Transitioning Back To School Without Overloading Your Child

Periodically, I welcome a guest to join me on my blog. This week, Janeal Roberts, Vice President of Education for Champions®, a nationwide provider of before- and after-school programs, is joining me to discuss tips to help parents as their children return to school. 

We can all remember the excitement, anxiety and enhanced level of activity that take place as a new school year begins. This time of year brings increased expectations as well as new routines, new friends, a new teacher and possibly a new school.

While research studies recognize the benefits of extracurricular activities, juggling these changes can be overwhelming to even the most well-adjusted child. It is important to consider your child’s interests and ability to adjust when planning activities. Being aware of your child’s needs and preparing for this transition can be the key to a successful and fun school year.

• Look at each child as an individual.
All children are different and have different talents and varying abilities to manage their time and handle change. Be sure to take this into consideration, especially if your family has more than one child.

• Establish expectations and priorities with your child.
Ask yourself “what is most important to me?” and “what do I want for my child?” Be sure to involve your children and consider their input in your decision. Your family’s schedule should reflect these goals. Revisit these priorities with your children regularly, engage them in discussions, celebrate successes and review challenges and lessons learned.

• Wait before you commit or overextend your child.
Look for extracurricular activities that can be added after school schedules are established. Waiting 30 days to add a new activity after the school year begins can give you and your child the time needed to settle into a routine.

• Streamline and organize activities.
It’s not the additional one to two hours a week of soccer or dance that causes stress or frustration, but the added time and rush to get from place to place. Look for centralized afterschool programs that provide multiple activities on-site to reduce running from place to place.

• Establish family routines and traditions early.
Make a calendar that clearly lists mealtimes, bedtime, homework, chores, activities and other important family commitments that your child is expected to attend. Review and reinforce the schedule with your children to help establish routines.

• Plan for downtime, don’t wait for it.
There is a lot to be gained from unstructured activities. Reserve downtime so that your child can accept an unexpected invitation, be spontaneous and appreciate the times when “there is nothing to do.” Working together with your child to find the schedule that works for your family will ensure a comfortable balance and teach children to understand their own tolerance. Discussing these challenges will help as your children transition into middle school and their teenage years.

About Janeal Roberts, Vice President, Education - Champions®
Janeal Roberts is a twenty-five year veteran of Champions and has served in a variety of roles including classroom kindergarten teacher, master teacher, center director at multiple locations, curriculum specialist, and school-age education specialist.

In her role as Vice President of Education for Champions, she manages the Education Department, which is responsible for the development and implementation of all KLC School Partnerships curriculum, equipment, teacher training, and quality assurance initiatives.

Ms. Roberts has a bachelor’s in education and a master’s degree in management sciences. She is actively involved at both local and state levels as a member, trainer, and endorser for both NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and NAA (National Afterschool Alliance).

Selecting An Early Childhood Education and Care Provider:

Have I found the right place for my child in while I am at work? How can I ensure that my child has the right socialization and cognitive experiences so that she is ready to be successful in kindergarten? How can I sleep at night knowing that I’m not there to make sure that my child is in a safe and secure environment?

These are the questions that parents ask themselves every day while they are looking for child care, and sometimes even long after they have enrolled their child in a program. Although my children’s years in preschool are almost a distant memory now, I still remember, almost 20 years later, the uncertainty surrounding that experience and the sinking feeling when my husband and I visited one center where the babies were wandering aimlessly, and I knew I’d give up my job before I’d leave my son there. This is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make—ever!
 
But whether your search is just beginning, if you are well underway, or if it’s just time to step back and reconfirm that you have made the best decisions for your child—there are many resources to help you do that. First, if you have found this blog, you may have already been to the KinderCare Learning Centers website and, hopefully, you have downloaded the Decision Guide that lists some features you should look for when selecting a program. Checklists like these are also usually available from your local resource and referral agency.

If you are not looking for a checklist, but just want some general guidelines for what to look for, I can give you a bit of advice based on many years of evaluating child care programs and looking for ways to make them better. Many of these are reflected in the Standards and Accreditation Criteria of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) or in some of the other leading accrediting bodies, National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA) and the National Accreditation Commission (NAC) for Early Care and Education Programs.

So, in no particular order, here are some things to look for and ask about that the experts use when evaluating a center—and frankly no one is more expert than you are when it comes to picking the right place for your children:

• Is there a curriculum that promotes children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development? Are individual differences in developmental levels respected and understood?
• Is the center director knowledgeable and professional? Did he or she seem interested in you and your family and what you are looking for, not just what the center has to offer? Is the center director approachable? Would you be comfortable raising concerns and asking questions?
• Do the teachers have the educational qualifications, knowledge and skills to provide rich learning experiences for your child? Do they speak to the children in kind, loving tones, responding to the children’s physical and verbal expressions of their needs and desires? Is there ongoing professional development and training for the teachers so that their skills are regularly refined and kept current?
• Is the environment free of risks to your child’s health, safety, and supervision—both indoors and outside—and are there adequate supplies and materials for the children?
• Does the center take advantage of the resources of the community through field trips, guest speakers, and relationships with agencies that can support the diverse needs of the children who attend?
• Will you receive regular feedback on your child’s progress and center activities? Do you feel that you are respected as the most important person in your child’s life? Are there linkages that connect the center activities with your home?
• Most importantly, do you believe that your child, no matter how young or old, will be respected as a unique individual, with his or her own needs, interests, preferences, personality, and learning styles?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then congratulations, you’ve found the right place to help your child grow into a strong, confident, curious learner who will be ready for school and all that follows. Remember, you’ll know quality when you see it, but ask these important questions to help guide your decision.

Your Child’s Early Start On Language and Literacy Development Paves The Way To Success

Most parents recognize that the time to start thinking about your child’s language development isn’t when they are about to start reading, or even when they start talking. Literacy and language development begins in infancy.

Children who do not develop competency in language, reading, and writing skills can be limited in their opportunities for success throughout their entire life. Research has demonstrated that there are significant differences across families in the number of words a child hears per week, and those who hear fewer words and engage in less conversation by age 3 have smaller vocabularies than those with “richer” language experiences.

These differences have consequences. Language experience before age 3 can predict reading ability in grade 3. And students who are competent readers are more likely to perform well in other subject areas including mathematics and science.

The National Research Council’s landmark report, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children,  states that, “A person who is not at least a moderately skilled reader by the end of third grade is quite unlikely to graduate from high school.” (p.21) And, high school graduation is an important predictor of future economic success.

As a parent there is much that you can do to help your child develop critical literacy skills. Equally important, for those who entrust others to care for their children, whether in child care centers or preschools, family day care, or even with relatives or neighbors, there are important things to look for to ensure that your child is getting the best start towards a lifetime of success.

One great resource for parents about how to engage with even their youngest children is the Zero to Three Organization. They suggest some ways to make sure that books become a part of the everyday life of parents and children.

Simple tips such as reading aloud every day, showing children the words and asking them questions when you read to them, letting children turn pages, and keeping writing materials (crayons, markers, and paper) in each reach of children help you and your young child explore and learn together. And don’t worry about reading the same story time and time again. It may get old for you, but children learn through repetition, and they also can gain a sense of confidence and mastery from the familiar.

And please, never forget the importance of just talking to your child and responding to their verbalizations, from cooing and gurgling to those questions you never dreamed they’d ask. (I promise, when your children grow up you may long for the days when your child wanted nothing more than to have you read them a book or even just sit and talk with them while you were playing together.)

And what are some things to look for in selecting the best environment for your child? The simplest advice is to look for evidence of language everywhere, and I mean everywhere.

• Are the teachers or caregivers constantly talking with (not at) the children, or do they seem to be supervising them or giving them instructions rather than interacting with them? 
• Do they read to the children many times each day, and are books freely available to the children so they can explore them on their own? A child does not need to be able to read to enjoy looking at pictures, turning pages, or pointing to words. 
• Are there printed materials all around the room and opportunities for children to write, not just in a writing center, but throughout the room? Is there evidence of children’s early attempts at writing or children’s stories in their own words that were written out by adults? 
• Are rhymes, songs, and finger plays a regular part of the daily routine?

It’s never too late to start to help your child develop the literacy skills they will refine and develop throughout their lives—but it’s never too early to start either. So pick out a favorite book, sit with your child, and start reading today!

A Good Night’s Sleep – Healthy Sleep Habits Start At An Early Age

Sleep is as important to our health and well-being as food and water, but most of us don’t get enough of it.  Sleep deprivation is currently one of the most pervasive health concerns in the United States.  For children, sleep plays a critical role in their healthy growth and development.  Beyond simply affecting children’s moods, behaviors, and academic performances, insufficient sleep has also been associated with lower social skills, learning disabilities, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

So how much sleep is enough? When experts study the sleep needs of children, they consider the amount of sleep children need in a 24-hour period, including naps. The National Sleep Foundation publishes a sleep chart and tips, by age, on their “Sleep For Kids” website. Since every child is different, sleep charts are not always exact; however, there are some agreed-upon ranges for children of different ages:

• Birth to 6 months old: 10 to 18 hours of sleep each day
• Six months to 2 years old: 11 to 16 hours of sleep each day
• Three years old: 10 to 14 hours of sleep each day
• Four to 6 years old: 9 to 14 hours of sleep each day
• Seven to 9 years old: 9 to 12 hours of sleep each day
• Ten to 12 years old: 8 to 11 hours of sleep each day

Do these numbers surprise you? If so, you are not alone. Most parents are unaware of just how much sleep their children require in a 24-hour period. And more importantly, parents often don’t know how to teach their children good sleep habits.

Sleep habits—both positive and negative—are established early in a child’s life, often in infancy, and parents play a key role in the process. For example, in order to help a baby stop crying, sometimes a parent will immediately pick up or feed a baby. After time, this may result in the baby becoming dependent on someone else to help him fall asleep. Then, as he ages, his inability to fall asleep by himself escalates into nightly behavioral tug of wars involving “another glass of water” or “just one more hug”—leaving all family members frustrated and exhausted in the end. 

The key, of course, is to help your child establish good sleep habits early. Here are some suggestions:

• Establish a schedule of the day’s main events, such as the same waking time, nap time, and meal times. Regular routines offer babies and young children comfort and security.
• Vary your child’s daytime activities, making sure they are interesting and varied. Be sure to include physical activities and outdoor activities as much as possible.
• Determine a simple bedtime routine that is well-suited to your child, such as reading a book or talking for a few minutes about the day’s events.
• Use light to your advantage. Dim lights or close blinds and curtains as bedtime approaches. In the morning, open blinds and curtains to let in bright, natural light. Light helps signal the brain into the correct sleep-wake cycle.
• Give some time to determining your child’s ideal bedtime. For example, observe her over several evenings and note when she begins to slow down and act physically tired. That is the time she should be going to sleep, so plan to begin her bedtime routine prior to that time. If you wait beyond when she should be in bed, she may get a second wind, and that’s when the “tug of wars” are apt to begin.
• Establish bedtime as a special time. It should be a time to interact with your child in a way that is secure and loving, yet firm. Go through a routine that is suited to your child, such as reading a storybook or talking a bit about the day. Then,  it’s lights out and time to go to sleep.

If you suspect your child is sleep-deprived but are having difficulty establishing new sleep habits and routines, it’s time to take action. In addition to trying the tips listed in this article, you may find the following resources helpful:

Organizations

• The National Sleep Foundation
• Sleep For Kids—a website for children, hosted by the National Sleep Foundation

Books

• The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer by Harvey Karp
• The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night by Elizabeth Pantley and William Sears 
• Nighttime Parenting: How to Get Your Baby and Child to Sleep by William Sears
• Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth
• Take Charge of Your Child’s Sleep: The All-in-One Resource for Solving Sleep Problems in Kids and Teens by Judy A. Owens and Jodi A. Mindell

Getting enough sleep is an important part of your child’s development.  Make sure you keep your pediatrician informed of your child’s sleep habits as a part of each routine check up.