Opposite Day!

Today was Opposite day here at The Academy of Harpeth Village. Everyone had a blast with this cool activity today. Opposites teach preschoolers so many important skills. Learning and comprehending basic concepts  word pairs of opposites allow children to gain new vocabulary. Preschoolers need to learn the concept of opposites to help them learn how to compare two different things and develop more concrete understanding of a specific concept. Learning opposites also helps to improve a child's ability to describe things. Children usually develop the concept of opposites by 4 years of age.

Learning opposites help grow skills in

* Math

* Creative Thinking 

* Vocabulary

* Problem-Solving Skills

* Understanding their world around them

Stuckey, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, K. (2011). Ways to teach opposites - handy handouts. Retrieved January 26, 2023, from https://www.handyhandouts.com/pdf/325%20Ways%20to%20teach%20opposites.pdf 

 This past week here at AOHV for Fitness Fanatics, we focused on physical activity.  Throughout the week we had hopscotch contests,snowball tosses,relay races,minute to win it games,and making a class leader chart for MLK Day. Play has many benefits to help a child thrive in their early years that will sit them up for their adult years. Some experiences include are creating social bonds,abilities to plan, oraganzie, and regulate their emotions. 

Some Tips:

Birth to 6 Months: 
Play can start with a baby's smile by offering a smile back. This connects with social-emotional skills that are critical.  A baby's coo-and babble sounds can be imitated and you can have back and forth "conversations" using your own baby sounds as a prompt. Some other conversation starters are showing any bright colorful objects, objects with textures, and also by putting infants in different positions so they can see objects from a different angle.

7 To 12 Months:

Make sure the environment is a "Safe Place" for infants to explore the world around them. 

Make sure you offer "many"opportunities for the cause and effect from actions. Example a object drops and teacher/caregiver picks it up. 

Uses of mirrors for cause and effects-examples facial features 

Playing simple games such as Peek-a-Boo

1 To  3 Years:

Having A LOT of Unstructured Play!!!

Having ample of materials for children to explore with such as puzzles,connecting beads,blocks,etc. It can be anything that sparkes a child's imagination

Physical activity and plenty of it!!! Anything that includes walking,hopping,jumping,running,etc. 

Providing opportunities to play with other children and interact with them.

Pretend Play/ providing props helps to sparkle make believe play and sets up conversation starters.

Reading to children daily and singing to children.

4 to 6 Years:

Provide "safe areas" for children to sing and dance.

Telling stories to children with windows of open-ended questions.

Encouraging children to move their bodies in various ways (examples such as: swinging,hopping,jumping)

LIMIT SCREEN TIME

 

 

Fitness Fanatics

January is a fresh new year so we start our Fitness Fanatics. Physical activity is vital for children of all ages. Physical activity is any activity that involves body movement. Children need different amounts for different stages of their lives. Children need more time being active and less time in front of screens. Here at the Academy we are a "No" screen school. Some of the reasons why physical activity is important listed below.

* Physical Activity is vital for young children's development and health

* Strengthens muscles, lungs, heart, and bones

*Improves balance, flexibility, coordination, and posture

* Healthy Weight

* Reduces risk of diseases

How much physical activity is needed for different ages

* Ages 1 to 3- At least three hours a day and one hour should be high energy

* Ages 3 to 5- At least three hours and one hour should be high energy

* Ages 5 to 18- At least one hour of vigorous physical activity