Teaching Children To Be Generous

How many times have you noticed your preschooler grabbing other children’s toys? You might begin to wonder if your child is selfish. The answer is yes!  But don’t worry, your child just needs time to develop. The Academy is the perfect place to help parents with teaching children to be generous and not be selfish. Parents have voted The Academy top of the list of Nashville preschools for 13 years straight.

Teaching Your Child about Giving

As a parent you need to show your child what it means to think of others even if it does not benefit him. Here are several tips on how to teach your child about giving to others.

• Acts of Kindness. Talk to your child about performing acts of kindness. It can be something as small as drawing a picture for grandma or opening a door for a stranger.
• Donate. Encourage your child to go through his clothes and toys he doesn’t need. Then take him to a center that needs these items so he can appreciate how he has helped others. Additionally, donating time to an elderly neighbor or helping a family member do a chore can be just as meaningful.
• Need. Help your child understand need by discussing family problems that others could have. It might be financial, physical limitations, or emotional problems. Talk to them about ways to help classmates that might have a “need.”
• Volunteering. Bring your child with you as you volunteer. Encourage him to think of people or organizations he feels might need help.

Teaching Children To Be Generous Is a Process

Even after practicing these tips on how to make your child a giver, will he still be selfish at times? Of course! But with constant encouragement, you will be able to see positive changes in your child.

The Top Child Care Centers Nashville Offers Teach Children to Share

Sharing is not often a trait found in children, but it is an important social skill to learn. The child care centers Nashville parents appreciate most, use activities that help child understand the importance life skills. When a child learns about generosity and sharing at an early age, he will continue to practiced it as an adult.

Activities for Sharing Taught at Child Care Centers in Nashville

We all have seen children unwilling to share their toys or excluding classmates from activities. That’s why we feel it’s important to help instill generosity and sharing in our students. We want them to see that the world is much bigger than just them.

These are some of the activities we use to encourage generosity and sharing:

• Reading books that demonstrate what generosity looks like.
  We use the characters in the books to help them see the joy of giving. Then we ask them to discuss ways they could spread joy at school and home.
• Spending time with others.
  We have many activities that the children participate in together. At home, you can encourage your children to interact with friends and family. Children need time away from ever-present technology.
• Modeling acts of generosity and giving.
  Our staff look for ways to model generosity and praise acts of generosity and sharing when exhibited by our students. At home, you can include your child in your acts of generosity by taking them with you when you donate to a local food bank or run an errand for an elderly neighbor, or take a meal to someone who is ill or grieving.

Join The Academy – Day Care and Child Care Centers Nashville

The Academy is an award-winning educational preschool with locations in Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill, Hendersonville, and Murfreesboro. We have multiple daycares in Nashville TN and we would love to have you join our family.

The Best Preschool Programs Nashville Has Are Found at The Academy

There are several reasons why the best preschool programs Nashville has are found at The Academy. One reason is our great curricula. At The Academy, we use a nationally recognized, award-winning curriculum as our foundation.  Also, The Academy’s enrichment program, provided by Pre-Scholar Enrichments, is designed to give children a wealth of hands-on learning experience in addition to the regular curriculum. (No extra cost for the enrichment program.)

Of course, all our preschools centers are modern, clean, and safe, with  more than adequate indoor and outdoor space. Now let’s take a look at three other, perhaps-not-so-obvious reasons our centers are the best.

Structured But Flexible Daily Schedule

Children must have structure and routine. It makes them feel safe. The best daycares have lesson plans prepared that they follow daily. These plans should also allow time in them for flexibility. At The Academy our daily lesson plans are structured, but they  accommodate the needs of all the children.

Accountability

State government mandates many policies for preschool centers to follow, and The Academy meets all the state requirements. But we want to go the extra mile when it comes to accountability. We are a member of the Tennessee Star-Quality Child Care Program, and have received the coveted 3-star rating. This is the highest rating, and it means The Academy preschools  meet the highest possible standards in regard to child care.

Good Nutrition

Many preschool centers ask parents to send snacks and lunches with their children. But at The Academy centers, we provide nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day. We serve a continental style breakfast each morning from opening to 9 a.m., and parents are welcome to enjoy breakfast with their children if they desire.

The Best Preschool Programs Nashville Parents Demand

With eleven locations throughout Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Murfreesboro, and Spring Hill, we have a location near you. We invite you to request more information or schedule a tour of one of our centers. We would love for you to join our family.

The Best Daycares Nashville Has to Offer – Driven by Curiosity

As parents watch their children grow, they notice their joy of discovery. This joy can come from nature, playtime, or books. We at The Academy feel it is an important part of our curriculum to help build a child’s curiosity. We want to share ways you as parents can do this also.

Simple Ways to Build Curiosity

Helping to build your child’s curiosity is not difficult. Here are four easy ways to help your child explore the world around him.

1. Instill a sense of wonder

Parents need to slow down to allow themselves and their child to notice the simple things in nature. Whether it is a flower, snowflake, or a squirrel, observing small things in nature can help your child appreciate the world around him.

2. Communicate through art

Create opportunities for you and your child to develop her curiosity through art. Paints and play dough are fun ways for children to express their feelings. Take pictures on your nature walks. Put them in a book to remind you both of the experiences you shared.

3. Follow your child’s interests

Let your child’s interests determine what he explores. Even if you as a parent don’t know the answers to his questions, together you can search possible solutions. His curiosity with be broadened as he pursues activities he loves.

4. Use open-ended questions

As busy parents, it is often easy to answer questions with a yes or no. But to encourage thinking, prompt your children with thoughtful questions. This will help them with their understanding and lead them to more discoveries.

If You are Curious about the Best Daycares Nashville Has to Offer – Visit Us at the Academy

If you visit us at our Harpeth Village location in nashville, you’ll be visiting one of the premier Nashville TN preschools. Come and see for yourself everything that the Academy has to offer.

Nashville Preschools with Playgrounds that Are Great for Preschoolers

At The Academy we provide playground equipment that is state-of-the-art. Why? Because we know how important playing on a playground is in your child’s develop. They are so important that you should probably only consider sending your children to preschools with playgrounds.

When you become a parent and begin to consider the benefits of a preschool, you often concentrate on the school curriculum.  While reading, writing, art and music are essential to a child’s growth, playground time is just as important. Children enjoy time outside, but, in addition, playing promotes growth and strengthens large muscles in your child.

The Academy Is the Right Place for Your Child

At the Academy we use an award-winning curriculum to provide them the background necessary for elementary school. And we also provide playgrounds to help increase gross motor development for a healthier future. If you are looking for Murfreesboro TN preschools, look no farther than The Academy. We also have locations in Franklin, Brentwood, Nashville, Hendersonville, and Spring Hill.

The Advantages Preschools with Playgrounds Offer Your Children

An often-hidden perk on the playground is when the children try things on their own:

• The stairs on the slide may be difficult at first. But as the stairs get easier with repetition, the child enjoys a sense of accomplishment.
• Using equipment the wrong way has health benefits too. For example, a child might climb up a slide instead of sliding down it. This activity makes a child less clumsy and develops bodily awareness. It also sends messages to the brain about balance and motion, helping develop equilibrium.
• Climbing stairs or climbing up a slide increase core strength as well as leg strength.

Learning to swing is also instructional. The playgrounds at The Academy have swings that are both relaxing and soothing to the child. For young children, our instructors help them swing by pushing them. But as a child gets older, he or she will start to pump their legs on their own. This builds confidence as well as stronger legs and muscles.

The Role of Sensory Play in Preschools

To understand the role of sensory play in preschools, let’s think about a newborn. When a baby is born, its only learning methods are touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, moving, and hearing. A child continues to use these methods to learn about the world throughout early childhood and beyond. In fact, studies show that children (and even adults) learn best when learning engages the senses.

How Sensory Play in Preschools Shapes Learning and Behavior

Sensory play helps build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways and refines a child’s threshold for processing sensory information. For example, exploring sounds and noises while playing helps a child to block out noise that is not important. So, instead of being frightened or distracted by a sound, a child can process the noise appropriately.

As a child develops trust and understanding of sensory perceptions, the brain sends out affirming signals. Sensory play literally helps shape what children believe to be positive or safe. Ultimately, this shapes the choices children make and how they behave.

Ooey-Gooey Week at The Academy

Remember mud pies and slimy spaghetti “guts” at Halloween parties? Making those memories (and nerve connections) is the purpose of Ooey Gooey Week. We usually kick off the week with our Annual Mud Day and follow up with Slime Day. What a blast the kids have on those days!!

Playing with Oobleck is also a favorite activity. Oobleck’s a mesmerizing material that sometimes acts like a solid and sometimes like a liquid. It’s also safe because it’s just made from water and cornstarch.

For the best in preschools Nashville has to offer, consider The Academy with 11 convenient locations. Request information or make an appointment to visit.

*The name comes from the Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Kindergarten Bootcamp at The Academy

People ask, “What is Kindergarten Boot Camp (BC)?” At the Academy, it’s a program that helps prepare our pre-K students to enter kindergarten. It teaches the “little cadets,” as we call them, all the skills they will need to navigate kindergarten.

KBC is a summer program we offer exclusively to our up-and-coming kindergartners. The BEST part for you? There is NO ADDITIONAL cost!

So Much to Learn

The transition from pre-K to kindergarten can be difficult. There are so many new things a child may encounter:

• Going to a new school
• Being in a more formal classroom setting
• Being in a class with more students
• New or unfamiliar teaching methods
• Riding a bus
• Going through a cafeteria line
• Carrying a lunch tray
• Opening a milk carton
• Returning library books
• Having homework
• Workin in a workbook
• Standing in line quietly

A Typical Week at KBC

Monday: Lending Library Day. Cadets get a library card to check out a book to take home to read and bring back the next week.

Tuesday: Cafeteria Day. Cadets get to eat in the “cafeteria” after selecting what they want for lunch. They get a special number to practice with as their lunch account number. And they even get to choose fancy milk cartons just like they would have at kindergarten!

Wednesday: KBC T-shirt Day. Cadets practice special skills, such as buttoning, zipping, and tying laces

Thursday: Homework Day. Cadets turn in their assignment for the week.

Friday: Wrap Up. Cadets get to have cafeteria style lunch again.

The Academy Is a Premier Provider of Educational Preschools in Middle Tennessee

We have educational preschools Nashville and the surrounding areas depend on every day. If you live in Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, or Spring Hill, we have a location near you. See all our locations.

Setting Health Goals

Traditionally, the new year is a time for setting goals. During January and February, the Academy preschools in Nashville, TN are setting some goals that focus on being healthy.

Over the course of these two months, we will be discussing and doing various activities that emphasize:

• being fit through movement and exercise
• healthy eating
• achieving good dental health through dental hygiene

Being a Fitness Fanatic

We are kicking off our special focus on health with a program we call “Fitness Fanatics.” Academy directors and teachers are featuring classic calisthenics (such as jumping jacks). Additionally, they are teaching and using new movement activities such as yoga, hula hooping, and obstacle courses.

Tracking Family Movements

At the Academy, we always include our families in our special programs. So one of the family activities for Fitness Fanatics is for parents to track the time they spend at home with their kids doing “movement.” Movement can include walking, playing a sport, exercising, etc.

Parents report their hours weekly to us, and we keep a log of the hours reported for all the children. At the end of the program, if the school reaches it preset goal, there will be a big celebration.

In addition to a school-wide goal, some of the teachers have set personal fitness goals too (as Ms. Kristen at our Cool Springs location has done – see photo above). We invite our parents to do the same!

The Academy Is Committed to Good Health

The Academy is a certified participant in the Golden Sneaker initiative. This initiative seeks to promote good health policies in licensed child care facilities across Tennessee. To learn more about this initiative, visit any one of our location blog pages:  https://www.academychilddevelopment.com/location-blogs/.

If you would like to get more information about enrolling your child in the Academy, please fill out an online request form. We will respond to you promptly. You can also view our locations by city in the links below:

• Preschools in Franklin TN
• Preschools in Brentwood TN
• Preschools in Hendersonville TN
• Preschools in Murfreesboro TN
• Preschools in Spring Hill TN