April Newsletter, 2024
Dear Parents,
Parents often wonder what benefit their child is getting from preschool when it seems that all they do is just play. It’s important to realize that almost all learning for children under the age of 5 comes through play or playfulness. Preschoolers are not goal-oriented. They are explorers and learners for the fun of it and for the self-satisfaction of figuring something out, not because it will be useful to them later in life. Everything that we do has a goal in mind for students; however, it should not be apparent to them. Even routines, such as getting ready for snack, provides opportunities for learning. When the teacher says, “If your name begins with the ‘n‘ sound, go wash your hands”, it provides experience with letter sounds, following instructions, and self-control (waiting a turn).
Enjoy Spring! Use this season to explore the natural wonder of the world with your children. Help them notice the small changes in the world around them. Many trees have new leaves and blossoms, bulbs are popping up, the insect world is awakening, days are longer. Our children are bombarded with instant gratification messages from all the media they are exposed to. Help them slow down to notice the small changes, to nurture their soul!
. . . . . Karen
Important Information
UMCDC Board Members are:
Peggy Graham
Lisa Kadowaki
Barbara Wilsey
JoAnn Vizents
Judy Crenshaw
Melissa Ronan
Lynn Decker-Mahin
Dorrie Kelly
Pastor Elbert Kim
Kristi VanKeersbilck
Karen Lundberg
Kelly Scyphers
Ladybugs
Ms. Rachel
We are happy to welcome spring into our classroom! Our spring curriculum includes studying insect. We are observing caterpillars turning into butterflies in our classroom, as well as praying mantis egg sacs that will hatch in an enclosed net. We will observe nature and and have different crafts with flowers and nature findings.
We provide various sensory activities in the classroom like playdough, sensory trays with dry seeds, cereal, and water with spoons and cups. Playdough is very good for building hand strength and pouring is great for fine motor skills.
We will have another show and tell on Friday, the 26th of April. Please have your children bring their favorite toy that can fit in their bag.
We love having the opportunity to watch your children learn and grow. Every week is a surprise as they develop new skills and vocabulary. Their ingenuity, creativity, and independence is amazing to observe.
Bumblebees
Ms. Savannah
Mrs. Kelly
Spring is here! We will be studying weather, flowers, insects, and our planet Earth! Earth Day is April 22nd. We will teach our classes the importance of reducing, recycling, and reusing so we can help preserve our beautiful Earth! This is a good time to talk to your children about the earth and how we can take care of it. The children are ready and able to help recycle trash, save water through careful use, and keep an eye out for litter to clean up.
We will also be getting our hands dirty and planting vegetables from seed and learning about gardening, agriculture, and healthy foods.
In continuing our Kindergarten readiness, our alphabet writing will continue this month. We continue to practice letter sounds each day. Children’s reading success begins with their ability to identify the different sounds that letter and letter combinations make and to associate these sounds with written words. Keep reading at home and asking your child to name the sounds she/he hears!
SHOW AND TELL DAY – Friday, April 26th
Dragonflies
Ms. Savannah
Mrs. McClellan
Spring is here! We will be studying weather, flowers, insects, and our planet earth! Earth Day is April 22nd. We will teach our classes the importance of reducing, recycling, and reusing, so we can help preserve our beautiful Earth! This is a good time to talk to your children about the earth and how we can take care of it.
We will also be getting our hands dirty and planting vegetables from seed and learning about gardening, agriculture, composting, and healthy foods. We will be composting with leftover snack items, so think about sending your child with fruits and vegetables for snack.
In continuing with our kindergarten/TK readiness, we are focusing on letter and number recognition. We work daily with the letter sounds, and the children enjoy telling us the first letters of common words and their friend’s names. Children’s reading success begins with their ability to identify the different sounds that letters and letter combinations make and to associate these sounds with written words.
SPRING BREAK – Monday, April 1st – Friday, April 5th
SHOW & TELL DAY – Friday, April 26th
Butterflies
Ms. Soraya
“Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.” www.verybestquote.com
The Parent/Toddler class is an amazing group of parents, grandparents, and children. We have so much fun playing, learning, discovering, exploring, and making new and lasting friendships. They are also becoming experts in handprint art! This month, we will be making handprints and playing again with sparkling paint! We will also learn about our five senses: hearing, smelling, seeing, touching, and tasting.
Support your toddler’s need for independence
Here are some practical ideas for supporting your child’s developing independence and confidence by tuning into their desire to make decisions and choices:
Praise your child for having a go when they try something new – even if it isn’t successful or doesn’t work out.
Let your child make simple choices from limited options – for example, choosing between a banana or an apple for a snack, deciding on red or yellow shoes, or picking a book to read.
Let your child make “safe” mistakes – that’s how your child learns. Also, let your child experiment with things like how to move around on playground equipment.
Encourage your child to help you sweep, make a snack, or other chores around the house, including putting away toys.
Chores help toddlers feel “big” and good about themselves. At the same time, it’s important to keep up special rituals, like a bedtime story, to let toddlers know they’re still your “baby”.
Encourage thinking, problem-solving, and other skills
Using play to learn:
Play with your child, and follow your child’s lead by letting them decide what games to play. If your child wants to choose, encourage games that involve turn-taking and sharing.
Encourage make-believe play, which stimulates the imagination and lets children work through ideas.
Incorporate play into everyday routines – for example, playing in the bath or singing a song while packing toys away.
Building brain pathways
Give your child the chance to repeat favorite activities. This helps your child’s brain build pathways that strengthen skills. For example, taking the cutlery out of the drawer and putting it back, again and again, helps your child develop motor and problem-solving skills.
Reading the same books over and over might get a bit boring for you, but kids love familiarity. You can build your child’s thinking skills by asking “What happens next?”
Aim for no screen time for children under two years, and no more than one hour a day for children over two years. Toddlers develop best through physical play with hands-on experiences.
Your toddler’s relationship with you – and their relationships with other children later on – are extremely important. Toddlers learn their social skills in these relationships.
Happy April!