Welcome to PeeWee Preschool

Investing In Our Children

2012-01-25T08:57:00.000-08:00

Many are asking the question "Why should we invest in Early Childhood Education?" Timothy J Bartik writes a blog called investinginkids.net. Timothy answered this question in the following article.

How will investing in kids pay off in the short-run?

Posted on January 16, 2012

I’m continuing to do a series of posts that provide brief answers to questions I’ve received about early childhood programs.

Today’s question: “How will investing in kids pay off in the short-run? The major benefits of investing in early childhood programs would appear to occur 20 or 30 years in the future, when former participants in these programs have joined the labor force and entered their prime earnings years.”

Short-run benefits of early childhood programs include cost savings due to a reduced need for remedial programs in K-12, such as special education.

Another important short-run benefit is that high-quality early childhood programs are increasingly important in attracting parents with valuable skills to a state.

We already know that parents care about school test scores in choosing a location. We know that from evidence from the housing market on what increases housing prices. Of two otherwise identical houses, the one zoned to an elementary school with the higher test scores will sell for more.

Even if parents don’t know about the availability and quality of early childhood programs, higher quality early childhood programs will attract parents and drive up property values by raising elementary school test scores.

If one takes the known effects of preschool on school test scores, and the known effects of school test scores on property values, each dollar of annual spending on preschool will raise property values by $13. That increase in property values represents parents voting with their feet.

A state that can attract parents will experience both increased property values and a better quality labor supply in the short-run.

How will investing in kids pay off in the short-run? | investinginkids

For further information on this topic please visit Timothy's Blog!

How does a state’s investment in early childhood programs pay off for the state? | investinginkids

Kindergarten Registration Information!

2012-01-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

It’s kindergarten registration time!

All Paradise Unified School District Schools will be having their orientation meeting on Feb 9^th at 6:30pm at their individual sites. Registration will begin Monday February 13rh.

Achieve Charter will begin taking applications for their lottery on February 1^st.They will need to be turned in by February 29^th and the lottery will be held Friday March 2^nd.

Children’s Community Charter will have their parent night on Wednesday February 1^st at 6:00pm in Room K and the lottery will be held Friday, March 2^nd.

Please make sure to make note of these dates, as they are very important in the registration process!

Preschool Schedule Breakdown

2009-09-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Pre-K Class Schedule

8:00 Center Time – Centers include different activities for children to work on small motor, math & language skills such as lacing, building, patterning, writing, cutting, tracing, color & shape recognition.

8:30 Snack – Snack time is a great time for children to work on table manners and nutrition. We serve healthy breakfast oriented snacks each day.

9:00 Circle Time- Circle time is where the children work on language and listening skills through music and reading. This is the time where the classes do the calendar, question of the day, songs of the week and letter of the week. The children also work on spelling their names.

9:30 Recess and Free Play- Recess is the time for large motor skill enhancement. We have a large playground with bikes, climbing structure, gravel for digging, grass for running, covered awning for games when it rains and of course THE BOUNCE HOUSE!

10:00 Circle time and curriculum (art, math, science, music, language arts, cooking, social studies, health & safety) This is where we really focus on the letter of the week and work on creative skills and expression through mediums such as painting, drawing, coloring etc.

11:00 Lunch- Lunch is provided by the parent, we have refrigerators and microwaves in each classroom.

11:45 Recess and Free Play

12:30 Nap (not required but an available option for any child enrolled in our program.)

2:30 Afternoon Snack

3:00 Afternoon activities such as center times or creative projects, these are child initiated where they can choose what they would like to do.

Please note this is used only to structure our day. There may be times when one activity will take more or less time than scheduled. Also we are open at 6:30am and close at 6:00pm for extended care needs!

Benefits of Preschool

2009-06-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of studies out right now about the benefits of preschool. Of course being a preschool we see many different children come through our doors and we find that all of them can benefit from our program whether it be academically, socially, physically or even emotionally.

Due to many societal changes both in our schools and in our homes, entering kindergarten has become a whole different event than it was 20 years ago. If you do not have a young child who has recently completed kindergarten i encourage you to visit a classroom and see what will be expected of them.

At PeeWee we have taken the time to continue our education as teachers to learn what is expected of each child as they enter their primary school years. Please go through our Goals of Pre-k as a checklist of things your child will learn & experience in our program.

As a parent of a young child, within 2 weeks of my child being enrolled in preschool her verbal skills doubled if not tripled and it makes life so much easier at home! She is learning so much through music, every activity we do at home she has a song to help her through the steps. She is two years old and is already trying to spell her name. I had her in a small family daycare until she was two and she did receive a lot of love and some great social skills there, but now she is ready to learn and I'm so glad i have a quality preschool environment to have her in. She is making social bonds with children that i hope will last throughout her school years and it all started here at PeeWee!

Goals of Pre-K

At graduation, our Pre-K teachers would like children to be able to:

General Attitudes/Behaviors:
1. Be able to separate from parents in a reasonable manner.
2. Attend for 10 minutes at a child selected task.
3. Follow simple directions (1 or 2 steps).
4. Have had experiences sharing and interacting with other children.
5. Ability to verbalize needs.
6. Positive attitude towards books and reading.
7. Positive attitude towards writing.

Reading
1. Have book handling experience and be able to hold book in proper reading position.
2. Participate in conversations/discussion of books.
3. Go to kindergarten with a rich background of literature, nursery rhymes, poetry, songs, and drama.
4. Recognize first name and last name.
5. Sit quietly for 5-10 minutes to listen to a story.
6. Know that a group of letters make up a word.

Writing
1. Have frequent experiences with scissors, crayons, markers, pencils, chalk, paper, etc.
2. Write their own name.
3. Draw a simple illustration and be able to describe it.
4. Write name using a left to right progression.

Language Skills
1. Can say whole name, parents name, and address.
2. Can speak in complete sentences of 5 or more words.
3. Can name common objects and body parts.
4. Understand spatial concepts; on, over, under, in, out, up, down, etc.
5. Tell real-life and fantasy stories.

Listening Skills
1. Can listen to entire story.
2. Can repeat a 3 digit sequence; i.e., 4-5-6, 8-4-1.
3. Can follow a two command direction; touch your toes and turn around.

Fine Motor Skills
1. Cuts with scissors.
2. Uses paint and glue correctly.
3. Holds crayon or pencil correctly.
4. Has had experience coloring.
5. Can draw a recognizable person.

Gross Motor Skills
1. Can catch and throw a ball.
2. Can walk on a line.
3. Can balance on one foot for 10 seconds.
4. Jumps in place.
5. Hops 5 feet on each foot.

Visual Skills
1. Can name 8 colors.
2. Can recognize 4 basic shapes; circle, triangle, rectangle, square.
3. Can identify same or different objects by size, shape, and/or color.
4. Can put together an 8 to 10 piece puzzle.

Math Readiness Skills
1. Can count orally to ten.
2. Count from 1-10 using manipulative and demonstrating the concept of one-to-one ratio.
3. Traces numerals from 1-10 using various mediums (shaving cream, sand, finger paints, crayons, etc.).
4. Knows meaning of first and last.
5. Arranges up to 4 objects in order from smallest to largest.
6. Match, name, and repeat patterns using objects (e.g., a pattern of red-blue-red-blue).
7. Uses size words when talking about objects (e.g., small, large, many, few, big, little).

Science Readiness Skills
1. Describe what happens to ice when it melts.
2. Observe and describe the characteristics of a solid (e.g., ice, rock, Popsicle).
3. Identify plants as living things and rocks as non-living things.
4. Aware that the earth is composed of land, air and water.
5. Identify that plants need the energy from the sun to grow.

Reading Readiness Skills
1. Can say alphabet.
2. Knows the difference between a letter and a number.
3. Knows the letters in their name.
4. Know the sounds that at least some of the letters make.

Social and Self Help Skills
1. Respects authority.
2. Take turns in social situations (e.g., waiting your turn to talk).
3. Uses “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.”
4. Does not interrupt.
5. Capable of interacting with other children.
6. Is able to finish a task.
7. Is able to use words to solve a conflict and not the body.
8. Knows how to line up properly.
9. Knows the difference between an inside and an outside voice.
10. Compare daytime with nighttime.
11. Identify school days and non-school days.
12. Look at a picture of a person at work and tell something about the type of work done.

Our goal is to have a well-rounded program that meets the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual needs of each child.

The following are skills that can be reinforced at home or through preschool experiences:

MOTOR SKILLS
Run Jump
Walk a straight line Hop
Throw a ball Clap Hands
Build with blocks Complete simple puzzles
` Opportunity to use scissors

LISTENING & SEQUENCING
Follow simple directions
Pay attention
Repeat a sequence of sounds
Recognize common sounds in environment (ex. Door bell)
Repeat a sequence of oral directions

PERSONAL HYGIENE
Wash and dry hands
Cover mouth when coughing or sneezing
Wipe their nose
Administer to own needs in the bathroom
Button and zip clothing
Put on and take off own jacket

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Express self verbally
Identifies other children by name
Can be away from parents for 2 to 3 hours and separates easily
Takes care of own belongings and helps put toys away
Joins in family conversation
Gets along with other children
Recognizes authority
Shares with others

Potty Training

2009-06-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

It has come to our attention that somehow we have the reputation of not accepting children that are not potty trained. This is not the case at all! We believe here at PeeWee that it is not developmentally appropriate to expect every child to be potty trained by the age of 2 years. We have designed our bathrooms with child size toilets to help with the potty training process. Our 2 & 3 year old classrooms are equipped with changing tables and we are ready to meet your child's needs where potty training is concerned.

There are three things we look for to see if a child is ready for potty training
1. Child shows interest and wants to go on the potty,
2. Child shows the ability to pull their pants up and down
3. Child stays dry for extended periods of time.

When these signs are all there a child is usually ready to be potty trained successfully.

Often times potty training becomes a power struggle between parents and children. In a school environment this issue can be helped because your child will see their peers advancing in their skills and want to do so also.

If you have any questions or concerns on this matter feel free to call our office! 877-0633

Children's Growth Cycles

2009-03-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

As long as children are growing, they go through growth cycles every two to four weeks. When their bodies are growing, they eat more, sleep soundly and their bodies are uncoordinated. When their brains are growing, they eat less, sleep lightly and their bodies are more coordinated. It is important to be aware of these cycles as your children grow.

Teach Your Preschooler to Learn Their Phone Number

2009-02-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Preschool age children take things literally. If you want to teach your child their phone number, give the child a cell phone and have them call their phone. When their home phone rings a connection will be made in their brain and learning their phone number will now be concrete instead of abstract. It wont take long!

2009-02-10T10:29:00.000-08:00

Fears of the Young Child

Into any child's life can come frightening and unhappy incidents which set up special fears, and you as parents naturally do your best to protect your child from such specially frightening incidents. But you cannot protect him from all fears.

As the child grows up he seems to experience a series of fears which show up for awhile and then drop out later. Each child differs in what and how these affect him, but in general each age seems to bring some characteristic fears.

2 Years: Many fears, chiefly auditory, such as trains, trucks, thunder, flushing of toilet, vacuum cleaner. Visual fears are dark colors, large objects, trains, and hats. Spatial fears are toys or crib moved from usual place, moving to a new house, fear of going down the toilet.

2 1/2 Years: Many fears, especially spatial; fear of movement or of having objects moved. Any different orientation, such as someone entering the house by a different door. Large objects such as trucks approaching.

3 Years: Visual fears predominate: wrinkled people, masks, bogeyman, the dark, animals, policeman, burglars, mother or father going out at night.

4 Years: Auditory fears again, especially fire engines and sirens; the dark; wilad animals; mother leaving, especially going out at night.

5 Years: Not a fearful age. More visual fears than others. Less fear of animals, bad people, bogeyman, more concrete, down to earth fears: bodily harm, falling, dogs, the dark or that mother will not return home.

What Not To Do When Your Child is Afraid: Never make fun of his fears or shame him, especially before others. Don’t force him to face the thing he fears before he is ready to, unless you are very sure you are right to do so. Don’t become impatient and treat him as if he were babyish. Don’t necessarily feel that it is bad or unnatural for the child to have some fears.

What To Do When Your Child is Afraid: Respect his fears and realize that he will outgrow most of them. Allow a reasonable time of withdrawal from feared things before you attempt to help him adjust to them. Give him a chance to get used to fearful situations, a little at a time. Supervise any compulsive period of overcoming his fears, when he wants to do it over and over again. Analyze his fears and try within reason to minimize feared situations. Familiarize yourself with expected natural fears of children so as to treat their appearances more casually, If your child’s fear is excessive and troublesome and you cannot find out the cause, and time does not show improvement, seek specialized help.

The fears of young children are very real and should be taken seriously. We as adults often fear things that are not understood by us. The young child has many more things that he does not comprehend, and could therefore fear. Some of the more common fears of preschoolers are: Large Objects, Loud Noises, The Dark, Unfamiliar Places & Situations, Toilets, Water, Abandonment by Parents and Death.

It is normal for your preschooler to have fears. A certain amount of caution should be encouraged in young children for their own safety. Regardless of what your child is afraid of, he needs to know that there’s nothing to be ashamed of, that you and other adults often have those same fears, and that you are there to comfort and explain. Some suggestions for helping parents to help their preschoolers cope with fears are: Discuss it openly, Plan for them whenever possible, and Help him understand the world around him and the things in it. Most importantly, your calmness, willingness to listen and explain,, and patience even when the fears seem silly to you, will help him overcome them.

Taken for Living With Preschoolers by Willard Abraham, Ph.D,, and Between Parent and Child by Dr. Haim G. Ginott.

Fun in the Tub

2009-01-26T10:08:00.000-08:00

Want to make your child's bath time fun? Trying coloring it up! Take an empty ice cube tray, fill it half full of water, then add the three primary colors of food coloring, red, blue and yellow. Don't add green because they can make green themselves. Get some medicine dropper or plastic eye droppers and let your child experiment with making secondary colors. This is a great way to teach colors and make bath time lots of fun. Of course all the colors will end up in the tub and the water will look brown but it wont stain your child or the tub. Another fun time for bath fun is adding some shaving cream. Make sure your child is old enough to know not to get it near their eyes. You can pick it up at the dollar store.

Welcome to PeeWee Preschool!

2008-11-17T09:51:00.000-08:00

PeeWee Preschool serves children ages 2-12. We are located in Paradise, CA.

Our philosophy is that children are miracles. We believe that children need to feel safe; safe to explore their world, and try new things. Second, they need to feel nurtured. They need to know that they are special and unique. Their hurt feelings count, their sadness is comforted, their joy is shared, and their accomplishments are praised. Children need to be stimulated academically. They need to be exposed to age appropriate curriculum that will allow them to be successful. They need to have opportunities to express their creativity. Children are social and as they move from parallel play to cooperative play, they need to be guided towards socially acceptable behaviors. Children need to be children. They need to play and pretend and embrace this sacred time in their lives.

You can check out our website at peeweepreschool.com