During the month of September- children will be learning with their teachers "All About Me", "Apples" and the "Fall Season".

Our Early Learning Experts have the following tips to share with you about developing preschool children:

~"Make sure your child gets plenty of rest! According to the CDC it is recommended they get 11-14 hours of sleep (including nap times) per 24 hours."

~"Remember to encourage your child's love for learning and stimulate their imagination by making story time a routine in your household."

~Children love to be independent! Often times as parents/guardians we do everything for our children. Our intention is usually to save time or we do it out of parenting habit. Let them be involved in their own routine such as; choosing their own outfit, getting dressed, setting up for dinner, or even just picking up after themselves. It will help them feel like big helpers which will give them the confidence to take on bigger tasks in the future.

Imitation and Facial expressions

• Use a mirror to have your student watch the facial expressions they make

• Sit with your child facing you and imitate the facial expressions they make (yawning, sneezing, smiling, sticking tongues out, opening mouths wide, etc.)

• Take advantage of diaper changes, bath time, play time to encourage your child to copy your facial expressions: a frown, a fish face, blowing a kiss, sticking out tongue, etc.

Emotions

• Help your child identify emotions by labeling the emotions for them. For example:

• “You’re smiling, you are happy!”

• “You’re yawning, you are tired!”

• “You’re mad right now.”

• “I can see you are sad.”

• During story time, point out the facial expressions and emotions of characters in the book or ask your child to identify the emotion.

• You can make different facial expressions and ask your child to identify them.

• You can ask your child to demonstrate different facial expressions.

Building muscles in your child's small hands and fingers is essential for developing strength and coordination. Here are two tips to try:

1. Sing "Where is Thumbkin" This song allows each finger to move independently.

"Where is Thumbkin?"

2. Pick up cereal with one finger at a time.
A. Choose any cereal.
B. Get two bowls.

C. Start with your pinky and thumb. Pick up one piece of cereal and

move from bowl to bowl. Now try your ring finger, middle, pointer.

D. Be sure to try your other hand next.

Science Questions to Ask Your Child

1. What is it made of?

2. What does it make you think of?

3. In what ways are these different?

4. In what ways are these the same?

5. What materials did you use?

6. What would happen if you…

7. What could you try instead?

8. Tell me about your…

9. What does it look like? (or feel, smell, taste, or smell like?)

10. What does it remind you of?

11. What will you do next?

12. What can you tell me about it?

13. Tell me what happened.

14. What could you do instead?

15. Which one do you have more of?

16. Is one object shorter/longer than the other?

17. What do you call the things you are using?

18. What can you tell me about the things you have?

19. How are you going to do that?

20. Is there anything else you could do/use?

21. How do you know?

22. How did you do that?

23. What else could you try?