Magicalms.com ~ Magical Moments

To me, socio-emotional goals override all others.    Our primary goal must be to motivate our children to be kind, considerate, caring, and respectful of others as they accept themselves as capable, wonderful little people.  Helping preschoolers delay gratification, problem solve, discuss feelings, and handle frustration are important first steps in creating healthy emotional children so that we can look forward to a more loving and peaceful future.

Teachers must be models for our children; we must talk respectfully, behave calmly, and listen affectively.  Body language is a powerful tool that adults must monitor when interacting with children and other adults in the program.  Since respect and kindness grow exponentially, teachers must be lovely role models if they expect their students to be well behaved, caring children.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

There are endless opportunities to teach and have children practice math skills each and every day.  Regardless of theme, educators must infuse opportunities for the boys and girls to count, compare, contrast, graph, sort, pattern, graph, weigh, and identify numbers and shapes each and every day. Our world is filled with math and so, the mini world of the preschool classroom must be filled with it as well.

Like math, the opportunities to attain language goals in the classroom are endless.  The teacher may start by having objects labeled with sentences instead of single words.  Before reading a book, the teacher may ask the children to look at its cover so that they can hypothesize about its content.   The teacher should introduce the book’s author and illustrator.  The teacher may ask boys and girls to reflect and remember details after the story is completed or the educator may ask the children how they would prefer the story to end.  The class may make connections between stories and between real life occurrences.  The teacher may use the story to create open ended games, art experiences, or block constructions.  You may want to discuss beginning/ending sounds of particular words or play rhyming/opposite games with story words. For older children, the teacher may ask the children to dictate their own stories whereas for younger boys and girls, the teacher may ask the children to point to or to verbalize story related objects.  Talking, listening, singing, tapping beats (syllables), and reading helps to foster language goals as they improve speech clarity, build vocabulary, help children to follow directions, recognize sounds, and ultimately learn to read.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Most professionals in the world of early childhood education are devoted to helping young children, yet, many are too eager to interpret scientific findings in ways that are counterproductive to children’s development. In the last decade or so, scientists have been busy exploring the inner workings of the brain.  They have concluded that since young children’s brains are so pliable, potential for learning is greater than we ever believed possible.  Many educators interpret these findings as a way to advocate for high tech classrooms that are filled with every kind of computer and sound system.  While others seem to believe that a young child’s world should be filled with writing instruments, paper, and flashcards.  And then, there are those of us who understand that scientists are not advocating for either of the above, but rather, are suggesting that we should create safe, stimulating, open ended environments where children’s explorations lead to the creation of a firm and solid foundation for future learning, self confidence, and success. 

If each child was given opportunities to play,  to build, to create, to experiment, to mix, to explore, to make mistakes, to be read to and listened to, we would be using the scientists’ findings in ways that would foster child friendly educational environments. Children who learn about themselves and their world in secure, stimulating environments are more likely to become passionate life time learners than children who attend passive, product/goal oriented programs.  Before we can think about academic classrooms for little people, let’s agree that our children have the right to “play” and the right to be “valued” for who they are and not for what they can do.   I applaud the latest brain research about children’s learning potentials.  Now, let’s use this valuable information to create programs that are best suited to the developmental needs of our young children.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Last, but not least in determining if you have found the “right” school for your child deals with the Arts. When I define the arts, I am including music, fine arts (painting, gluing, etc), and literature. I would ask the teacher/director if the curriculum includes beat, rhythm, dance, singing, listening, playing, and rejoicing in varied styles of music. Is background music playing while the children work and play?  Do the children sing and move to different styles of music? Does the classroom teacher include music in circle time activities?  Is there a music professional who visits with the children?  Does each classroom have instruments that the children are able to play with? Scientists have found that a positive correlation exists between music and cognition.  It seems that children who are introduced and encouraged to listen and make music are more successful in their academic pursuits than children who have little music in their lives.
 
Do the children participate in sensory activities each day?  For instance, do they play with water, sand, shaving cream, goop, garch, etc? Are the children free to create or they restrained by adult opinions of right and wrong? To me, art should be a process and not a lesson.  Encouraging children to experience different mediums enhances self image and self confidence, teaches math skills, builds vocabulary and  fine tunes motor skills.

Next, I would ask the director to provide you with samples of books that the teachers will read to the children. I would encourage you to ask if the classroom library is well stocked?  Are the selections changed periodically?  Do the stories that are read correspond with ongoing themes?  How many books are read each day? Are the children given opportunities to dictate their own stories?   Books serve to educate, stimulate, and entice.  They teach language, order, sounds, syntax, cause and effect.  Books and stories help children make connections between their lives and experiences so that learning becomes more meaningful.

The Arts should be an integral component of preschool education. Please make certain that your children will be read to, will be encouraged to look at books, will listen and make music, and will marvel at their own sensory and artistic creations.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

One question that all parents must have an answer to is, “How will my child be disciplined when he/she does not comply with the standards or classroom rules.  Let’s back up for a minute.   Before asking about discipline, the parent should be informed about classroom rules.  Are there many of them?  Will the children understand what they are? Are they realistic? And, are they consistent with your own standards and beliefs?  To me, one rule encompasses and supersedes all others. 

Rule:  Each child is responsible for helping keep him/herself, friends, and equipment safe from harm.  This simple rule works because children understand it.  For example, if a child is hurting another child, the teacher or should I say the facilitator may ask,” Are you keeping your friend safe?”  If you are not, then you are not following our classroom rule.  I like to follow the initial statement with, “How else can you get your friend to listen or do whatever?”   

Encouraging dialogue between the children empowers the hurt and the aggressive child with words. The aggressive child should be given an opportunity to examine his/her behavior without adults judging him/her.  Believe me, when we show respect to children, they show respect to themselves and others.  Okay, after asking about classroom rules, I would suggest asking about how teachers discipline children.  I am a true advocate of Conscious Discipline.  In conscious discipline the adult reminds children what they should and can do instead of focusing on the restricted and/or negative behavior.  In this type of discipline, proper behaviors are applauded, listening skills are reinforced, and respect and empathy are emphasized. If you are comfortable with the  director/teacher’s discipline style, continue on, if not, continue looking for another early childhood program.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Now that the physical environment passes your inspection and you are comfortable with the school’s educational philosophy, it is time to think about what your child will be doing each and every day.  It is important to ask the director to share a sample day with you.  As you observe the schedule, see if there is a balance between active and quiet times, between group and individual activities, and between free choice and teacher selected activities. I would make certain that the children are given plenty of time to play without interruptions.  Ask the director to describe a model “circle time”. 

You must determine if rituals are being established.  By that I mean, do the children understand what the particular expectations are? Do they begin each circle time with a familiar song or finger play?  Are the children welcomed to the circle? How long is a typical circle time?  What activities are included?  How many circle times are scheduled each day?  Are the children free to choose where they sit or are they assigned a particular spot?  To me, the ideal situation exists where there are several short circle times each day, rather than one extended one. Each circle time should begin with a routine activity so that children understand what is expected.  A little song or a familiar finger play would be ideal.  For example, after welcoming the children, have them put on their listening ears and super viewing eyes. The developmental teacher will determine an appropriate length of time for the children to attend and focus.  Circle times should be balanced between listening, talking, moving and remaining still.  The inquisitive parent should also ask the director to identify the different classroom centers and make certain to ask  how often the play stations/centers are changed and if the children have ample opportunities to explore, interact, and discover within them each day.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

After you have examined the physical attributes of a child care facility, it is time to uncover its philosophy. It is very important for parents to select a school that shares similar ideas as to how children learn and what they should be learning. In order to determine if the school is a good fit for your child, make certain the director is willing to spend time answering any and all of your questions. My questions to the director may include: how do you determine the developmental level of each child in the program? In other words, will your child be formally tested or will the observant teacher set up activities where children’s participation will be recorded? Make certain to ask the director/teacher to answer questions dealing with the importance of fostering socio-emotional and cognitive growth. Ask the professional how they go about creating a foundation for success. I would also ask the person in charge to answer if he/she sees the teacher’s role as that of a facilitator or that of an instructor. To me, children will flourish in environments where they are valued for who they are. Teachers must understand the developmental needs of young children as they establish programs based on moving, grooving, playing, creating, and exploring. If the school ‘s philosophy coincides with yours, continue on to the next step on the check list, but, if it does not, thank the school personnel for their time and move on to the next early childhood center.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com

Transferring part of your child’s care and education to anyone other than yourself is an awesome responsibility. In order to help you select the “right” environment for your little one, it is imperative that you do your due diligence. Before visiting your first school, you should create a checklist of what to look for in your search. I believe that the first entry to the list would have you examining the school’s physical environment. Does the facility appear clean and well cared? Are the toys clean, in good condition and displayed in an organized fashion? Are there plenty of toys for the children to play with? Do the classrooms appear to be well equipped with age appropriate furniture, bathrooms, sinks, etc? Is there an area for the children to read, to play with blocks, to paint, etc? Have the teachers created displays for the children to touch or to simply look pretty? Are items in the classroom labeled clearly? Are the bulletin boards filled with creative paintings and art work or with pictures that look exactly alike? Viewing a classroom/school with a critical eye will either motivate you to learn more or to move on to the next school on your list.

Magical Educating!

Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com