The children at Desert Rose Preschool at Las Sendas are having a wonderful time learning about the winter season and all the fun and celebrations it brings.
In January, we began the New Year with lots of new things to learn and review. Our students learned and experienced lots of new and fun things. We learned about winter, the changes in our weather, what we wear and what we eat.
The children actually got to play in and feel the snow. Snow came to Las Sendas at the Trailhead Parke. The children were able to slide down the hill or make snow angels. It is hard to experience snow in Arizona, but we had it in our own school’s park. What fun!
We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. by learning to get along no matter one’s skin color or religion.
February Fun
February is the month of love for one another. The children are learning about pairs. We will read lots of books about mittens, like The Mitten, by Jan Bret, and many other versions. Mittens will be made and matched.
We are continuing to learn and practice patterns and sequencing by making bracelets. The children are working hard on making sure they learn to recognize all the letters of the alphabet and numbers 1 to 20. They now know how to write their names, with the exception of a few 3-year-olds.
We will have a Valentine’s Day party, complete with lots of goodies and great fun. All the children will receive their own basket in which to put their Valentine cards. All, except the 3-year-olds, are to write their own names on their Valentines. Everyone is invited to the celebration.
Progress Reports were sent home, and parent conferences were done. Everyone did a great job.
Learning by Doing
Long ago, Aristotle said, “For the things we have to learn, we learn by doing them.” Think back to when you learned to drive a car or took up a new sport. No explanation or amount of reading about the subject was enough. You needed to go through the process or procedure yourself. We learn to do by doing.
You cannot tell your child what the number 5 is. Children can learn about the concept of five by counting five beans, five crayons or five balls. Then, they will have a better understanding of the number 5.
You cannot give a child a talk on all the times when he should say thank you. Instead, when you give your child a snack or help him find a missing toy, remind him to say thank you.
When we want our children to learn the days of the week, we need to hang a calendar, and, each day, cross off or point out the day as it passed, repeating the name of the day. At school, we try learning by doing.
Stressing the Truth
I would like to pass on this article from Parents and Child entitled Regarding When your Child Lies.
Experts suggest the following techniques for responding to a child who puts truth on the back burner.
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Take it seriously. It’s OK to disregard the early fibs of a 3-or 4-year-old, but if you consistently laugh at your child’s (admittedly amusing) tall tales, she will begin to think lying is acceptable and entertaining behavior. Instead, gently remind her to tell the truth.
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State the facts. If your child has chocolate and crumbs around his mouth, and is clutching the remains of a chocolate chip cookie, don’t ask, “Did you eat the last cookie?” That simply sets your child up to lie. According to Chelsea Gladden, a mother of five and a co-founder of the breezymama.com, state what you see instead (“I see that you ate the last cookie.”), and start a conversation from there.
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Bend but don’t break. Never punish a child for telling the truth, even if it involves admitting to a misdeed forbidden by your family’s code of behavior. Consider offering a one-time pass—the equivalent of a get out of jail free card—for kids who step forward to accept the blame.
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Talk about honesty. Was there a story about a Good Samaritan who returned a wallet full of cash to its rightful owner? Share the story with your kids. Help them to see the value of honesty at work, at home and in relationships.
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Tell the truth. Seems ambitious, right? But it’s so easy to fib. Be sure you mean what you say to your kids. Little kids interpret, “We’re going to the park tomorrow,” as a fact, and if you don’t go, they think you’ve lied to them. Avoid white lies. Teaching kids to lie to spare others’ feelings only reinforces the idea that lies make people happy.
Get help if you need it. If your usually truthful kid starts spouting lies, pay attention. A change in lying behavior usually warrants further investigation.
Desert Rose Preschool at Las Sendas is a private curriculum-based preschool for Las Sendas residents only. Classes run all year round for ages 3 to 5 years old. All children must be potty trained. We will be taking registrations for summer and fall sessions beginning in March.
If you have any questions about our preschool, please call Rose Buttitta at (480) 654-4223, or send an e-mail to jbuttitta@cox.net.