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Have your child count the number of windows in your house. Are they all the same size and shape? This activity works on both motor skills and counting! Cut the top off of a clean milk carton. Take turns pitching pennies into the carton – after a minute or so, count how many made it […]

Let’s look at different age groups to see how oral language, reading, and writing all add up to create a literate child: Infants: Oral Language: Have conversations with your baby! After you say something, pause and give your baby time to respond. Reading: Read to your infant. Even if babies do not sit and listen […]

Let your creativity shine! Work with your child to make a name sign for his or her bedroom door or make one for the door to your house with your last name! Find 10 blue things in your house or outside and have your child count them aloud.  Separate eight pairs of socks and mix […]

How to Get Your Child to Eat Healthy Foods To “Create A Great Plate,” try these tips from the USDA: Make half the plate fruits and vegetables. Serve plenty of brightly colored fruits and vegetables at meals and snacks. Choose whole fruits (fresh, frozen, canned or dried) more often than juice — whole fruits have […]

The Best Ways to Promote Your Child’s Literacy Is Literacy More Than Just Reading to My Child? YES! Let’s look at different age groups to see how oral language, reading and writing all add up to create a “literate” home: Infants: Oral Language: Have conversations with your baby! After you say something, pause and give […]

How to Help Your Children Learn Strategies for Successful Learning This is the third and final installment in a three-part series that looks at the learning process. Previous features included “Part One: Create a Safe and Nurturing Environment” and “Part Two: Enable Children to Lead Lessons.” Part Three: Monitoring Your Child’s Progress During each stage […]

A Simple Thing You’re Not Doing Could Be Harming Your Child It’s Important to Find the Time to Go Outside Dear friends and families: When you arrive home today, please do an experiment. Stand outside in front of your home and listen. What do you hear? Do you hear children playing? Unfortunately, the answer is […]

Top Strategies To Help Children Learn You started preparing for Kindergarten the moment you enrolled your child in our school. Unfortunately, family members often don’t have the opportunity to see all the amazing activities our teachers do daily. This has left parents asking questions such as “Why don’t you focus on a letter of the […]

This is the second in a three-part series that looks at the learning process. Last month’s issue featured “Part One: Create a Safe and Nurturing Environment.” At Children’s Courtyard, teaching is a science as well as an art. Science comes into play as we plan experiences for young children based on what we know about […]

Seven Ways Our Programs Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten Across the country, there is increasing pressure on families to ensure that their children are ready for school. The question that we hear quite frequently is “What do children truly need to ensure that they are successful in Kindergarten and beyond?” Many families with young children […]

Strategies for Successful Learning Part One: Create a Safe and Nurturing Environment This is the first in a three-part series that looks at the learning process. Be sure to check back in February for the next installment. What your child learns today is helping lay the foundation for a lifetime.  Stimulating early childhood experiences where […]

Your child’s incredible mind has been growing and changing since birth! She is eager to learn, to question, to make sense of the world around her. He is on the path to developing complex thoughts. Children’s cognitive skills are improved when they form questions and find solutions by themselves, or with an adult who can […]