Power of Play!

We learned so much this summer through the "Power of Play"! Thank you parents for helping your children complete their themed "homework" over the weekends! We had a VERY successful summer!

  

Toys are fun, but toys are also tools that help children learn about themselves and the world around them. Play is critical to the healthy growth and development of children. As children play, they learn to solve problems, to get along with others, and to develop the fine and gross motor skills needed to grow, learn, and play. Play helps a child do the following: 

•Develop physical skills.  Gross motor skills are developed as a child learns to reach, grasp, crawl, run, climb and balance. Fine motor skills are developed as children handle small toys.

•Develop cognitive concepts.  Children learn to solve problems (What does this do? Does this puzzle piece fit here?) through play. Children also learn colors, numbers, size and shapes. They have the ability to enhance their memory skills as well as their attention span. Children move on to higher levels of thought as they play in a more stimulating environment.

•Develop language skills.  Language develops as a child plays and interacts with others. This begins with parents playing cooing games with their children and advances to practical levels such as telling make-believe stories and jokes.

•Develop social skills.  Learning to cooperate, negotiate, take turns, and play by the rules are all important skills learned in early games. These skills grow as the child plays. As a result, children learn the roles and rules of society.

As a teacher, what is my role in play?

Teachers are children’s first and best playmates. Teachers have a role in being involved in their children’s play. Children tend to be more creative when their teachers are involved in their play. The best play occurs when the adult plays alongside the child, rather than just providing the toys or supervising. Becoming part of a child’s play may take practice. Some teachers feel that they need to give up “childish” things and “grow up.” However, this is not true for teachers. Some suggestions for joining your child’s play include:

•Observe. Watch your child closely to learn what he or she can do and has problems doing. Also, be aware of your child’s favorite activities.

•Follow. Join in and play with your child so that he or she knows you are interested in what he or she is doing. You can add to the complexity of the play; however, let your child be in control and determine the direction of play.

•Be creative. Let go of the adult idea that there is only one way to play with a toy. Use toys in different ways, and you will be amazed at how many different ways you can play with one toy. Being creative will make playing more fun for you and your child.

We Are Cooking At AOHV!

Cooking provides wonderful opportunities to help your child learn mathematical vocabulary. How better to learn phrases like 'more than' or 'less than' than by weighing out ingredients. Let your child feel a 1kg bag of sugar to feel how heavy it is. He or she could also feel other packages to help to develop estimation skills.

Your child will gain experience in counting and recognizing numbers. If decorations are to be added to cakes, let your child add a specific number and counting opportunities can arise while setting the table. Through the use of different cutters, children can learn the names of various 2D shapes. You can discuss how many corners or sides these shapes have so that children will learn the properties of many shapes. Your child can learn about timing too. 

We had so much fun mixing, pouring, and stirring our ingredients for our bread.  We even got to break an egg! We made yummy pumpkin bread! 

 

                            

We made banana bread! 

Yummy!

Solar Eclipse 2017

A solar eclipse  is when a line forms between the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. The moon blocks a portion of the Sun's light and creates a large shadow on the Earth. If you are on the right part of the Earth you will be able to see the eclipse.

Nashville Library Comes To Visit!

Puppet and Marionette play offers endless learning opportunities. They'll sharpen many skills as they negotiate plot development, build vocabulary as they speak lines, tap creative energy as they design sets and gain confidence as they entertain others. The children had a wonderful time watching the Nashville Library perform with the Marionettes on stage today!

Time To Read!

You may wonder about the benefits of reading to your baby. An infant won't understand everything you're doing or why. But you wouldn't wait until your child could understand what you are saying before you started speaking to him or her, right? Nor would you bypass lullabies until your baby could carry a tune or wait until he or she could shake a rattle before you offered any toys.
Reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful shared activity you can continue for years to come- and it's an important form of stimulation.

Reading aloud:
* teaches a baby about communication
*introduces concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way
*builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills
*gives babies information about the world around them

We are going to have a very busy reading week! Scholastic Book Fair is here with Clifford the Big Red Dog! Clifford has been visiting the infant rooms and reading books with them. Tomorrow the Nashville Library will be here to present a Marionette Play! We are having too much fun!

Power Of Imagination!!

 Children play imaginatively and creatively and various different ways based on many factors such as age, play environment, toys provided, etc. Children can engage in imaginative and creative play by themselves or with others.  Imaginary play happens when children use their imaginations to create pretend and make believe scenarios.  Children can engage in this type of play using small toys, puppets, dress up clothes, dolls, boxes, or stuffed animals for example.  Or children can act out a particular role themselves and become a part of play drama. Often, dressing up and using props will be part of this kind of imaginary play.

Imagine this!

 Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children.  Play also offers an ideal opportunity for teachers to engage fully with their children.   Play is a child's way of engaging in making sense of the world. Role-play might appear to be a very simple activity, yet with it, young children learn practical life skills such as dressing themselves, how to cooperate and share with others.  Here at the Academy we are stimulating our brains to test out different ways to enhance the imagination of children. We made everything out of cardboard boxes!



               We are working at the Ice Cream Shop!

We are working at a pizza shop!

I'm ridding across the Sea!

Can I take your picture?

I'm washing my clothes like mommy does at home!