From “Why is the sky blue?” to “How do black holes work?” your child’s curiosity over the years will drive his or her education. Humans are innately curious, and it’s this trait that propels them to achieve remarkable accomplishments. Even before your child can speak, he or she curiously explores the surrounding world by touching, tasting, and dropping objects over and over again. It’s why early childhood learning centers in Pembroke Pines give young children the freedom to explore the classroom. By nurturing your child’s curiosity from his or her early education to adulthood, you’re encouraging the love of learning.

The Value of Curiosity

Few people learn effectively by listening to boring, unengaging lectures. From the 1950s onward, researchers studying the science of learning have found that people learn best when their curiosity is piqued. In other words, curiosity directly fuels academic achievement. But curiosity can also be stifled inadvertently, such as when adults discourage children from asking questions. Since curiosity substantially influences early education, it’s important to nurture it.http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb13/vol70/num05/the-case-for-curiosity/

An Easy Way to Redirect Creative Energy

Of course, a child’s curiosity can often get him or her into trouble. Finding out how the plumbing works by flushing a toothbrush isn’t a welcome turn of events. You can have the best of both worlds by validating your child’s curiosity and redirecting it to less problematic actions. For instance, if your child wants to know what would happen if he or she dropped an egg on the floor, you could invite him or her to take an egg outdoors and drop it on the ground instead. If your child asks you why walruses have tusks, you could say, “I’m not sure. Let’s look it up and find out!”

The Building of Connections Through Curiosity

You are your child’s first role model, and one of the most valuable lessons you can teach your child is that admitting a lack of knowledge is the first step toward learning. Parents often try to avoid saying, “I don’t know” to their kids. This is understandable, but it also suppresses curiosity. Instead, you can teach your child that it’s okay not to know everything—and that’s why people ask others for information or help. If your child is curious about life on a farm, take him or her to a working farm for a tour, or set up some face time with a relative who milked cows.

One invaluable skill that kids learn in early childhood education is self-regulation. In the classroom, teachers use games to foster this area of child development for better classroom management and so that students get the skills they need to succeed in school as they progress through each grade. Your child’s early childhood education teacher in Pembroke Pines will be happy to discuss the activities he or she uses to teach self-regulation with you. These games are just a few of the fun ways teachers help kids learn the all-important skill of self-regulation and self-control.

Red Light, Purple Light

Many students are familiar with the game red light, green light, but changing the colors makes students adapt while practicing their color recognition. Start by assigning “go” and “stop” meanings to two different colors, and use construction paper in those colors to indicate when students should move and when they should stop. Once the children have automated their responses to those colors, change to two different colors and repeat the activity. This game forces students to concentrate and regulate how they respond to cues.

Simon Says

Simon Says is a classic game that offers many opportunities to practice self-regulation. To succeed, students must listen, concentrate, modify their movements, and follow directions. Giving students each a chance to be Simon further increases the chances to work on self-regulation.

Think or Say

Emotional self-regulation is also an important part of early childhood education. The Think or Say activity makes children think about how they are feeling and is especially ideal for helping kids through their tattling stages. Teachers can introduce many different scenarios and ask the class whether they should say what they are thinking or keep it to themselves. The scenarios can range from dealing with hurt feelings from a classmate to what to do if they see a classmate who is not following directions. Teachers can adapt the scenarios to make them relevant to things that are happening in the classroom.

There are many ways to encourage your child to enjoy science and learning about the world around her. Speak with her Pembroke Pines pre-kindergarten teachers about different educational tactics, and speak with your child about different ways she would like to learn. Perform experiments with each other and have fun researching different topics. Read on for more information about how to raise a young scientist.

Encourage Curiosity

Children are naturally curious and always have questions about how the world works. This natural curiosity is a great gift for your child, so encourage it however and whenever you can. Answer your child’s questions and engage in a dialogue to begin developing her critical thinking skills. If you do not know the answer to a question, then take the opportunity to research together. Ask her pre-k teacher, check out library books, and search websites on the internet. This experience will show your child the value of research and learning.

Speak with Eloquence

Many people speak down to children, because they believe children will not or should not understand an adult conversation. However, children are much smarter than some adults give them credit for, and they can understand complicated situations in much simpler terms. You can help your child foster her communication skills early by speaking to her with eloquence. Treat her like an equal and do not shy away from large words or complicated terms.

Engage in Experiments

There are so many science experiments that can be done at home or in your child’s pre-kindergarten class. These activities are fun and engaging, and you can create a dialogue about how different scientific elements work. For example, you can grab a variety of items and see which ones will float or sink in a bucket of water. Have your child guess which object will float or sink and have her place each one in the water. This can be a wet and silly experiment that will also teach your child more about water and how it reacts to everyday objects.

Creating a solid foundation of expectations for your child can help promote his good behavior and success in school. If your student is preparing to enter first grade in Pembroke Pines this year, then read on for advice on using positive parenting to set and enforce limits that can promote a great school year.

Give Explanations

Setting boundaries is important for teaching your child what is expected of him. However, kids may become argumentative or defensive if you make rules without offering reasons for them. To help avoid this, set limits while using words rooted in positivity and let your first grader know why each limit is needed. For example, instead of instructing your child not to play with his toys when he should be getting ready for school, tell him when he should play with them and why.

Enforce Consequences

When it comes to promoting the behaviors you want to see in your child, following up with appropriate consequences for both good and unwanted actions is key. Otherwise, if positive behavior is overlooked or disruptive behavior is ignored, then your first grader may find it difficult to understand what it is that you want him to do. For example, simply thanking or praising your child when he does what you have taught him to without being told each time is an excellent way to reinforce good behaviors. In situations when your child ignores instructions or behaves disruptively, you can, for example, institute quiet time, remove toys, or take away privileges as consequences.

Work Together

Setting rules and deciding how you will enforce them doesn’t have to be a one-sided task. By discussing and making boundaries and consequences with your first grader, you can help him gain a better understanding of why certain behaviors are appropriate or not. Frame conversations like these in a positive light by avoiding negative words. Additionally, consider putting limits in writing with your child’s help, and then posting them in your home as a reminder for both of you.

Whether through an after school program in Pembroke Pines , time spent in the backyard, or activities that you arrange for your family, allowing your child to enjoy unstructured play outdoors offers many benefits. Watch this video to learn about the importance of getting back to nature in childhood.

Today, many children are spending less time outside than ever, which may have an impact on their development. For example, executive functions like critical thinking, problem-solving, and organizing are best-developed in outdoor, unstructured play environments. Also, researchers know that the brains of children are developed in a more critical way when exposed to an outdoor setting. Finally, when outside and playing with peers, children tend to utilize critical social skills and competencies that they may not in an indoor, structured play environment.

Pre-Kindergarten, or pre-K, is often a subject of confusion for parents. It is not the same thing as preschool but rather is a targeted program designed specifically for children about to enter the Kindergarten classroom. Most students in pre-K programs in Pembroke Pines are around four years of age. Pre-K is voluntary—which is why it is sometimes referred to as VPK—but it can have a tremendous impact on children as they prepare to succeed in Kindergarten. Although every child is different, if you choose to enroll your child in pre-K, here are some of the milestones he or she may achieve.

Language and Literacy

Children usually enter pre-K with a vocabulary of about 1,500 words, but by the end of the year, most children speak fluently and can usually use the proper tenses, pronouns, and plurals. Most children also learn to print at least some of their letters in pre-K. In addition to becoming more masterful with language, children also tend to embrace using it more and delight in telling stories or having conversations.

Cognitive Development

During pre-K, children make great strides with their problem-solving skills and can use them for everything from figuring out how to open a favorite snack to working through the rules of a game. Children often also learn to count to at least 10 and may also begin to understand basic concepts about money.

Social Development

For many parents of pre-K kids, social development is one of the areas that is most dramatic. At this age, children become much more invested in their friendships with each other, and they may seek out specific peer groups within the class to spend time with both on the school playground and on the weekends during play dates. At this age, children also become cognizant of fitting in with their classmates and may also begin to seek praise from both parents and peers. Pre-K kids also understand the differences between wrong and right and being honest or dishonest.

When summertime comes around, families are often faced with a dilemma about how to keep their little ones busy. Whether you work during the day or simply want your child to do something other than sit inside glued to an electronic device, day camp can be the best solution. In fact, summer day camps in Pembroke Pines offer a surprising array of benefits for kids. Here is a look at some of the rewards your child can reap by signing up for summer camp.

Summer day camp helps kids build social skills.

Summer day camp provides a unique social situation for kids. Often, going to day camp means meeting and bonding with other children that aren’t in their usual class. That means that they have to go out of their way to make and foster connections, learning the negative outcomes of choosing the wrong group of friends or ostracizing other campers. As day campers are making friends, they also must navigate the camp environment on their own and figure out how to get their needs met without being surrounded by familiar faces.

Summer day camp prevents brain drain.

If the last day of school is the first day your child starts forgetting everything he or she learns, the summer day camp could be the solution you’re looking for. Day camp doesn’t resemble school, but mixed in with all of the fun are lessons to help keep your child’s brain engaged and skills up. Your child won’t know that he or she is really learning, but you’ll see the benefits when the new school year begins.

Summer day camp keeps kids active.

If you’re constantly trying to push your child to get outside and play, let summer day camp help you make sure your child gets all that important activity into his or her day. You can count on fun outdoor activities being a central part of camp, which will help your child stay physically healthy and strong while encouraging good habits that can last a lifetime.

• There are many ways to help your child learn and develop his first-grade math skills . Learning first-grade math in Pembroke Pines does not have to center around daily homework. You can engage your child in learning and expanding his math skills whenever you bake a dessert or plan out your schedule for the month. Here are a few easy ways to help your child develop his first-grade math skills:
• Use opportunities from your daily life to encourage math understanding. Let your child help you measure out the ingredients to a recipe. Have him count and sort the different fruits and vegetables you bring home from the grocery store.
• Explore a nearby orchard or plant a produce garden. Your child can count out produce he collects. Collect produce as well, and ask your child who has more or less produce than the other.
• Read daily schedules and weather charts together. These daily numerical pieces of information will help your child develop a better understanding of all types of numbers he will see in first grade.

Telling time is an important skill, but it is becoming increasingly challenging for children, who often have few opportunities outside of their early education center to practice. If your child is in preschool or Kindergarten in Pembroke Pines and you want to help him or her master time-telling skills, these activities will help you reinforce the lessons that they are getting at school.

Go Analog

With digital clocks everywhere from your oven to your TV box and smartphone, kids may not understand why they need to learn time. If your house is one of the many homes that only has digital clocks, invest in a few analog clocks that your child can use to practice telling time at home. Use the clocks when you need to know what time it is, and talk your child through how you are reading the clock. Encourage your child to look at those clocks as well, and as his or her skills in telling time grow, he or she can look at the analog clock, tell the time, and then check it against the digital clocks.

Practice Skip Counting

Counting by fives is a helpful skill to have when it comes to telling time. If your child has his or her numbers mastered, start working on counting by fives. Keep practicing until your child can easily count to at least 60 by fives, and then start applying that kind of counting to telling time. This lets your child see how time is counted off in five-minute increments and can help him or her get a better understanding of reading the clock.

Use Timed Activities

Give telling time real-world applications by having your child time his or her favorite activities. For instance, you may tell him or her that you are going to leave for the park in 10 minutes, and ask your child to tell you where the hand will be on the clock. Tying time concepts to things your child is doing will incentivize him or her to keep working on time skills.

In addition to the academic aspects, one of the biggest benefits of early childhood education is that it gives your child the opportunity to learn and practice social skills. When your toddler is in daycare or an early learning center in Pembroke Pines , he or she will learn skills, like empathy, in interactions with other students.

Watch this video to learn more about what you can do to raise your child to be empathetic to others. Although researchers believe that some level of emotional intelligence, like empathy, is genetic, there are many ways you can foster it and teach it in your child. Talk about interactions your toddler has at his or her early learning center in which your child noticed how another child was feeling. Talk about feelings characters in books or on TV shows are having. Above all, model empathetic behavior, so that your child follows your example.