Our Blog

We’re honored to welcome Dr. Susan Canizares to our Children’s Courtyard family! Dr. Susan has joined The Children’s Courtyard as Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and is excited to lead the educational mission of our school. She holds a Ph.D. in language and literacy development and offers more than 20 years of experience in educational publishing, specializing […]

Should your child start preschool at 2, 3, or even 4? Is he late-born, early-born, or right in between? Should he be one of the oldest in the class, the youngest, or in the middle? And what impact will this have on his eventual kindergarten start date? If your head is spinning at making this […]

“Shhhh!” We were in the waiting room at the pediatrician’s office, and any peep the 6-month-old made was met by his mama’s “Shhhh!” She looked embarrassed about her baby’s happy – and wonderfully normal – babbling sounds. I couldn’t help encouraging her to support her little babbler. “Oh, he’s so cute! He’s talking up a […]

Sharing quality literature is a wonderful way to introduce new ideas and start conversation with children. The following books feature stories of kindness and empathy. Incorporate these books into story time all year round to reinforce the valuable lessons highlighted during the Season of Giving. With the help of our friends at Sprout, we have […]

We all want our children to love reading, to be good readers, and to build a strong literacy foundation for school. You don’t have to be a teacher or a specialist to positively influence your child’s reading success. But here’s what teachers do with their children that every parent can implement. Here are nine teacher […]

Games for Toddlers Toddlers start to learn the alphabet by exposure. Seeing, hearing and playing with letters is the best way to start learning the alphabet.  1. Letter Sort –  Get out your alphabet letters (foam, magnetic, any kind). Sort by colors, shapes (curvy or straight), letters in the child’s name, or by any criteria […]

Learning is best when it’s fun, meaningful – and incognito! With a little help from technology, you can cleverly disguise important school readiness skills to help prepare your child this year. Here are some helpful tech tips to give your young child a jump start on five important early literacy skills they’ll need for school. […]

I figured both my kids would love reading since I did. Not so much. It was a humbling blow when my first daughter didn’t want to sit still for an entire story. Apparently kids aren’t born readers. So, what’s a parent to do? Anything to raise a reader, including standing on your head. (It won’t […]

It’s time to get kids ready . . . and excited to go back to school! How? Go shopping and read books. Both are something you already do, right? Here’s how they can help get your child ready for school. Read Books Reading books about school gives kids a story in their minds. It tells […]

We’re still enjoying the summer sun and fun, but a new school year is fast approaching!  Now is the time to start preparing to make the switch.  You can help excite your children about the school season and avoid a last-minute back-to-school frenzy by trying these tips. Talk it up!  Talk to your child about […]

With summer wrapping up, you might find yourself and your children needing to make a few adjustments to get ready for the school year. We want to make this transition a smooth one, so we are inviting you to join a live Twitter discussion on back to school readiness! Day: Wednesday August 15, 2012 Time: […]