Although all kindergarten schools teach children basics like the alphabet, there are some crucial differences between a typical kindergarten and a high-quality early learning center in Pembroke Pines. Given the critical importance of early childhood education for your child’s future, it’s wise to invest some time in researching the right school for your child.

Is My Child Ready for Kindergarten?

Even if you select the best available kindergarten school for your child, he or she will only thrive there if he or she is ready for it. Kindergarten readiness can be difficult for parents to assess; consider talking to your child’s preschool teacher about whether he or she might be ready for the next step. It may seem counterintuitive that holding a child back an extra year would give him or her a head start, but in fact, enrolling a child in kindergarten before he or she is ready can adversely affect academic progress in kindergarten and the later grades. To determine if your child is ready for kindergarten, consider whether he or she has basic academic, gross and fine motor, and socio-emotional skills.

What does the Curriculum Offer My Child?

When your child is ready for kindergarten, take a close look at the curricula of the schools you’re considering. Children benefit from a dynamic and engaging curriculum that gives them a foundation for success in first grade and beyond. Kindergarten curricula should include the basics of mathematic reasoning, language arts, geography, and science.

Is Afterschool Care Available?

Another question to consider when choosing a kindergarten school is whether your child will need afterschool care. If so, look for a kindergarten that offers age-specific afterschool groups supervised by professional, trained staff members. An ideal afterschool program for kindergarteners includes a designated time for homework and learning, along with time to relax and have fun with arts and crafts.

Does the School Have an Acceptable Safety Policy?

Safety is a top priority of parents, with good reason. Check the kindergarten’s website for a school safety policy or ask the representative during your tour. Before you select a kindergarten, make sure you know what the drop-off and pick-up policies are, and how the school will keep your child safe during outdoor play.

It can be difficult for a parent to see a child have difficulty coping with departures, but separation anxiety is a normal part of childhood development. Ironically, some childhood development experts believe that separation anxiety is actually an indicator of the newly discovered independence of a child because he or she is attempting to exert control over the situation. When it’s time for your preschool student to say goodbye at the learning center in Pembroke Pines, there are some strategies you can use to ease the transition. In time, your child will start to look forward to arriving at the early learning center .

Develop a Consistent Routine

Children thrive on consistency. When your child is ready to enter preschool, you might ask him or her to help you create a secret handshake or another special goodbye ritual. Some parents use a special phrase for the departure that reminds their children that they’ll be back to pick them up. For instance, you could say, “See you later, alligator”. Use this routine each morning to help your child feel more secure. Picking your child up at the same time every day may also help him or her feel better.

Select a Comfort Item

Call the early childhood education center ahead of time to inquire about its policy on personal possessions. Then, ask your child to help you select a comfort item that he or she can take to preschool. Remember to label the item clearly with your child’s name.

Avoid Prolonging Your Departure

It’s never a good idea to try to sneak away without saying goodbye. However, you should also avoid long goodbyes. When it’s time to leave, do your departure ritual with your child, remind him or her that you’ll be back soon, and then leave promptly.

Use Pretend Play

If it seems to take a while for your child to adjust to saying goodbye, pretend play may help. At home, have your child select a couple of dolls or stuffed animals. Designate one doll as the mother or father and the other as the child. Then, you and your child can use the dolls to act out the scenarios of leaving the child at preschool and going back for him or her at the end of the school day.

When it comes to your child’s education, only the best will do. Learning and development start early in life, and a great preschool near Pembroke Pines will help your child succeed now and later. There are many aspects to consider when you are choosing a preschool for your child, such as excellent staff and teachers, cleanliness and safety, and licensing. A great preschool should be able to provide a solid basis for its curriculum, which should include social and emotional development along with academic learning. Take a look at this infographic to learn more about what you should look for when you’re choosing a preschool for your child. By choosing a great preschool, you’ll give your child a head start on success in life. Please share with your friends and fellow parents.

Tanglewood Academy is a learning center in Pembroke Pines that is dedicated to fostering healthy early childhood development. Our highly trained staff members actively engage children in the learning process and invite parental involvement in our preschool. Our early learning center is pleased to offer a voluntary pre-k program, or VPK, intended for four-year-olds who are getting ready for kindergarten. VPK offers three-hour classes in the mornings during the week. Parents may choose to enroll their children in our enhancement program for after-hours day care. Children who did not participate in the VPK program the previous year and will be entering kindergarten in August are welcome to enroll in our full-day summer VPK program.

Voluntary pre-k supports children’s development by introducing them to a rich environment full of learning experiences. Early childhood education is the stepping stone toward later academic success. In VPK, children develop crucial pre-literacy and pre-math skills. They also work on their social skills during their interactions with their peers.

Preschool offers much more than day care for your child. Early childhood education prepares children for a lifetime of learning. It’s an exciting period of development during which your child will improve his or her motor skills, acquire pre-literacy and pre-math skills, and learn how to interact appropriately with other children. It can be helpful for parents and children alike to learn more about what to expect for the first day of preschool near Pembroke Pines.

Getting Ready for the First Day

Children can easily sense the moods of their parents. When discussing preschool with your child, use positive language and an upbeat tone of voice. Read books together about starting preschool and discuss what schedule your child might follow at the early learning center. For example, talk about circle or group time, story time, outdoor play, group activities, and snack time. Help your child adjust to a new sleep and wake schedule, if need be, by gradually changing bedtimes and wake-up times a couple of weeks before the first day.

Easing the Transition

It’s perfectly normal for children to be a little nervous on the first day of school. You can comfort your child by letting him or her take along a favorite object such as a stuffed animal. When you arrive at the preschool with your child, you can take a few minutes to get him or her settled in. Point out interesting things in the classroom and meet new classmates with your child. After a few minutes, give your child a hug and say goodbye. It’s usually best not to have long goodbyes; however, avoid sneaking out when your child isn’t looking. You may be surprised at how quickly your child will adjust to the classroom once you’ve left.

Supporting Your Child’s Development

Your child will learn so much in preschool, but it’s still important to support his or her development at home. Read books together every day. Ask your child to point out colors or shapes. Support letter recognition skills by giving your child a set of child-safe magnetic letters to play with. Remember to keep in touch with your child’s preschool teacher to be advised of your little one’s progress.

When your child enters preschool, he or she may become quite opinionated regarding school lunches. It’s a good idea to involve your child in the preparation process to allow him or her to enjoy some control. For example, ask your child if he or she would rather bring a wrap or a sandwich to the learning center in Pembroke Pines. Be sure to check whether the learning center is a nut-free facility.

In addition to packing the main entrée for your child’s lunch at preschool, offer him or her a choice of healthy sides. This video can help give you some ideas. The mom featured here sends her child to day care with healthy snacks such as strawberries, yogurt, and pepper slices.

Choosing a child care center for your precious little one is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a parent. There are many factors to consider when you’re evaluating your options for child care near Pembroke Pines. To make sure you’re arranging for the best possible child care, you can evaluate the center’s approach toward early childhood education, assess the staff members, and tour the facilities.

Assess the Student-to-Teacher Ratio

The student-to-teacher ratio at the early learning center is crucial. When caregivers must supervise too many children at once, they cannot give each child sufficient attention and care. Toddlers need to feel loved, safe, and secure, and they need to develop trust in their caregivers. When you tour the child care center, ask about the student-to-teacher ratio and observe the staff members’ interactions with the children in their care.

Tour the Child Care Rooms

Child care facilities should be clean and safe, with plenty of natural lighting and activity areas for children to explore. Check to see that your child will have fun activities to work on and that your child will have access to learning materials, such as picture books.

Evaluate the Outdoor Play Spaces

Outdoor play is an essential part of healthy childhood development. Choose a child care center that offers a spacious and safe playground. Check whether outdoor play is properly supervised.

Consider the Availability of Programs

Many parents like to choose a child care center that offers programs for children of varying ages. For example, if you have a toddler, consider enrolling him or her in a day care program at a center that also offers a preschool for four-year-olds. Continuity is important for healthy development in young children. Depending on your family’s needs, you might also look for a program that offers after-school care and a summer camp.

Check the Policies

Once you think you know which child care center you’ll choose, check its policies before enrolling your child. Are snacks provided or will your child bring a snack from home? Is the center a nut-free zone? Are all children required to be up-to-date on their immunizations? Additionally, inquire about drop-off and pick-up policies.

Arts and crafts projects play an important role in early childhood development. Not only do they inspire creativity, but they also help develop fine motor skills and even pre-math skills. If your little one is in preschool or kinder care near Pembroke Pines, you can watch this video to see a demonstration of a holiday art project.

This child care expert demonstrates how she has her kids create a holiday tree out of construction paper, sequins, and glue. Red construction paper serves as a festive background for the tree. This day care expert provides kids with six strips of green paper of varying sizes. The preschool-aged kids work on their pre-math skills by placing the strips in order from largest to smallest. Then, they can glue them in place to create a holiday tree, which they can decorate with glued-on sequins.

When you choose Tanglewood Academy for your child, you’re providing him or her with a head start in life. Tanglewood Academy is an early learning center in Pembroke Pines that was founded with the mission of nurturing the development of the whole child. Our daycare, preschool, and kindergarten programs are specially designed to support each child’s social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Students at our learning center learn how to work in groups and by themselves. They form lasting friendships and develop age-appropriate social skills.

At Tanglewood Academy, your child will enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities. Our instructors guide children in learning crucial academic skills that form the basis for later success in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Our students also participate in many different enrichment activities such as dancing, gymnastics, and computer instruction. Our early learning center even offers drama and culinary arts instruction. While enjoying fun daycare activities, students develop the self-confidence they need to excel throughout their lifetime.