Developing the Whole Child Archives - Page 4 of 4

April 6, 2018April 11, 2018

World Wide Wonder- Teaching Preschoolers Culture & Diversity

Wonder is inherent for all children, so it’s no wonder we wondered at our wide world wonder week. (Say that five times fast!) UDA Creative Arts Preschool believes in making connections and loves teaching preschoolers culture and diversity, and that certainly can’t stop at the edge of the classroom!

Children begin noticing differences in people around them as early as six months of age. Parents can begin the dialogue of why and how people are different long before their child is enrolled in preschool. We’d like to share some of the ways we are teaching preschoolers culture and diversity and encourage parents and caregivers to continue the conversation with your child.

Where Do I Fit?

As children make connections, it’s important for them to figure out their place in this big wide world. We do a patriotic theme week where children identify where they fit into their family and house, then on their street. Next, we have them move to their city and community, followed by their state, and then country. From our country, we move to the world, followed by the universe. Wow. That’s big!

Parents Can:

Help your child continue to see the connections. As you drive down the street, you can say, “Here is our street in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is in our city.” (For safety reasons, it’s important for your child to know their city, state, address and phone number as soon as they can memorize it! Make sure they also know their last name and parent’s names.) “Look at that number on our house or apartment building, our address is…”. Having a visual reference to their world will help them find their place in it.

Try Cultural Foods

Pretty obvious answer for cultural exposure, but is there really a yummier way? We try a variety of foods, including…

noodles with chopsticks,

beans and rice, chips and salsa, and even seaweed and sushi.

Parents Can:

If you don’t already, eat cultural foods. Exposing your child to a variety of foods can encourage adventurous taste buds and even decrease picky eating. Modeling your willingness shows your child it’s okay to explore. And if you have to gag it down, well, it shows your kids you’re still willing to try! If you need some ideas, this article shares what kids all over the world are eating for breakfast.

Try cultural food nights! Pick a culture and try a new recipe. Spice it up for a holiday: Irish food for St. Patricks Day, Mexican food on Cinco de Mayo, Jewish food on Passover, Chinese food for New Year. The world’s the limit!

Listen to Diverse and Cultural Music

Besides the myriad of benefits that come from learning any kind of music, learning cultural music can increase concentration as children listen to new sounds and language they are not familiar with. Cultural music also further develops language skills.

Learning cultural dances increases physical development, emotional and social development, and love for diversity.

At UDA Creative Arts Preschool, for world week we are counting to ten in Spanish, learning Spanish songs, and making our own maracas.

Parents Can:

Music is the universal language. Every culture loves music! Cultural music has evolved into diverse instrumentation and genres. Try listening to different music stations in the car. If you live in Salt Lake County, you can also download and stream free music from the SLC Library, which has a large selection of diverse and cultural music.

Dance! Turn on diverse music and twist while you tidy up. Cha cha while you change clothes. Boogie while you brush your teeth. Help children feel free to sway, stomp, and twirl the way the different styles move them. Bonus: the groaning just may turn into giggles!

Explore Cultural Art

Art is defined as the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, and every culture through time has expressed themselves through art. Art is the perfect way to teach preschoolers culture and diversity!

Children naturally have creative imaginations, so art is their language. For world week we made Japanese fish kites.

Allowing children open ended art activities builds confidence and continues the development of their imagination and creativity. Adding the cultural element adds appreciation for other peoples and their expression.

Parents Can:

Inspiration for cultural art can be found in books, art museums, or for those of us on a time crunch, on Pinterest. But to help you out, here are a few ideas we found online. Help children pay attention to patterns, colors, and mediums other cultures like to use. How can they use those same elements to create their own imaginative expressions?

Bring the Culture to You!

As much as we’d love to, for most of us it’s not feasible to take our children around the world to experience cultures first hand. Next best option: bring the culture to you!

Miss Vicky shares keepsakes and the alphabet of her native Thailand.

We also had guest speakers come share about their native Mexico and Australia.

Parents Can:

Watch community calendars for cultural events and celebrations. Take your children to synagogues, mosques, temples, cathedrals and churches. Local libraries and community centers will often have exhibits, and of course museums are always a great cultural experience.

Find the visitor center for your area and pop in to see what they recommend. You never know what hidden gems you’ll find when it comes to small museums.

And even closer to home, read! There are so many books about culture and diversity. Ask your local librarian for his favorites. Here is a list from Scholastic to get you started.

Teaching Preschoolers Culture and Diversity by Keeping the Conversation Going

Keep your children wondering at the beauty of all the people and cultures in this world by pointing them out when you see them in your community. When you hear other languages spoken or music being played, when you see cultural dress, dance, or celebrations, talk about it.

Point out to your child how different people do things differently, but different is what keeps life interesting. Most of all, your child will learn respect as they see you respecting other races, ethnicities, religions, political groups, and ideas. If there is anything children know well, it’s the language of love.

Visit us at UDA Creative Arts Preschool in Draper, Utah, and see how we’re teaching preschoolers culture and diversity and integrating wonder of this wide world in our learning activities. Click here to register for a free open house or call us at (801) 523-5930.

Written By: Elsje Denison

February 28, 2018March 1, 2021

4 Dr. Seuss Life Lessons We’re Glad We Have

March 2 is Theodor Seuss Geisel’s (Dr. Seuss) birthday. When we sat down to list all the many important lessons Dr. Seuss taught us through his books, we couldn’t stop! Through a creative writing style that nobody seems able to duplicate, Dr. Seuss’s books teach sophisticated life lessons in a way that just sticks — without us always even realizing it!

If you sat down with even just a handful of Dr. Seuss’s 60 books and looked for lessons, you’d end up with a list a mile long. (You could even read that mile-long list in a box with a fox if you like.)

We’re not sure a complete list could ever be compiled, but here are four of our favorite Dr. Seuss life lessons at UDA Creative Arts Preschool.

Dr. Seuss Life Lessons — Reading Is Important

Over and over, readers get the message from Dr. Seuss that reading is important. Often, he stated that message outright:

The more that you read, the more things that you’ll know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

I can read in red. I can read in blue.
I can read in pickle color too.”

-from I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

But even when reading wasn’t the dedicated subject of Dr. Seuss’s books, nobody can deny how enjoyable it is to read the fun cadence of Dr. Seuss’s imaginative rhymes. His rhymes are so fun, in fact, that we use them to teach rhyme to our 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds at preschool. Children easily pick up on predicting the next rhyming sound when they are read to from Dr. Seuss books.

And did you know?: In 1954, a Life magazine article criticized children’s reading levels, so Houghton Mifflin and Random House asked Dr. Seuss to write a children’s primer using 220 vocabulary words. The Cat in the Hat was the result, proving that children’s literature can be fun while introducing new words.

Dr. Seuss Life Lessons: Compassion

Dr. Seuss teaches his readers that we have a responsibility to care for other people (and creatures and plants). He teaches us to look outside our own problems; to look beyond our own noses and actually see other people. This is something we care deeply about at UDA Creative Arts Preschool. We believe children can understand the concept that their actions affect others, and we emphasize important character traits like honesty, compassion, respect, and more every day.

In fact, our character trait we focus on during the month of March (the month of Dr. Seuss’s birthday) is compassion.

The children already have so much compassion for each other, and Dr. Seuss helps us to reinforce those important concepts. Hear his pleading to please, please consider the plights of others.

When you think things are bad,
when you feel sour and blue,
when you start to get mad… you should do what I do!
Just tell yourself, Duckie, you’re really quite lucky!
Some people are much more… oh, ever so much more…
oh, muchly much-much more unlucky than you!”

– Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?

Even plants deserve to be thought of:

I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.”

– The Lorax

It’s such a simple concept — trees cannot speak. So we must speak for them.

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

– The Lorax

Not only can we care about other people, we can also do something to help them. That’s a powerful message for every child (and adult) to internalize.

Dr. Seuss Life Lessons — You’re Good Enough, and It’s Okay to Be Different

Dr. Seuss gave us the message that we have the power to transform our lives. We have responsibility over our own decisions, and we can change the outcome at any time.

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”

– Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact.
And remember that life’s a great balancing act.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)
Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

– Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

It doesn’t matter what limitations you have. You are important and can do what you were made to do.

Don’t give up. I believe in you all.
A person’s a person no matter how small.”

Horton Hears a Who!

Today you are You, that is truer than true.
There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”

Happy Birthday to You!

Dr. Seuss Life Lessons – Live Life with Imagination

Dr. Seuss created illustrations, stories, and characters that were so different from anything that had ever been done before. He showed us that we aren’t limited by what is real. We can create our own worlds. He used words in new ways, and didn’t limit himself to established rules.

He showed us that creativity and imagination are valuable traits to develop.

Think left and think right and think low and think high.
Oh the thinks you can think up if only you try!”

Oh, the Things You Can Think

We subscribe heavily to this belief that creativity drives our learning. That’s why we incorporate art, music, creative movement, dance, science, math, and so much more into every single day of learning at UDA Creative Arts Preschool in Draper. Each day we are amazed by how the children cement important life and academic concepts through the creative arts. Give us a call at (801) 523-5930, or send us a message to arrange a tour to see how we enrich the lives of preschoolers every day!

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope.”

Theodor Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss

December 8, 2017November 30, 2020

4 Ways to Teach Gratitude & The Joy of Giving

Often our holiday season is filled and busy, more busy, and very, very busy: parties, donations and charities, food prep, and finding the perfect gifts for family and friends. At the heart of checking off the lists, we know what the season is supposed to be about. But in all the craziness, what do our children see?

At UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we believe that the best part of Christmas time, and all of the holidays, are the presents we give away. We feel the greatest joy comes to children as we teach gratitude and the joy of giving.

A song we like to teach our preschoolers, called “The Very Best Part of Christmas Time,” composed by Janeen Brady, starts like this:

The very best part of Christmas time, the very best part I know, it’s not the tree, it’s not the treats, it’s not the lights that glow. The very best part of Christmas time, I’ll tell you any day. The very best, happiest, part I know are the presents you give away.

From what we’ve observed, children, by nature, have giving hearts. But we know what it’s like to hear the “I wants” every time you walk through the store. It’s easy for children to get “wrapped up” in the gifts. However, the holidays are the perfect opportunity for children to learn how to give, how giving feels, and how to be grateful.

Here are four simple ways to help you teach gratitude and the joy of giving to your preschooler.

4 Ways to Teach Gratitude & The Joy of Giving

1- Ask What They are Going to Give

It’s so easy to ask, because we were all asked the same question: “What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?”. And as fun (or scary) as it is to climb onto the big man’s bright red lap and relay to him the wish list, try to shift the focus to what your child is going to give for Christmas. Gifts from young children don’t even need to cost money. The best gifts they can give come from their hearts and artistic hands.

Instead of making a wish list, help them make a give list. As they make a list of the people they love, help them think of acts of service they can do for those people.

2- Identify the Joy of Giving

Preschoolers are still identifying emotions that they feel. You can help them identify that warm glowing feeling they get when they give something by naming it joy. As they create or pick out gifts for family and friends, help them feel excited as they anticipate how the person will feel as they open the gift.

As parents, we can also model gratitude in daily conversation. “Someone helped me put my cart away while I loaded the kids in the car today. That made me feel so grateful.” Or, “Someone dropped these cookies off on our front steps. How does that make you feel?”. Try spending a few minutes every dinner or tuck-in time discussing things you are grateful for that day.

And, as always, reading a book is a natural way to start up a conversation on the topic. Here are a few links to book lists on gratitude you can check out:

When children can identify the happiness that comes from receiving, they can better identify the joy that comes from giving someone happiness.

3- Share What They Have

Sometimes it’s hard to provide our children with the opportunity to see those less fortunate than themselves. As a parent, you need to be the judge of what is appropriate for them to see. But for a child, seeing someone who has less than herself can be a game-changer for giving.

“In with the new and out with the old” can bless the lives of others. As they receive new toys for the holidays, help them pick old ones they can donate. Talk about where it is going. If they’ve seen other children who have less, they will have a better idea of who will be playing with their toys, which can bring them joy.

During the holiday season, opportunities to give are all around us. For example, you can find a Sub 4 Santa or Giving Tree. Have your child help you do the shopping and wrapping. At UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we do Project Sleep Tight in the winter. Children will be able to donate a blanket, book, and stuffed animal for a child who is displaced from their home.

4- Thank You!

Having a gratitude attitude begins with saying “Thank you”. As your child opens presents this season, help them remember those polite little words. Some families choose to open presents one at a time so the giver and the receiver can enjoy the moment and thank you’s (and great big hugs) can be given.

You can also have your child write or draw thank you notes for the gifts they’ve received. Even if they dictate, verbalizing their gratitude helps them recognize what they are given and how it makes them feel.

In November, we teach gratitude as our monthly character trait. We hope you can also help them identify gratitude through the holiday season. There is nothing that brings us more joy than seeing our preschoolers find the joy of sharing and giving. Come see the joy we are having at UDA Creative Arts Preschool by scheduling a tour of our Draper, Utah facility by calling 801-523-5930.

Written by: Elsje Denison

October 12, 2017

How to Gauge Your Child’s Speech and Language Development

Your child is always watching and listening, soaking up language and communication skills at the speed of light. And did you know that in those first early years, the interactions your child has with adults will help set the stage for how well your child will learn? Along with your child’s preschool teachers, you can have a hugely positive impact on your child’s speech and language development — giving your child the gift of academic (and life!) confidence.

“Children who develop strong language and communication skills are more likely to arrive at school ready to learn. They also are less likely to have difficulties learning to read and are more likely to have higher levels of achievement in school.”

And children who can communicate their needs, wants, and interests have an easier time engaging with those around them. Plus, it’s simply more fun for a child when he can be a full participant in what’s going on!

The first five to six years of life are a sensitive period for developing language skills, and you can make the most of those years by promoting high-quality language interactions. Read on to find out how.

Stages of Language Development

When children are infants and babies, they understand far more words than they can speak. By the end of their first year, they’re experts at pseudo-language — that is, their babbling actually mimics their native language. Next, they move on to single words, or holophrases, and those little smarties can use pointing, emphasis, and more to indicate different meanings of the word.

Between 18 and 20 months, children have a vocabulary of about 300 words and begin putting two-word sentences together, like, “Eat banana.” Soon, their sentences get a bit longer and indicate more meaning. “Where cat go?”

The ball really gets rolling after this, and by age 3, children have a vocabulary of about 1,000 words and can speak in full sentences with adults about ideas, needs, desires, and more. They begin to understand grammar rules, and they make a lot of sense (most of the time!).

By about age 6, children have a vocabulary between 8,000 and 14,000 words, and they continue to improve pronunciation, understanding, and abilities.

Are You Concerned About Your Child’s Speech and Language Development?

As parents, we’re always worried about our kids. It’s easy to compare your child to one of his preschool classmates or one of her best friends. It’s wise to pay attention to warning signs, but getting worked up over comparisons will only cause you and your child stress.

Instead, keep an eye out for these signs of speech and language development in your preschool-aged child:

Understanding

Struggling to understand what gestures mean
Having a hard time following directions
Having trouble answering questions
Struggling to identify objects and pictures
Struggling to take turns when talking with others

Talking

Having a hard time asking questions
Struggling to name objects
Having trouble using gestures
Having a hard time putting words together into sentences
Struggling to learn songs and rhymes
Having trouble using correct pronouns, like “she” or “they”
Having trouble knowing how to start a conversation and keep it going

Early reading and writing

Having trouble with holding a book right side up
Struggling to look at pictures in a book and turn pages
Having trouble telling a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end
Having a hard time naming letters and numbers
Struggling to learn the alphabet

If you’re concerned about your child’s speech and language development, talk with her preschool teacher and/or doctor, and begin working with a speech language pathologist.

How to Encourage Speech Language Development

If your child has delays, his speech language pathologist will give you specific activities to do. But whether your child struggles or not, the following activities can help your child develop strong speech and language skills — and they help to form bonds between the two of you as well!

Talk

Talk a lot. From the time your child is a baby, keep a dialogue going. Describe what you see and what you’re doing, ask your baby questions, and respond when your baby responds. As your child grows, continue to talk — and actually listen.
Pause what you’re doing when your child talks to you and make eye contact to model good listening behavior.
Encourage language, in addition to gestures your child may be using to communicate.
Ask questions that give your child a choice.
Point out silly things in books and have your child tell you why those things are silly.
Have your child explain what’s happening in a picture book or family photo.
Sing songs and make music.

Read

Read, read, read! Read picture books, cereal boxes, store signs, and more. Just read.
Discuss the stories you read.
Sing nursery rhymes together.
Tell stories to each other.
Have your child retell or act out a story you’ve read.
Ask your child what he likes about the story.

As you make language and speech development a priority, many of these ideas will become second nature to you. But no matter what, we’re pretty sure you’ll always be amazed by the things your preschooler says!

At UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we encourage our students to develop their language and speech abilities throughout each day as we go about our multisensory activities. Our teachers are trained in listening and encouraging children to increase their speaking abilities, and we love helping our children succeed. Give us a call at (801) 523-5930 to schedule a tour and see the preschool in action.

September 30, 2017January 22, 2021

Let’s Play — Why Your Child Needs Play-Based Learning

Keeping up with the Joneses has always been a hazard of modern life. We want what our neighbors have. And try as we might, we just can’t shake this competition when it comes to parenting. Even the least-affected among us want our children to excel academically, socially, physically, and more.

And we naturally worry when it seems like our child is falling behind. But in the rush to make sure our kids keep up, we sometimes focus too heavily on academics, sports, and more. While these components of childhood are all important, we may forget one very important thing:

Play.

It may look like our kids are just wasting time when they’re playing, but it’s actually a critical component of their development. In fact, the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights even recognizes play as a right of every child!

Read on to learn why play is so important at home and at school — and how you can make sure your child gets enough of it!

The Many Benefits of Play-Based Learning

Children need to learn their ABCs and 123s, and play is one way to effectively make that happen. When you incorporate fun into regular lessons, children just get it.

But the benefits of play-based learning extend far beyond academics. Play develops imagination, cognitive strength, and dexterity. It allows children to have control over their environment, giving them confidence and the ability to master what they’re doing. It helps children face fears in a safe space, and it lets them practice adult roles. They learn how to work in groups, to negotiate, and to advocate for themselves. They learn to try on different interests, and find what they’re really passionate about.

And that’s all just from unstructured play!

When a teacher uses guided play as a teaching tool, she can ensure her students build vocabulary skills, gain background knowledge on subjects being taught, and even push through academic challenges.

Indeed, researchers have determined that successful learning contains four key ingredients. The best learning happens when children are:

Mentally active
Engaged
Socially interactive
Building meaningful connections to their lives

Think of the last time you watched your child play. Whether you noticed it at the time, chances are good that you saw all of those ingredients mixing together for a deliciously fun time of learning.

How Parents Can Incorporate Play-Based Learning at Home

Make time for it! In your own life, you probably won’t relax unless it’s part of a daily ritual or if it’s put on the calendar. But much as you suffer when you don’t leave time for relaxation, children suffer when they don’t have time to play. Include it in your daily routines.
Step back. You don’t have to direct your child’s play. If your child calls a dinosaur a parrot, don’t correct her. Let her direct her own play. She’s building worlds of imagination.
But play with them too! There’s a time to step back, and there’s a time to engage. Playing with your child gives you a front-row seat to the stage of your child’s mind. It’s beneficial for both of you when you get down on your child’s level and play. But the key? Follow your child’s lead. Don’t take over. Don’t make judgment calls on his decisions. Just do what he does, and follow his lead.
Provide materials. Give your child new materials to play with — fabric pieces, play-doh, ribbon, dry pasta, empty tissue boxes… you get the idea. Don’t give any direction; just let them play.
Go outside. A change of scenery opens the mind. Head out to your backyard, to the park, or to a nature spot and see what your child comes up with.
Allow for mistakes. Learning happens when children are allowed to make mistakes.
Appreciate your children’s efforts. Display their artwork, tell them you’re impressed that they continued to build a block tower even when it kept toppling over, and praise them for being kind to playmates.
Get messy. (Well, as much as your comfort level will allow!)

Need some ideas for what you can do together? Try these on for size:

Draw with chalk outside
Read books
Put puzzles together
Dress up
Play together at the playground
Go for a walk
Dance to music
Play board games or card games
Play with puppets
Arrange or sort tiny toys or trinkets
Do housework together
Kick, throw, or bounce a ball
Jump in leaf piles
Play hopscotch
Draw, paint, or color

Remember — while there is much you can do with your child, she also benefits from playing on her own. Don’t stress about how you play, how often you play, or if you’re playing the right things. Just allow for play — structured and unstructured — in your home.

At UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we take a play-based learning approach in our classrooms. We guide children to use their imagination to help concepts stick, learn new ways of doing things, and more.

September 18, 2017October 25, 2017

Music Matters! How Music Benefits Preschool Learners

We all know of the importance of preschool when it comes to ABC’s and 123’s, but what about the Do Re Mi’s? Let’s consider how music benefits children, as well as how can you enhance that learning with music activities at home.

Albert Einstein said, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.”

Really, is there anything music doesn’t teach? Music has the ability to reach every part of us, developing our whole selves. It moves us and gets us moving. It brings us together and creates meaning.

Music Benefits for Preschool Learning

Here is a list of some of the ways we use music at UDA Creative Arts Preschool to benefit your child’s learning.

- Math Skills are developed as children learn patterns, sequencing, beat, rhythm, and dynamics.
- Memory is enhanced as children learn lyrics and repeated patterns, as well as curriculum.
- Language develops as children recognize sounds, syllables, vocabulary, story sequencing, and sentence structure.
- Science Skills are developed as children discover cause and effect with instruments and body movements. UDA Creative Arts Preschool also uses music to teach science curriculum in the exploration of the world around them.
- Motor Skills are used as children use instruments and create movement. Children love the opportunity to move their bodies in various ways to the music and to internalize tempo and dynamics. Also, small motor skills develop as children learn how to clap and shake and tap instruments.
- Brain Development occurs as children use both their right and left brain hemispheres simultaneously. They practice using their eyes, ears, and bodies at the same time.
- Emotional Development occurs as children learn to recognize feelings created by different styles of music. Like Einstein said, it inspires children to dream and create.
- Social Skills are developed as children interact with one another and the teacher during songs, and as they learn to take turns with the instruments.
- Self-Discipline is practiced as children learn to pause before playing, to leave their instruments in their laps, and to share.
- Listening Skills are developed as children listen to learn lyrics and rhythms and focus on sounds in order to recreate them.
- Happiness and joy are felt as the children giggle and wiggle, laugh and smile.

Music Activities For Preschoolers You Can Do At Home

While we are implementing this wonderful teaching tool with our music activities at UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we don’t want you to miss out on the fun! Consider these music activities you can do with your preschooler at home:

1- Expose Your Preschooler to a Variety of Music. Children songs are so fun, and we all have our favorite radio stations, but add some variety to give your child exposure to different rhythms and timbres. The Salt Lake County Library System has a collection of music you can download for free with Freegal.

2- Name that Instrument! Play a game when you listen to music and have your child identify the instruments they hear. Drums and guitar are pretty easy to find on the radio. Go to a classical station to add more instrument families. You may even challenge yourself!

3- Make use of Downtime! We all have those moments when an app is just the thing to entertain our rambunctious munchkin while we…fill in the blank. Why not make it a learning opportunity? Common Sense Media provides a list of music learning apps for preschoolers, along with ratings and summaries so you can chose what works best for your little learner.

4- Sing! Sing in the shower! Sing in the rain! You don’t have to be a professional for your child to love your voice. Sing a phrase and have them come up with a rhyming word for the next line. Composing your own songs while you flip pancakes, brush hair, or tie shoes will encourage your child’s creativity, develop language skills, and most importantly, convey your love!

Ask your preschooler what songs they are learning at school and some of our budding musicians may give you a concert. If you can’t wait for our next program for a performance, come visit us at UDA Creative Arts Preschool and see for yourself how music benefits our little learners.

Written by: Elsje Denison

September 5, 2017September 5, 2017

6 Ways to Help Your Child Love Learning

For a preschooler, the whole world is still new. Sure, they might be recognizing some colors, numbers, and shapes. They can identify animals, walk up and down the stairs, and even carry on (mostly) interesting back-and-forth conversations with you.

But they still know very little! And they’re looking to their parents for the answers — to everything.

Fortunately, preschoolers have a natural excitement about learning. Your job as a parent is to help keep that excitement going strong. Your words and actions matter a lot at this point in your child’s life. What you do and say will have an impact on helping your child love learning — now, and throughout her whole life.

1. Help Them Deal with Failure

Learning involves failure — and lots of it. Your preschooler is going to call an L a P. He’s going to struggle to use a hand shovel the first time he digs a hole in the garden. She won’t know how to hold scissors correctly right away.

Sometimes, these learning processes and mistakes won’t phase your child. But other times, he’ll feel upset that he can’t do what he wants to do yet. Help him understand that failing isn’t bad.

In fact, it’s great!

Making mistakes helps us grow, and trying hard things makes us stronger. So when your child is frustrated she can’t yet ride her big sister’s scooter, don’t criticize her. Instead, comment on the progress you’ve already seen. Tell her you know she’s trying hard, you understand she’s getting frustrated, and her mistakes are helping her get better.

Sometimes, kids respond really well when you tell them about a time you struggled with something similar.

2. Give Toys that Inspire Creativity

Toys that can be used in a variety of ways are ideal to help your child love learning. Blocks, dress-up clothes, art supplies, and stuffed animals can be imagined into completely new worlds each time your child picks them up. This gives your child confidence and allows her to develop her imagination.

Playing while learning makes learning fun. And when something is fun, children want to continue doing it. That’s why, at UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we offer our students plenty of open-ended toys and activities. We want the children to explore and enjoy play and learning, as this is a huge part of the process of developing the whole child.

3. Model a Love of Learning

What do you love to learn about? Do your children know about it? Do they know you get excited about certain subjects? Show them. Seek out more information about your passions, and share it with your children.

Sure, your preschooler can’t understand the complexities of foreign policy, but you can tell her you read a really interesting article that helped you see a solution to a big problem. Your preschooler probably can’t create a gourmet recipe for dinner, but he can help you cook — and while you cook, you can ask his opinion on ingredients.

When your children see how passionate you are about learning, they’ll continue to feel permission and excitement to love learning as well.

And if your child asks you a question about something in the adult world, don’t tell him he wouldn’t understand. Give him an answer. Your answer will need to be simple, kid-appropriate, and straightforward, but always give an answer. That way, he knows he can always ask questions.

4. Make it Fun

How many classes were you forced to sit through in which the teacher droned on and on? How many classes relied on worksheets to teach concepts that could have been learned through a more fun, hands-on method?

Now, how much do you remember from those classes? Probably not very much. Children (and adults, too!) remember lessons that engage them. Basically, we learn when we’re having fun.

Turn things into games, take your kids exploring, use music in your everyday life, and be enthusiastic when you’re teaching your child something new.

5. Read, Read, Read!

The ability to read will open up your child’s entire world, and put learning literally at his fingertips his whole life through. Make reading a happy experience for your preschooler.

Don’t rush the process of learning how to read. Let her go at her own pace. Surround your child with books, and let her handle them on her own. Read every day, and talk about the books. Ask her what she thinks is going to happen next or how she thinks a character feels.

Go to the library, give books as gifts, and let your child see you reading for pleasure.

6. Process Over Outcome

We all want our children to succeed, and we’d be lying if we say we don’t love when they’re actually ahead of the game when it comes to academic milestones. But being achievement-oriented pushes your child and removes the fun and pleasure of learning.

It also leads your child to believe that the outcome is more important than the process; that getting to the next step is what life is all about. When this is her focus, your child won’t love learning. She’ll tend to be afraid to take risks, and may even struggle when things get hard.

Instead, take interest in your child’s interests. Don’t focus on the outcome of what he’s doing. Be interested and ask questions the whole way through.

At UDA Creative Arts Preschool in Utah, we want your child to feel confident as a learner, and our hands-on discovery approach will help your child love learning. Give us a call at (801) 523-5930 to schedule a tour.

August 24, 2017

6 Ways to Help Your Child Become Independent

It wasn’t so long ago that you were doing everything for your baby — and you were happy about it.

But now, your child is growing up, and you’re realizing she needs some independence. Not only is it going to be good for her future happiness and growth, you could sure use a break or twelve.

Independence is a process, and it needs to be taught. Ultimately, you want your child to settle happily into adulthood, confident in his ability to pay the bills, hold a job, take care of a family, and be a decent human being.

But for now? It’s baby steps, friends. Read on for the baby steps that will help your child become independent.

1. Set the Stage

If your home is dangerous, too protected, or just generally un-child-friendly, your child won’t have the chance to do things on her own. Creating an environment in which your child can explore will help her become independent and develop confidence.

This doesn’t mean you need to change your living room decor to Paw Patrol kid chairs; it just means you should make your home safe for a wandering child. Put breakable heirlooms out of reach while keeping kid-friendly books within toddler grasp. Create spaces that are designated for your child — a kid-size coloring table in the TV room, a basket of non-breakable toys in the bedroom, or a kid-level drawer of kid-friendly plates and cups in the kitchen.

2. All Decisions Don’t Have to Be Yours

Not a newsflash: Your child has some serious opinions!

Let him feel ownership of those opinions by allowing him to make as many decisions as possible each day. Again, this doesn’t mean restructuring your life so your child is a tyrant in your home. Rather, it means stepping back when your opinion really isn’t more important than your child’s.

So he wants to wear rain boots to the store in the middle of a dry summer day? Don’t worry what other people think; let him have this one.

She wants to read books outside instead of in the living room? If it isn’t raining, snowing, or too cold, why not?

In addition, offer your child choices throughout the day to avoid later power struggles. Just make sure you can live with either choice. Library or park today? Lunch at the counter or the table? One book or two?

3. It’s Never Too Early for Chores

When kids contribute to the household, they feel a sense of pride — and they develop independence as they learn new skills. Children have different skills at different ages, but they can always be taught to help in some way. A 2-year-old can put child-safe cups on the table for dinner. A 5-year-old can sweep the kitchen. A 9-year-old can clean a bathroom.

But be patient. Your 2-year-old has a short attention span, and may wander off to give the cup to the dog instead of setting it on the table. That’s okay. Just try again later.

Also, take the time to model the skill correctly. It may take a while for the job to get done to your standards, but as you teach and praise, your child will develop more and more independence.

This age-appropriate chore list will give you some good ideas for what you can expect. Remember that each child develops at a different rate, so don’t be too concerned if your child can’t do everything on the list. Just use it as a guide.

4. If They Can Do It Themselves, Let Them

There’s no doubt about it. You’re better at almost every task your child is capable of doing. And there’s no question that it’s easier to just do those tasks yourself. You’ll be ready for the day 10 times faster if you dress your 5-year-old, tie your 8-year-old’s shoes, and pack your 11-year-old’s lunch.

But when you do for your child what he can do for himself, you’re actually sending the message that you don’t trust his abilities. Believe in your child, teach your child age-appropriate skills, and then step back to let him shine.

But do remember to be flexible. It doesn’t hurt to lend a helping hand from time to time. Children also need to know that they can be part of a support network.

5. Make It Fun

What do you do when you know your child can do what’s expected, but refuses to do so? Be compassionate. She may be doubting her abilities, feeling like she wants attention, or just having a bad day.

When this happens, help your child become independent by changing things up with some fun.

Give a fun challenge: “I bet you can’t brush your teeth while standing on one foot!”
Try a compromise that involves you: “I’ll zip up your hoodie for you if you put your arms through.”
Change the mood: Try a little tickle war, a game of “Where’s Mommy?”, or use silly voices to lighten the mood.

6. Failure Isn’t the End

Sometimes you just have to let your child taste a little failure. It isn’t pretty for anyone, but it helps your child (and you) understand that responsibility lies with each individual.

It’s okay to not rush forgotten homework to your elementary-aged child. It’s okay to let your toddler struggle for a minute to take off her shoes. It’s okay to let your teenager explain to his teacher why he didn’t complete an assignment.

It’s hard to let your children struggle, but remind yourself that you learn your biggest lessons when facing a trial. Let your children fail from time to time, and be their comforting, non-judgmental sounding board when they need to work out their own solutions.

They’ll come out the other end much stronger.

And so will you.

How Can Preschool Help Your Child Become Independent?

Hands-on discovery-based learning is critical to developing independence in a child. At UDA Creative Arts Preschool, we work on developing the whole child by giving children learning opportunities that incorporate all of their senses in their quest for knowledge. Our daily routine helps children know what is expected of them, and assists in learning independence and responsibility.

Give us a call at (801) 523-5930 to request a free tour.

August 16, 2017August 16, 2017

The Importance of High-Quality Preschool

Higher income. Better self-esteem. Reduced teen pregnancies. Lower incarceration rates…

What is one way to achieve these positive results in the teenage years and adulthood?

Through quality early education.

It’s hard to imagine, but the quality of education your preschooler receives will end up having an impact on some of the biggest aspects of adult life later on, according to James Heckman, one of the nation’s top economists who studies human development.

“The gap is there before kids walk into kindergarten,” Heckman says. “School neither increases nor reduces it.”

But how can this be? We spend so much time worrying about our children’s test scores in middle school and high school. It’s almost as if we’re programmed to worry about our teenagers’ chances to get into college.

But studies are telling us we should be focusing our concern even younger — to preschool.

What your child does during his early years matters.

Early Brain Development

According to the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, the first few years of life actually set the stage for lifelong development. In fact, by age 5, your child will already have developed a staggering 85 percent of her intellect, personality, and skills. Because young kiddos’ brains still have plasticity, they easily adapt to the things they’re exposed to. That’s why structured, enriching environments are crucial to brain development.

And that’s why a high-quality preschool is a critical component of shaping that 85 percent. High-quality preschool will actually help your child be successful throughout the remainder of his educational career.

Giving your child more exposure to language, caring interaction with adults, positive learning experience, and more will even help her brain develop more extensive and sophisticated neuron structures. These structures actually have an effect on later behavior and intelligence.

“Children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills, richer vocabularies, and stronger basic math skills than those who do not,” W. Steven Barnett, PhD., NIEER director.

But these results can’t be achieved with just any ol’ daycare or preschool. It’s important that you find a high-quality preschool for your child to attend.

So What Does a High-Quality Preschool Education Look Like?

Sitting children down with flashcards and worksheets is the best way to get them to learn, right?

WRONG.

On the contrary, when children are given the opportunity for hands-on exploration, they get to test their knowledge in a safe and relaxed environment. Relating this new knowledge to what they already know then becomes easy.

Child-initiated activities, plenty of materials to explore, and free choice is what creates successful preschool students.

“Young children can certainly learn letters and numbers, but to sit kids down and ‘teach’ them is the wrong way to do it,” says Linda Smith, executive director of the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. “They learn best through doing the kinds of activities they find interesting — storytime, talking to their teachers about stars, playing with blocks.”

A high-quality preschool needs to have:

Specific areas for different kinds of play
Credentialed teachers
Engaging activities that help children learn
Teachers who engage positively with the children
A well-structured and well-managed program
Opportunities to learn with hands-on activities
Unique ways to learn
Positive relationships
Routines and consistency
Patient teachers who allow children to repeat their activities
Teachers who get down on the children’s level
Teachers who are respectful
Open-ended play
A balanced teacher-student ratio
A safe environment

Tip: Take this thorough, handy checklist with you when checking out preschools.

All parents want their children to live happy, successful lives. It’s reassuring to know that you can make a positive impact during those early, developing years with the right preschool.

UDA Creative Arts Preschool in Utah builds confidence, learning, and creativity in preschoolers through our unique approach that combines nurturing with a comprehensive curriculum. We help your child build academic, social, emotional, and physical confidence. Give us a call at (801) 523-5930, or contact us online for a tour of the preschool.