With only ⅓ of American children currently reading at grade level, parents today are looking for effective ways to help their kids read with confidence and instill a lifelong love of reading. Learning to read is a process that occurs in phases, not a single event. According to the National Association for the Education of […]
Parents relish the joy of watching young children form relationships with friends, teachers and others. It turns out that socialization is actually an important part of early childhood development and promotes positive outcomes later in life. Even better news is that social skills can be taught, similarly to academic subjects like math, reading or science. […]
Learning to walk alone, sorting shapes and colors and recognizing names of people and objects all sound like important development milestones, right? They are, and these achievements all take place when your toddler is anywhere from 12 to 26 months old. As your toddler is developing, it is essential they do so in an environment […]
At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool®, we are enthusiastic advocates of play and believe that learning should be filled with fun, curiosity and imagination. Research shows that playtime, both directed and undirected, is one of the most important contributing factors to a child’s overall development. Finding a preschool that believes in mixing learning and play […]
Everyone knows that children love to pretend. But did you know that pretending can actually help with learning? More specifically, we’re talking about drama in the preschool curriculum! People of all ages tend to remember things better when they do them: People remember 10% of what they read 20% of what they hear 30% of […]
At Little Sunshine’s Playhouse & Preschool®, we understand quality educators are the most important factor for engaging children in positive learning experiences. An early childhood teacher is not a babysitter. He or she is an education professional who serves as the foundation of our school. Our proprietary Creatively Shine™ curriculum was built with the teacher-student […]
Starting school can be exciting and intimidating for students of all ages, but especially for very young children. As a parent, you can rest assured that separation anxiety when starting school is a normal part of child development and that it may show up on the first day for some kids, or emerge later in the […]
It seems intuitive that it’s good for children to play outside. Physical activity, including time outdoors, promotes a child’s development and even academic success. But with today’s largely sedentary, screen-saturated culture, that’s often easier said than done. One expert from Yale University noted that the typical U.S. child spends about 90% of their time […]
A proper diet sets your child up for success and helps to fuel their growing bodies. Wondering what you can do to create positive food habits? Learn more about early childhood nutrition and how to emphasize its importance in your child’s life.
Most people know that getting enough sleep is one of the most important ways to stay healthy, along with good nutrition and regular exercise. And for children ages 5 and younger, quality nap time is necessary for early physical and mental development. One 2018 study concluded that daytime naps support early memory development for young […]
