I think we can all agree that times have changed, right? For better or worse, they are different.
Items educators used to suggest knowing before entering Kindergarten are no exception. And, I am not solely talking about numbers, letters and colors. We are talking about a child’s physical, social and cognitive development. That’s why at Bona Vista Programs we have developed a Kindergarten Readiness program for 4- and 5-year-olds that teaches not only the fundamentals of education, but focuses on the all-around child.
As a parent, the number of tasks you are charged with making sure you don’t mess up are astounding. We are each exhausted daily by second-guessing our actions that will either help or hinder our children; trying every day to give them every opportunity to better themselves in an effort to create productive members of society (future generations can thank us later). Or is that just me? I don’t think so. I see some of you. You’re loving life, but you’re stressed! That’s why I want to tell you about the Kindergarten Readiness program especially if you still have younger children or know someone who does. It’s one less thing you need to stress about.
Every day is structured like a Kindergarten classroom to get the child acclimated to entering school. Children work on writing, letter recognition, beginning sounds, number recognition & counting, shapes & colors, cutting with scissors, reading readiness, technology and so much more. Their days are full of educational, age-appropriate activities… and meals, snacks and nap time! Jealous? Me too.
In addition, they work on following directions. We read a lot of stories, and play a lot of games. All of which require the children to pay attention, follow simple steps or anticipate the next action. We work on projects that encourage active listening as well as team work, in some cases. Remember group projects in school? We are starting them early, so when they are thrust into those situations they are comfortable and succeed. Who knew you could learn so much while having so much fun?
What might be as equally beneficial as everything I’ve already mentioned, though, are the social skills gained in a program like ours. Interacting with other children readies each child for the classroom setting. It teaches them how to express their feelings – good and bad. It teaches them how to role-play different situations they might experience in the future, and come up with appropriate solutions and responses. It teaches them that there are going to be times you have to sit and listen even if you really want to be up running around. It teaches them that there’s only one person in charge, and it’s not them. All of these lessons are SO HARD… even for adults. That’s why we want to start them young. Cultivate appropriate behavior early so they succeed in the classroom, and in life!
My favorite part, though? All of our classrooms at Bona Vista Programs are inclusive. That means, chances are pretty good that you’re going to have children with disabilities in with children who do not. That doesn’t seem that important to you? Do you remember the first time you ever interacted with someone who was different than you? Do you remember how you reacted? The children in ALL of our programs are learning early on how to interact with people who are different than them whether that’s by race, ability, gender or Super Hero preference. That’s right. Not everyone loves Batman the most. Who knew? It doesn’t make the other children unusual. It just means their opinions are different than yours, and that you can still be friends. Learning that at a young age is VITAL!
If you’re interested in learning more about Bona Vista’s NAEYC accredited & Paths to Quality Level 4 Kindergarten Readiness program, contact Full-Day Preschool Director Brooklyn Dugdale at 765-457-8263 or bdugdale@bonavista.org.
Until next time…keep a good view on life!
-AB