Six Benefits of Family-style Dining
Family-style dining can look like many different things. From the perfect Thanksgiving meal commencing with thanks to a rowdy picnic at the soccer field between games. The only necessary ingredients in family-style dining are
Lessons to Learn
Family-style dining is a tradition at The Academy. We know that there are many things you can teach children at the table. Consider these opportunities:
- It’s a perfect time to teach children how to share and use good manners.”Please use your quiet voice,” “Please pass the potatoes.”
- It’s a good time to talk about making smart food choices. Talking about healthy food and healthy portions while you are eating feels natural instead of “preachy.”
- Family-style dining helps children develop poise. Knowing how to act at the table and how to talk without interrupting each other helps a child know how to act in public.
- It improves motor skills and coordination, especially if you don’t pre-plate a child’s food. It takes considerable coordination to move food from a dish or platter. Likewise, it takes coordination to use all types of serving utensils. Add to that the fact that food comes in many sizes, shapes, and consistencies, and you have a perfect motor-skill exercise.
- Family-style dining provides chances to show acceptance and kindness. Food can get spilled, drinks can get turned over. Accepting and encouraging your child in spite of a mess does wonders for the child.
- It helps develop self-confidence and independence. If a child is at the “I can do it myself” stage, you can safely allow the child to serve himself or herself with no lurking dangers. A little mess is something you can easily handle, especially when the benefit is engendering independence.
Learn More about The Academy
We invite you to learn more about The Academy and how you can become part of our family.
The Importance of Music at The Academy
At The Academy we know that musical experiences in childhood can actually accelerate brain development, particularly in the areas of language acquisition and reading skills. That’s why we find so many ways to incorporate music in our preschool curriculum. You’ll find music is an important part of our program at all our preschool locations, serving Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill.
The Benefits of Music in Early Childhood Development
Music aids in the development of not only intellectual skills, but social, emotional, motor, and language skills. It helps the body and the mind work together in these ways:
- Songs strengthen memory skills, such as learning the ABC’s by singing the alphabet song.
- Music and lyrics help children learn the sounds and meanings of words.
- Rhyming lyrics help children notice and work with the sounds within words. This in turn helps them make predictions about pronunciation when they read.
- Dancing to music helps children build motor skills and practice self-expression.
- Playing a musical instrument enhances fine motor skills.
- Making music with other children gives children a feeling of belonging to the group. Children who are shy or have trouble relating can freely participate when it comes to music activity.
- Listening to music can soothe and provide a sense of well-being. For example, playing music at nap time can help children relax and rest.
Ways to Enjoy Music with Your Children
You may not be able to carry a tune, but you can still enjoy music with your children. Have a weekly dance party, tap rhythms on oatmeal boxes, do sing-alongs while riding in the car, play a soothing CD at bedtime, make up silly songs or add new words to songs, such as “Mary had a little fish.” Make music a part of our family culture.
We Can Learn a Lot from Puppets
Children (and grown-ups alike) are fascinated by puppets. For proof, look no farther than the long-lasting popularity of the Muppets, created in 1955 by Jim and Jane Henson. Putting puppets into the hands of preschool kids can lead to valuable learning experiences in many developmental areas.
Puppets Supplement Our Preschool Curriculum
At The Academy, we often supplement our preschool curriculum with puppet activities to assist in these developmental areas:
- Creativity and imagination
- Emotional development
- Social interaction
- Communication
- Language skills
- Leadership
- Listening
We use puppets as part of the classroom experience in numerous ways. Activities can include actually making puppets, doing puppet shows, storytelling, role-playing, and sing-a-longs.
Our goal is to give preschool children the highest quality education in a fun and safe environment. And puppets certainly add to the fun. We invite you to explore our locations. We currently have 1 preschools in Nashville, 5 preschools in Franklin TN, 2 Preschools in Brentwood TN and 1 preschool location each in Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill.
Why Puppets are Wonderful Learning Tools
Having a little puppet talk directly to you, just draws you in. They are so engaging. And puppets provide a sense of security that makes it easier for a child to express thoughts and feelings. Talking to a puppet or through a puppet is more comfortable because it takes the pressure off the child. The attention is on the puppet. A puppet can be a “friend” to talk to or a way to talk to other children.When a child in daycare is able to talk through a puppet without speaking directly, sharing isn’t so scary.
Using Puppets at Home
We use hand puppets, finger puppets, and marionettes. But you don’t have to have fancy puppets to capture a child’s interest. You can even use your bare hand!
At home, try making a puppet by using a sock or a small brown paper lunch bag to cover your hand. Or let your child make a puppet by gluing a picture to a popsicle stick. Then let the fun begin.
Kindergarten Readiness Skills
Starting kindergarten doesn’t need to be a scary time for a child or parent. The Academy offers Kindergarten Boot Camp every summer to teach kindergarten readiness skills. Learn more about our pre-K programs here.
But, as a parent, you can help your child enter kindergarten with confidence by working on readiness skills at home. Here are some suggestions for working on these skills with your child.
Reading Readiness Skills
Reading books to your child is an obvious activity for reading readiness. But let the child handle the book and teach the child such things as how to hold it in the correct position, open the cover, and turn the pages. While reading to your child, help your child identify rhyming words and recognize letters of the alphabet. After finishing a story, ask your child questions about the story and have your child retell the story to you.
Social & Emotional Development
In kindergarten, teachers will expect your child (with just occasional reminders) to:
- remain focused for a length of time
- work well independently
- follow rules
- regulate his own behavior
- listen when others are speaking
You can encourage these skills at home by expecting the same from your child. When your child doesn’t follow rules or interrupts, gently remind your child by saying things like, “Your sister was talking first. Please wait ’til she’s finished. Don’t forget, it’s not polite to interrupt.” Or, “Remember the rule. No running in the house.”
Fine Motor & Self-help Skills
Be aware that kindergarten teachers will expect children to be able to be able to: carry a lunch tray, open packaged food items, take care of toilet needs, and button or zip their clothes without assistance.
Using a pencil and scissors are also fine motor skills that a child needs to have before going to kindergarten. Encourage your child to practice using a pencil by writing his or her first and last name and the upper- and lower-case letters of the alphabet. Ask your child to draw several simple pictures (Mom or Dad, dog, tree, etc.) on one sheet of paper. Then use scissors to cut out each one.
Find an Academy Preschool Near You
You can also check out our preschools in your city by clicking on any of the links below:
Try Playing with “Loose Parts”
In restaurants, while riding in the car, or spending time at home, kids are watching TV or videos, playing video games, or using mobile devices. You may have the feeling in the back of your mind, that this can’t be all good. So, what do the experts recommend?
The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) recommends no screen time, except for video chatting, for babies up to 18 months. It recommends limiting preschoolers to an hour a day of screen time. This recommendation may shock you because you know that most children are logging much more screen time than this every day.
Getting Down to the Basics of Play
In this blog, we want to suggest one way to replace screen time with creative play time. Our suggestion comes from “The Theory of Loose Parts.” It states, “In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.”
When we apply this theory to play for preschoolers, it might look like this: a box filled with bottle caps, pieces of fabric and wood, pebbles, string, rubber bands, containers, paper, tape, cardboard, crayons, and so on. The creativity and inventiveness happen when you give the box to your child and say, “What can you make with these?” Notice the question is open-ended, not specific like, “Can you make me an airplane with this?” Allowing the child to sort, stack, rearrange, and assemble the loose parts with no suggested outcome encourages creativity. (Tip: a box that’s big enough to sit in is always a good idea!)
Learn More About Our Curriculum
The Academy utilizes many educational theories to give our children the best learning experience possible. We are happy to share these with you to help you continue your child’s learning at home. Click here to learn more about our curriculum at The Academy
Find an Academy Preschool Near You
You can also check out our preschools in your city by clicking on any of the links below:
The Power of Play
No matter how old we get, we never seem to outgrow the joy of playing. Whether it’s a pick-up game of volleyball at the beach or playing a game of Monopoly—people just love to play games.
At The Academy, we know the power of play, and we use it every day with our young students. An abundance of educational research has been done on “play” and its effect on early childhood learning. The research shows a strong connection between creative play and the development of language, and physical, cognitive, and social skills. As a parent, you can foster your child’s development and learning by playing with them.
Recipe for Making Silly Putty
Making silly putty is an activity that’s fun for just about any age. We encourage you to try it at home.
Here are the supplies you will need:
- Borax Solution
- White school glue
- Warm water
- Bowl
- ¼ cup measuring cup
- Stir stick
- Food coloring or egg dye
- Paper towels – just in case!
First, make the Borax solution (without the kids if desired) by filling an 8 oz. plastic bottle about ¾ full of water. Then add 4 teaspoons of Borax and shake to dissolve. (Borax is a common laundry detergent you can find in any grocery store.) Fill the bottle to the top with water and shake again to completely dissolve the Borax. Label the bottle “Borax Solution.”
Now to make the silly putty with the kids, follow these instructions:
- In a bowl mix 1 oz. glue and ¼ cup water.
- Add food coloring to the glue and water mixture.
- Add ¼ cup of the Borax Solution you have already made to the glue and water mixture and stir slowly. The putty will begin to form immediately.
- Stir as much as you can, then dig in and knead it with your hands until it gets less sticky. If there is any leftover water in the bowl, just pour it out.
Tips:
- Mix in larger batches for more fun.
- Encourage kids to be creative with their putty. They can roll it into a ball, bounce it, play a hide-and-seek game with it, throw it to each other, make impressions in it, stretch it, make snapping noises with it, and who knows what else!
Learn More About Our Curriculum
Click here to learn more about our curriculum at The Academy, and visit our individual blog pages to find out about all the interesting activities that go on at our different locations.
Find an Academy Preschool Near You
You can also check out our preschools in your city by clicking on any of the links below:
“Watch Me Mommy!”
Millions of preschool-age children say this phrase daily all over the world as they proudly demonstrate their newest feat – standing on one foot for 5 seconds or jumping forward two feet or throwing a ball. These are the small joys of childhood that come from developing the use of the large muscles in the body, often referred to as “gross motor skills.”
The Importance of Physical Activity
At The Academy preschools in Nashville, TN, we know that incorporating physical activity in a young child’s day helps develop gross motor skills. It also:
- Promotes long-lasting good health
- Increases confidence
- Improves self-esteem that comes from being able to successfully take part in games with other children
- Releases stress and frustration
- Improves other cognitive skills
General Outline of Gross Motor Skills
Each child learns motor skills at a different rate, but the following is a short list of what preschoolers learn at different ages:
A 3-year-old learns to:
- Stand on one foot for 3 seconds
- Walk up and down stairs without holding onto the railing, using one foot on each step
- Jump over a line
- Kick a stationary ball 6 feet
- Throw a ball
- Independently get on/off a tricycle and pedal 20 feet
A 4-year-old learns to:
- Stand on one foot for 5 seconds
- Stand on tiptoes for 3 seconds without moving feet
- Jump over a small hurdle
- Keep balance while running after changing direction
- Walk backwards on a line
- Throw a ball that hits a target 5 feet away
A 5-year-old learns to :
- Stand on one foot for 10 seconds
- Mimic movements accurately
- Skip 10 feet
- Jump sideways
- Kick a ball straight for 10 feet
- Ride a bike with training wheels
- “Dog-paddle” for 2 feet
A Rounded Program
At The Academy we combine physical activity with the best curriculum to create a perfectly rounded program for your child. We invite you to learn more about our curriculum here.
Best Daycares in Franklin TN Contest
If the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BOMA) had a contest for “Best Daycares in Franklin TN,” we are sure that The Academy would be one of the top contenders! We would certainly wow the BOMA judges with our five, convenient day care locations in Franklin, including:
And for the talent part of the contest, we would have no limit of teachers and helpers with the talent of taking care of our little students like they were their very own. We’re also sure that the judges will love our 3-star rating by The Tennessee Star-Quality Child Care Program. The 3-star rating is the best possible rating and means The Academy daycares in Franklin, TN meet the highest possible standards in child care.
The Real Judges
Of course, there is no real Best Daycares in Franklin TN contest, but there are some real judges – all the parents out there with children in day cares. And the judges have already spoken – loud and clear. For nine years in a row, parents have voted us the Best of Parenting Award, given by Nashville Parents Magazine.
Just Doing Our Jobs
Awards and contests have their place, but to us at The Academy, our reward is a job well done. The way we see it, our job is to give children the highest quality care in a fun and safe environment, and to provide parent with peace of mind that their children are receiving the best possible care. This is the job we do every day, without fail, and we love what we do.
If you’re searching for the best daycares Franklin TN has to offer we hope that you will visit one of our centers and get to know us better. We are convinced that you will think we are one of the best daycares in Franklin, too.
What Happens Every Year at This Time?
Can you guess? Let me give you a hint. Green!
No, it’s not St. Patrick’s Day, although we will be celebrating that in style. It’s time for our seasonal program that we call “Green our Scene.” It is our annual focus on recycling. Not just learning about it – but doing it in a very practical way that helps enrich your child’s experience here at the Academy.
Using Our Imaginations to Turn Trash Into Treasure
You’ve heard that old saying about trash versus treasure. It might be the perfect slogan for our “Green the Scene” program. There are many household items that you have that most people would consider trash. But if you collect them and bring them to us, we can turn them into creative and imaginative treasures for your child.
Here are the items that you can recycle by bringing them to us:
- Bubble wrap
- Boxes (empty, assorted sizes)
- Cardboard inserts from packages
- Clean food containers (large plastic coffee containers, oatmeal boxes)
- Empty paper towel rolls
- Empty ribbon spools
- Fabric & ribbon scraps
- Grocery bags
- Hand soap bottles (empty)
- Kitchen items such as pots and pans
- Lids (examples washing detergent, med/large Tupperware)
- Magazines
- Natural baskets
- Natural pine cones
- Newspaper
- Old electronics such as keyboards or remote controls (no batteries)
- Party favors
- Plastic bottles (Gatorade and assorted sizes)
- Sample materials (carpet, paint, tile etc.)
- Scraps of paper or felt
We hope you will take this opportunity to involve the whole family in thinking about and making our community a greener place.
Learn More about Our Other Seasonal Programs and Special Events
Our website is a great source of information for all things happening at the Academy. Click these links to learn about seasonal programs or special events. Additionally, the individual blogs for each location have up-to-date information about activities at each center.
Bringing the Outdoors In
“Bringing the outdoors in” is a phrase you hear on HGTV decorating shows. But in this case, we are talking about “indoor” exercising of those muscles that children use “outdoors.” Typically, gross motor skills, such as running, jumping, climbing, and maybe even hanging up-side-down aren’t always recommended inside!
Indoor Exercising at the Academy
At the Academy, we have lots of indoor space to use for gross motor skill exercises. Using games and imaginative play, our children learn and have fun while developing these skills. You can see some of these activities in action on our video.
Suggested Indoor Activities
Even if you have limited indoor space at home, you can try these activities when it’s too cold for your children to go out:
- Jumping
- Let your child jump off the bottom step and land on both feet on the floor (for ages 2 – 2 ½)
- Set up “hurdles” (made of blocks or other safe obstacles) and let your child jump over them with both feet
- Get your child an indoor “kid’s” trampoline with a handrail. (Jumping may still require your supervision.)
- Crawling
- Set up a “crawling” obstacle course in the living room and make a circuit under tables, over upholstered chairs, and through tunnels made with couch cushions and blankets.
- Hold your child’s legs like a wheelbarrow and let them walk around on their hands.
- Throwing
- Gather up lots of pairs of socks and ball up each pair. Have your child throw the socks into a basket. Give points for each “basket.” Repeat to improve the score!
- Have a “snow ball ” fight with the socks.
- Balancing
- Walk the plank! If you have a balance beam, all the better, but you can use masking tape to tape off a narrow “beam” right on the floor. Children must walk the beam by putting one foot in front of the other.
Why Consider The Academy for Your Child?
One reason to consider The Academy is that we are widely considered one of the best preschools Nashville has to offer, winning the Best of Parenting Award 9 times since 2008. Plus, our curriculum is a nationally recognized and award winning, making it the foundation of our educational preschools and day care centers.
Another reason to choose the Academy is location. We have 11 preschools in greater Nashville to choose from so no matter where you live, or where your moving to, we have a preschool location that is convenient to you. We have preschools in the following areas:
