Compassion

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:47:36 -0400

The beginning of school is one of my favorite times of year. Having the classrooms decorated and filled with new toys is nothing in comparison to seeing your children move through the rooms with laughter, taking in each and every moment of enrichment with their friends and teachers. As I mentioned at the Parent Night, this year, was the absolute best transition any group of children has ever made to the preschool.

Now that your child is in preschool, he/she has become part of a larger community. They now spend a good part of their day learning to work and play in cooperation with others. For some, this is a new concept. Children of preschool age are naturally very egocentric, and move slowly from that realization to understanding the needs and feelings of others. Our teachers spend a great deal of time at the beginning of school helping your child learn how to operate in a shared environment. Some of the challenges involved in this include: learning how to share and learning how to understand the feelings and needs of others.

Defining the Benefits of Play

Thu, 26 May 2011 14:47:36 -0400

Some of you may have noticed that our new tag line for the preschool is: "Where Play has a Purpose." This concept is very dear to my heart, as one of the greatest joys in life comes from the experience that children discover through play. What is the definition of play? Play is defined as an activity that is freely chosen, child-directed, and self-motivated. Fortunately, NCCNS celebrates play as an integral part of childhood.

What are the benefits of play? Research suggests a strong link between play and cognitive development.Play is also a factor in improving attention, creativity, imagination, memory, and many other skills critical for learning. Most of the social and intellectual skills one needs to succeed in life and work are developed through childhood play. Scientists believe it is also a crucial factor in children’s overall well-being.

Creative play takes center stage at NCCNS every day. As you enter the classroom, you will notice that each of the centers are set up with engaging materials and manipulatives that provide open-ended experiences for your children. Our teachers know that children learn best when they are able to construct their own knowledge.I am always amazed by the "airports" on the block rug, the "soup" being made with beans at the sensory table and how magnet blocks become “rocket ships with scientists inside.” The other two things I notice are that the teachers facilitate the play by asking open-ended questions, and I also notice that every student is happily engaged.

Director's Blog | New Canaan Community Nursery School

Compassion

Defining the Benefits of Play