One of the Best Preschools in Williamson County Outlines Ways To Help Children Overcome Fears

As one of the best preschools in Williamson County, The Academy knows that feelings of fear are very real to a child. And overcoming these fears, no matter how unreasonable they may seem to adults, is not easy for a child.

Children can have all kinds of fear: fear of the dark, fear of loud noises, fear of dogs, fear of heights, etc. Usually the fear is unwarranted, but sometimes children are actually experiencing a phobia. You should see a doctor if you suspect a phobia.

Exploring Your Child’s Fear

As a first step in helping your child overcome his or her fear, begin by asking some questions about the specific fear. For example, if the child is afraid of loud sounds, you might ask:

What are some loud sounds that scare you?
What is scary to you about those sounds?
Are there any loud sounds that don’t scare you?

The purpose of this exercise is just to let your child know that you are taking him them seriously. You understand his fear (even if the object of the fear doesn’t seem very scary to you).

Facing Fears

Doing things to avoid a child’s fear only suggests that there really is something to be feared. Help your child face a fear in small incremental steps. If your child is afraid of the dark, start by reading a book like Goodnight Moon that allows you to talk about the night and the darkness in positive ways. Then plan a night activity like lying in the grass and staring at the stars at night. Praise your child’s efforts as they may make progress.

The Academy Has the Best Preschools in Williamson County

The votes are in. The Academy has been voted Best of Parenting every year since 2008. Visit us and see why parents are so satisfied with our childcare locations in Williamson County.

The Top Daycares in Spring Hill Know All about Separation Anxiety

As one of the top daycares in Spring Hill, The Academy prepares its staff to make your child’s first day of daycare a happy one. Even though your child may feel anxious about leaving you, we have many ways to deal with apprehension. Our well-trained staff is known for their caring and loving approach to child care.

First Day Strategies

In order to ensure your child’s first day will be a good one, we have several strategies that we know will work:

If a child exhibits anxiety or fear, we allow the child to calm down at his own pace. We know not to rush him.
We sit beside the child as he works on an activity.
We choose group activities that will include him and make him feel more comfortable.

Ways To Ensure Positive Outcomes

We know that we can help your child feel safe and secure. We do this by providing a predictable environment and a routine that children are comfortable with. For children that we know have separation issues, we provide activities as soon as they enter. This helps them get settled as they participate.

Another way we help an anxious child is to allow the child to sit where she feels most comfortable. Often this will be near one of the workers.

If a child continues to feel stressed and anxious after several weeks, we will meet with parents to try to better understand the child’s continued anxiety. The problem might be as simple as sticking to a routine drop off and pick up time so the child knows what’s coming next.

The Academy of Heritage Commons Is One of the Top Daycares in Spring Hill and Thompson Station

At The Academy we know both you and your child may feel nervous on her first day of school. Rest assured! We know how to make her first day a successful one.

Preparing for First Grade

Don’t let preparing for first grade sneak up on you. When it’s time for first grade, both parents and their children are anxious. This is the first step into years of learning, and you as the parent want to ensure your child is ready.

The Academy Students Start Preparing for First Grade Right from the Start

Choosing the right daycare and preschool is one of the most important step for guaranteeing success in later school years. The Academy curriculum starts training children at a very young age to develop the skills for navigating school in the future. Our program is also designed to make education great fun! It inspires a desire in children to learn.

Even after a successful preschool and kindergarten experience, first grade can seem daunting. But preparing for it doesn’t have to be overwhelming if you follow the easy guidelines in the rest of this blog.

Begin with Breakfast

In busy households, breakfast is often skipped. But a healthy breakfast will ensure your child has a good start to his school day.

Choose easy breakfasts to prepare
Choose healthy foods your child likes
Make items the night before or even the weekend before that can be frozen

Sleep is Essential

After a summer of late nights and vacations, it is hard to get your child into a routine for bedtime. But a good night’s sleep will benefit your first grader enormously.

Know the time your child’s school begins or when the bus will come. This will help you plan for when you need to wake him up.
Start setting a schedule for going to bed and waking up well before the school year begins.
Choose quiet activities before bedtime such as reading to help him relax before sleep.

Success in First Grade

Even a first grader needs preparation for beginning school. He will enjoy buying school supplies such as a new backpack or favorite pencils. These are things to help your child succeed in school.

Create a space in the home for him to store his supplies and maybe even do homework.
Use a planner so both you and your child know the schedule for upcoming events and assignments.

Kindergarten Readiness Skills

The summer before kindergarten is an exciting time for preschoolers! Many of them have been attending preschool classes and are eagerly awaiting their first day of kindergarten. In this post, we share some activities that will develop kindergarten readiness skills. These activities will help students channel their excitement while keeping their skills sharp.

Engaging Activities for Kindergarten Readiness Skills

Preschoolers may feel anxious about entering kindergarten. Over the summer you can do some fun activities that will ease their fears about kindergarten. These will also help them see that they are indeed ready for school.

Using School Tools. Make sure your child knows how to hold a pencil, cut with scissors, and use paste. The kindergarten teachers will be so pleased!
Recognizing Letters. Have them trace letters, play a game where they hunt for the named letter, or decorate letter outlines. Although these are fun, they will reinforce their knowledge of letters.
Identifying Colors and Shapes. Coloring books are a fun way to show they know colors and shapes. They will enjoy using a variety of colors to fill in different shapes and objects.
Identifying Numbers. Call out numbers and ask the child to find the number on a worksheet. He then can color the number and count out beans or other objects that match that number.
Writing His Name. Let your child practice writing his name. He will need to put his name on many papers in kindergarten.

Kindergarten Boot Camp at The Academy

At The Academy, we know how important it is for a child to be ready for kindergarten. The transition from preschool to kindergarten can be a big leap. That is why we instituted “Boot Camp” at The Academy. It’s our summer kindergarten preparation program. This program can ensure that your child possesses the readiness skills that will make the kindergarten year successful. Learn more about boot camp.

The Best Nashville Daycares Know Naps Are a Must

The Academy, one of the best Nashville daycares, schedules daily nap periods that are age-appropriate. For babies, we let them dictate when they sleep. For older children we schedule regular nap times. And for our oldest children, who usually do not require naps any more, we schedule rest periods. The need for and the benefits of naps are numerous.

Why Are Naps Needed?

Almost every parent knows that skipping a little one’s nap usually results in irritability and possible meltdowns.

Babies and toddlers (ages 0 – 24 months) can’t tolerate being awake as long as older children due to the development their bodies are going through. Some experts believe that the rapid brain development happening during the early years tires little ones out!

What Are the Benefits of Naps?

Studies involving napping demonstrate that naps:

enhance learning.
facilitate better emotional regulation.
support better nighttime sleep.

Learning: Several studies show that little ones who nap outperform their non-napping peers in cognitive tasks, such as learning language and memorizing.

Controlling Emotions: One study involving 2-year-olds found that toddlers who miss just one nap were less able to regulate their emotions. They became more anxious, withdrawn, and irritated by even small stressors. Additionally they were less happy about exciting things.

Sleeping Better at Night: Other studies show that naps can help a child sleep better at night. This is because when children are overtired, the stress hormone cortisol can flood their bodies, making them overactive. Note: Napping too much or taking naps too late in the day can be detrimental to a good night’s sleep.

Doesn’t Your Child Deserve to Attend One of the Best Nashville Daycares?

When you pick up your child from The Academy, your child will be rested, in control, and happy to see you. If you want more information about any of our many locations, please contact us.

Skills for Preschoolers Taught at The Academy

The Academy is known for having some of the top preschools in Franklin, TN, but preschool is not only a place to prepare children for elementary school. It is also a place where children might experience emotions and conflicts as they interact with other children. At The Academy, we teach skills for preschoolers that will help them learn to deal with their own emotions and conflicts as well as those of their classmates.

Skills for Developing Good Relationships

Preschoolers tend to be selfish and don’t understand how to build relationships with others. Our staff at The Academy want them to learn to feel compassion for others. We help children learn compassion in these two ways:

Read stories.
We choose stories that deal with feelings. As we read, we ask questions about how the characters feel in different situations. Then we ask the children how they can help others deal with situations similar to those in the stories.
Affirm their feelings.
We want to let the children know it is okay to feel sad, angry, happy, or excited. We also want them to realize that their classmates are dealing with these same feelings.

Skills to Solve Conflict

Even a young child must learn to solve problems. We use these questions to help children develop problem-solving skills:

What is the problem?
What are possible solutions?
Would your solution be safe and fair?

Skills to Deal with Emotions

Preschoolers have not yet developed the skills to deal with their emotions. We use these steps to help them develop these skills:

We model the skill for the child.
The staff gives positive feedback when the child deals with his emotions in an appropriate way.
Teachers use puppets to model the emotional skills we want to encourage.

The Academy Teaches Important Skills for Preschoolers Every Day

It is never too early for children to learn to develop social, emotional, and conflict-solving skills. At The Academy we know how to help your child develop in all these areas. It is our priority every day. We invite you to come for a tour and see for yourself or click to learn more about The Academy.

The Academy Helps in Combating Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a significant problem that puts children at risk for poor health. The Academy helps in combating childhood obesity by being a Gold Sneaker certified child-care provider. This certification is given by the state of Tennessee to child care providers that implement physical activity, nutrition, and tobacco-free campus policies. Although Gold Sneaker certification is voluntary, all directors and educators must take the Gold Sneaker initiative training course for a facility to be certified.

Additionally, The Academy has the highest rating given by the Tennessee Star-Quality Child Care Program. This means we meet the highest possible standards in child care.

Parents Can Help in Combating Childhood Obesity

Parents can help prevent obesity by providing a healthy diet and maintaining a household that values an active lifestyle. These are ways to help your child watch his weight:

Eliminate unhealthy snacks, such as French Fries. Provide only healthful snacks such as fresh fruits.
Be a positive role model in your eating habits. Never offer second helpings. Avoid leftovers.
Eliminate sugar-sweetened drinks. Encourage lots of water.
Limit screen time. Plan a fun activity outdoors.
Never use food as a reward for good behavior.

Long-term Consequences of Childhood Obesity

Obesity in children has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Not only does childhood obesity affect a child’s health, but it can also lead to poor self-esteem and teasing by others. There are also long-term consequences of childhood obesity.

A greater chance of being obese as an adult
A risk of medical problems such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease
Social isolation and depression

The Academy Partners with Parents

We at The Academy work with parents to provide an environment that will help address childhood obesity. By addressing the issue when children are young, we may prevent a lifetime of obesity and disease.

For the best child care in Hendersonville and the other cities surrounding Nashville, come to The Academy.

The Best Daycares in Nashville Promote Good Health

As one of the best daycares in Nashville, The Academy focuses on three areas to promote good health. These are food, activity, and sleep. These three factors, if not managed properly, can contribute to excess weight gain in children.

3 Areas of Concern for the Best Daycares in Nashville

Excess weight, to the point of obesity, can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. So, it’s important for a daycare (that frequently has child for 10 – 11 hours a day) to provide healthy choices in these three areas.
Food
At The Academy centers, we serve a nutritious continental style breakfast each morning from opening to 9 a.m. We schedule meals and snack times are according to a group’s age and developmental level.
Sleep
Rest times are scheduled in the middle of the day after lunch for children who are one year old and up. Rest times will vary according to the group’s age and developmental level. We do not “require” children to sleep, but they must rest quietly. This allows other children who are sleeping not to be disturbed. Infants sleep at will throughout the day and form their own sleep patterns.
Activity
During a day with a normal routine and when weather permits, children will play on the playground once in the morning and once again in the afternoon. We have separate playgrounds for different ages. This allows us to provide age-appropriate equipment. Our play areas contain a minimum 50 square feet of usable play space for each child in the play area.
Note: If weather conditions do not permit outdoor play, the classrooms support gross motor activities.

The Academy of McCrory Lane Will Join the Best Daycares in Nashville Soon

The Academy of McCrory Lane is the newest Academy daycare location under construction. It supports all the same values and routines that promote health as the other twelve Academy locations throughout middle Tennessee. Learn more about our award-wining daycares.

The Best Daycares in Williamson County Teach Children Cooperation

Cooperation is a necessity in our adult lives. Whether it’s at home with our partners, at work with colleagues, or on a sports team, cooperation enriches our lives. This is why it is so important to teach children cooperation at an early age. It will enhance their lives today and prepare them for their future. At The Academy, one of the best daycares in Williamson County, teaching children to cooperate is a high priority.

Teach Children Cooperation

Cooperation is the character trait that can help us reach goals as a group that we couldn’t reach by ourselves. The following are ways to encourage cooperation in your children at home:

Modeling Cooperative Behavior. Encourage children to work together in cleanup so they will understand how much faster it can go when they work as a team. At home demonstrate how working together as a family can help with dinner time.
Playing Games. Simple activities such as working together on a puzzle or playing games as a team will help them learn to work together.
Pointing Out Examples of Working Together. As children read books or watch a movie, encourage them to discuss how the characters worked together to complete a task.
Planning a Family Activity. Choose an activity where each member has a task to complete. The family can clean the house or yard, plan a special meal, or play a board game together. All these will unite the family as they work and play together.
Praising a Child for Helping Others. Praise children when they help others without expecting something in return. Such things as playing with a young sibling or helping a grandparent with a task will instill in the child a sense of cooperation.

The Academy Is One of the Best Daycares in Williamson County

Our staff at The Academy emphasizes cooperation every day and our curriculum supports it with classroom activities. Our award-winning Frog Street Press curriculum makes The Academy the leader in educational preschools in Nashville.

Why the Best Williamson County Preschools Include Make-Believe Play in Their Curriculum

Are you looking for the best Williamson County preschools? Then look for schools with an award-winning curriculum that includes make-believe. Make-believe play is a child’s way of learning and a form of self-expression. That’s why we at The Academy include make-believe play in our curriculum.

Benefits of Make-Believe Play in a Curriculum

Children love to pretend to be someone else. It can be Superman, a princess, or a firefighter. The benefits are many.

Thinking differently. Make-believe encourages creativity and imagination. As a child assumes the identity of someone else, he experiences how others do things and how they behave. This allows him to see things differently when he encounters a similar situation in real life.
Using energy. Parents and teachers know how much energy preschoolers have. When engaging in creative play, they use up the energy they have in a beneficial learning experience.
Learning social skills. When children play make-believe with others, they will need to negotiate roles and solve issues. They must exercise self-control as they co-operate with their classmates in their role-playing. As they put themselves in different situations, they learn compassion for others. All these things will serve them later in life as they develop the social skills to live and work as an adult.
Overcoming fears. Make believe can lessen fears a child may have. If she fears going to a dentist, she can role-play being the dentist and then the patient. This will put her more at ease when she actually has a dental appointment.

The Academy Has the Best Williamson County Preschools Any Parent Could Want

The Academy’s preschool curriculum encompasses many elements. We feel that make-believe play is a very vital part of the learning experience. Learn more about our award-winning preschools in Franklin TN and preschools in Brentwood TN at the links provided.