because Kara isn’t here today. I can understand that. She’s a good friend. Let’s see if we can make another friend today.”
• “Oh you slipped on the sand and hurt your elbow. That’s painful. Let’s clean and it up in the bathroom. Would you like some ice on it?”
• “I can see you’re frustrated, let’s go talk to Johnny and see what we can do.”
• “We’ll clean up your knee and pick out a band-aide. How does that sound?”

By acknowledging children’s pain, we encourage them to feel and recognize their emotions.   We are letting them know the pain is real and we understand it. When we talk to them about it, we encourage them to express their feelings. When we offer solutions, we provide them the nurturing and understanding adult guidance they need.  Isn’t that better than “You’re okay?”

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What’s an open-ended question?

Questions that have more than one right answer, or ones than can be answered in many ways, are called open‐ended or divergent questions. This way of asking questions stimulates more language use, acknowledges that there can be many solutions to one problem, affirms children’s ideas, and encourages creative thinking. 

Listening to your child’s answers is even more important than asking the open-ended questions

• Wait 5-10 seconds for your child to think and formulate responses.
• Allow your child to fully answer the question without interruption.
• Show that you are interested your child’s answers.
• Keep the conversation going until your child gives you clues to move on.

Six types of open-ended questions we ask at school.

You should try them out at home too.

Open-ended Knowledge Questions

• What happened when…?
• What happened before/after…?
• What did it look/feel/sound/taste/smell like?
• What do you remember from…?
• Describe what you know about…
• Tell me about your…
• Name all of your favorite _____.
• What did you use to make it?
• List everything you think you might find in…
• Describe to me _____ (block structure, etc.) and how you made it.

Open-ended Comprehension Questions

• Why do you think…?
• Which one do you have more/less of?
• How can you tell the difference between _______ and ______?
• Can you give me an example of ______?
• How do you know that…?
• What happened first, second, third, etc.?
• Tell me what happened…
• How could you say that differently?
• Name some… (shapes, animals, vegetables, etc.).

Open-ended Application Questions

• Tell me about a time when…
• Tell me how you would make/build…
• What does this make you think of?
• What do you think will happen next?
• How can we organize these?
• How can we/you find out?
• Show me what you could do with it.
• How can we solve this problem?
• What do you think will happen if…?
• How else would/could you…?

 Open-ended Analysis questions

• Why is this important?
• In what ways are these different/similar?
• What do you think will happen?
• How much/many _______ will we need to …?
• Is there anything that you would change? If so, why?
• Why do you think…?
• What comes next in the pattern of_______?
• What could we do differently next time?
• Did that ever happen to you? Tell me more about that.

Open-ended Evaluation Questions

• What other ideas do you have to add?
• What other ending to the story can you come up with?
• How will you organize______?
• What else could you do/use?
• How will you prepare for…?
• What could we have done instead?
• What’s one solution to the problem?
• How could you assemble these _______ to make _________?
• Tell me how you will… (draw your picture, make your city out of blocks, etc.)

Open-ended Creating Questions

• What changes would you make to…?
• How many ways can you…?
• Why did you choose… (those materials, that order, etc.)?
• How could we make the/this_____ (stronger, better, etc.)?
• How will you make a new… (design, pattern, etc.)?
• Why do you think it is important to…?
• Rank these______ according to ________.
• How are you planning to do that?

Now it’s time for you to start asking some questions! 🙂

Adapted from Preschool for All, San Francisco First Five (first5sf.org)
A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing:
A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Outcomes:
Complete Edition by Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl, D.R. (Eds.). (2009).

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Taking care of our bodies;

Daily Exercise

One way to stay healthy is to be active. Toddlers & Preschool children should play actively several times each day. They need to run, jump, and climb every single day. Being physically active throughout the day is key to your child’s health and well-being.

Help keep your child active

Physical activity is good for children and adults. It strengthens muscles, bones and joints, and it gives children the opportunity to gain confidence while having fun. Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Playing hopscotch, tossing a ball back and forth, and dancing are some good ways for your child to be active. Here are some ways you can help keep your child active and healthy:

• Be a physically active role model and have fun with your children. Adults need at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity.
• Walk with your child at every available opportunity; if possible to school or to the store on errands. Take a family walk after dinner instead of watching tv or playing computer/video games.
• Plan active weekends. Include biking, hiking, skating, walking or playing ball. Take a trip to the park, the beach, skating rink, zoo, or swimming pool.
• Offer to join your child in his/her favorite physical activity, or enroll your child in a group exercise program.
• Include children in active chores such as dog walking, house cleaning, car washing, and yard work.
• Limit inactive behavior such as television watching and computer time. Do physical activity with your children during commercials, such as marching in place or stretching. This helps reinforce the importance of movement in your child’s life.
• Avoid using tv as a child sitter or pacifier. Offer active alternatives to screen time like jumping rope, playing hide-and-seek or running an errand. Children love when you are active with them and involve them in what you do. Keep tv’s out of children’s rooms.
• Give your children gifts that encourage physical activity–active games, sporting equipment, jump ropes, scooters or a Frisbee.

Now turn off this screen and go exercise!!!!!

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When children crawl over the teddy bear, climb under the table, go through the tunnel, walk around the chair, go in and out the door, they are developing physically and mentally as they learn about the relationship between their bodies and the objects they are navigating.  You can help your children develop their language, mathematical, and conceptual skills by verbally expressing what they are doing. Here’s how. 

Use words with experiences

Infants

Infants love to grasp, hold, reach, throw, drop and put everything in their mouth. You can help your baby develop with simple household items and toys; plastic bowls, wooden spoons, containers of various shapes and sizes, blocks, stuffed animals etc. Gather only safe items by making sure they are not too small to choke or swallow and not too hard or heavy to hurt. Then let your child start exploring. When she puts the animal in the bowl. Comment “You put the animal in the bowl!” Ask her to do things like “Stack the block on top of the bowl.” Show her what you mean as you say it.

Toddlers

Toddlers love to collect, carry and climb into small spaces. You can encourage your toddler’s development with household containers, collections and some sheets and blankets. Set up a little private space under a table by draping some sheets and blankets over it. Place some items to collect around the house; balls, toys, small containers, lids, etc. Ask your child to collect all the items or specific items. As she starts collecting comment on what she is doing. “You picked up the blue ball and put it in the basket.” Ask her to “Take the basket under the table and dump everything out.” Now look for more items. Count them as she goes. “You put one toy in the basket.” “Now you put two toys in the basket.” “You had to walk through the door to get that one.” “Let’s put the toys on the chair.”

Preschoolers

Preschoolers love to take direction and show they understand. You can encourage your preschooler’s development by setting up a simple obstacle course together. It can really be just about anything. Step on the chair, crawl under the table, jump on the carpet, walk around the spoon, toss the ball into the basket… You get the idea. Just set it up and have some fun. As you and your child go through the course describe what is happening. “You’re crawling under the table.” “Now you have to jump off the stair.”

You can add additional concepts and physical challenges like balancing on a board while holding a ball. “Don’t fall off into the ‘water’!”

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Infants, toddlers and preschooler LOVE playing with boxes. Sometimes they would rather play with the box a toy came in then the box itself. Playing with boxes encourages imagination, verbal skills, motor skills and more. It’s fun and educational to play with boxes. Here’s how to do it at home!

You’ll need:

You guessed it! Boxes!!!!! Cereal, Costco, Amazon boxes or any boxes will do. Just make sure there are no staples or anything else dangerous in them like plastic bags, etc.

Ideas for playing with boxes

• Create a ball catcher- toss the ball into the box
• Create a box race car
• Create a Mailbox & play post office
• Create a Television & your child is the show
• Leave some cereal in a cereal box and tape it up. Its makes a fun sound! It’s a shaker!
• Just give your child a box or two and see what happens.

We play with boxes at school often!

Our infants love sitting the boxes and going for a carpet ride! Our Toddler love to smash them! Our Preschoolers like to make forts, houses and castles!

Give it a try at home and have some fun!

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Every day we engage children in back and forth conversations by encouraging responses to our questions and prompts. These conversations are called Feedback Loops.  Here’s how you can use Feedback Loops at home.

How to use Feedback Loops

Simply engage your child by asking questions about what she is doing or by following up on comments your child makes. To make it a loop you want to keep the conversation going.

Engage your child by asking questions

Just ask questions about what he is doing.

• You’re painting with a carrot. I’ve never seen that before. What other things have you used to paint?
• You’ve been working hard that picture. Why did you choose green for that tree?
• That was a great jump. How far off the ground do you think you jumped?

Follow up on comments

Listen carefully to what your child is saying and respond by expanding on the comments by adding new ideas or suggestions. Following their lead, adding more content to the conversation, new vocabulary, and new sentence structures.

• I’m going to build a rocket out of these blocks!  You say, That’s great! What made you decide to build a rocket? | Your child says, They blast off super fast! | You say, How fast do you think they can go? | Then keep it going in whatever direction your child takes it.

Successful implementation of feedback loops

The success of Feedback Loops depends on your ability to understand not only your child’s words, but also his intent— and to add information that your child will find interesting. Conversations that are not interesting usually end prematurely; however, when children feel their ideas are being taken seriously, conversation increases.

Don’t overwhelm with too many questions

Engage your child. Don’t grill them. You don’t need to have prolonged conversations about every comment or action. Just create a natural flow. And let your child take the lead. The best Feedback Loops move from one thing to next at your child’s pace.

Use Feedback Loops at home, the car,  grocery store, the movies…

Feedback Loops will help you and your child deepen your relationship as you create learning moments together. When you engage your child she’s getting the time and attention she needs from you. Use Feedback Loops at home, the car,  grocery store, the movies, the park, the beach. Use them anywhere and everywhere. And have FUN!

Adapted from Preschool for All, San Francisco First Five (firstSsf.org)

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What Shall We Give the Children?

The Holidays are almost here.
Toys and games and playthings,
As we do every year?
Yes, for the magic of toyland
Is part of the Holiday lore
To gladden the heart of childhood,
But I will give something more.
I will give them patience,
A more sympathetic ear,
A little more time for laughter,
Or tenderly dry a tear.
I will take time to teach them
The joy of doing some task.
I’ll make time to answer
More of the questions that they ask.
Time to read books together,
And take long walks in the sun.
Time for a bedtime story,
After the day is done.
I will give these to my children,
Weaving a closer tie,
Knitting our lives together
With gifts that money can’t buy.
Author – Unknown  

We hope you have a wonderful and memorable holiday!

 -All of us at Halsey Schools

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This month your child’s teachers are carefully observing your child to assess for appropriate developmental milestones. Children develop at their own pace so the criteria we follow offers a broad age range for each milestone. Some children might reach a designated milestone at 7 months old. But others might reach it at 4 months or 10 months.

The characteristics that follow are simply basic guidelines to give you an idea of where your child may be.

Your 0-12 month old baby

ross Motor Skills

• Sits without support,
• crawls,
• pulls self to standing and stands unaided,
• walks with aid,
• rolls a ball in imitation of adult

Social And Play Skills

• Smiles spontaneously,
• responds differently to strangers and familiar persons,
• pays attention to own name,
• responds to “no”,
• copies simple actions of people

Pre Academic Skills

• Looks directly at adult’s face,
• tracks objects,
• imitates gestures (peek-a-boo),
• puts block in andtakes block out of box,
• finds block hidden under cup

Oral Language Skills

• Makes different vowel sounds,
• makes different consonant/vowel combinations,
• vocalizes to the person who has talked to him/her,
• uses intonation patterns that sound like phrases

Understanding Language

• Looks at people who talk to him/her,
• responds differently to variety of sounds: i.e. phone ringing or door bell or voices

Music/Art/Story Skills

• Fixes gaze on pictures in book Self-Help Skills Feeds self crackers; munching not sucking,
• holds cup with two hands but drinks with assistance,
• hold out arms and legs while being dressed

Fine Motor Skills

• Reaches and grasps and puts objects in mouth,
• picks things up with thumb and one finger,
• transfers object from one hand to another,
• drops and picks up toy

Your 12-24 month old baby

Gross Motor Skills

• Walks alone,
• walks backward,
• picks up object without falling,
• pulls toys, seats self in child’s chair,
• walks up and down stairs with aid

Social And Play Skills

• Recognizes self in mirror or picture,
• refers to self by name,
• plays be self and initiates own play,
• imitates adult behaviors in play,
• plays with water and sand,
• leads and carries and dumps,
• helps put things away

Pre Academic Skills

• Follows one direction involving familiar actions and objects (“Give me the ball.” Show me your nose”),
• completes 3-piece puzzle,
• matches similar objects

Oral Language Skills

• Asks for items by name, answers “What’s that?” with name of object,
• tells about objects or experiences with words used together (2-3 words)

Understanding Language

• Responds to specific words by showing what was named: toys and clothing,
• responds to simple directions given without gestures: go or sit or run or walk

Music/Art/Story Skills

• Moves to music,
• looks at pictures in book and points to or names objects or people,
• paints with whole arm movement by shifting hands and making strokes

Self-Help Skills

• Uses spoon and spills a little,
• drinks from cup with one hand and unassisted,
• chews food,
• removes garment,
• zips and unzips large zippers,
• indicates toilet needs

Fine Motor Skills

• Builds tower of 3 cubes,
• puts rings on a stick,
• places 5 pegs in a pegboard,
• turns pages

Your 2-3 year old

Gross Motor Skills

• Runs forward well,
• jumps in place,
• stands on one foot with aid,
• walks on tiptoe,
• kicks ball without direction,
• runs around obstacles

Social And Play Skills

• Plays near other children,
• watches other children play,
• defends own possessions,
• engages in domestic play,
• builds with blocks in simple lines

Pre Academic Skills

• Matches shapes,
• stacks 5 rings on peg in order,
• demonstrates number concepts to 2

Oral Language Skills

• Asks questions,
• Answers “Where is it?” with prepositional phrases “In the box”,
• Answers “What do you do with the ball?”,
• tells about something with functional sentences which carry meaning: “Me go store” or “Me hungry now.”

Understanding Language

• Responds to “put it on” and “put it in”,
• responds by selecting correct item: big vs. little objects and one vs. one more object,
• identifies objects by their use: e.g. stove to cook on and shoes to wear on feet

Music/Art/ Story Skills

• Participates in simple group activities example sings and dances and claps,
• chooses picture books,
• points to fine detail,
• enjoys repetition,
• paints with some wrist action,
• makes dots and lines and circular strokes,
• while playing with clay they will roll it and pound it and squeeze it and pull it

Self-Help Skills

• Uses spoon with no spilling,
• gets drink unassisted,
• opens doors by turning handle,
• put on/takes off coat,
• washes/dries hands with assistance, uses straw

Fine Motor Skills

• Strings 4 large beads,
• snips with scissors,
• holds crayons with thumb and fingers,
• uses one hand consistently in most activities,
• imitates circular and horizontal and vertical strokes,
• turns pages singly

Your 3-4 year old preschooler

Gross Motor Skills

• Walks on a line,
• balances on one foot,
• hops on one foot,
• pushes and pulls and steers wheeled toys,
• rides trike,
• uses slide with assistance,
• jumps over high objects,
• throws balls with direction,
• catches ball bounced to him

Social And Play Skills

• Joins in play with other children,
• begins to interact,
• shares toys and takes turns,
• begins dramatic play and acting out whole scenes (playing house)

Pre Academic Skills

• Matches 6 colors,
• makes tower of 5 blocks graduated in size,
• does 7-piece puzzle,
• counts to 5 imitation of adults,
• demonstrates number concepts to 3

Oral Language Skills

• Answers “Which one do you want?” by naming it,
• Answers if and what and when questions,
• Answers questions about functions: “What are books for?”,
• Asks for or tells about something with grammatically correct sentences

Understanding Language

• Responds to “put it beside” and “put it under”,
• responds to commands involving two actions:” Give me the cup and put the shoe on the floor”,
• responds to selecting correct item: e.g. hard vs. soft objects,
• responds to “walk fast” by increased pace/”slowly” by decreased pace

Music/Art/ Story Skills

• Knows phrases of song,
• listens to short simple stories,
• names own picture not always recognizable,
• draws head of person and one other part, manipulates clay materials

Self-Help Skills

• Pours well from pitcher,
• spreads substance with a knife, buttons/unbuttons large buttons, washes hands unassisted,
• cleans nose when reminded,
• uses toilet independently,
• follows classroom routine with minimum teacher assistance,
• knows own sex,
• knows own age,
• knows own last name

Fine Motor Skills

• Builds tower of 9 cubes,
• drives nails and pegs,
• copies circle,
• imitates cross

Your 4-5 year old preschool child

Gross Motor Skills

• Walks backward heel-toe,
• jumps forward 10 times without falling,
• walks up/down stairs,
• turns somersault

Social And Play Skills

• Plays and interacts with other children,
• engages in dramatic play that is closer to reality,
• plays dress-up,
• builds complex structures with blocks

Pre Academic Skills

• Points to and names 6 colors,
• points to and names 3 shapes,
• matches related common objects,
• demonstrates number concepts to 4-5

Oral Language Skills

• Asks “how” questions, answers verbally to “Hi” and “How are you?” ,
• tells about something using past and future tense,
• tells about something using conjunctions to string words and phrases together

Understanding Language

• Responds by showing penny and nickel and dime,
• responds to command involving three actions: “Give me the cup, put the shoe on the floor, and hold the pencil in your hand”

Music/Art/ Story Skills

• Sings entire songs,
• recites nursery rhymes, “reads” from pictures,
• recognizes story and retells simple facts,
• makes and names recognizable pictures, draws a person with 2-6 parts

Self-Help Skills

• Cuts food with knife,
• laces shoes,
• knows own city/street,
• follows instruction given to group

Fine Motor Skills

• Cut on a line continuously,
• copies cross,
• copies square,
• prints a few capital letters

Your 6-7 year old

Gross Motor Skills

• Runs lightly on toes,
• walks a balance beam,
• can cover 2 meters hopping,
• skips,
• jumps rope

Social And Play Skills

• Chooses own friend(s),
• plays simple table games,
• plays competitive games,
• engages in cooperative play with other children involving group decisions and role assignments and fair play,
• uses construction toys to make things like a house of logs

Pre Academic Skills

• Sorts objects on one dimension (size, color, shape),
• does 15-piece puzzle,
• copies block design,
• names some letters,
• names some numerals,
• names penny and nickel and dime and quarter,
• counts by rote to 10,
• can tell what number comes next

Oral Language Skills

• Uses plurals verb tenses and conjunctions,
• uses increasingly complex descriptions and conversations

Understanding Language

• Develops verbal skills as intellect and self awareness expands,
• expresses clearly likes and dislikes and plans and wants

Music/Art/ Story Skills

• Recognizes rhyme,
• acts out stories,
• draws a person with head and trunk and legs and arms and features,
• pastes and glues appropriately,
• models objects with clay

The post Assessment Time – Ages & Stages of Development appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

You’ve probably said “good job!” 1000s of times. I know I have. But there are better ways to offer acknowledgment and authentic support to your children.

Narrate what you see

When you make short objective statements like, “You painted a picture of a house,” or “You picked up the red block,” you are acknowledging your child’s accomplishments without judgement. Narration without judgment allows children to judge the merits of their efforts themselves.

Connect the effort with a desired character trait

If your child consuls a hurt friend say, “You gave Sarah a hug because she was sad. That’s being a kind friend.”  When your child says “excuse me,” “please” and “thank you” say, “You are being respectful and polite.” Connecting the effort builds self-efficacy, increases vocabulary and helps children internalize their behaviors.

Emphasize the impact on others

When your child finally pickups the legos that have ripped apart your feet say, “You picked up the Legos. You made it safe for me to walk. I’m so happy!” When your child shares say, “You shared the red fire truck with Michael. That made him feel so good.” Emphasizing the impact on others teaches your child to intentionally make things happen through their actions.

Ask open-ended questions

“How did it make you feel to get that sticker from your teacher?” “How did you make that, draw that, paint that…?” Asking open-ended questions stimulates more language use, affirms children’s ideas, and encourages creative thinking.

Say Nothing

Just let your child learn, play and have fun. We don’t have to comment on everything. 🙂

The post How to Acknowledge Instead of Praise appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

How to Marble Paint

You’ll Need:

Make your marble painting

• Cut out optional shapes or use the paper as is
• Place the piece of paper in a 9 x 13 cake pan
• Place lots 3 or 4 different color blobs of paint on the paper
• Place a marble in each color
• Shake the pan so the marbles roll all over the paper
• Shake the pan in different directions to see if you can create different shapes
• Marvel at the amazing picture you have created

Talk about your marble painting

• Does it look like anything to you?
• What colors do you see?
• Did any colors mix and make new colors?
• How many lines did you make?
• Do you see all the different directions the marble rolled across the paper?

Things to do with your marble painting after it has dried

• Hang it on the refrigerator!
• Frame it!
• Make a card with it! Use a folded piece of sturdy paper and paste the picture on the front or use the folder paper and start a new marble piece card.

The post Marble Painting with your preschooler appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

It is easy to help children of all ages develop early math skills. The first step is to have a positive attitude about math. Too often you’ll hear people say math is hard or I was never good at math so how can I expect my child to be good at it? Your attitude about math and just about anything is contagious. If you have a positive mind set about math, your child will likely follow.

Some schools or parents may say children must sit down with worksheets and flashcards to learn math. But that’s not the case. Math is all around us everyday. It’s not just counting in rout or recognizing numbers. It’s measuring, estimating, comparing, contrasting, and soooo much more. Here’s how you can encourage math skills at home to align with what we do at school.

How To Encourage Math Skills at Home

• Bake and cook just about anything. Have your child help with measuring, mixing, sorting, counting. We need two eggs 1, 2.
• When shopping, count the items you need. We need 5 oranges. Will you help me count them out? Look at all those bananas. How many do you think there are? That’s called estimating. Isn’t it interesting that oranges are orange but bananas are not called yellows? 🙂
• Count, sort, describe just about anything. Look for rocks of different sizes, colors and weights. Count them. Sort by size. Add some. Subtract some. Sort by color. Sort by weight – heavy/light.
• Count & sort toys such as Legos.  How many legos can you hold in your hand? How many Red legos are there? Legos can be sorted by shape & color too.  It is also fun to put the legos into a pattern like red, blue, yellow, red, blue, yellow.
• Counting with songs like 5 Little Ducks and 5 Little Monkeys while using hand gesture or props to demonstrate what your singing. Sing 5 little monkeys jumping on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mommy called the doctor and the doctor said NO MORE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED! 4 little monkeys jumping on the bed…

See? Math is everywhere and we all can do it! It is important to teach children they can do things that may seem or even be difficult at first. Let them make mistakes. It’s ok to make mistakes and to try again. Remember to praise the good moments and praise the frustrating moments as well to encourage your child to keep trying and develop problem solving skills. Say things like, I can see your are trying real hard to figure this out! I know you can do it! Do this not only with math but all other aspects of life.

The post How To Encourage Math Skills at Home appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

Reading well is at the heart of all learning. When you read with your child everyday you can have a powerful impact on children’s literacy and learning by promoting positive attitudes about reading and writing. But just simply reading isn’t enough. To really engage your child, when you read together, you need to have conversations.

Use conversation when reading together

When reading use conversation to expand your children’s vocabulary and bring out their natural curiosity. Here’s how to bring conversation to your reading time.

• Name what you or your child sees in the pictures. I see a car. Let’s count the wheels. What do you see?
• Have conversations about emotions that come up in the story. He looks scared! He is happy now that he is safe at home. What scares you?“
• Ask open-ended questions and allow time to respond. Questions that have more than one right answer, or ones than can be answered in many ways, are called open‐ended or divergent questions. This way of asking questions stimulates more language use, acknowledges that there can be many solutions to one problem, affirms children’s ideas, and encourages creative thinking. Learn more about open-ended questions here.
• Choose books that help children expand their understanding of other people, cultures, race and beliefs.
• Take reading a step further by labeling objects around the house. Seeing the word lamp on a lamp will help link the written word to the object in your child’s mind. Kick it up a notch and add adjectives like small and big.

Interactive daily reading using conversation will increase your child’s vocabulary, strengthen your bond, create memories and set your child on the right learning path.

At Halsey Schools we read together using conversation many times a day. Children have direct open access to their own hands-on library in every classroom to read on their own. Please keep it up at home too. Read, Read and Read some more!

The post Read together every day & do this… appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

When you make reading with your children fun, they LOVE it! Children who are read to regularly in a fun interactive way are more likely to be strong enthusiastic readers! Here’s how to add your personal flair and personality to the daily stories you read with your children and have FUN!

Make reading fun & interactive

• Use small and over the top gestures, facial and vocal expressions.
• Change your voice for each character.
• Act out the story: walk, dance, sing, cry, laugh…
• Try using puppets of any kind. Grab a sock and turn it into a puppet. Shadow puppets. A popsicle stick. An action figure. Whatever you’ve got! Any relevant prop will do.
• As you read encourage your child to retell the story as you look at the book together.
• Talk about and predict what will happen next.

When you have fun being silly, your child has fun too! Reading together every single day is a great way to have special bonding time with your child and get them excited about reading. At Halsey Schools we read together often and we all have fun doing it.

The post How to make reading FUN! appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

Literacy skills like talking, signing, reading, writing and playing can all be nurtured at home with a book nook. We have book nooks in every classroom at Halsey Schools. Here’s how to make a book nook at home to provide your child with a quiet, comfortable space that nurtures learning.

How to make a book nook at home

Create a quiet, fun, well-lit space with soft comfy seating, pillows, rugs, lamps, music and book storage. A quiet corner, a window seat, a tent in the backyard, that secret ‘room’ in the closet under stairs all make great book nooks.

How to stock your book nook

• Get lots of comfy pillows, chairs, blankets…
• Books can be stored in shelves, baskets, boxes, buckets or whatever works for you.
• Provide an assortment of reading materials for hand-on reading: magazines, newspapers, paper books, hardcover books, cloth books, board books with objects, numbers, animals and more.
• Use and old phone, tablet, or whatever to easily play lullabies and other quiet, relaxing music.

How to use the book nook

• Family reading time. Read stories aloud and share family stories. Remember when we did that? When I was young I used feel that way too. Enhance conversations by asking who, what, why, where, how.
• Make up a story based upon a picture or object ( a teddy bear)
• Alone time.
• Listening to relaxing music.
• Winding down and getting ready to nap or go to bed.
• Singing songs and reciting simple rhymes.
• Tell your children how much you enjoy spending time with them.
• (Never send a child to a book nook as a punishment or a time out.)

A book nook is a great way to encourage reading as a way to relax, connect with each other and a good way to entertain ourselves without any screens when we are alone. For more ideas ask a teacher or check out one of our book nooks.

The post Do you have a book nook? appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

Sunburns & Sun Exposure Last Forever

A sunburn today can lead to skin cancer tomorrow. Whenever outdoors your child’s skin needs protection from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, and sunblocks are a must. Look for long sleeves & pants, tight weaves, UV protection labels and three inch brimmed hats.

SPF, UVA, UVB, Full Spectrum…

All exposed skin should be protected with sunscreens or sunblocks labeled with Full Spectrum UVA & UVB protection and an SPF-Sun Protection Factor.  Sunblocks labeled as both “Broad Spectrum” and “SPF 15” (or higher) not only protect against sunburn, but, if used as directed with the other sun protection measures above, can reduce the risk of skin cancer, early skin aging and damage. Sun exposure damages all skin. A tan is skin damage.  (Sunscreens protect by absorbing harmful rays. Sunblocks protect by literally blocking the rays. In this post I will use sunblock referring to both.)

Toss old sunblock, get SPF 30+, apply twice

• Throw out all sunblock from last summer. Even if it is still within the expiration date, it’s probably not anywhere near as effective as it was. Exposure to sun and heat expedite the expiration.
• Sunblock comes in a variety of forms – lotions, sprays, wipes or gels. Be sure to choose one with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher and both UVA and UVB or broad spectrum protection. (Sprays can pose an inhalation danger and tend to go all over the place instead of the skin.)
• For most effective protection, apply sunblock generously 30 minutes before going outdoors. And, don’t forget to protect ears, noses, lips, back of the knees, neck and the tops of feet which often go unprotected.
• Apply it in two coats.Apply sunblock twice, not once. Studies show that children only get the full protection of sunblock when it is applied twice. It is really easy to miss a spot or two with just one coat.
• Take sunblock with you to reapply during the day, especially after your child swims or exercises. This applies to “waterproof” and “water resistant” products as well. Keep in mind, sunblock is not meant to allow your children to spend more time in the sun than they would otherwise.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that sunblock use on babies less than 6 months old is not harmful on small areas of a baby’s skin, such as the face and back of the hands. But make sure you test for potential irritation 48 hours before needed by applying a small amount on a patch of your baby’s skin. Your baby’s best defense against sunburn is avoiding the sun or staying in the shade.

Recommended Sunblock & Sunscreen

Some of the most popular sunblocks we see at school are Baby Bum, babyganics and Coppertone Pure & Simple baby.

Now go outside and enjoy your summer protected!

The post Do this to protect your child from sun burns & lifelong skin damage appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

The single most important thing we can do to help our children develop the knowledge they need to become successful readers is to read aloud with them often; beginning when they are babies. Reading with your child at least every night at bedtime, is a good start. When reading books is a regular part of family life, you send your child a message that books are important, enjoyable and full of new things to learn.

Make reading together a habit

Read together often everyday. Build a routine that works for you but make it a habit. You can read at bedtime. You can read at wakeup time. You can read anytime in between. Just read.

• Encourage your child to choose the book.
• Read in short increments and build to longer reading sessions as your child’s attention span increases.
• Ask your child to help turn the pages and hold the book.
• Point to the words as you read them.
• Have books ready to go for you to read or for your child to ‘read.’ Children love to look at the books, words and pictures to start on their reading journey.
• Place reading materials around the house for easy access: Books, magazine, and newspapers (if you can find any.)

At Halsey Schools we read together many times a day. Children have direct open access to their own hands-on library in every classroom to read on their own. Please keep it up at home too. Read, Read and Read some more!

The post Make this a habit appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

It’s loaded with 30 different types of living bacteria like: Coli, Clostridium p., Pseudomonas a., Staphylococcus a., Salmonella, Bacillus c. Faecal Streptococci, and Enterococci. It could even have mold & COVID-19 on it!!! Faecal Streptococci, also known as poo particles, can cause bacterial pneumonia, ear infections and bacterial meningitis. Can you guess what it is?

Your child’s car seat! If not disinfected regularly, is a feeding ground for all kinds of germs

You guessed it! A typical child’s car seat is full of germs. Daily wipe downs and weekly deep cleanings/disinfectants will kill them all when done correctly. But don’t head right for the bleach bottle. It could damage the seat and deteriorate some of the strapping and safety features. Instead make sure you read the cleaning instructions provided by the manufacturer.

How to clean & disinfect your child’s car seat

Daily disinfecting is super simple. We recommend using the disinfectant odoban to spray down the seat, belts and surrounding area. It not only disinfects but it also gets rid of odors. You can find it at Home Depot. We use it every single day at school.

Deep cleaning should be done at least once a week

• First consult the manufacturer’s directions and recommendations.
• Generally you’ll take the entire seat out of the car.
• Remove the cover and toss in the washer. You may be able to dry in dryer but check the label and instructions. Sun or line drying works great too!
• Disinfect the plastic seat and let it sit in the sun to dry. Again, we recommend using the disinfectant odoban.
• The straps, belts etc usually need to be hand washed or simply spray them with disinfectant and spot clean.
• Disinfect the inside of the car. Don’t forget the seat belts, door handles, locks, windows, etc.
• Put it all back together when fully dry.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instruction for reinstallation and your good to go!

Steering Wheels can be even more disgusting than the car seat and you wouldn’t see anything!

Simple fix here too. Just disinfect it regularly. 🙂

At Halsey Schools we disinfect all day long

Our favorite disinfectant is Odoban. It takes 1 minute to kill viruses like COVID-19 and 10 minutes to kill bacterias. It can be wiped off or left to air dry and it smells GREAT too! For a complete list of products we use and details on our disinfecting procedures read our Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting Procedures here.

The post It has more germs than a public toilet seat & it’s in YOUR car! appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

Discipline is not a punishment

Discipline is about learning how to recognize our desires and feelings and act on them appropriately within the boundaries or limits of society and our surroundings.

When used appropriately adult initiated discipline teaches children how to become emotionally and socially responsible by learning self-discipline. Disciplined children learn to respect adults, authority, and the needs and desires of others. They learn how to postpone pleasure or immediate gratification, how to be assertive without being aggressive and to tolerate discomfort when necessary. Discipline starts when your child is born and never ends.

In order for discipline to be effective it needs to be:

• provided by an adult close to the child, like a parent or teacher
• used to encourage or make children feel better, not used to humiliate or shame or make them feel worse
• consistent – same rules & consequences no matter where you are or what adult is in charge
• timely – action taken at the time the behavior is exhibited not hours or days later
• considered fair to both the child and the adult
• developmentally and personally appropriate
• able to help teach the child to become self-disciplined

Establish Your Expectations & Procedures

The best way to discipline children is to establish age appropriate expectations and procedures proactively.

• Prioritize your expectations and procedures.
  • Behaviors that jeopardizes personal safety
  • Behaviors that may harm other people or property
  • Behaviors you find annoying like interrupting, whining, temper tantrums, demanding something at the store…
• Provide safe age appropriate environments for your child.
• Lead by example. Preschoolers love to imitate adults. Teach them the behaviors you want them to imitate and they will copy you.
• Be an active listener. If your child wants to tell you how he feels about his brother taking his toy, hear him out. Don’t cut him off. Listen and work together to come up with a solution through conversation. Acknowledge your child’s feelings and help him make the right choice on what to do.
• Set reasonable and consistent limits. For example, don’t expect a toddler to be able to sit for more than 5 minutes.
• Understand and accept age-appropriate behavior. Certain behaviors happen simply due to the child’s lack of understanding, interest in exploration or  lack of motor-skills. Knocking over food or spilling a glass of milk is normal behavior for a toddler. It is not willful defiance. On the other hand, a child who refuses to stay in his car seat after repeated warnings is being willfully defiant.
• Establish reasonable consequences, knowing consequences do not have to be punitive. They include praise, recognition, distraction & redirection.
• Give your child limited choices. It puts him in control to some degree.  Try saying “Do you want to wear the blue shirt or the red one?”
• Give warnings before moving on to another activity. Say “You can go down the slide 5 more times, then we are going home.”
• Use your words carefully. When possible tell your child what to do instead of what not to do. Instead of saying “GET your feet off the couch!” Say “Please keep your feet on the floor.” Instead of saying “Stop yelling!” try “Inside voices please.”
• Offer reasons why. Say “We don’t call people names because it makes them sad.” Or “Please talk quietly. Yelling hurts my ears.”
• Know that every child is different and adjust expectations accordingly taking personal temperament and personality into consideration. A stubborn child needs to be raised differently than a compliant child.
• Minimize negative consequences and only use as a last resort.

Start Disciplining

Praise & Recognize Appropriate Behavior

It may not seem like discipline at first, but calling attention to appropriate behavior is probably the most important element in discipline. It helps reinforce your expectations and makes the child feel good. They will soon realize that the best way to get attention is not to do something wrong but to do something right.

You should try to recognize appropriate behavior at least twice as much as you call attention to inappropriate behavior. Here’s how:

• Anticipate inappropriate behavior situations and minimize or eliminate them. Often children behave inappropriately because they are tired, hungry or crashing from a sugar high.  Certain behaviors happen simply due to the child’s lack of understanding, interest in exploration or  lack of motor-skills. Anticipate those incidences and create a plan to prevent them.
  • Establish routines so children know what to do next – wake up time, nap time, dinner time, bed time…
  • Plan ice cream treats so the crash hits at bedtime.
  • If your child loves to get his hands on every item in the store, give him something to hold or play with before you walk in.
  • Know that children have short attentions spans. Don’t expect too much.
• Ignore behaviors that really don’t matter like jumping up and down or fidgeting and temper tantrums. If you call attention to the behavior or negotiate your child out of it, they’ll go on forever.
• Actively ignore behaviors. How can you actively ignore? Say something like “If you want to yell, please go do it in your bedroom.” Then you ignore.
• Allow safe natural consequences to run their course. For example if your child is trying to toss a ball over the fence, let the natural consequence of losing the ball happen. If it’s too hot for a jacket, let your child wear it anyway. She’ll take it off when she’s hot and learn something for the future.  (Natural consequences can sometimes be dangerous, so use caution. For example, a natural consequence of running in the street could be being hit by a car.)
• Praise & recognize positive behavior.
  • Say “Thank you for putting away your toys.”
  • Smile and nod.
  • Give a hug or a pat on the back.
  • Say “I see Michael sitting nicely.”
  • Ask “How does it make you feel to know you did it?”
  • Use material rewards with caution. If they are used too much children won’t behave without them and can lead to negotiations and bargaining for more.
• Distract or redirect your child into a new activity before problems arise.
  • Distraction is used to divert your child’s attention to something else. Start singing a song, doing jumping jacks, making a silly face… Start a new activity: reading, play-dough, walking, running… Just move on to something else and ignore the behavior.
  • Redirection is used to teach your child a different way to do something. The inappropriate behavior is pointed out and an alternative is given. If your child is throwing books say “Books are for reading. Balls are for throwing. Let’s play catch with this ball.”
• Enforce a logical consequence. If your child is throwing blocks you might say “Looks like we need to put the blocks away until you are ready to use them correctly.”
• Offer limited choices. If children are fighting over a toy you might say “Would you like to sit on my lap until Sally’s turn is over or would you like to play with the blocks until it is your turn?”
• Avoid nagging and making threats you don’t mean or won’t enforce. Doing so may actually encourage the undesired behavior.

Don’t Use Punitive Time-Outs

Traditional time-outs are punitive in nature; scold a child then send them away. A parent might yell “Go take a time-out and think about what you did!” Then leave the child in isolation. Instead of thinking about what he did, he thinks about what the parent just did. He just got yelled at by an adult who looked angry. Then instead of getting the love and support he needed to understand and learn self-discipline he was isolated and ignored. Use quiet-time instead.

Use Quiet-Time (Positive Time-Out)

Use quiet-time minimally as a last resort and only with children 20 months or older.

Unlike a traditional time-out, quiet-time is more of a helping hand than a punishment.

A quiet-time is simply a cooling off period with no activities.  You should either calmly take the child to the quiet-time area or ask the child to go there. (The quiet-time area could be a chair, a carpet, your lap…) You might say something like “Biting is not o.k. Please take some quiet-time.”

Quiet-times should:

• be short; one minute for each year of child’s age and should only be used on children 20 months or older. Any younger and they just do not understand.
• take place where you can still see the child
• be ended by the adult, not the child
• never be in a corner facing the wall
• never be used to humiliate
• never be longer than 5 minutes

Quiet-times can take place on mommy’s or daddy’s lap too.  You might say “It seems like you are getting angry. Come take a break with me.”

A quiet-time gives your child a few minutes to settle down and think about what has happened. You should end the quiet-time by briefly talking with the child about the misbehavior.

• It helps to explain what happened, what should not have been done and what should have been done instead.  Your child should be given the opportunity to practice the correct behavior.  You might say, “It’s not OK to hit your friend. Instead you need to use you words. Next time tell Sally it’s your turn to ride the bike.”
• It’s important that your child thinks about how the behavior made other people feel. Say “How do you think that made Sally feel?”
• Encourage your child to apologize.

Use consequences like losing  privileges, activities, or toys minimally as a last resort.

There are basically two types of consequences here. Ones that are linked directly to the behavior and ones that have no connection and are meant to be punitive.

• Directly linked consequence
  • If your child leaves a toy out, you might say “I put your teddy bear away for you since you left it out. When you remember to put away your other toys on your own, you’ll earn your teddy bear back.”
• Punitive Consequence
  •  Let your child participate either in advance or at the time of the misbehavior what the consequence is. You might say “Since you hit your brother do you think you should miss out on game time or dessert?”

Apply rules, expectations and consequences consistently

• Give consequences as soon as possible. Do not punish later. For example if your child bit someone at school do not punish at home. Instead talk about it briefly and discuss what to do instead. Say “Biting hurts. Next time use or words or walk away.”
• Do not enter into arguments with your child during the correction process.
• Make the consequences brief.
• Say what you mean and say it without yelling. When possible squat down and say it face to face at eye level.
• Make sure your child understands that the correction is directed at the behavior not the child. There is no such thing as a ‘bad’ child. The behavior is inappropriate. Say “No hitting.” Or “Hitting is not o.k.”  Or “Please keep your hands to yourself.” Not “You are bad because you hit.” Or “You are mean.”
• Don’t argue or negotiate.
• Don’t humiliate, threaten or hit under any circumstances.
• Follow consequences with love and trust. And always forgive.
• Avoid bringing up past mistakes.

The purpose of discipline is to teach, not to punish. Use discipline to make your child feel better not worse. It takes a lot of effort, time, patience and love. But when you follow these suggestions, you will help your child make good choices, be empathetic and become self-disciplined.

Read about Halsey Schools’ Discipline policy here. It should look very familiar after reading this. 🙂

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We all want to get together and celebrate the holidays with the same traditions, food and loved ones. But we all need to sacrifice this year and make some modifications to keep everyone as safe as possible. Here is what we suggest based on the latest advice from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Have a virtual family gathering

The CDC recommends staying at home and enjoying immediate family activities or scheduling a virtual Thanksgiving gathering with family and friends online.

Don’t travel more the 3 hours away and stay in California and same town

The CDPH encourages Californians to stay home or in their region and avoid non-essential travel to other states or countries. Read more here.

If you feel you MUST get together with others who don’t live with you, limit the number of households to 3, people gathering to 10-12 and time to 2 hours.

The more households and people that get together the more risk everyone is exposed to regardless of social distancing and mask wearing plans. When our families get together it is easy to let our guard down and forget about masks and social distancing. We all want to give and receive that hug. But we have to resist. Read more here.

Practice physical distancing, wear your mask and remind and encourage others to do the same

• Wear your mask except when eating
• Keep family units (everyone who lives with you) at their own physically distant (6ft or more) table
• Don’t share eating or serving utensils
• Wash hands often

Gather outdoors

COVID-19 doesn’t spread as easily outdoors so outdoor celebrations are significantly safer than indoor gatherings. (If staying indoors, open windows and increase circulation.)

Don’t host or attend gatherings if you are sick in any way and tell your sick family members to stay home too.

According to CDPH anyone with any COVID-19-like symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, night sweats, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tiredness, muscle or body aches, headaches, confusion, or loss of sense of taste/smell), must stay home and not come into contact with anyone outside their household. However, unfortunately COVID is spreading mostly from people with no symptoms.

Mandatory Rules from California Department of Public Health

California has issued mandatory rules that are required to be followed. You can read them here.

Follow up after any gatherings

If you had or attended any sort of gathering, stay in contact with your fellow party goers for at least 14 days to make sure no one has any symptoms or confirmed cases. If they do you and your family should quarantine and test.

Enjoy family time and have fun!

Even with these restriction we can still have fun, create memories and share our love for eachother. Before we know it these COVID-19 restrictions will be a distant memory. I hope you have a safe loving Holiday season.

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I can do it myself.

Even if children can’t say it, they’re thinking it.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

As children grow & learn they should be encouraged to do age appropriate tasks & activities on their own. Doing so allows children to develop, among other things, self competence.  Here are some things we encourage your Infants, Toddlers & Preschoolers to do themselves. You can encourage them at home too.

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Infants

• Use sign language to communicate
• Grasp or hold objects in hand
• Support their own head
• Lift head and chest when lying on their tummy
• Scoot to get something they want
• Hold bottle during feeding
• Push food away when done

Toddlers

• Close a door
• Drink with sippy cups
• Clap hands to music
• Collect Toys and other items into buckets, containers, etc – “clean-up”
• Start to use their words instead of pushing, hitting, screaming or crying
• Make choices between what they want to play with or eat

Preschoolers

2-3

• Drink from cups without lids
• Wash their own hands
• Feed themselves
• Use words to express what they want
• Put toys on shelves or in buckets
• Throw away their own trash in trash cans
• Wipe their face with a napkin
• Put on their own clothes

3-4

• Pedal a tricycle instead of being pushed
• Button clothes
• Put on shoes and socks
• Use toilet on own all the time
• Clean up after themselves
• Open & close containers

4-5

• Help set table for eating
• Clear off table
• Pour water from a pitcher
• Brush teeth
• Make bed
• Get dressed all by themselves
• Brush their hair
• Use a fork to eat
• Help take out the trash
• Help feed little brother or sister
• Put straw in fruit drink

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

With our encouragement and support, they really can do it themselves.

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[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

If you thought June was fun, July will be even better! This month our theme will be ‘Let’s Go Camping!’ We will have lots of fun camping activities, games, projects and MORE! We will be reading Maisy Goes Camping, Toasting Marshmallows, Curious George Goes Camping, Pet the Cat Goes Camping, and Llama Llama Loves Camping. You can cuddle up and read these great books with your child at home too.

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Staff Development Training 6/30 & 7/1:  Being extra expressive under face coverings while helping children identify expressions and feelings through body language, eyes and other cues. | Every month our teachers learn something new, takes a look at something old from a new perspective, reinforces and reinvigorates previous education and training, or just have some hands-on fun through our regular training programs.

Sign Up for July hot lunches: All Natural & Organic Hand- Crafted Locally Sourced Fresh & Healthy Lunches for Toddlers-Preschool. Sign Up here.

Wear it: 7/2 Red, White, & Blue

Closed: July 3 – Friday. Have a super safe weekend. Assume everyone outside of your immediate family you come in contact with is infected. Remember to wear your mask, practice social distancing, be outdoors as much as possible and stay away from crowds and gatherings. COVID-19 spreads when extended families gather and members let their guards down. It’s only natural to be more careful when out and about or at work, than it is when families gather and we want that hug or kiss. Please stay safe.

Camp Halsey Safe Water Play activities start 7/6 and will take place regularly

• Toddlers – Monday & Thursday
• Busy Bees & Dragonflies – Monday
• Pandas & Penguins – Wednesday

Please make sure your child has:

• Bathing suit or swim diapers
• Sunblock SPF 30 or more applied
• Extra Sunblock
• Water shoes
• Water shirt
• Towel
• Hat
• Summer change of clothes & regular shoes

Please remember to label everything.

Reminders

Self Screening at home: Keep up the good work! Parents and teachers have been doing an awesome job of self screening and staying home when any concerns arise. No runny noses. No illnesses. Only healthy teachers and children at school. 🙂 We haven’t had to turn anyone away during arrival screening or send anyone home. Read How we are keeping parents, children and teachers safe for details on self screening and our daily entrance screening.

Wear Sunscreen Everyday: It’s Sunscreen Time! If you’ve stopped applying daily sunscreen, it’s time to get back into the swing of things. Children (10 months+)  should come to school wearing an SPF 30 or more on all exposed areas of the skin. If you would like us to re-apply a medication form must be completed. We also recommend wearing a hat. We will be having a lot of outdoor fun!  (Always consult your child’s physician.)

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Our smiles shine right through our masks! We love sharing our smiles! We can see yours too!

Why We Wear Face Covers

We wear face covers to protect others. Face covers help keep droplets from being airborne from people who have no symptoms or signs of illness. Wearing a face covering offers some protection for the wearer and a lot of protection for others we are around.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”] In addition to face coverings, all teachers and all families self check before leaving for school. And are screened before entry into school. Anyone with a fever >100, any symptoms, signs of illness, not feeling well, any cough, trouble breathing… stays home.

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Getting Children Comfortable Wearing & Seeing Face Coverings

It’s pretty easy to get children comfortable with wearing and seeing face coverings by:

• wearing one yourself
• practicing wearing them and taking them off and putting back on appropriately
• putting one on and look in the mirror
• reading stories to your child while wearing your face covering
• talking about wearing them
• putting a face covering on a favorite stuffed animal
• drawing one on their favorite character
• looking at pictures and videos of others wearing them
• being out and about where others are wearing them
• talking about germs with 2+ year olds and why we wear a face covering to protect others from our germs

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”] We encourage children 2+ year old to wear a face covering at school. Please teach them at home how to put on and off, wear, and store properly. No children under 2 can wear a mask.  

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Talk to Your Children Over 2 About Germs

Parents should explain that germs are special to our own body and we need to make sure they stay within our body.  Sometimes when people get our germs it can make them sick. Face coverings or masks help keep our germs to ourselves. ‘Isn’t it nice to protect others? It sure makes me feel good!’

Who Should Wear Face Coverings?

Children 2 and older should wear face coverings when they are taught properly at home how to put on, wear and take off and store appropriately.

Who Shouldn’t Wear Face Coverings?

• Children under 2
• If the child has difficulty breathing with one on
• If a child is too fearful to wear one
• If children spend too much time fussing with the face coverings, touching their faces…

What Kind of Face Covering Do We Need?

• Just about any cloth face covering will do as long as it covers the nose, mouth and chin and fits securely around the head or ears.
• Some bandanas, bluffs, spare cloths, makeup masks and other cloth masks will provide some protection in a pinch. But it’s best to use face coverings made specifically for keeping particles to ourselves
• Disposable masks, gardening masks, painting masks work too
• Masks shouldn’t have any venting or plastic parts
• N95 respirator masks should not be worn by anyone other than professionals

The Right Way to Wear a Mask

• Masks should securely cover the nose, mouth and chin and stretch to ears
• Masks should not be touched when on
• Masks should be removed from ears or back of head not at the nose or mouth
• Hands should be washed before and after mask is removed
• Masks should not be shared or exchanged with anyone unless washed and dried first
• Masks should be cleaned at least daily. They just need some water and soap by hand or in a washing machine. A hot dryer may be beneficial.
• Masks should be stored in a sealed plastic bag
• Everyone should have extra masks ready to go

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”] Face Coverings do not replace the need for social distancing, handwashing, staying home when ill or disinfecting, but they do help us keep others safe. Please wear yours at drop off and pickup times and when out in public. Please encourage your 2+ year old to wear one too.

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Learn More

• CDC – How to Safely Wear and Take Off a Cloth Face Covering
• CDC – Important Information About Your Cloth Face Coverings

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Advanced Language is a strategy where teachers and mommies and daddies like you use new forms of language, with increasing complexity, to increase children’s exposure to parts of speech and vocabulary. We do this at school by using a variety of nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and other forms of language that are new to the children and based on concepts they already understand. Here’s how you can do it at home with your child.

How to use advanced language to increase your child’s vocabulary

You: “Tell me about your hat.”
Your child: “It is red, orange, yellow, green and blue.”
You: “You have many different colors in your hat. It’s a multicolored hat.”

You: “I feel embarrassed right now!”
Your child: “Why?”
You: “I couldn’t remember my friend’s son’s name so I feel embarrassed.”

Advanced Language will help your child develop vocabulary and improve later reading achievement

There is a strong relationship between vocabulary development and reading achievement. Understanding the meaning of words is critical to understand what is read. When your child acquires a strong vocabulary it will increase the ability to make sense of what a word might mean and how it might be pronounced.

Develop your awareness of common words versus rare words to help boost your child’s learning

Exposure to less common, more sophisticated vocabulary (rare words) relates directly to children’s vocabulary acquisition. Rare words are those that go beyond the typical 8500 most common words in the English languages. Examples: nuisance, tackle, dazzle, brag, balance, tease, curious, rude, bloom.

Use Advanced Language when eating

Begin to use rare words and advanced language when you sit down with your child to eat. Use the words nibble, chew, slurp, and swallow to describe eating. Try using one or two rare words from a story you read together.  It might help to write the words down to remember to use them more often.

Read high quality storybooks that use Advanced Language

Some preschool storybooks have only common words, and some will introduce your child to rare words that help build vocabulary.

Use “Text Talk” when reading storybooks together

“Text Talk” is a great technique we use to teach your children new vocabulary at school. You can do it at home by: selecting a rare word from your storybook, defining the word in a way your child will understand, and providing examples. Finally have your child repeat the word several times.

How to use “Text Talk” to improve your preschooler’s vocabulary

1. Re‐read the sentence from the book that has the word you are teaching.
2. Ask your child to repeat the word with you.
3. State the meaning of the word using something your child will understand.
4. Provide other examples of the word using contexts different from the storybook.
5. Have your child repeat the word with you.
6. Ask your child to use the word in a sentence or to provide another example using the word.
7. Have your child repeat the word one more time with you.

After introducing a rare word to your child using “Text Talk,” follow‐up by using the word often.”Text Talk” can be used to teach any new vocabulary word; not just words from storybooks.

Adapted from: Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan
“Taking Delight in Words: Using Oral Language To Build Young Children’s Vocabularies”
American Educator, Spring 2003

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How to make a Smush Painting

You’ll Need:

Make your smush painting

• Cut out optional shapes or use the paper as is
• Place lots of different color blobs of paint all over the paper
• Fold the paper in half
• Press down all over
• Open up the paper and amaze yourself with your creation

Talk about your smush painting

• Does it look like anything to you?
• What colors do you see?
• Did any colors mix and make new colors?
• How many blobs did you make?
• How many blobs before you folded the paper? How many blobs after you folded the paper?
• Does one side look just like the other side?

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”] Pssst… Daddies, this makes a great Mother’s Day gift. Have fun!

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[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

Building forts or hideouts with blankets, pillows, sofas, tables, and chairs, is a wonderful tradition of childhood. As children build them, they develop creativity, learn spatial awareness, and practice the laws of physics, too. When families play together, children learn skills like cooperation, turn taking, and problem-solving. And it’s fun for everyone. [/quote]

Let your children build Their fort

Help but don’t take over. Let  your child’s imagination go! Just help out where needed to keep it safe. A fort can be whatever your child wants: a castle, a home, a cave, a tent, an igloo. The options are limitless. Just like our imagination.

Building forts will encourage your child to

• plan
• lead
• problem solve
• work together
• cooperate

Your child will gain a sense of pride and ownership and have a fun private place to think, play and hangout. If you’re lucky maybe you’ll be granted entrance to join in on the fun too!

Fun things to add to forts

• string lights
• a sleeping bag
• a picnic lunch
• a secret exit
• secret storage
• a peeking hole
• a periscope

Child made forts are fun places to

• pretend
• read
• think
• sing
• play games
• hide
• cool off
• take a nap
• have a sleep over

Encourage your child to start their fort

Gather some blankets and pillows to get the ball rolling and watch your child’s imagination in action.

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Establish a Social Distancing Routine

Children LOVE routines. Routines provide order and consistency. Children are happier when they know what to expect. And it’s easier on you.

With all the changes going on lately our routines have disappeared. It’s time to establish new ones as best we can within our new parameters.

First and foremost stay home. Don’t meet up at the park. Don’t schedule playdates. Don’t have friends or family over. Don’t visit grandparents in person etc. Just stay home. But staying home doesn’t mean you can’t go outside!

If there is a slide or swing within view children can’t resist. Heck, neither can I! So for the time being, it is best to stay away from public slides, swings, climbing structures, etc. Enjoy family walks, hikes, rides and backyard play. But stay away from parks. And always keep 6 feet away from others.

Your new routine just needs to be consistent. I’d recommend following the same wake up and bedtime routine you were following before and will be following when we all get back to normal.

In between can be just about anything you want with scheduled breaks for snacks, lunch, naps, bathroom etc. Limit screen time. Lots of play and other hands on activities are always better.

Disinfecting Routine

People will often use sanitizing and disinfecting interchangeably. However they are different. Sanitization frees surfaces from dirt and reduces viruses. But disinfection destroys & kills viruses and helps prevent their growth.

It is important to disinfect using disinfection products according to their instructions. Some disinfectants have to sit on surfaces for 10 minutes before being wiped away. Other are quicker. So READ your label.

Walk around your house and see what people touch, sneeze and cough on. All those surfaces and things should be disinfected regularly. Things like door knobs, phones, ipads, remotes, countertops and of course everything in the bathroom.

Don’t forget about your car. Steering wheels, handles, children’s car seats, your keys, all need regular disinfecting.

Hand Washing Routine

Yes hands should be washed regularly even at home. When you wake up. After you use the bathroom. Before you cook or eat. After touching others. After wiping your nose or coughing or helping your children do the same. Hand washing is our best defense against viruses. You don’t need hand sanitizers. You just needs soap and water and 20 seconds. The water doesn’t even have to be hot.

If we stay home, establish new routines in between our old wake up and bedtime routines, disinfect and wash hands often, and keep smiling, we will get through this.

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Look at Me! I can do it!

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

Children develop self-confidence through their achievements, such as standing up, crawling, & potty training, writing, or reciting the alphabet. As children accomplish their achievements, they feel capable, competent, and ready to do more. As a parent, you are instrumental in building self-confidence in your child. Here are 6 ways you can help your child feel self-confident with your positive reinforcement.

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Support your child’s accomplishments with positive reinforcement

1. Acknowledge your children’s accomplishments. Let your children know that you recognize and value the new things (even the little things) they have learned to do. Be generous with your praise for real effort or accomplishment; if you make a big deal out of everything they do, they will not have a yardstick by which to measure their own growth.
2. Allow your children to do some things by themselves. Independent acts allow children to feel their own strengths and capabilities. Independence also helps them develop the skills to solve problems and make good decisions.
3. Put a positive expression on your face! Your reactions may affect how your children feel about themselves. A happy face and other positive expressions (e.g., tone of voice, body language) will help your children feel they are worth your time and attention.
4. Take inventory of your children’s strengths and weaknesses. Monitor your children’s activities closely to see what they are good at doing and what needs more work. Place your children in activities in which you know they will succeed to ensure a boost to their self-esteem. Success in one or more areas will give your children the courage and willingness to tackle more difficult skills.
5. Beware of making comparisons. When your children are performing a task or involved in an activity, encourage them to do better than they did before, NOT better than someone else! Children develop at different rates; as a parent, make sure you do not compare one child to his or her siblings or friends. Such comparisons undermine the child’s self-esteem.
6. Let your children choose some of their activities. More than likely, if your children enjoy a particular activity, they will be more likely to spend more time at it, thereby increasing the capacity to learn from it and improve. Increased learning boosts children’s sense of self-worth.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

When you affirm children’s accomplishments in these ways their self-confidence will steadily increase as they acquire more skills and truly believe in their ability to do something.

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I bet there are a lot of things you don’t want your children to do.  Did you know telling and showing them what to do instead of what not to do ALWAYS works better? As parents and teachers we need to model the behaviors we want to see in children. Don’t want your child standing on a chair? Don’t stand on chairs yourself. Don’t want your child to scream? Quietly say “You’re hurting my ears. Inside voices please.” Like what your child is doing? Acknowledge and describe what you like. Here are more examples.

When we model what we want and tell children what we want, we’ll get the results we want. When we acknowledge and describe what children are doing right and minimize telling children what they are doing wrong, they get the positive attention they want and will repeat the desired behaviors.

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What is a Cold Sore?

Cold sores or fever blisters are a common viral infection. They are tiny, fluid-filled blisters on and around lips. They are often grouped together in patches. After the blisters break, a crust forms over the resulting sore. Cold sores usually heal in two to four weeks without leaving a scar.

Caused by the herpes simplex virus, cold sores spread from person to person by close contact.

How to treat cold sores

There is no cure but antiviral medication can help the healing. Cold packs can help relieve pain. It’s a good idea to visit your child’s pediatrician to verify the cause and get the best advice.

According to our Illness Policy, if your child shows symptoms, he/she will need care at home away from other children until blisters have scabbed over. This usually takes a minimum of 6 days to two weeks. It is up to your child’s teachers and directors to decide if a child is ready to come back. Please call the school before returning to assure your child will not be turned away when you come to school.

If your child will be out for any reason, please call or email us by 10:00 a.m.

818-992-1942 • SICK@HALSEYSCHOOLS.COM

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Some often used discipline techniques just don’t work.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

When something goes wrong, that’s when it’s time for some discipline. Or at least that’s what many parents think. You’ve probably heard parents counting “1,2,3.” Saying “do you want a time out!?” Seen parents yelling and threatening. Maybe you’ve even seen a parent swat their child on the bottom. None of these techniques work in any discipline situation. Here’s why and here’s what to do to fix them.

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How to fix discipline techniques that don’t work

I’m counting 1, 2, 3 – We are leaving… I’m counting…

• What you are really saying: Don’t listen to me until I get to the last number.
• Why it doesn’t work: Children learn that it just means they have extra time to ignore you and your request/demand. Very quickly you’ll go from 3 to 4, then 5, then 6 then… 10+
• What it teaches: Ignore you for as long as possible, you don’t mean what you say, he  has extra time to do it…
• What to do instead: Give children advanced notice & warnings. “Five more slides down the slide then it’s time to go home.” Then count out the slides and leave when you reach five. Resist the pleadings for just one more.

Time-Out – Go to the time out chair!

• What you are really saying: Go away from me, I am really mad at you right now!
• Why it doesn’t work:  It isolates children getting them out of an immediate problem but without an explanation of what happened and how to deal with it in the future the behavior will just continue.
• What it teaches: I don’t have time to deal with you right now. So go sit over there till I do.
• What to do instead: Use quiet-time instead. Unlike a traditional time-out, quiet-time is more of a helping hand than a punishment. A quiet-time is simply a cooling off period with no activities.  You should either calmly take the child to the quiet-time area or ask the child to go there. (The quiet-time area could be a chair, a carpet, your lap…) You might say something like “Biting is not o.k. Please take some quiet-time. Next time remember to use your words.” Learn more about quiet-time here.

Yelling – Don’t ever do that again! 

• What you are really saying: Make me mad and I am going to make you scared of me!
• Why it doesn’t work: It scares your child and causes your child to become upset. Children have a hard time listening to what you are saying when they are upset.
• What it teaches: Yelling  is a good way to communicate with people to try to get them to do things your way.
• What to do instead: Get down at your child’s level & look her in the eyes. Then calmly, with a firm tone in your voice, let your child know what she did wrong. Then tell her a more positive way to deal with it  next time.  Give her an example of what you want her to do. The calmer you talk to her, the calmer she’ll become. Learn more here.

Threatening – Put that away or no play date tomorrow.

• What you are really saying: If you don’t do as I say, something bad is going to happen to you.
• Why it doesn’t work: Most of the time, threats are not followed through with and a child starts to learn that a parent’s threats don’t mean anything.
• What it teaches: Threats don’t mean a thing, go ahead a misbehave and ignore Mommy and Daddy. They don’t mean what they say.
• What to do instead: Ask your child to be your helper. “Please be my Big Helper and help me put the toys back on the shelf.” This helps him/her to feel important. Or try singing the clean up song. “Cleanup, cleanup. Everybody everywhere. Cleanup, cleanup. Everybody do your share.”   This makes it fun and they’ll sing along. Get more ideas here.

Spanking, slapping, hitting, pushing away

• What you are really saying: If you misbehave, I am going to hurt you and I don’t care how you feel!
• Why it doesn’t work: It shows you don’t respect your child’s feelings. It makes your child angry, sad, fearful of you and it hurts physically.
• What it teaches: It’s OK to physically hurt someone you love. If you don’t like what someone is doing or saying, hit them!
• What to do instead: Talk to your child with a loving, but firm tone and let him know how upset you are with his behavior.  (Not with him. Focus on the behavior.) Together, come up with a plan on how your child can change the negative behavior. Learn more here.

Positive proactive discipline works

Discipline is about learning how to recognize our desires and feelings and act on them appropriately within the boundaries or limits of society and our surroundings.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

When used appropriately, adult initiated discipline teaches children how to become emotionally and socially responsible by learning self-discipline. Disciplined children learn to respect adults, authority, and the needs and desires of others. They learn how to postpone pleasure or immediate gratification, how to be assertive without being aggressive and to tolerate discomfort when necessary. Discipline starts when your child is born and never ends. Learn more about positive discipline here.

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iPads, iPods, TVs, Tablets, Computers…

If preschoolers aren’t using these technologies now, they’ll never catch up. Right?

Think again. Preschoolers don’t need any of these things. What they do need is interaction with other children and adults. They need to play and explore. They need to be read to, sung to, talked to. They need to be creative with open-ended, self-directed, screen-free activities. They need to get their hands on real manipulatives like blocks, clays, balls…

The smartest, most creative people we know learned and developed their creativity through hands-on activities, not screen time. Steve Jobs (Apple co-founder) loved to take TVs and radios apart to explore their intricacies. Bill Gates (Microsoft co-founder) was a cub scout interactively exploring the outdoors with peers and adults. Neither had any experience with computers until they were about 12 years old.

So the answer is no. Your child doesn’t need an iPad. In-fact, screen time can actually do more harm than good.

Limit Screen Time

Excessive screen time is linked to problems like childhood obesity, sleep disturbance, loss of creativity, attention deficit, social problems, learning problems  and poor performance in school. When a preschool child watches just 20 minutes of a fast-paced cartoon show it has immediate negative impact on attention, the ability to delay gratification, self-regulation and problem solving. When preschoolers play video games their brain releases dopamine in the same way it would after the consumption of some addictive drugs.  So what’s excessive?

Anytime is excessive for Infants & Toddlers

Infants & toddlers should not have any screen time at all. No TV, Smart Phones, Tablets etc. The research is clear that children under 3 receive no real benefit from screen time. You may see all kinds of ads claiming wonderful things can be accomplished by tablet wielding toddlers, but pediatricians agree they can do more damage than good. Children develop best without screens.

More than 1-2 hours a day is excessive for Preschoolers ages 3+

Preschoolers 3 years and older should limit screen time to 1-2 hours a day.  This includes: movies, phones, computers, tvs, tablets, etc. Anything with a screen. It is also a good idea to limit segments of screen time to 15 minutes.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

At Halsey Schools our children never use screens. No ipads, computers, phones, tablets, televisions. It’s all hands-on. All day. Every day! Need help limiting screen time at home? Use a timer. Go for a walk. Read a book… [/quote]

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It’s Back to School Time! Themes & Stories for September

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Owner & Director” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”medium” style=”solid”]

This year our weekly themes will be Animals around the world! We’ll start off this month learning about: Jaguars, Grizzly Bears, American Bison, & American Alligators.  We’ll be reading The Jaguar’s Story, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?, The Buffalo Are Back, and Alligators and Crocodiles. You can cuddle up and read these great books with your child at home too.

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Closed – Labor Day 9/2: We are going to rest. It takes a lot to get our classrooms all ready for the new year. 🙂  Happy Labor Day!

Back To School Tuesday 9/3 : Our official start of the new school year.

Grandparents’ Week 9/3-6: Come hang out with us! It’s fun! Grandma, Grandpa, Papa, Nana, Pops, Gramps, Grammy… It’s your week to stop by and read a book, tell us a story, play your guitar, whatever you’d like to do. Please give us a call or have Mommy or Daddy schedule a good time for you to visit the class.

Wear it 9/4: Your fastest running shoes.

Bring it 9/10:  your favorite teddy bear | 9/19: an apple | 9/25: your favorite reptile – stuff, picture or a pet.

Birthday Parties:  We love birthdays! You are welcome to arrange celebrations at school with us. It can be something simple like cupcakes or you can kick it up a notch with a visitor like a superhero or bouncer.  All special visitors must include all children in all classes and must be planned in advance. Please always bring enough treats for the entire class.

Grandparent’s Cookie Party 9/6:  Grandparents please join us: 9:30 – Infant Center, 10:00 – Tiny Tots, 10:30 – Toddler Center, 11:00 – Preschool. We hope you have a great Grandparent’s day on Sunday.

Staff Development Training 9/24 & 9/25:  Ideas for Teaching Children about Emotions |  Every month our teachers learn something new, takes a look at something old from a new perspective, reinforces and reinvigorates previous education and training, or just have some hands-on fun through our regular training programs.

In addition to our in house training, we receive coaching from Child360 (aka LAUP). Several times a month our Child360 coaches visit and help us improve our parent, children and co-worker interactions. They help us: pinpoint areas to improve, set goals and implement action plans.   Learn more about our happy teachers here.

Field Trip 9/26 9:30 – 12:00:  Kid’s Empire |  Lunch @ School |6400 Owensmouth Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367 | (818) 912-6299 | Field trips are available for Busy Bees, Dragonflies, Penguins & Pandas 3+ years old and potty trained.  All children must wear their Halsey Shirt on all field trips. If your child is under 3 and in diapers he/she may attend the trip if you or your spouse or other loved one join us. Parents are always welcome to attend and space is limited. So let us know if you want to join us right away. Sign up Field Trips here.

Picture Day 9/30 & 10/1: 9/30 Infants & Toddlers 10/1 Preschool by Julie Lilly Photography. Please complete Order Form and include payment by picture day. You’ll get the pictures within 4 weeks. Return for refund if any problems. | If an order form was not completed one pose will be taken and proofs provided within 4 weeks to place any orders. | You can either have your child wear his/her photo outfit or send an outfit to change into. | If your child can’t make the designated day, let us know and we’ll make sure the pictures are taken on the other day. | Please see Order Form in your child’s folder.

Surprise Parent Readers Anytime:  How would you like to be a surprise reader for our story times? You can schedule at your usual drop off time, pickup time or anytime in between. Don’t forget it’s a surprise, so don’t let the children in on the secret. You can come in dressed up as a character from the story or just come as you are. It’s up to you. The sky is the limit.  Signup here.

Parent Visitors: As always you are welcome to visit at anytime and volunteer to tell us what you are now that you’ve grown up. We can work around your schedule to make it happen.  Sign-up here or just let us know.

Share Day Every Friday: Children are encouraged to bring in a ball, a toy, a picture, or something else safe and interesting to share. Electronics with screens like ipads, ipods, phones, tablets, tvs etc should stay at home. Any weapons like toy guns, water guns, anything that shoots or bangs needs to stay home too. | Remember anything can get lost or broken. Label everything and if anyone is worried about something breaking or disappearing, please leave it at home. | Books can be brought in to share any day of the week.

Reminders

Each class has their own web page with Curriculum information, schedules, calendar of events and themes, Teacher features, etc.

Infant Center | Tiny Tots | Toddler Center/Teddy Bears | Pandas | Penguins | Dragonflies | Busy Bees

Materials & Supplies Fee: The annual $199 materials and supplies fee will be posted on your September statement on August 20th.  If you reserved your child’s space in February/March with the Materials and Supplies fee, or if your child started this August or September, this fee will be waived. (The fee is separate from the registration fee).  As indicated in the fee’s name, the funds that are generated are used to help purchase new materials and supplies for the children throughout the year.

Facebook: Check out our facebook page for a list of events and tons of pictures updated regularly.

Parent Handbook: Your updated parent handbook is here.

Illness Policy:  We follow this written Illness Policy and make every effort to assure your child contracts as few illnesses as possible.  However, most children and adults will contract at least one illness between now and April. Remember to wash your child’s hands everyday before leaving school or any other social event.

Healthy Schools Act Notice: We do not plan/expect to use any pesticides for pest management under the Healthy Schools Act. We disinfect throughout the day using safer alternatives to bleach and other chemicals: Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant, Oxivir Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant, Lysol Disinfectant Spray & Formula 409 Multi-Surface Cleaner   Pine Sol.  

Training: All teachers trained in Basic Pest Management in the School & Child Care Settings.

Signup for:

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Portal

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You should have received an emailed invitation to sign-up for online account access at https://parentportal.runsandbox.com/Login. There you’ll be able to communicate with us, access your statements, update phone numbers, emergency contacts and create your sign in/out pin. If you haven’t received one yet, just let us know. Parent Portal Instructions

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Reminders

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• Online signup: https://www.remind.com/join/halsey
• Text Signup: @halsey to 81010 or 512-982-9350

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Emergency

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Emergency only:

• Online signup: https://www.remind.com/join/emergency
• Text Signup: @emergency to 81010 or 512-982-9350

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Pesticide Notice

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Sign-up for Pesticide Use Notification IF we use pesticides required to be registered with the EPA. We do not plan to and have not used any in the past. We use Lysol daily to disinfect. Read about our Integrated Pest Management System here.

• Online signup: https://www.remind.com/join/pesticides
• Text Signup: @pesticides to 81010 or 512-982-9350

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Signup for Soccer, Karate, Keyboards, Dance

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With the recent outbreak of measles in the news again, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about our immunization policy.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It can result in serious health complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis (swelling of the brain), and even cause death. However, immunizations protect us from measles and many other deadly diseases. That’s why we strictly enforce our  immunization policy:

All Children & Teachers MUST be immunized

• All children must be immunized following the CDC’s Immunization Schedule. Parents must keep the office informed of updates as they occur by providing a copy of the Yellow Immunization Card.  There are no exceptions or exemptions.
• All teachers must be immunized. There are no exceptions or exemptions.

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We hope you have a wonderful and memorable holiday!

  -All of us at Halsey Schools

The post What Shall We Give The Children? appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

It’s Easy to Prevent Cavities. Here’s how.

Did you know tooth decay affects children in the United States more than any other chronic infectious disease? If left untreated tooth decay causes pain and infections that may lead to problems with eating, speaking, playing, and learning.

The good news is that tooth decay and other oral diseases that can affect children are preventable. The combination of dental sealants and fluoride has the potential to nearly eliminate tooth decay in preschool children. Here are some things you can do to ensure good oral health for your child:

• Encourage your children to eat regular nutritious meals and avoid frequent between-meal snacking.
• Protect your child’s teeth with fluoride.
  • Drink the water that come out of your tap. Its treated with fluoride. Or look for bottled water that’s treated.
  • Use a fluoride toothpaste. For preschool children you only need a pea-sized amount on the toothbrush.
• Make sure your children brush at least twice a day for two minutes after breakfast and before bed time.
  • As soon as you see a tooth your baby’s mouth start brushing with a soft brush and water.
  • Make it fun with a two minute timer or by singing or playing a two minute song.
  • Brush your teeth at the same time. Children really do learn from what you do. Your habits become their habits.
  • Help them get the tough spots. It can be hard to brush your teeth when your young. Help your children out until they get the hang of it.
  • Make sure they never go to sleep with a bottle or eat or drink anything other than water after brushing before bedtime.
• Talk to your child’s dentist about dental sealants. They protect teeth from decay.

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Ages & Stages of Child Development

Should my son start sitting up soon? When should he drink from a cup? Start scribbling? Babbling? We all want to know our children are on the right track. At Halsey Schools we will let you know how your child is doing everyday. We will also complete formal detailed written assessments at least twice per year.

Daily Communication

We are here not only for your children but for you too. Every day:

• We will tell you every day about your child’s efforts and progress both verbally & in our daily written reports.
• We will answer any questions you have about your child’s progress & development so please ask.
• We will ask you to help our efforts at school by using positive reinforcement & discipline at home.
• We will provide additional parental resources through-out the year on our website & blog.

Written Assessments

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

We complete detailed written assessments at least twice per year for each child to let you know how your child is developing & learning . Children develop at their own pace so the criteria we follow offers a broad age range for each milestone. Some children might reach a designated milestone at 6 months old. But others might reach it at 3 months or 10 months. [/quote]

Simple Characteristic Guidelines

The characteristics that follow are simply basic guidelines.  Read or handbook or check out our calendar for upcoming teacher completed assessments.

If you have any concerns about your child’s development, please let us and/or your doctor know.

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How To Teach Your Child Sequencing

Sequencing is one of many pre-reading skills children need to develop before they learn to read. Learning to sequence, put a series of objects or events in a specific and logical order, teaches children to recognize patterns, make predictions and comprehend stories. As children develop sequencing skills they learn to understand that stories follow a logical order with a beginning, middle and end. Sequencing is a very abstract concept requiring lots of practice. You can help your child learn to sequence at home with these ideas and techniques.

Introduce & use sequencing words often

Engage your child in language and discussion about their daily activities to help them understand sequencing using the basic sequencing vocabulary: First, second, third…, in front of, behind, before, after, next, first, then, last, beginning, middle, end, began, concluded, and finally.  Focus on these words in everyday conversation and situations.

• When getting ready for bed say: First you’ll take a bath. Second you’ll brush your teeth. Third we’ll read a story.
• When reading a story: Talk about the beginning, middle and end. Ask How did the story Begin? What was next? How did it conclude?
• When it’s time to wake up say: First you go potty. Then you eat breakfast. Then you brush your teeth. Last we go to school. 
• When it’s time to go potty say: First we go potty. Then we flush the toilet. Last we wash our hands.
• When it’s time to get dressed say: Start with your underwear. Then put on your pants. Next put on your shirt. Last put on your socks and shoes. 
• Encourage your child to answer sequencing questions like: What do you want first? What do you want to do next?  What did we do first, second, last?

Play the robot sequencing game

When just about any task needs to be completed tell your child I’m a robot. I will follow your instructions. Tell me what to do first, second, third…, last. Play the game when it is time to:  Make cookies. Sandwiches. Dinner… Take the dog for a walk. etc.

The robot game is lots of fun! It helps reinforce sequencing concepts and how to communicate instructions clearly and completely.

Use sequence words to describe the arrangement of items

Place four items in sequential order from left to right. Discuss how the items are arranged using sequencing words: first, second, third, last, next, and after.

• The red car is first. The green car is second. The blue car is third.  The yellow car is last. Go on to say: The yellow car is after the green car. The red car is before the green car and the blue car.
• First, there is the blue Lego. Then, there is the red Lego. Next, is the yellow Lego. The green Lego is last. Go on to say:  The blue lego is before the red lego and the red Lego is after the blue one.

When reading or after watching a movie ask sequencing questions

What happened first? What happened in the middle. What happened at the end? Then what happened? What happen next? What happened last? Here are some examples:

• There’s a Nightmare in the Attic: At first, the little girl is afraid of the nightmare. Next, in the middle she goes to find the nightmare. Then,  she lassos the nightmare. At the end,  she is no longer afraid of the nightmare.
• Green Eggs & Ham: In the beginning, Sam’s friend does not like green eggs & ham. Then in the middle, Sam tries to get his friend to try Green eggs & Ham but his friend will NOT. Finally in the end, Sam’s friend tries green eggs & ham and LOVES them!
• The Little Mermaid: First, Ariel had a dream about life on land. Then, Ursula the Sea Witch gave her legs in trade for her voice. Finally, Ariel got her voice back, kept her legs and in the end lived happily ever after with Prince Eric.
• Finding Nemo: First Nemo was lost. Then his dad Marlin & friend Dory went looking for him. Finally, Marlin and Dory found Nemo!

Have your child sequence toys and items according to your directions

Have your child gather some of his/her favorite toys and items from around the house. Items should vary in color, shape, and/or size. Then have at it! Ask your child:

• Put the baseball first. The football second. The soccer ball last.
• Put the basketball after the football and before the soccer ball.
• Place the football between the basketball and baseball.
• Take the football out of the middle and put it in the front.

Use sequence pictures with your preschooler

Guide your child by asking what would happen first, second, next… Have your child arrange the pictures in the correct order. Then have him/her explain the order. Help your child self-correct misplaced pictures by asking; Are you sure? Would that make sense?When your child has a strong understanding of sequencing objects, it’s time to  introduce a series of pictures that tell a story. You & your child can make your own. You can use family photos from a recent trip or a cut and sequence worksheet.

I hope you have as much fun sequencing with your children at home as we do at school!

The post How To Teach Sequencing appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

Your child can drown in just a few inches of water within seconds without any splashing or screaming. Drowning is silent.

Never leave your child unattended around water. Not Even for a Second.  Caregivers must keep constant visual observation within reach of children in any water: bathtubs, buckets, toilets, ponds, spas, pools, lakes, oceans… Water wings, floaties and even life vests do not guarantee water safety.

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How to prevent drowning and keep your child safe around water

• NEVER leave your child in or near any water unattended.
• Keep constant VISUAL supervision in all water within arms reach of your child at all times.
• At a party? Be certain only qualified and undistracted adults are entrusted with supervising children in water. Never assume someone is supervising.
• Pool at home? Fence it off and install an alarm.
• Always empty inflatable/plastic pools, buckets, pails and bathtubs after each use.
• Warn children to never swim or explore any water without supervision. And make sure they understand that bathtubs, pools, oceans and lakes are all different.
• Teach children to swim at a early age but don’t get a false sense of security.
  • Classes are often offered to parents and children as young as 6 months old. It can be a fun bonding experience and get your child used to water. However, children can not truly learn to swim until at least 3 or 4 years old. Even after lessons it still is not safe for children to swim without direct visual observation within arms reach.

[quote author_name=”Jenni Rice” author_description=”Director & Owner” author_image=”https://halseyschools.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Jenni-Rice-Owner-Director.jpg” size=”small” style=”solid”]

At Halsey Schools we have lots of safe fun exploring and playing with water. Children are always within reach and under direct visual observation of teachers. All teachers are trained in water safety and CPR and first aid.

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When your baby is awake and someone is watching her, your baby should spend as much time as possible on her tummy. However, to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected infant death (SUIDs),  including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), it is important to always put your baby to sleep on his back. No exceptions. But when your baby is awake it’s tummy time!

Why is Tummy Time important?

• It helps develop the muscles that keep your baby’s head up and turn her head side to side; and it builds strength throughout her back, neck, shoulders, buttocks and legs.
• A baby learns how to push up on his elbows and hands to help get ready to roll, belly crawl, and sit by being on his tummy.
• Without enough tummy time, babies may have delays in crawling, sitting & walking.

To help your baby’s body develop:

• Start your baby on tummy time from the very beginning. For the newborn, place him, when awake, on his tummy on mom or dad’s chest for brief periods of time. He’ll be motivated to look up towards a loving face and voice.
• Put baby on her tummy on a clean, flat surface and play with her. Put toys or a mirror where she can see or reach for them.
• If your baby has trouble picking up his head, roll up a small thin towel or receiving blanket and place it under his chest with his arms in front of it.
• Limit how much time baby spends in a swing, bouncy chair, infant seat or car seat. Babies need to be held and moved often to help them build a good sense of balance and learn about their bodies.

To help prevent your baby’s head from getting too flat on one side:

• Since babies turn their heads toward light, noise or activity, alternate the end of the crib you place baby’s head, and alternate the arm that you use to hold, feed, or cuddle baby.
• Change the location of the mobile, or other things that baby watches, so when he’s on his back, he will look in different directions
• If you are worried that your baby is getting a flat or balding spot, or if your baby is having trouble turning her head fully to either side, talk to your baby’s health care provider. There maybe some headgear options they recommend.

At Halsey Schools babies only sleep in cribs on their back under direct supervision. When awake we spend a lot of time with your babies on their tummies. Read lots of stories. Learn Sign Language. Play. Sing. Laugh. Giggle…

The post Tummy Time – Why is it so important? appeared first on Halsey Schools Preschool & Infant Center.