The Learning Center Preschool

VPK provider in Boca Raton

2009-09-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

The Learning Center Preschool located in Boca Raton, Florida is a VPK School offering the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program, for more information call us at (561)-391-1140.

Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program (VPK) is a legislatively mandated program designed to prepare every four-year-old in Florida for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success.

The VPK program gives each child an opportunity to perform better in school and throughout life with quality programs that include high literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial instruction periods, manageable class sizes, and qualified instructors.
All eligible four-year-olds are entitled to participate in one of the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program options. You can view additional information at www.familycentral.org.

For more information about Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program (VPK) or a VPK provider in Boca Raton, please contact us today.

Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think

2009-08-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

We would like to share the following article with you:

Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think by By ALISON GOPNIK

GENERATIONS of psychologists and philosophers have believed that babies and young children were basically defective adults — irrational, egocentric and unable to think logically. The philosopher John Locke saw a baby’s mind as a blank slate, and the psychologist William James thought they lived in a “blooming, buzzing confusion.” Even today, a cursory look at babies and young children leads many to conclude that there is not much going on.
New studies, however, demonstrate that babies and very young children know, observe, explore, imagine and learn more than we would ever have thought possible. In some ways, they are smarter than adults.

Three recent experiments show that even the youngest children have sophisticated and powerful learning abilities. Last year, Fei Xu and Vashti Garcia at the University of British Columbia proved that babies could understand probabilities. Eight-month-old babies were shown a box full of mixed-up Ping-Pong balls: mostly white but with some red ones mixed in. The babies were more surprised, and looked longer and more intently at the experimenter when four red balls and one white ball were taken out of the box — a possible, yet improbable outcome — than when four white balls and a red one were produced.

In 2007, Laura Schulz and Elizabeth Baraff Bonawitz at M.I.T. demonstrated that when young children play, they are also exploring cause and effect. Preschoolers were introduced to a toy that had two levers and a duck and a puppet that popped up. One group was shown that when you pressed one lever, the duck appeared and when you pressed the other, the puppet popped up. The second group observed that when you pressed both levers at once, both objects popped up, but they never got a chance to see what the levers did separately, which left mysterious the causal relation between the levers and the pop-up objects. Then the experimenter gave the children the toys to play with. The children in the first group played with the toy much less than the children in the second group did. When the children already knew how the toy worked, they were less interested in exploring it. But the children in the second group spontaneously played with the toy, and just by playing around, they figured out how it worked.

In 2007 in my lab at Berkeley, Tamar Kushnir and I discovered that preschoolers can use probabilities to learn how things work and that this lets them imagine new possibilities. We put a yellow block and a blue block on a machine repeatedly. The blocks were likely but not certain to make the machine light up. The yellow block made the machine light up two out of three times; the blue block made it light up only two out of six times.

Then we gave the children the blocks and asked them to light up the machine. These children, who couldn’t yet add or subtract, were more likely to put the high-probability yellow block, rather than the blue one, on the machine.

We also did the same experiment, but instead of putting the high-probability block on the machine, we held it up over the machine and the machine lit up. Children had never seen a block act this way, and at the start of the experiment, they didn’t think it could. But after seeing good evidence, they were able to imagine the peculiar possibility that blocks have remote powers.
These astonishing capacities for statistical reasoning, experimental discovery and probabilistic logic allow babies to rapidly learn all about the particular objects and people surrounding them.

Sadly, some parents are likely to take the wrong lessons from these experiments and conclude that they need programs and products that will make their babies even smarter. Many think that babies, like adults, should learn in a focused, planned way. So parents put their young children in academic-enrichment classes or use flashcards to get them to recognize the alphabet. Government programs like No Child Left Behind urge preschools to be more like schools, with instruction in specific skills.

But babies’ intelligence, the research shows, is very different from that of adults and from the kind of intelligence we usually cultivate in school. Schoolwork revolves around focus and planning. We set objectives and goals for children, with an emphasis on skills they should acquire or information they should know. Children take tests to prove that they have absorbed a specific set of skills and facts and have not been distracted by other possibilities.

This approach may work for children over the age of 5 or so. But babies and very young children are terrible at planning and aiming for precise goals. When we say that preschoolers can’t pay attention, we really mean that they can’t not pay attention: they have trouble focusing on just one event and shutting out all the rest. This has led us to underestimate babies in the past. But the new research tells us that babies can be rational without being goal-oriented.

Babies are captivated by the most unexpected events. Adults, on the other hand, focus on the outcomes that are the most relevant to their goals. In a well-known experiment, adults saw a video of several people tossing a ball to one another. The experimenter told them to count how many passes particular people made. In the midst of this, a person in a gorilla suit walked slowly through the middle of the video. A surprising number of adults, intent on counting, didn’t even seem to notice the unexpected gorilla.

Adults focus on objects that will be most useful to them. But as the lever study demonstrated, children play with the objects that will teach them the most. In our study, 4-year-olds imagined new possibilities based on just a little data. Adults rely more on what they already know. Babies aren’t trying to learn one particular skill or set of facts; instead, they are drawn to anything new, unexpected or informative.

Part of the explanation for these differing approaches can be found in the brain. The young brain is remarkably plastic and flexible. Brains work because neurons are connected to one another, allowing them to communicate. Baby brains have many more neural connections than adult brains. But they are much less efficient. Over time, we prune away the connections we don’t use, and the remaining ones become faster and more automatic. Moreover, the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls the directed, planned, focused kind of intelligence, is exceptionally late to mature, and may not take its final shape until our early 20s.

In fact, our mature brain seems to be programmed by our childhood experiences — we plan based on what we’ve learned as children. Very young children imagine and explore a vast array of possibilities. As they grow older and absorb more evidence, certain possibilities become much more likely and more useful. They then make decisions based on this selective information and become increasingly reluctant to give those ideas up and try something new. Computer scientists talk about the difference between exploring and exploiting — a system will learn more if it explores many possibilities, but it will be more effective if it simply acts on the most likely one. Babies explore; adults exploit.

Each kind of intelligence has benefits and drawbacks. Focus and planning get you to your goal more quickly but may also lock in what you already know, closing you off to alternative possibilities. We need both blue-sky speculation and hard-nosed planning. Babies and young children are designed to explore, and they should be encouraged to do so.
The learning that babies and young children do on their own, when they carefully watch an unexpected outcome and draw new conclusions from it, ceaselessly manipulate a new toy or imagine different ways that the world might be, is very different from schoolwork. Babies and young children can learn about the world around them through all sorts of real-world objects and safe replicas, from dolls to cardboard boxes to mixing bowls, and even toy cellphones and computers. Babies can learn a great deal just by exploring the ways bowls fit together or by imitating a parent talking on the phone. (Imagine how much money we can save on “enriching” toys and DVDs!)

But what children observe most closely, explore most obsessively and imagine most vividly are the people around them. There are no perfect toys; there is no magic formula. Parents and other caregivers teach young children by paying attention and interacting with them naturally and, most of all, by just allowing them to play.

Contact us today for more information about The Learning Center Preschool located in Boca Raton Florida

4 year olds raise money for sick kids

2009-08-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

4 year olds raise money for sick kids
Reported by: Tania Rogers

BOCA RATON, FL -- At sports week at The Learning Center Preschool in Boca Raton 4-year-olds are putting their helmets on and gearing up for a Trike-a-thon.

"The serious part of this is that children are learning about bike safety, wearing helmets,... but they are also learning about Saint Jude's Hospital. They are also being exposed to sick children," said Cece Hurwitz, Learning Center Director.

The 4 year-olds are trying to make a difference by biking or riding their scooters to raise money for sick kids. The preschool wants these children to learn how to help others who are struggling with health issues. "So far we have collected over 1000 dollars and the parents have until next week to give us money. Our owners of the school are also going to match whatever we raise," Hurwitz said.

After a few laps in the blazing sun, the kids were ready for a break and ready to talk about why they want to help St. Jude Children's Hospital. Here's a sample:

"Sick children that are in the hospital."

"For sick children."

"To raise money for sick children."

"You have to help them so they can feel better and so that they can sleep so they won't get sick anymore."

Contact us for mre information about Boca Raton Early Childhood Learning Center

Preschool Career Day

2009-03-24T09:56:00.000-07:00

During our Preschool Safety Week, Officer Kevin came to
The Learning Center Preschool in his police cruiser and gave our students a visual perception of who “Police Officers” really are. He spoke to the 2 – 4 year olds about seat belt and car seat safety, the purpose of 911 and why Police Officers are our friends.

Officer Kevin was very impressed that our VPK students were able to tell him their phone numbers and addresses.

"What makes a good teacher?

2009-02-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

Quality Preschool Teachers

The Learning Center Preschool believes that a quality preschool teacher is one who
meets all local and state mandated requirements, and displays a working knowledge
of Early Childhood Education as well as Child Development.

A quality preschool teacher is kind, flexible and nurturing. Our staff implements the Creative Curriculum in their classrooms, communicates effectively with Parents and encourages early learners to do their best work on an individual level.

To visit The Learning Center Preschool and meet our Teachers and their Assistants,
please call to schedule a tour or visit us at www.thelearningcenterpreschool.com

How to Make Your Home a Learning Environment for Kids

2009-02-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

We recently read the following article:

How to Make Your Home a Learning Environment for Kids By Carol Johnson
Children spend most of their time at home, not at school doing structured learning. By working to make your home learning environment, you can encourage your child’s natural instincts and interest in learning things on his own.

Most people think that children do all of their learning at school, and once they walk through the doors to their house, they won’t be learning anything useful until the next day in class. Many studies have shown just the opposite—most learning takes place in the home. Think about it; children spend at most only 30-40 hours a week in school, yet there are over 100 waking hours each week that children spend outside of school. Even allowing for time watching television or playing video games, that can still leave children with just as much time learning at home as they have available at school.

The biggest advantage to children learning at home is that they can explore whatever interests them and learn at their own pace, instead of having to fit a schedule of what’s expected of them. When children are at home they spend a lot of their time actively playing and using their imaginations, fighting, eating, watching and hearing adults interact, and even daydreaming. If you tap into a child’s natural instinct to learn by making your home a natural learning environment, not only will your child be happier and better educated, he will be more receptive to learning at school.

Children, especially young children, are naturally creative. You can encourage this creative spirit of exploration at home in many ways:

Provide your child with resources to develop his own sense of creativity. Create an area in your home that is specifically devoted to your child’s interests—an area for painting or drawing if he enjoys artistic endeavors, a room or part of a room devoted to learning a musical instrument, a mini science lab with microscope and slides, a place in the yard to plant flowers or vegetables to watch things grow, or an area with simple tools and materials for building things. Children can be amazingly creative with just the simplest of things, so you don’t have to spend a lot of money or set aside huge sections of your house for only learning activities. Don’t buy your child expensive kits, games, and learning equipment. Let him use his own creativity and imagination with whatever tools and materials you provide for him. The more imagination he puts into a creative activity, the more learning goes on.

Provide a quiet place where your child can go for privacy. Especially if your child shares a room with a sibling, be sure there is a quiet place where he can go to read, listen to music, write in a journal, or just sit and look out the window daydreaming. Parents today often want to pack their child’s daily schedules with things to do to keep them busy and social all the time they’re away from school. But quiet "alone" time is essential for encouraging children to do their own thinking and reasoning without feeling pressured to meet someone else’s expectations for them.

Exploit your child’s natural creative impulses by paying attention. If your child tells you about something he learned at school, read in a magazine, or saw on television that was interesting to him, provide corresponding materials for him to pursue that interest at home. For example, if your child gets excited by seeing a movie about space exploration, get him a telescope, a mobile of the solar system, or posters and books showing constellations or pictures from space explorations. If your child is fascinated by bugs or creatures he sees in your yard or on your porch, get him an ant farm, a butterfly net, or just a magnifying glass. And of course there are always a ton of books available about any subject your child may be interested in. Listen to your child, hear what interests him, and then give him the materials and space he needs to pursue those interests.

Play games.There are many popular board games that have been around for years that do much more than entertain children—they provide wonderful learning experiences while also developing important social skills and a healthy interest in competition. Scrabble and Boggle teach children about spelling and word structure. Pictionary helps children learn to conceptualize thoughts and ideas visually, in addition to helping encourage artistic abilities. Battleship teaches children about the Cartesian coordinate system, which will come in handy later for learning in advanced mathematics classes. Clue teaches logic, reasoning, and deductive thought. Mousetrap and Jenga teach mechanical engineering and construction. Most entertaining games can also be educational in some way, but be careful not to force your child to play them. For the true educational value of a game to be realized, children must choose to play them voluntarily.

Set a creative example for your child. The most important task for any parent to encourage learning at home is to nurture your own creative instincts. No matter whether you enjoy reading, playing music, painting, working on jigsaw puzzles, or flower arranging—allowing yourself regular times to engage in your own favorite activity not only gives you a chance to relax and ease your own stress, it gives you the chance to model creative behavior for your child. When you show your child that learning can be fun, you help to encourage your child’s own natural creative and exploratory tendencies.

Above all, be careful not to criticize your child if he doesn’t pursue the learning opportunities you provide him with in the way you want him to or at the pace you plan for him. After all, he has to learn things at school according to lesson plans and school curriculum—you shouldn’t be trying to duplicate that environment at home. Instead, make your home a place where a broad spectrum of activities and learning experiences can take place, and let your child set his own schedule and pick his own style of learning. When you open the door to your child’s natural desire to expand his horizons, you reinforce his impulse to discover things in his own way. And by watching him explore his environment and make use of the learning environment you provide at home, you just might learn a thing or two yourself.

The Learning Center

Boca Raton Winter Camp for Preschool

2008-11-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

OPEN HOUSE TUESDAY DECEMBER 9TH FROM 5:00-7:00 PM
COME VISIT & REGISTER FOR PRESCHOOL OR WINTER CAMP

Our preschool is located in East Boca and is family owned. It has operated for 21 years and we are accredited by APPLE. For your families convenience, our Annual Winter Camp will be open December 29, 30, 31, and January 2, 2009. Camp staff will include our degreed teachers.

Ages: 24 months to 5 year olds.
Fees: $100.00 for the week or $35.00 daily.
Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Activities include: cooking, sports, arts & crafts, science experiments, computer time, New Year’s Eve games, parties, and lots of relaxed fun.

For registration information, please call 561-391-1140
Address: 258 NW 15th Street Boca Raton, Fl. 33432

In order to reserve your child’s spot, please complete all registration requirements by December 17th, 2008.

For more information about our Boca Raton Winter Camp for Preschool children please contact us today.

Free childcare in Boca Raton, Florida at The Learning Center Preschool

2008-11-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

At the Learning Center Preschool we offer a wonderful VPK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program) that offers many other incentives to learning.

Our free Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program is offered Monday thru Friday from 9 am-12 noon and additional educational opportunities are available from 7am - 9am and
12 noon - 5:30 pm.

Our primary objective is to instill an appreciation of education in our 4 year olds, preparing them for successes in kindergarten and future grades.

TLC’s Developmental Milestones
-Repeats fine motor activities to mastery
-Draws objects that are recognizable
-Remains on task for extended periods
-Recalls and masters language to activities, songs and stories
-Demonstrates senses of autonomy
-Displays an awareness of own emotions, emotions of others

We use the Creative Curriculum Developmental Domains
and Goals

Social-Emotional Development:
To promote sense of self
To encourage responsibility for self and others
To encourage pro-social behavior

Physical Development:
To promote gross motor skills
To promote fine motor skills

Cognitive Development:
To promote learning and problem solving skills
To encourage logical thinking
To promote representational and symbolic thinking

Language Development:
To develop listening and speaking skills
To develop reading and writing skills

For more information about the Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program in Boca Raton, Florida please contact The Learning Center Preschool.

Math Scores Show No Gap for Girls, Study Finds

2008-07-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

We read the following interesting article that we would like to share with you:

Math Scores Show No Gap for Girls, Study Finds By TAMAR LEWIN

Three years after the president of Harvard, Lawrence H. Summers, got into trouble for questioning women’s “intrinsic aptitude” for science and engineering — and 16 years after the talking Barbie doll proclaimed that “math class is tough” — a study paid for by the National Science Foundation has found that girls perform as well as boys on standardized math tests.

Although boys in high school performed better than girls in math 20 years ago, the researchers found, that is no longer the case. The reason, they said, is simple: Girls used to take fewer advanced math courses than boys, but now they are taking just as many.

“Now that enrollment in advanced math courses is equalized, we don’t see gender differences in test performance,” said Marcia C. Linn of the University of California, Berkeley, a co-author of the study. “But people are surprised by these findings, which suggests to me that the stereotypes are still there.”

The findings, reported in the July 25 issue of Science magazine, are based on math scores from seven million students in 10 states, tested in accordance with the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

The researchers looked at the average of the test scores of all students, the performance of the most gifted children and the ability to solve complex math problems. They found, in every category, that girls did as well as boys. (To their dismay, the researchers found that the tests in the 10 states did not include a single question requiring complex problem-solving, forcing them to use a national assessment test for that portion of their research.)

Janet Hyde, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who led the study, said the persistent stereotypes about girls and math had taken a toll.

“The stereotype that boys do better at math is still held widely by teachers and parents,” Dr. Hyde said. “And teachers and parents guide girls, giving them advice about what courses to take, what careers to pursue. I still hear anecdotes about guidance counselors steering girls away from engineering, telling them they won’t be able to do the math.”

Girls are still underrepresented in high school physics classes and, as noted by Dr. Summers, who resigned in 2006, in the highest levels of physics, chemistry and engineering, which require advanced math skills.

The study also analyzed the gender gap on the math section of the SAT. Rather than proving boys’ superior talent for math, the study found, the difference is probably attributable to a skewed pool of test takers. The SAT is taken primarily by seniors bound for college, and since more girls than boys go to college, about 100,000 more girls than boys take the test, including lower-achieving girls who bring down the girls’ average score.

On the ACT, another college entrance test, the study said, the gender gap in math scores disappeared in Colorado and Illinois after the states began requiring all students to take the test.

Summer Day Camp in Boca Raton

2008-07-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that Camp TLC is a summer day camp for preschool kids located in Boca Raton. Camp begins June 9, 2008. Camp hours are 7a.m – 5:30pm daily.

Each week includes fun filled preschool summer activities. Your children will spend their summer mornings learning new songs, making cool crafts, cooking, dancing, and playing games.

Below you will find the themes for this years’ camp.

Our Themes for our Summer Day Camp
Week 1: Water Fun (WATER SLIDE HOUSE)
Week 2: Wild, Wild, West (RODEO)
Week 3: Mad Science Week (SCIENTIST VISIT!)
Week 4: Red, White & Blue Week (4TH OF JULY PARADE)
Week 5: Hawaiian Luau Week (TABLE CLOTH LUAU!)
Week 6: School Spirit Week (TEAM JERSEY/ PEP RALLY!)
Week 7: Sports Week (PLAYBAL)
Week 8: Wildlife Exhibition Week (ANIMAL EXHIBITION)
Week 9: Crazy Carnival (KIDDY CARNIVAL W/ BOOTHS)
LAST WEEK OF CAMP! (TRAIN)

For more information about our Preschool Summer Day Camp in Boca Raton please contact us or visit the school office. We will be happy to answer any questions or concerns.

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program in Boca Raton

2008-07-24T09:22:00.000-07:00

The Learning Center Preschool is offers the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program (VPK), for more information call us at (561)-391-1140.

Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program (VPK) is a legislatively mandated program designed to prepare every four-year-old in Florida for kindergarten and build the foundation for their educational success. The VPK program gives each child an opportunity to perform better in school and throughout life with quality programs that include high literacy standards, accountability, appropriate curricula, substantial instruction periods, manageable class sizes, and qualified instructors. All eligible four-year-olds are entitled to participate in one of the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Program options.

For more information about the Voluntary Pre-kindergarten Program in Boca Raton, Florida please contact The Learning Center Preschool.

Toddlers learn through music

2008-03-06T06:58:00.000-08:00

We are aware of the importance of music in kids, below is an interesting article:

Toddlers learn through music
Published Wednesday, February 27, 2008by Lesley Martin

Kennedy Library started its first Reading Music Reading Words class Wednesday.

The library gave toddlers tambourines, drumsticks and bells to go along with story time. They encourage creative chaos during story time to help them develop reading skills.
Studies have shown incorporating music, rhythms and instruments with reading help children develop language skills.

“The whole patterns, counting, and pacing through music help children to pace through reading,” Jody DelaGardelle, Assistant Librarian said. “I think a lot of times with a story, a child just listens, but when they have to pay attention, when they make noise, or when they have to participate they are learning something.”

The class consisted of 14 children ranging from ages three to four, all having fun but learning at the same time.

The parents who bring their children to Reading Music Reading Words have seen an improvement in educational skills and will continue to bring their children each week.

“Music is a great teacher. Children pick up music so young,” Anne Gaydos, a parent whose two sons attend the class, said. “My babies love listening to music and singing and dancing. I think you accompany that with words and I think that the learning sinks in even more.”

The class was created by a Ball State music professor a couple of years ago, and Dela Gardelle has been in charge of the class for the last six years.

Before moving the class to Kennedy library it was held at Carnegie Library. Reading Music Reading Words is every Wednesday at 10:30 am.

The Learning Center Preschool
Center for Early Childhood Education

Temper Tantrums: How to Deal with a Meltdown

2008-03-06T06:28:00.000-08:00

We found the following article very informative:

Temper Tantrums: How to Deal with a Meltdown by Richard Gallagher, Ph.D.

It's the rare parent who hasn't had to deal with a tired, cranky, whiny, screaming toddler in the midst of a meltdown. Sometimes it even occurs in a public place, thereby exposing the quality parenting to the world at large. The truth of the matter is that temper tantrums are normal and typical between the ages of two and four. To get some advice about how to react to temper tantrums and why they occur, AOK talked with Dr. Richard Gallagher, Director of the Parenting Institute at the NYU Child Study Center.

Why do temper tantrums happen at these ages?
Very young kids aren't very good at modulating their emotions; they don't have the same control as older kids. As two-to-four-year-olds try to make sense of the world things don't always go their way, and a tantrum is one way to express frustration. Tantrums are common at this time as children are learning to use language, and although kids of two to four understand a great deal of what they hear, they can't always use language to express their needs or their feelings. Two-to-four-year-olds are also trying out ways of establishing their sense of competence, insisting "I can do it myself," and when this turns out not to be true, a tantrum may result. Finally, children in this age range are trying many different actions to solve the problems that they encounter. Temper outbursts at times may simply be a means to resolve a situation from the child's perspective. If adults react in certain ways, sometimes the temper tantrum works.

Do older kids ever have tantrums?
Older children often show temper outbursts too. In fits of anger older children will sometimes use tantrums to get their way or to express their anger while intentionally causing distress in the person that has made them frustrated. The protests of school-aged children, the talking back of preteens, and the mini-strikes after storming off shown by teenagers can all be forms of temper tantrums.

What can parents to do in the middle of a meltdown?
Here are three steps to follow:

1. Stay cool. Acknowledge the child's emotions (frustrated, bored, tired) without a long discussion and say something like "Tell me in your own words what's bothering you, and let's try to work it out" or "I know you're frustrated and want to leave, but I would like for you to wait a few more minutes." This sounds overly simple, but it's important to let the child know you're willing to work this out reasonably, what your expectation is, and you want them to do. For young kids, always have some form of distraction available to get them off the tantrum track. If the child calms down when you request it, provide the child a treat that may be a surprise, like a toy in your pocket or purse that he didn't know you brought along.

2. Step two is hard, but don't reward the tantrum with a lot of attention beyond the matter-of-fact approach in step one. Obviously, you don't want the child to learn that this is a good way to impress you. Scolding or shouting back simply won't work, although you may feel like having a tantrum yourself. Remember, parents are models of appropriate behavior.

3. Third, sometimes you simply have to leave. If the mayhem started because she wants something in a store and you've said "no," ignore the tantrum completely. Prepare to be embarrassed; it's worth it—giving in validates the behavior. Realize that you can't always persevere, and that's OK.

How can a tantrum be avoided?
Tantrums are a sign of frustration that a child can't do something comfortably. Know what your child's tolerance level is and try not to push him beyond what he's capable of doing. Tolerance levels vary; he may be able to handle a situation one day and not the next. Try to identify the situations that trigger tantrums and change them.

Remember to reward good behavior: "You were so good today when we had to stand in line at the post office." Think about whether your child may be acting up because he's not getting enough attention; even negative attention is better than none.

Give the child some control over small decisions, so that she can feel she can make a choice. Offer choices such as "Do you want us to read your book before you put your pajamas on or after?"

Give the child a warning before the end of an activity, which gives him a chance to readjust.

After everyone has calmed down and things are back to normal, be sure to share a hug.

If tantrums are more frequent than about once a week and don't lessen as the child grows older, you may want to consider seeking professional advice.

The Learning Center Preschool
Center for Early Childhood Education

Fun things to do for kids in Boca Raton

2008-03-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

We read the following article and thought about sharing it with you:

Places to go, people to entertain

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is located in Boca Raton, Florida at Red Reef Park, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.Twenty acres of Boca Raton's Red Reef Park include a nature center and sabal palmhammock, coastal dunes, and mangrove wetlands. There are a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles and fish. Rare and endangered species such as the manatee, the brown pelican, the osprey and sea turtles can sometimes be observed. A beautifulbutterfly garden and a boardwalk offer tranquil settings for a lovely stroll. Climb the40 foot observation tower and look out over the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal. This center aims to make visitors aware of the need to preserve and protect nature.

Gumbo Limbo is open from Monday through Saturday from 9AM to 4PM andSunday: 12PM to 4PM. They are closed on New Year's Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There is no charge but a “suggested ”donationof $ 3.00 per person. Their nature-themed gift shop has imaginative gifts. 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton 561-338-1473 gumbo@gumbolimbo.org.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands
Wakodahatchee Wetlands was constructed by Palm Beach County Water UtilitiesDepartment on 56 acres into a thriving wetlands habitat. Approximately two million gallons per day of highly treated reclaimed water is used to maintain this wetlands habitat, in a park-like setting. The name is derived from a Seminole Indianphrase meaning "created waters."

"The Wakodahatchee Wetlands have attracted an abundant variety of wildlife, including turtles, frogs, otters, alligators and more than 150 different species of birds. There is a three-quarter mile boardwalk that winds through three of the wetland's ponds, allowing visitors the opportunity to read interpretive signs and learn about water purification, wetlands ecology, natural history and the interdependence of people and their environment. The existing pond berms have been planted with nativeplants using natural landscaping techniques to provide extensive planted buffers, which eliminate views from the top of the berms into the adjacent neighborhoods.The constructed wetlands benefit the community in a variety of ways, combiningthe seemingly unrelated functions of water treatment, wildlife habitat and recreation into a wetland ecosystem that is fully accessible to the public. Environmentally, it detains storm waters, protecting downstream areas from flooding. It naturallypurifies waters containing nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, withoutusing fossil-fuel energies or producing sludge." (From the Wakodahatchee Wetlands Web page and the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department brochure).

Wakodahatchee Wetland is located in Delray Beach, Florida, on the east side of Jog Road, between Woolbright Road and Atlantic Avenue. The wetland is open tothe general public from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. Tours of Wakodahatchee Wetland are conducted on the second Tuesday of every month at 9:00 A.M., and on the third Wednesday of the month at 4:00P.M., during winter months. The tour lasts approximately one hour, and the tour group size is limited to 20. Space on the tour must be reserved in advance. For reservations or questions about the wetland, please phone (561) 641-3429.

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is locatedtwo miles south of Boynton Beach Boulevard, off U.S. 441. It is one of 538 refuges in the National Wildlife system. There are many activities to enjoy and lots of wildlife and nature to see. The refuge was established in 1951. In total, the refuge includes over 221 square miles of Everglades habitat, and is home to the American alligator and as many as 257 species of birds may use the refuge's wetland habitats.

In addition to being a home to wildlife, the refuge offers many recreational opportunities: Walking trails, a canoe trail, bike trail, boat ramps, fishing platform, observation towers, butterfly garden, and a visitor center.

There is a 400 acre cypress swamp. A boardwalk into the swamp even gives the visitor a chance for an up-close swamp experience, without any danger.Daily Schedule: Refuge opens at 5:00 A.M. and closes at 6:00 P.M.Visitors Center: Open Wed - Fri 9:00 - 4:00; Sat and Sun 9:00 to 4:30.Golden Age Passport gives you free admission.$5.00 per vehicle.

The Learning Center Preschool
Center For Early Childhood Education

Girl Meets Game

2008-02-12T07:21:00.000-08:00

We recently read the following article by Leb Grossman in Time Magazine. We thought it would be a great idea to share it with you:

Girl Meets Game
I love video games. I played my first one--it was Pong--when I was 7. I feel lucky to be part of the first generation of gamers. I also get to be a first-generation-gamer parent; my parents regarded games with a primitive, chimplike suspicion, but my daughter Lily will have a parent who understands them and plays alongside her. A cool parent.
Read More

For more information about Online Preschool Learning Games visit us at The Learning Center Preschool.

The Learning Center Preschool

Online Preschool Learning Games

2008-02-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

We are proud to announce that we just created a new page on our website with information about Online Preschool Learning Games we hope you find it educational and entertaining. We will keep adding to the list of websites. Feel free to contact us if you any favorite Online Preschool Learning Games websites and we will be happy to add them to our list.

The Learning Center Preschool

Fun things to do for kids in Boca Raton

2007-11-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

We have gathered a list of relevant links which we think may be of your interest, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions:

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
www.gumbolimbo.com

Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park
www.palmbeachzoo.org

Butterfly World
www.butterflyworld.com

Boca Raton Children's Museum
www.cmboca.org

Boca Raton Public Library
www.bocalibrary.org

Center for the Arts at Mizner Park
www.center4artsboca.com

Sugar Sand Park
www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/parks/Sugarsand.cfm

Children's Science Explorium at Sugar Sand Park
www.scienceexplorium.org

Patch Reef Park
www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/rec/parks/patchreef.shtm

Beaches in Boca Raton
ci.boca-raton.fl.us/vis/beaches.shtm

Coconut Cove Recreation Center and Waterpark
www.co.palm-beach.fl.us/parks/aquatics/waterparks/coconutcove/

Tradewinds Park
www.broward.org/parks/pri02000.htm

Contact us for more information about Fun things to do for kids in Boca Raton or about our Early Childhood Learning Center

Preschool Games for Kids

2007-11-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

Below is a list of some of the games we played as kids. Games are a great way to spend quality time with your child and have fun at the same time.

1. I Spy
One person looks for an object inside or outside the car. After they find an object they say "I spy with my little eye something that begins with...". Then you have to say the first letter of the object. The first person who finds out the object is "It".

2. Red light, green light
Is a game played mostly by children. The "it" person stands at one end of the playing field, with the rest of the players at the other end. "It" turns their back to the others and calls out "Green light!" The players then run as fast as they can towards "it". At any time, "it" can face the players, calling out "Red light," and the others must freeze in place. If anyone fails to stop, they are out or must return to the starting line. Other variations include calling out "Yellow light" as a diversion, or where they must walk instead of run to "it". Calling Yellow Light has no consequence. The first player to reach the person who is "it" wins and becomes "it" for the next round. In certain regions this game may be known as "sneak up on granny"; in this version the person who is "it" is the "granny", and does not call out "red light" or "green light".

4. Red Rover
Players on a team hold hands, forming a "chain". The leader of a team will call a player from the opposing team. That player must try and break through two players' hands (a link) to stay on their own team. If the player is not able to break through the link, that team will gain control of that player. Before a player would try to break the link, the link would normally say "Red Rover, red Rover, we call _________ (player's name) over!".
Typically, the weaker players are chosen first to increase the chance of taking them. When only one player is left on a team, they must try and break through a link. If they do not succeed, the opposing team wins. Otherwise, they are able to get a player back for their team.
The game can be a potentially painful experience. For example, when the runner breaks through a link (or attempts to break through), it can hurt the linkers' arms, or body depending on if he falls or gets bruised by somebody's bones.

5. Simon Says
One person is chosen to be "Simon" the others stand in a strait line. The simon then calls out an action for the children to follow. It can be anything like.... touch your toes jump 10 times on 1 foot...... The simon when giving an action can simply state the action by it self..."touch your ears" and whoever does it is out and has to sit down. Or the simon can say "Simon says, touch your ears" and them everyone must follow the instruction. You can vary the actions according to the age group of children you are playing with. The last person who is standing can then be "Simon"!

Contact us today for more information about The Learning Center Preschool in Boca Raton, Florida or about ideas about Preschool Games for Kids.

Daycare Vs Preschool

2007-11-28T07:47:00.000-08:00

We read the following interesting article about Daycare and Preschool Programs :

MEETING CHILDREN'S NEEDS: DAY CARE VS. PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS

National Network for Child Care's Connections Newsletter
Jan Dickson, M.Ed.Visiting Teaching AssistantChild Development LaboratoryUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Copyright/Access Information

Parents and teachers often think that day care centers and half-day preschool programs perform very different functions. Day care is often viewed as custodial care. Preschool programs are often seen as preparing children for kindergarten. However, children who go to day care and children who go to preschool programs have similar needs and interests. Because of this fact, the National Association for the Education of Young Children does not distinguish between these two forms of care when considering what factors contribute to quality care.

Both parents seeking child care, and teachers looking for jobs in child development, should rate full or half-day child care programs according to the same standards.

-The stated and observed philosophy of the center should match the parents' child-rearing beliefs. It should also match the teacher's approach to education.
-A high-quality program, whatever its length in time, will follow a regular schedule of activities. These activities should match the developmental abilities of the children. Activities should also strengthen children's physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being.
-The physical environment should be interesting and challenging, yet provide for the children's safety.
-There will be a proper ratio of adults to children, and the staff will work with the children in a caring, consistent fashion. Staff members should also model appropriate behaviors, offer manageable challenges, and nurture self-esteem.

These standards for quality care are the same whether they apply to full-day child care or half-day preschool programs.

Both full and half-day programs should include a plan of activities that matches the children's needs and promotes their independence. The plan should contain activities and exercises that help children to develop social, motor, language, and thinking skills. Programs should also provide a variety of experiences designed to encourage exploration and problem-solving, and an awareness of how diverse the world is beyond the home. As shown in the sample schedule below, the daily morning schedule for preschools and day care centers should be very similar. Unlike preschools, day care centers will also schedule lunch and afternoon rest time. Day care centers will also repeat many elements of the morning schedule in the afternoon (e.g., group time, free play, story time, outside play, snack). The other major difference between the two settings is that preschool children tend to arrive all at once; children arrive at day care centers according to their parents' work schedules.

Half-Day Classroom -AM
8:30 - Arrival - quiet or free play
9:00 - Group time
9:15 - Snack
9:30 - Free choice/activity centers
11:15 - Story time
11:30 - Outside play
12:00 - Dismissal

Full-Day Classroom - AM
7:30 - Arrival - quiet or free play
9:00 - Group time
9:15 - Snack
9:30 - Free choice/activity centers
11:15 - Story time
11:30 - Outside play
12:00 - Lunch

Early childhood professionals in both preschool and day care settings must actively work to provide education in a nurturing environment that matches the needs of the children. Preschool settings should stress physical, social, and emotional growth as much as they stress thinking and academic skills. Similarly, teachers in day care settings must strive to avoid the trap of providing only custodial care. They should encourage parent involvement and provide regular lesson plans that support both educational and developmental goals.

The goal of the entire child care community, then, must be to encourage and support day care providers, and to raise standards in our nation's day care centers to appropriate educational levels. Preschool programs should also be evaluated to ensure that their plans and activities are safe, appropriate, and that they promote a variety of skills. When we as educators rise to this challenge, we will be showing society our professional abilities, our dedication, and our insight into the needs of young children today.

DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHTNational Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension ServiceChildren Youth and Family Educational Research Network. Permission is granted to reproducethese materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not for profit beyond the cost ofreproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice isincluded:

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Dickson, J. (1993). Meeting Children's Needs: Day care vs. preschool programs. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), *Day care center connections*, 2(6), pp. 6-7. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

Contact us today for more information about The Learning Center Preschool in Boca Raton, Florida or if you have any questions about Daycare Vs Preschool Programs.

Autism Screening

2007-11-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Pediatricians Urge Autism Screening
By Lindsey Tanner

CHICAGO — The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys.

The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism sooner. There is no cure for the disorder, but experts say that early therapy can lessen its severity.

Symptoms to watch for and the call for early screening come in two new reports. They are being released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday at its annual meeting in San Francisco and will appear in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics and on the group's Web site — http://www.aap.org/.

The reports list numerous warning signs, such as a 4-month-old not smiling at the sound of Mom or Dad's voice, or the loss of language or social skills at any age. Experts say one in 150 U.S. children have the troubling developmental disorder. "Parents come into your office now saying 'I'm worried about autism.' Ten years ago, they didn't know what it was," said Dr. Chris Johnson of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She co-authored the reports.

The academy's renewed effort reflects growing awareness since its first autism guidelines in 2001. A 2006 policy statement urged autism screening for all children at their regular doctor visits at age 18 months and 24 months.

The authors caution that not all children who display a few of these symptoms are autistic and they said parents shouldn't overreact to quirky behavior.
Just because a child likes to line up toy cars or has temper tantrums "doesn't mean you need to have concern, if they're also interacting socially and also pretending with toys and communicating well," said co-author Dr. Scott Myers, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician in Danville, Pa.

"With awareness comes concern when there doesn't always need to be," he said. "These resources will help educate the reader as to which things you really need to be concerned about."

Another educational tool, a Web site that debuted in mid-October, offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids contrasted with unaffected children's behavior. That Web site — http://www.autismspeaks.org/ — is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups: Autism Speaks and First Signs. They hope the site will promote early diagnosis and treatment to help children with autism lead more normal lives.

The two new reports say children with suspected autism should start treatment even before a formal diagnosis. They also warn parents about the special diets and alternative treatments endorsed by celebrities, saying there's no proof those work.

Recommended treatment should include at least 25 hours a week of intensive behavior-based therapy, including educational activities and speech therapy, according to the reports. They list several specific approaches that have been shown to help.

For very young children, therapy typically involves fun activities, such as bouncing balls back and forth or sharing toys to develop social skills; there is repeated praise for eye contact and other behavior autistic children often avoid.

Mary Grace Mauney, an 18-year-old high school senior from Lilburn, Ga., has a mild form of autism that wasn't diagnosed until she was 9.
As a young girl, she didn't smile, spoke in a very formal manner and began to repeat the last word or syllable of her sentences. She was prone to intense tantrums, but only outside school. There, she excelled and was in gifted classes.

"I took her to a therapist and they said she was just very sensitive and very intense and very creative," said her mother, Maureen, 54.
Pediatricians should send such children for "early intervention as soon as you even think there's a problem," Johnson said.

Dr. Ruby Roy, a pediatrician with Loyola University Medical Center, who treats at least 20 autistic children, applauded the reports.

"This is a disorder that is often missed, especially when it's mild, and the mild kids are the ones ... who can be helped the most," Roy said.

Dr. Dirk Steinert, who treats children and adults at Columbia St. Mary's clinic in suburban Milwaukee, said the push for early autism screening is important — but that it's tough to squeeze it into a child's regular wellness checkup.

Some pediatricians have tried scheduling a visit just to check for developmental problems, when children are 2 1/2. The problem is that insurance doesn't always cover these extra visits, Steinert said.

Contact us today for more information about The Learning Center Preschool in Boca Raton, Florida.

Children Growth and Development

2007-11-08T07:03:00.000-08:00

10 Ways to Nurture Your Child

Some kids seem to be born with more self-esteem than others, but there's a lot you can do to promote your child's emotional well-being — a stronger sense of self can make your child more emotionally resilient when problems come his way.

Providing for your child's physical needs (food, shelter, clothing) is a fairly straightforward matter. Trying to provide for your child's emotional needs can be trickier. Although there are many parenting styles, most experts agree on some general guidelines for nurturing a child's emotional health and laying the ground work for an emotionally healthy adulthood.

1. Be aware of stages in child development so you don't expect too much or too little from your child.

2. Encourage your child to express his or her feelings; respect those feelings. Let your child know that everyone experiences pain, fear, anger, and anxiety. Try to learn the source of these feelings. Help your child express anger positively, without resorting to violence.
Promote mutual respect and trust. Keep your voice level down — even when you don't agree.

3. Keep communication channels open.

4. Listen to your child. Use words and examples your child can understand. Encourage questions. Provide comfort and assurance. Be honest. Focus on the positives. Express your willingness to talk about any subject.

5. Look at your own problem-solving and coping skills. Are you setting a good example? Seek help if you are overwhelmed by your child's feelings or behaviors, or if you are unable to control your own frustration or anger.

6. Encourage your child's talents and accept limitations. Set goals based on the child's abilities and interests — not someone else's expectations. Celebrate accomplishments. Don't compare your child's abilities to those of other children; appreciate the uniqueness of your child. Spend time regularly with your child.

7. Foster your child's independence and self-worth. Help your child deal with life's ups and downs. Show confidence in your child's ability to handle problems and tackle new experiences.

8. Discipline constructively, fairly, and consistently. Use discipline as a form of teaching, not physical punishment. All children and families are different; learn what is effective for your child. Show approval for positive behaviors. Help your child learn from his or her mistakes.

9. Love unconditionally. Teach the value of apologies, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, and consideration for others.

10. Do not expect to be perfect; parenting is a difficult job.

Source: The National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH does not recommend or endorse any company advertised on this site.

Contact us today for more information about The Learning Center Preschool in Boca Raton, Florida.

The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood

2007-10-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Learning Center Preschool has chosen to use The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood as a comprehensive tool for teaching and learning. This curriculum is developmentally age appropriate and encourages the cognitive, social/emotional, physical and language development of a child.

In addition, The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood is research based in order to set and achieve standards and goals for each age. This goal is accomplished by knowing how children develop and learn. From this perspective, we acknowledge similarities and differences, while appreciating general standards and patterns of growth in all children.

We acknowledge that growth occurs individually and in stages. The objective is to take a look at various stages of the child’s growth and access according to these stages.Observation and documentation are key components in the process of attaining goals.

Special categories, called Forerunners, helps us to look at the behaviors which can be used as an assessment for all children’s learning and development. Those with disabilities or developmental delays are included in this category.
Each class will have their space organized into different interest areas, called learning centers. The outdoor areas will also be utilized in such a way as to include opportunities to explore and learn.

The centers will include but not be limited to:
1. Blocks Dramatic
2. Play Toys and Games
3. Art
4. Library
5. Science/Discovery
6. Sand and Water
7. Music and movement
8. Language
9. Arts
10. Cooking
11. Computers

The role of the teacher will be to guide the children’s learning through observing and assessing each child’s progress. Strengths and weakness will be visible and motivation and support will be supplied to enhance knowledge, skills and understanding.Small and large group activities, routines, long term interests and centers will aide in learning how to assess information in order to plan and guide this process throughout the day.

The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood takes into account the importance of the family in educating the young child. School and family need to work together to build a partnership and understand the true meaning of taking an active role in a child’s education.Communication is a very important tool when dealing with learning as well as challenging situations.

Please contact us today for more information about The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood at the Learning Center.

Inspiring Creativity in Kids

2007-10-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

We would like to share with the following article about inspiring creativity in kids:

20 Ways to Encourage Children's Resourcefulness and Creativity By Karen Stephens
Resourcefulness,the ability to meet challenges in a variety of ways, is a by-product of creative intelligence. As children develop resourcefulness, they learn to trust their instincts and unique abilities.
Read more...

Contact us today for more information about our Early Childhood Learning Center

The Cost of Top Preschools

2007-10-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

I recently read the following article: The Most Expensive Preschools by Liz Moyer

If you're like many new parents, nothing's too good for your little genius, including $30,440 for preschool so your 4-year-old can occupy a few hours each day playing with blocks and finger painting in an organized setting.
Read More

Contact us today for more information about The Learning Center Preschool in Boca Raton, Florida.

kindergarten Readiness Skills

2007-08-29T08:58:00.000-07:00

We would like to share with the following article by Jen Scott Curwood :

What Happened To Kindergarten? Are academic pressures stealing childhood?

We hope you find it interesting

For more information about our Early Childhood Learning Center, please contact us today.
The Learning Center Preschool