Kidskare Child Development
January 2014
From the Director
The 2014 Parent Satisfaction Survey is an
opportunity for you to share your
experiences and concerns with us about
how we have met your needs, and how we
can make improvements to provide the
highest quality care. You can submit your
survey online at
www.brighthorizons.com/parentsurvey. All
the staff at Kidskare and I would appreciate
if you took a few minutes to complete this
survey.
Kidskare will also be hosting their annual
Preschool/Kindergarten Prep Showcase on
Thursday, January 30th. The showcase will
take place from 4:30pm – 6:00pm. These
times are allotted for the convenience of
pick-up times and after work hours.
The 2013 yearly tax statements are
available at the front desk. When you get a
chance, please pick up your copy. For
those of you that have recently enrolled at
the center, your tax statement will be
emailed.
Happy New Year!
Important Dates
January 2nd – February 2nd
Parent Satisfaction Survey
Each year, Bright Horizons distributes a Parent
Satisfaction Survey. This is your opportunity to
let us know if we are continuing to meet your
needs. The annual survey will be available
beginning January 2nd, 2014 continuing
through February 2nd, 2014.
Thursday, January 30th
Preschool/Kindergarten Prep Showcase
4:30 – 6:00pm
Did You Know?
Transitions typically happen during
a course of one week. If your child
is having a difficult time
transitioning, the center will
accommodate your needs to have
your child transition over a period
of two weeks.
Michele
Connect with Bright Horizons
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Classroom Highlights
Infants
For the month of January the infants will develop their Science Rocks inquiry skills as they explore snow and
observe it melt. The infants will use ice cubes which contain food coloring and are frozen to a popsicle stick to
create a watercolor painting. Infants learn to use simple tools such as the popsicle ice cube to develop their small
muscles as they explore and develop their senses through Art Smart activities. The infants will listen to their
primary caregivers sing “Frosty The Snowman” and “Winter Wonderland” as well as read Baby Donald Makes A
Snowfriend by Grolier. During Movement Matters, the infants will learn to develop an awareness of their body
parts and bodily powers by increasing the strength of their large muscles by rolling over, crawling, kicking and rolling
balls. In Math Counts, the infants will count a variety of multi-colored balls and place them into a bucket. The
infants will learn to develop early mathematical skills as they listen to their primary caregiver count.
November Highlight
In late November, the infants explored and investigated snow. Through this Science Rocks activity, the children
learned to actively explore using their senses and are beginning to learn the early stages of discovery.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Classroom Highlights
Young Toddlers
In Science Rocks, the children will learn about the multiple things that their hands and feet can do in the snow.
They can make handprints, footprints, use a variety of tools for digging and dumping, as well as collect snow and
turn it into different colors using food coloring. For Language Works, the children will talk about snow by using
their five senses. What is the color of the snow? What does it feel like? Does it have a taste? Does it make a
sound when you explore it? What does it smell like? The toddlers will also look at books about snow, such as,
Little Polar Bear by Hans de Beer and Baby Donald Makes A Snow Friend by Grolier. In Math Counts, the
children will work on numerical understanding of quantity by counting the scoops of snow to fill a bucket, counting
boxes that they stack, and counting the footprints that they make in the snow.
December Highlight
For Science Rocks, the children developed their senses by exploring leaves. They collected and crunched the
leaves to experience touch and sound. They observed the leaves as they were being crunched and smelled the
leaves to see if they had a scent to experience both sight and smell. Young children learn to actively explore by
engaging in activities that develop their sense of touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Classroom Highlights
Older Toddlers
In January, the older toddlers will learn about dinosaurs, transportation, and babies. The toddlers will create a
variety of Art Smart activities such as a car, a jungle for dinosaurs, and paper plate babies. In Language Works,
the two year olds will name and compare a variety of dinosaurs and transportation. As the children name the
dinosaurs and transportation, they learn to increase their vocabulary of particular names. The toddlers will also
develop numerical understanding in Math Counts when they learn to compare and count dinosaurs.
December Highlight
For the month of December, the older toddlers learned about polar bears and how they stay warm in the cold
weather by participating in a Science Rocks “flubber” experiment. Each toddler smeared Crisco on one of their
hands and placed it in a bucket of ice cold water. The toddlers learned that the Crisco kept their hands warm from
the ice cold water. The toddlers learned to actively explore by experimenting with materials and engaging in
activities that develop their sense of touch, taste, smell, sound, and sight.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Classroom Highlights
Preschool
During the month of January, the preschool children will embrace Our World when they explore the different
cultures in authentic ways. They will learn about the tradition of the Chinese New Year and how it is celebrated,
including dance, food, and participating in a parade. The children will develop Science Rocks as they learn to
determine the what, why, when, where, and how as they investigate the term “hibernation”.
December Highlight
The preschool children began a new Movement Matters enrichment called HappyFeet Soccer. Movement
Matters focuses on the importance of exercise while developing gross motor skills by strengthening and refining
large muscles. When children participate in Movement Matters, it fosters growth in the areas of stability, balancing,
running, jumping and teamwork. The preschool children had the opportunity to participate and learn the importance
of physical activity with their peers during HappyFeet Soccer. It’s a 30 minute class in which every child constantly
has a soccer ball as Coach Drew used nursery rhymes, songs, stories, fun and games to maximize gross
development. They children are taught fun techniques to train their motor skills, dynamic dribbling, shooting skills,
as well as fitness.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
Classroom Highlights
Kindergarten Prep
For the month of January, Kindergarten Prep will be using their Language Works pre-writing and writing skills to
enhance their fine motor control by cutting with scissors, which will help them learn to write their names and other
words. In Math Counts, they will learn to compare and contrast items by charting and discussing “alike” and
“different” objects that will be collected at school and at home. The children will become familiar with the
properties of living things by exploring penguins and groundhogs through non-fiction books, online, and recording
facts in our journals. We will learn what they eat, as well as where and how they live. In Art Smart, we will learn to
use our imaginations to simulate a familiar place by using fabric, recycled materials, and supplies around the room to
make a Cozy Area where the children can relax, read, and have a quiet moment to themselves.
December Highlight
In December, the Kindergarten Prep children learned how polar animals stay warm in the cold weather by
participating in a Science Rocks “flubber” experiment. Each child wore a glove on their right hand, which was
smeared with Crisco while the other hand was bare. They placed both hands in a bowl of ice cold water. The
children used their scientific inquiry skills by making predictions. After the experiment, the children found out that
the “flubber” does shield the cold for polar animals.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
READY for SCHOOL News
READY for SCHOOOL Parent News: Data Analysis and Probability for Preschoolers?
Data analysis and probability may seem like big topics for preschoolers. But, without calling it data analysis, most
young children are constantly collecting data, thinking about it, and making predictions. With a little guidance from
their teacher at the center and you, as their parent, children enjoy delving into data analysis.
The New Year is a great time to start collecting data and learning about probability. The winter season gives us
some unique opportunities: predicting and charting snowfall or time of sunset; tracking the progress of a New
Year’s Resolution; or even creating a prediction time capsule for the year to be opened next January. There are
many ways to make it fun and meaningful.
One part of A Child’s Job is understanding how everything works. As children explore, they are gathering data
about their world and its workings. In the center, some ways that teachers help guide children to organize and
understand this data they collect follow:
Teachers and children create group graphs by charting how many children share a particular
characteristic or favorite (i.e., how many with brown/blonde/red hair?). Topics could include favorite
fruit, number of siblings in the family, etc.
Teachers may encourage children to gather additional data from home for graphing. “Homework” could
be the child asking his/her parent(s), sibling(s), or neighbors what their favorite color is. The person
writes their name on a sheet of paper and the child colors in a sample of their favorite color which is
then graphed in the classroom.
A classroom may have a “Counter of the Day”. An item is chosen each day to be counted (noses,
earrings, pockets, etc.). Each child gets a cube block for each item they have (2 blocks for 2 earrings)
and then all the blocks are collected and counted.
At home, there are additional ways that you can support data gathering, analysis and probability:
Sorting and classifying objects is another aspect of data analysis. Being able to make decisions about how
to group objects helps children organize their data. Children typically learn to sort first by one attribute
(like sorting by color) and then move to multiple attributes (sorting by color and size, such as grouping
all the big blue objects together). Eventually children can tell you why a set of objects is grouped a
particular way even if they didn’t do the sorting themselves.
Model the use of probability vocabulary including impossible, maybe and certainly. Ask probability
questions such as “Which group do you think will be bigger, the group of children who have a cat or the
group of children without cats?”
Data analysis and probability are not outside the realm of preschool and kindergarten children. The trick is asking
the right questions on their level to open up a lifelong disposition towards curiosity and data gathering.
Reference: Copley, J. V. (2000). The Young Child and Mathematics. Washington, DC: National Association for the
Education of Young Children.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.
See How We Prepare Children for Kindergarten—and Beyond!
Join us for Kindergarten Prep & Preschool Showcase this winter! This event is an opportunity for you and
your child to explore our Kindergarten Prep & Preschool programs.
Your family will have the opportunity to visit the NEXT age group for your child, meet the teachers and
see the classrooms in action in a fun, exciting way. Our teachers will share classroom activities, and offer
tips for parents on how you can extend learning at home to inspire your child’s curiosity. Our Showcase
event will offer you a chance to:
Learn more about how we inspire children to become enthusiastic learners.
Meet with our teachers and be inspired by their love of education.
Visit our classrooms and be a part of the learning at our Inspiration Stations with your child.
Connect with current and alumni families and learn about their inspiring journey with Bright
Horizons.
Watch out for your personal family invite and bring a friend to share in the inspiration!
Parent Survey Now Available—Your Feedback is Important to Us!
Each year, Bright Horizons full-service centers and schools distribute a Parent
Satisfaction Survey. This is your opportunity to let us know if we are continuing to
meet the needs of our families.
The annual survey will be available January 2 through February 2, 2014.
We are committed to providing the highest quality care for your family. We
appreciate the feedback and use the parent survey results to create an action plan
and make improvements based on your comments. Every opinion counts, so please
take the time to complete one and help us improve our center.
To complete the survey, please visit www.brighthorizons.com/parentsurvey.
Please feel free to contact [email protected] with any questions or
concerns.
2050 Kidskare Point | P: 719-365-2345 | [email protected] | Mon-Fri, 6:00 a.m.– 6:30 p.m.