HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL: PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL, SUCCESS IN LIFE

Choosing the right preschool for your child is among the most important

decisions you will make for them, especially considering how early learning

impacts a child’s future. From motor and social skills to problem-solving,

a child’s foundation is laid in their first few years of life. We recognize the

responsibility associated with preschool learning centers not just as a

place to keep children safe, but also as places to guide them in their initial

growth and development.

As educators, we focus on creating positive learning environments, using real research to back up our teaching

methods. Every child is unique, as is every stage of childhood. Our mission is to prepare your child for “success in

school, success in life.” This means helping parents and caregivers to understand how critical the early years are

to the development of your child. In this book, we’ll cover the following topics:

INTRODUCTION

PREPARING KIDS FOR ACADEMIC, PHYSICAL, AND

SOCIAL SUCCESS

CREATING AN EXCELLENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

FOR YOUNG CHILDREN

UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES: INFANTS THROUGH FIVE

YEARS OLD

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT: QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR

CHILD’S TEACHER

KINDERGARTEN READINESS CHECKLIST

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PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Adults have a host of physical abilities that we don’t even

think about, and probably don’t even remember learning.

Many of these were learned during early childhood, and

these are the exact skills that are taught in preschool.

This covers basic physical skills like balance, coordination,

body awareness, and motor planning. But physical

development also includes fine motor skills and overall

muscle control. For example, your child should learn hand-

eye coordination as well as how to master bathroom skills.

PREPARING KIDS FOR ACADEMIC, PHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL SUCCESSThe window of early childhood education is vitally important for children’s intellectual, social, and physical development. We help set several goals for

this development process and we take into account just how sensitive your children are to their environment at these young ages. Just like you as a

parent, we want to create positive environments to proactively develop important life skills.

INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

Cutting-edge research is showing more clearly than ever

how important the early years of your child’s education

and development are. The time your child spends in

the first five years will shape their cognitive, social, and

linguistic capabilities, which contributes to their academic

and professional success for the rest of their life.

Preschool programs give your child a head start. By the

time they’re ready for kindergarten, they can already have

a good grasp of basics like math, art, handwriting, the

alphabet, reading, and more. Beyond a list of subjects, early

childhood education is also planned to awaken a love of

learning in your child. Giving them that extra educational

boost will help develop their minds and teach them to

push their understanding.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Emotional well-being is central to who your children are

and how they eventually approach the world. Preschool

and early childhood education helps your child get a solid

emotional base that will serve them well for the rest of

their life.

Main emotional goals include helping your child get a

sense of self-respect, teaching them how to adjust to new

situations, and building a willingness to try new activities.

For example, you and your child learn how to emotionally

handle separation from mom and dad in a safe and secure

environment. Read these tips: Morning Routine Tips for

Kids With Separation Anxiety.

The best way to teach these will vary from child to child,

but our experienced preschool teachers are more than up

to the task.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

We spend our lives with people in our family, community,

and workplace, not to mention school. Early childhood

educators concentrate on goals like getting along well with

other students, getting along with adults, learning how to

respect others, and thriving in an educational setting.

Preschool and early childhood education teach your

children the core social skills that will prepare them

for kindergarten and beyond. These skills will boost

children’s self-esteem, increase their ability to build healthy

relationships with peers, and improve their flexibility as

they adapt to new environments and expectations.

Our vision is to ultimately prepare your children for success by providing the best early childhood

education in Indiana. We continue to implement new ways of effectively educating your children and

provide the flexibility you need for your family’s schedule. We are driven to set expectations high and

meet the highest standards in childcare and education.

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL

The L.E.A.P. Program (Learning through Experience, Academics, and Play) is our research-based curriculum developed by

our leading industry experts. We apply the award-winning Creative Curriculum, with Indiana Early Learning Foundations,

Montessori, and Reggio Emilia philosophies. This innovative, effective, and comprehensive curriculum empowers and

inspires the youngest learners to achieve developmental milestones and academic results during their most critical and

formative years.

To implement our curriculum, we teach our students to learn through play. Every experience and fun activity is treated

as a teachable moment where students absorb as much knowledge as possible at the times they are most engaged.

Through our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) learning exercises and activities, we challenge our

students to explore and discover their natural interests. Using play-based activities, we implement carefully constructed

lesson plans to ensure the STEAM learning becomes a foundation for children to build future academic success.

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL

CREATING AN EXCELLENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTFOR YOUNG CHILDRENResearch shows that the first five years of your child’s life are critical in

their development. The foundations of sensory-motor, physical, social,

emotional, and cognitive development are formed during these years.

More than one million new neural connections are formed every second in the first few years of life.Your child’s development at every age prepares them for learning as they get older. Even in

infancy, as young as seven months old, children learn social skills and language formation.

They form gross motor skills and social interaction as toddlers through two years old.

After this stage, they form social relationships, behavior structure, language function,

and higher levels of cognitive development. This prepares them for our preschool

curriculum and kindergarten readiness.

The best thing you can do for your child is to place them in the care of

educated and talented teachers who understand your child’s needs. Our

teachers provide a supportive, nurturing environment to guide and

empower your child to his or her full potential.

This is why we prefer to use the terms Learning Center and

Early Childhood Education, instead of daycare.

AN UNDERSTANDING OFTHE STAGES OF CHILDHOODWe are committed to the success of your child, and part of

that is understanding the nuances of the various stages

of childhood. While it is important to create safe and

structured places for children of all ages to learn and play,

this environment is especially important in the first five

years of life.

Understanding the different stages of early childhood, from infancy to preschoolers,

helps us create the correct curriculum and care for this positive cognitive development.

INFANTS

An infant’s brain is extremely malleable and ready to create new neural pathways. Infants are constantly sending out stimulus to the world around

them, primarily through crying, and then making sense of the responses that they receive. Therefore, the most important thing that a parent or

guardian can do, or look for in a caregiver, is to respond quickly in a nurturing way. Whether the infant is hungry, tired, uncomfortable, or lonely,

a quick response lets the infant know that their attempts to communicate will be heard, they are safe, and their needs will be met. It is also

extremely important that the response of the caregiver be accompanied by physical touch. The physical touch helps to cement this idea that they

are heard and will have their needs met by an adult. Furthermore, the physical contact and heartbeat encountered by being held also creates a

feeling of calm, reminding the infant of the womb.

TODDLERS

Once an infant’s need for the safety and security of physical touch has been met, then this need will diminish. And then, the child will begin to

explore the broader world around them as they enter the toddler phase. As toddlers began to seek outwardly and crawl, their environmental needs

change. Toddlers need a safe place to explore, and enough stimulus to feed their brain’s hunger to understand all the shapes, colors, and sounds

around them. However, this doesn’t mean that we should throw as much stimulus at the young minds as possible. Toddlers, like anyone else, will

become overwhelmed if there is too much going on visually or if things are too loud. An optimal toddler environment would be a play area that

is quiet, calming, comfortable, has minimal decor, and easy to navigate. This will allow the toddler to focus their attention on exploring specific

items, instead of constantly having to navigate and assess their surroundings. Finally, keep the play area clear of clutter. While a toddler may move

their attention between a number of different toys, too many toys to choose from may be overwhelming. This can deter the toddler from doing the

important work of exploring.

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL

TWO YEARS OLD

By the age of two, our children are beginning to explore the world in increasingly large circles. They learn how their own bodies can do the things

that they see the adults around them doing. For this reason, this age sees a jump in both gross and fine motor skill development. According to

Dr. Cheryl Wu, a doctor with LaGuardia Place Pediatrics in New York City, “… while every child develops at their own pace, I expect most of my

patients to achieve [certain] milestones by their second birthday” (DiProperzio, Parents.com, 2011). These milestones include the ability to jump,

climb stairs, scribble, and feed themselves. To help children achieve these goals, children at this stage of development must have plenty of support

and small group interaction with peers. This will allow the child to feel confident and to receive the help they need while engaging in their

exploration with others.

This social interaction is also important for the two-year-olds, as they are becoming increasingly socially interactive. According to Jessica Mercer

Young, a researcher at the Education Development Center, “Children at this age may really enjoy playgroups centered on music or gross motor

activity. Sharing is, of course, tricky at this stage…” (DiProperzio, Parents.com, 2011). Again, small groups and attentive supervision will help children

navigate the “mine” stage, by allowing for structured practice and modeling of desired behaviors.

THREE YEARS OLD

Three-year-olds want to do everything, “like Mommy and Daddy.” “l want to do it!” becomes a very familiar phrase at this stage of development.

For this reason, it is important to create opportunities for your child to try to do everyday tasks such as eating, cleaning, and even pottying with

plenty of coaching. If you are creating a learning environment at home, set aside some time to work with your child each day. This will provide

the child with a distraction-free time and allow you an extra measure of patience. If you are looking for a stable learning environment outside of

the home, look for environments that will allow for plenty of movement and stimulation in a small-sized group. The National Institute for Early

Childhood Education recommends class sizes of 20 or smaller, with no more than 10 children per adult.

An Understanding of the Stages of Childhood (cont.)

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL

FOUR AND FIVE YEARS OLD (PRESCHOOLERS)

By the time your child is ready for a structured preschool environment, your

child will begin to navigate the world with an increasing amount of

independence. They will be learning to construct complex sentences to ask

for what they need, working from multi-step instructions, and working with

their peers to play or complete tasks. Using these tools, they are ready to begin

exploring the world of letters, numbers, and colors, in ways that will prepare

them for kindergarten and beyond. Finding an accredited preschool during this

stage is essential for a few reasons.

First, the curriculum needs to align with state standards in order to make sure

your child is ready to enter into a K-12 education with the strongest framework

possible. Missing pieces can make it difficult for students to catch up as they

move past this time of high plasticity.

Second, accredited preschools must keep their teacher to student ratio at

or below state-mandated level (1:12 in Indiana), and maintain a safe, stable

environment for young learners. Finally, the accredited programs will work with

students’ families, creating a more complete and inclusive education for the

students. Check for accrediting programs in your state, such as Indiana’s Paths

for Quality program.

Parents and teachers alike find joy in watching children learn and grow. It is our

privilege to help facilitate their development at every precious stage.

An Understanding of the Stages of Childhood (cont.)

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL

Open dialogue between you and our preschool teachers is highly encouraged and

necessary. We welcome parent engagement and see it as a vital part of a child’s success.

The more engagement, the more you can know and learn about your child’s experience.

While this list is not comprehensive, it gives a great starting point to start a dialogue with your child’s teacher. The key to making this

conversation productive is to be open-minded. Remember, even if a teacher’s responses aren’t always pleasant to hear, your child’s teacher does

have his or her best interest at heart and wants to partner in your child’s development. The more open-minded and responsive you are to what

your child’s preschool teacher is saying, the more likely you will be able to work together as a team to ensure your child’s social, emotional, and

cognitive growth is being met.

We work diligently to establish a healthy dialogue with parents, a dialogue that is fundamental to your child’s long-term success.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT: QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER

Below are some of the top questions to ask your child’s preschool teacher to find out how his or her experience is going:

» What does their daily schedule look like?

» What curriculum are you using?

» How much play is scheduled into your day?

» How does my child interact with his or her peers?

» How does my cild handle being redirected and diciplined?

» How are my child’s coping skills?

» How is my child progressing academically and cognitively? Are they meeting the milestones set in the curriculum?

» What activities can I do at home to help reinforce the learning that is taking place at school?

» Do my child’s reactions and emotions match the situation they are in?

» Are there any behavior concerns?

» What are my child’s strengths in the preschool setting?

» What areas could my child improve upon?

» What can I do at home to support the emotional and cognitive growth of my child?

» Are there any concerns I need to speak with my pediatrician about?

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KINDERGARDEN READINESS CHECKLISTAt ABC’s and 123’s Learning Centers, our mission is to make sure that all children who complete our preschool program are more than prepared and set

up for ultimate academic success in Kindergarten. What are some of the things your child should be able to accomplish before heading off to school?

DEVELOPMENTAL READINESS CHECKLIST

My child can…

_ Manage feelings and identify their own emotions in words

_ Listen to directions and follow multiple steps

_ React to social cues

_ Display empathy towards others, share and take turns

_ Understand cause and effect relationships

_ Use tools like a pencil, scissors, marker, glue

_ Ask for help or tell an adult when something is wrong

_ Tie their own shoes

_ Use the restroom and take care of basic needs

ACADEMIC READINESS CHECKLIST

My child can…

_ Sing or recite the alphabet

_ Write their own name

_ Hold and manipulate books

_ Have conversations about books and topics

_ Recognize letters and knows their sounds

_ Recognize numbers and count to 10

_ Name simple shapes

_ Understand the concept that numbers represent a quantity

_ Investigate the world and is curious about new concepts

_ Ask questions to learn more about the world

Our preschool professionals are working with your child every day on these tasks and much more to

make sure they are academically, emotionally, and developmentally ready for school! With your help at

home, they will be excited and anxious to get started on this new adventure!

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL

We emphasize early childhood development because we know how much it matters to the future of your children.

Our teachers create safe learning environments that emphasize

the development of cognitive and social skills that your children

will carry for their entire lives. We understand this responsibility

and are committed to seeing your child succeed to the fullest.

If you would like to schedule a tour at any one of our schools

to learn more about us, you can do so here or call us at one of our

four locations.

Avon: 317-272-2336 Noblesville - East: 317-674-8528 Indianapolis: 317-328-8988 Noblesville - West: 317-399-7551

CONCLUSION

SCHEDULE A TOUR

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL