Welcome back from Spring Break! This time of year is always so rewarding because all of the time we have put into reinforcing rules and routines, are now playing itself out! The children have been lending a helping hand by stepping up as mentors. We have been encouraging the children to ask each other for help rather than an adult. Being a mentor in our environment helps your child to develop a sense of empathy and patience. As your child assists other children, they are also reinforcing and refining the skills they developed during since the school year started. Read through the information below and enjoy the photos from March.

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Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us! Teacher Naoki and I enjoyed discussing all of the wonderful milestones your child has overcome. If anything comes up that you would like to talk more about, please do not hesitate to ask.

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Language: How We Communicate with Each Other

The children have been growing and so has their language! We have been working on developing their vocabulary (emotional vocabulary, too) through conversations, music (songs at Circle), and through the Language materials. Some of those materials include a “Three Period Lesson,” which helps to test their receptive abilities and memory recall. Here is how we have been communicating with each other:

In Our Environment:

• We speak slowly and clearly to the children. We are sure to enunciate our words.
• When speaking with the children, we present a question with choices—for instance, would you like to wear the green apron or the blue apron. This helps to provoke a response and for them to express an interest.
• Encourage the children to use words whenever they need help with a task, instead of making noises (whining, growling, screaming, etc.). Whenever the children make noises, we respond by saying, “Use your words. I would love to help you, but that is just noise. You can say help please.”
• There are times when the children have a thought in their minds that they really want to let an adult know about, but it may not be the appropriate time (adult giving a lesson or trying to finish a book at Circle). We encourage proper means of communication and demonstrating appropriate ways to begin a conversation with someone.
  • Example: We encourage the children to walk over to the person they wish to speak to, make eye contact with the person, wait for someone to finish a work/task before conversing with them, and to make sure the other person is aware that they are part of the conversation.

Suggestions for Home:

• Read books.
• Encourage your child to use their words to communicate.
• Model conversations for your child, and be aware of the way in which you are speaking to them. Demonstrate eye contact and listen to them when they speak (active listening is incredibly important).
• Ask questions.

If you need any more suggestions, you can also refer back to the manual I wrote: Key Phrases.

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Books and Songs

These songs may be very familiar to you, and now some of them have been made into books:

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Important Upcoming Dates

• Thursday, April 11: Parent Ed Workshop- Play Styles: Activities and Ideas to support each age group- RSVP HERE
• Saturday, April 13: Friends and Family Open House at 9am-11am- RSVP HERE
• Wednesday, April 17: Toddler Parent/Child Classroom Visits- RSVP HERE
  • One time slot per family: 4:30pm-4:55pm or 5pm-5:25pm