Changing Tykes Blog
Get outside and play
Spring has sprung in Northern Virginia. The kids have been tiring themselves out while enjoying the nice weather. It is never more apparent when a spring cold snap arrives for parents to remember how important going outside to play really is. In between raindrops and frost this week, we’ve been riding bikes, swinging and playing in the school sandbox. One opportunity to get outside to play is the upcoming Fun Run. This annual run by Annandale Cooperative Preschool will be held on Saturday, April 30. Register...
read moreManners at the Table
I feel like meal time manners have their ups and downs at my dinner table. Oftentimes my preschooler is a gem while at the table – sitting up straight, using silverware, napkin in lap, etc. The other times, I feel as though a tiny Neanderthal has joined me. It is those times where absurd sentences spew from my mouth, such as “it is never ok to poke the dog with your fork” or “please stop finger painting on your brother with ketchup”. I have found myself more often than not referring back to the Managing Meal Time post. There are fun little...
read moreWhich App Is Educational?
Looking for an educational app for your tyke while travelling over the holidays? Check out these four characteristics to help determine if the app is right for your child.
read moreTop 5 Tips to Keep our Kids Safe This Halloween
It’s that time of year when kids take to the streets dressed up as ghost, goblins and perhaps an Elsa or two. Here are a few tips to keep in mind this Halloween to keep them safe. Make sure the child can see clearly while in costume. Have a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective sticker for your child, particularly if trick or treating at dusk or dark. Trick or treat in a group, never alone. Coach your child to stay on the porch step rather than enter the home. Look both ways before crossing the street and utilize the sidewalks where...
read moreSaying Goodbye: Dealing with Separation Anxiety
With a few weeks of school under our belts, hopefully everyone is settling nicely into the preschool routine. However, separation anxiety can crop up any time there is a change in routine. In this “FROM THE TEACHERS” post, our amazing teachers give us some strategies to help ease separation, for both you and your child. Now that school has started, you and your child are becoming familiar with all the new routines. To aid your child in their transition, please try and follow the same routine when you say goodbye. A good-bye...
read moreWelcome All!
Welcome ACPS 2015/2016 Families!! We are very excited to be in full swing of the new school year and hope that everyone is enjoying the first full week. Thank you to all the teachers and staff for all their hard work over the summer, keeping the school running, and setting up awesome rooms that have our kids excited and engaged every day. We especially want to welcome 3 new teachers this year to the ACPS family! Amanda Setty is teaching the T,Th,F 3’s class, Melissa Kuhn with the Th,F 2’s and Louise Touber in the Activity Room. We are very...
read moreBeginning to Build Good Communication With Your Children
In this “FROM THE TEACHERS” post, we’ll discuss how to help your child develop their communication skills, as well as how to open a dialog with your child as they begin to communicate with you. We’ve all learned in our lives how important it is to communicate effectively with one another. And as adults, we’ve all had lots of practice. It is important to realize that learning to communicate effectively is something that developed over time for all of us and that we can help build the foundation for good communication skills...
read moreFun Spring Activities For You and Your Child
Another “FROM THE TEACHERS” segment on fun ways to enjoy the Spring! After an arduous winter, Spring is finally here. With Spring comes improving weather, so that we can go outside and stay outside! There are tons of great activities you can do with your child or children to encourage an appreciation of the great outdoors and to help instill a love of the environment as we celebrate Earth Day this month. Children learn best through experience, and the most rewarding fun comes from the space to play and experiment. Given a small...
read moreOperation Gratitude
Attendance at Annandale Cooperative Preschool comes with lots of benefits: parents and other family members in the classrooms and roaming the halls, experienced degreed teachers and lots of learning through play. While the kids do plenty of learning about science, math, reading and writing, the education does not stop there. Citizenship and patriotism were the talk of the day, today, as several members of the United States Armed Forces visited the school! All of the service members we met today are parents of students at ACPS. We heard...
read moreManaging Meal Time
In this “FROM THE TEACHERS” segment, we address meal time. Mealtimes may be messy business for preschool-aged children. But it’s not too soon to begin working with your preschooler at home to practice mealtime skills and manners. There’s no harm in introducing manners early, as long as you avoid punishing children for forgetting the rules. Reinforcing positive behavior is probably the most effective way to teach manners. So instead of catching your child in those times when he/she isn’t performing correctly, try...
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