3Yr old preschool near me: Preschool Programs for Ages 3

The 2022 SWMI Preschools Guide: Kalamazoo, Portage & Surrounding Communities

Find Your Child’s Perfect Start to School with this List of Kalamazoo Area Preschools

Hello, Preschool!

The arrival of preschool can bring mixed emotions for both kids and parents. It’s exciting and new, but also a bit overwhelming and nerve-racking. After all, you are sending your baby off into the world.

Landing on that perfect school for your little one can make the transition into the school years smoother and happier. We are here to help you do just that.

Our guide will give you options and help you narrow down which school fits your child and family needs best.

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Preschool

Choosing a preschool for your child can seem like such an overwhelming task. When exploring your preschool options around Kalamazoo, keep these important considerations in mind:

• curriculum, teaching methods and learning philosophy
• public, private or religious affiliation
• location
• practical issues such as drop-off and pickup, recess, hours, and after-hours options
• parent communication structure
• food – consider allergy management and food preferences
• cost
• staff experience and staff to student ratios
• classroom resources and playground equipment

*It is a parent’s responsibility to research a preschool’s accreditation status. Accreditation is not a legal requirement for preschools in Michigan and choosing an accredited preschool is a parent preference.

SEE ALSO: Southwest Michigan Schools Guide »

Directory: Kalamazoo Area Preschools

This information is updated for 2022. Ages indicates the child’s age (in years and months) at the beginning of the school year.

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Preschool in Portage

AppleTree & Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool

K-Prep encompasses our entire preschool program with special age-appropriate instruction for 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and Young 5’s.

At AppleTree and Gilden Woods, we understand that preschoolers need the freedom to explore, inquire, and engage. That’s why our comprehensive approach is so effective.

We provide a developmentally appropriate environment for hands-on learning that is stimulating and fun, so your child can grow, play, and learn at their own pace. They’ll love engaging in art, music, early math and science activities, and circle time – and you’ll love the confidence and mastery they develop.

Learn More >>

Hours
6:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Preschool in Kalamazoo

The Montessori School

The Montessori School provides a warm and vibrant educational home designed to foster a love of learning and help all children reach their fullest potential at their own unique pace. We strive to educate the whole child and to inspire children to be caring, socially responsible participants in their community and world.

Our carefully prepared classrooms are staffed with highly qualified, Montessori-certified head teachers and specially trained staff. Multi-age classrooms allow the children to learn from one another and to be valued contributors to the classroom community.

Learn More >>

From the minute we enrolled our two kids, our experience has been second to none and we couldn’t be happier!
-Steve A

Hours
7:30 AM to 6:00 PM

Open House Info
Tours available upon request

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo

The Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo offer two great preschool options.

St. Augustine Cathedral School, downtown, and St. Monica Catholic School, on the border between Kalamazoo and Portage, provide fully licensed, welcoming preschool classrooms located within nurturing, Catholic faith-based elementary schools.

Children benefit from a curriculum that provides activities and skills from each developmental area – cognitive, creative, physical, spiritual, language, and Social Emotional Learning – making up the “whole child.” The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is a central component of our curriculum: a hands-on program that focuses on faith development of each child.

Schedule a visit today!

St. Augustine: (269) 349-1945
St. Monica: (269) 345-2444

Learn More >>

Our children have learned to read, add, and subtract, built strong friendships, developed emotional coping skills, strengthened their relationship with Jesus Christ, and are prepared to start elementary school!
-David and Amber P

Hours
7:15 AM to 5:30 PM

Open House Info
Tours can be scheduled by appointment

Preschool in Portage

Milestones Early Learning

At Milestones, we believe in placing children first.

By using proven education techniques in a play-based program, our quality staff engages and helps to further each child’s cognitive, language, social, emotional, physical, and creative development.

All of our convenient, locally owned and operated West-Michigan locations offer year-round programs for children from six weeks to twelve years. Milestones’ place great emphasis on the natural environment and learning in the outdoors.

Through these programs, each child at Milestones is given ample opportunities to explore their environment and expand their social and problem-solving skills.

Milestones’ staff understand the developmental importance of play and how to engage my children’s natural curiosities. My children love attending, excited for what new adventures and lessons await each day.

Hours
6:00 AM to 6:30 PM

Preschool in Portage

Kalamazoo Country Day School

Using The Creative Curriculum, we foster growth in early literacy, science, fine motor, gross motor, and social-emotional skills.

Certified teachers lead using a multi-sensory approach and cross-curricular activities to help children develop in a caring environment. Preschoolers will enjoy weekly specials in gym and music as well as daily outside recess time.

We offer a balanced combination of academics, play, and structure to give children a positive first school experience and prepare your child for kindergarten success.
Curriculum:
• The Creative Curriculum
• Heggerty Phonemic Awareness

Programs available:
Extended ½ day (8am-12:45pm)
Full day program

My kids have the support they need but so do I, as a parent, that’s something that I’m extremely grateful for.
-Hannah T

Hours
7:30 AM to 5:30 PM

Open House Info
Tours are scheduled at your convenience.

Preschool in Portage

Mrs. O’s Preschool

Mrs. O’s Preschool provides a nurturing environment and high quality education for young children.

With over 60 combined years of early elementary teaching experience, we believe in developmental, age-appropriate learning, where children learn at their own pace. We offer a balanced combination of academics, play, and structure to give children a positive first school experience.

As career kindergarten teachers, it’s been our experience that incoming 5-year-olds are lacking in preparatory academic fundamentals and social cues. Mrs. O’s directors will prepare your 3, 4, & 5-year olds with foundational values and skills they’ll use for life.

So many wonderful things about Mrs. O’s. The teachers are so caring. My son has progressed so much socially and academically. He is going to be ready for kindergarten!

Hours
9:00 AM to 3:30 PM

Preschool in Portage

Early Learning Center at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo

YMCA Early Learning Center programs strengthen families and boost youth development by offering learning readiness experiences and comprehensive child development programs.

Early learning builds a foundation for ongoing and future achievement and success.

Program Highlights
· Licensed by the State of Michigan
· Great Start to Quality participant
· KC Ready 4s partner
· Creative Curriculum
· Swim lessons
· Tennis lessons
· Nature walks
· Physical education class
· Financial assistance available
· YMCA MEMBERSHIP for the entire family to enjoy both Portage and Maple facilities.

Hours
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Open House Info
Tours offered by appointment. Email [email protected] or call (269) 345-9622 extension 161.

Preschool in Portage

Kaleidoscope Kids Preschool

Chapel Hill Kaleidoscope Kids Preschool was created to provide high-quality early childhood education, rooted in a progressive understanding of the Christian faith, to children of the greater Kalamazoo/Portage area.

Kaleidoscope Kids will be a preschool that affirms all the inherent worth of marginalized peoples, creating a more just world both for the children and staff and for parent/guardians who might not have felt safe or affirmed in other childcare spaces.

Hours
7:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Open House Info
March 8, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Private tours also available upon request.

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Comstock Early Learning Academy

Comstock Early Learning Academy (CELA) is an innovative early childhood education center operated by Comstock Public Schools.

Students will have a positive learning experience with peers and adults in a fun, safe, and creative environment. We provide child-focused and play-based learning opportunities to cultivate life-long learners who are successful in all areas of living.

Hours
8:00 AM to 3:30 PM

Preschool in Vicksburg

Heart and Hands Christian Preschool

Using The Creative Curriculum, we foster growth in early literacy skills, mathematics, science, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and social-emotional skills.

• Half-day classes
• Small class sizes
• A school-like atmosphere
• Balance of free choice time and academics

2 + 3-Day Classes include a parent Co-op option and faith-based learning.
• T/TH (3s)
• M/W/F (4s)

5-Day Class is a KC Ready 4s + GRSP participant, providing FREE tuition to qualifying families

Hours
9:00 AM to 12:15 PM

Open House Info
February 1, 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Starting Point Preschool

At Starting Point Preschool, we provide a positive and loving environment where children can grow and learn. Our mission is to inspire a love of learning in kids as we provide a nurturing environment, encouraging kids to explore creativity and develop independence as they grow in their relationship with God.

Hours
7:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Open House Info
Private tours are available upon appointment, if you are interested please give us a call at (269) 459-9517 or email us at [email protected]

Preschool in Portage

Christ for Kids Preschool at St. Michael Lutheran

St.

Michael provides a Christian setting for children to grow spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically.

Certified teachers lead using a multi-sensory approach and cross-curricular activities to help children develop in a caring environment. Preschoolers will enjoy weekly chapel, music class and time with book buddies!

All members of the community are welcome regardless of faith affiliation.

Preschool in Kalamazoo & Calhoun Counties

FBR Child Development Centers

The mission of the Child Development Center is to cooperate with parents to nurture the development of enthusiasm, confidence and early life skills that are necessary for each child’s success in school and later life.

Learn More >>

Hours
6:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Small World Christian Preschool

We help each child realize he/she is a special, unique child of God

• Promote social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual development with Christian values
• Nurture self-esteem and loving concern for others

Activities: free and directed play, music, art, devotions, field trips, creative movement, storytime, languages, show & tell, social readiness, motor and listening skills

Open House Info
January 25, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
February 22, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Westwood Christian Co-op Preschool

*Fully licensed

*Established in 1981
*Excellent, experienced, certified teachers
*Fosters child’s awareness that s/he is a unique child of God
*Cooperative program allows parents to participate in child’s education
*Loving Christian atmosphere
*Exciting “hands on” activities
*Kindergarten readiness curriculum
*Field trips
*Small class size
*Low cost

Hours
9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Open House Info
Not scheduled yet; please see our website for tour times.

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Haven’s Little Treasures Christian Preschool

Nurturing students to learn and grow in God’s truths academically, socially and spiritually.

3-year-old class: Tues/Thurs 9:00-11:30 AM.

4-year-old class: MWF 8:30-11:30 AM or MWF 12:00-3:00 PM.

Learning activities include creativity, imagination, music, Bible, physical development, free play, socialization and kindergarten readiness.

Scholarships are available.

Hours
8:30 AM to 3:00 PM

Preschool in Portage

KidFit Daycare

We offer high-quality, safe, and developmentally appropriate care for children ages 2.5 to 5 years old.

KidFit kids get daily exercise at Kingdom Indoor Center during inclement weather or during the winter months.

KidFit kids get one free class and subsequent programming is 50% off.

Full time preschool: 2, 3, 4 or 5 days/week.

Open House Info
Tours available upon request

Preschool in Kalamazoo

Kazoo School

Kazoo School’s preschool is child-centered, focused on meeting the needs of the whole child.

Curricula revolves around the interests of the children and embraces multiple intelligences.

An outdoor school with Kleinstuck Preserve as our backyard, we explore the woods often, bringing our discoveries and experiences back to the classroom.

Hours
8:00 AM to 6:00 PM

More Preschools

Adventures Learning Center	4295 Bishop Ave Portage, MI 49002 269-323-3600
AppleTree Learning Center	909 Dix St Otsego, MI 49078 269-692-3675
Bullfrogs & Butterflies Christian Preschool	5902 S 12th St Portage, MI 49024 269-488-2120
Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo St. Augustine Cathedral School	600 W Michigan Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269-349-1945
Catholic Schools of Greater Kalamazoo St. Monica Catholic School	530 W Kilgore Rd Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-345-2444
Child Development Centers	6 SWMI locations 269-731-5775
Christ for Kids Preschool and Childcare St. Michael Lutheran School	7211 Oakland Dr Portage, MI 49024 269-327-4889
Comstock Early Learning Academy	6171 East MN Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49048 269-250-8960
Curious Kids	1010 W Milham Ave Portage, MI 49024 269-323-6780
Discovery Center Kids	4102 W Michigan Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49006 269-372-0007
Early Learning Center at the YMCA	2900 W Centre Ave Portage, MI 49024 1001 W Maple St Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-345-9622 ext 161
El Concilio: Escuelita Nuevo Horizonte	930 Lake St # A Kalamazoo, MI 49001 269-385-6279
Gagie School	615 Fairview Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-344-6541
Gift of Grace Montessori	269-365-5775 [email protected]
Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool – Portage	1518 E Centre Ave Portage, MI 49002 269-359-1115
Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool – Kalamazoo	4620 Arboretum Pkwy Kalamazoo, MI 49006 269-459-9301
Great Explorations Preschool	Portage, MI 269-762-7115
Haven’s Little Treasures Christian Preschool	5350 N Sprinkle Rd Kalamazoo, MI 49004 269-344-5871
Heart and Hands Christian Preschool	217 S Main St Vicksburg, MI 49097 269-649-2343
Jack and Jill Co-Op Preschool	8047 Church St Richland, MI 49083 269-629-9149
JumpStart Childcare Center of Kalamazoo	6712 Financial Pkwy Kalamazoo, MI 49009 269-544-3000
Kalamazoo Christian Preschool	3800 S 12th St Kalamazoo, MI 49009 269-381-2044
Kalamazoo Country Day School	3221 E Milham Rd Portage, MI 49002 269-329-0116
Kalamazoo Public Schools (PEEP)	3501 Moreland St Kalamazoo 49001 269-337-0095
Kaleidoscope Kids Preschool Portage Chapel Hill Church	7028 Oakland Dr Portage, MI 49024 269-327-6643 ext 113
Kazoo School	1401 Cherry St Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-345-3239
KidFit Daycare	8146 Merchant Pl Portage, MI 49002 269-775-1311
Learning Village – Fairfax	202 Fairfax Kalamazoo, MI 49001 269-382-3887
Learning Village – Lake St	215 Lake St Kalamazoo, MI 49001 269-341-6070
Little Miracles Christian Learning Center Southridge Church	6726 Texas Dr Kalamazoo, MI 49009 269-353-2700, ext. 222
Looking Glass Preschool & Daycare	5527 Parkview Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49009 269-372-9766
Loy Norrix Child Care Center	606 East Kilgore Rd Kalamazoo, MI 49001 269-337-0264
MAA Expanded Learning Center	151 S Rose St Suite 106 Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269-743-7616
Milestones Child Development Center	8101 Moorsbridge Rd Portage, MI 49024 269-443-2148
Milwood Commons Preschool & Childcare	2031 E Cork St Kalamazoo, MI 49001 269-344-9731
The Montessori School	750 Howard St Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-349-3248
Mrs. O’s Preschool	8025 Moorsbridge Rd Portage, MI 49024 269-993-0066
Nature’s Way Preschool	4442 Oakland Dr Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-343-7342
Nazarene Wee Care Center	5625 Oakland Dr Portage, MI 49024 269-327-3100
New Wonders Discovery Center	7000 Stadium Dr, Suite 203 Kalamazoo, MI 49009 269-326-4926
Northglade Montessori Magnet School	1914 Cobb Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49007 269-337-0700
Otis Montessori Academy	810 E Center Ave Portage, MI 49002 269-327-8277
Pathfinder Kids	8740 S Westnedge Ave Portage, MI 49002 269-327-6762
PCCN Co-Op Preschool	3600 W Milham Rd Portage, MI 49024 269-323-7855
RHCS Preschool	700 N Fletcher Kalamazoo, MI 49006 269-383-0505
Schoolcraft Community Co-op Preschool	169 N Cedar St Schoolcraft, MI 49087
Shamrock Montessori Preschool	7508 Oakland Dr Portage, MI 49024 269-324-4818
Small World Christian Preschool	2400 Winchell Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49008 269-344-4920
Small World Learning Center	3616 Lake St Kalamazoo, MI 49048 269-341-9800
Starting Point Preschool Centerpoint Church	2345 N 10th St Kalamazoo, MI 49009 269-459-9517
Westwood Christian Co-Op Preschool Westwood Christian Reformed Church	620 Northhampton Kalamazoo, MI 49006 269-381-8691
WoodsEdge YMCA Preschool	1501 E Milham Ave Portage, MI 49002 269-250-9452

3-Year-Old Preschool — Sioux Falls Lutheran School

Hands-on, Play-based

REGISTRATION FOR THE

2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR OPENS:

JANUARY 10

TO CURRENT FAMILIES
AND ASSOCIATION CONGREGATIONS

JANUARY 24

TO THE GREATER
SIOUX FALLS COMMUNITY

Classes Have Reached Capacity

Our 3-year-old preschool classes have reached capacity for the 2022-23 school year. If you are interested in enrollment, please submit an admissions application to join our waiting pool, and we will connect with you if and when space becomes available in the program.

Our hands-on, play-based approach to learning is designed to capitalize on your child’s natural curiosity. We build cognitive, physical, social, and emotional skills through a variety of engaging activities.

Our 3-year-old preschool classes strengthen:

• social and emotional skills during free play time, group activities + show and tell

• fine motor skills by sorting items with tweezers, using scissors, and playing with puzzles, blocks, and play-doh

• gross motor skills through play during indoor and outdoor recess

• shape, color, letter, and number recognition through songs, finger plays, stories, and art projects

• counting skills through cooking, calendar exploration, and music & movement time

• language skills through nursery rhymes, syllable exploration, and story time

• faith life through simple prayers, songs, Bible stories, and monthly “chapel time” with local pastors and Christian educators

After 15 years of recognition as a Local Best preschool, we are grateful and honored to be named the #1 preschool in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the fourth year running.

Flexible Enrollment Options

To best serve your family, we offer flexible scheduling options for children ages three and up. When you enroll, you have the option to choose from half-day (8:00—11:15 a.m.) or full-day (8:00 a.m.—3:15 p.m.) preschool classes and select which days of the week your child attends school. For 3-year-olds, we recommend a minimum of two half-days of class per week.

BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
To accommodate the schedules of families who need child care outside of school hours, we offer a before & after school program from 7:00-8:00 a.m and 3:15-6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Your child gets checked in and out of the program on a computer, and an hourly rate applies only when your child is present in the program.

DROP-IN OPTIONS
Our drop-in program is designed to help you accommodate unforeseen childcare needs. Once the school year begins, simply check with your teacher, our early childhood director, or our admissions director to see which days and times we are able to accommodate drop-in students. To use the service, call 24 hours prior to your desired drop off time to confirm that we have an opening for your child. Participating children must be enrolled in preschool at Sioux Falls Lutheran School.

Hot Lunch Program
Sioux Falls Lutheran School families have the option to pack and send a lunch to school or order hot lunches, in advance, through Lifescape.

SCHEDULING YOUR VISIT

Because we know that visits play an important role in helping you choose the right school for your child, we invite you to schedule a campus visit with our early childhood director. Please contact our admissions director, Megan Baedke, at 605-335-1923 to schedule your family’s visit today!

If a virtual visit is a better fit for your family at this time, we encourage you to view the virtual preschool visit and building tour videos below. Once you complete the online portions of our campus visit, please contact our admissions director, Megan Baedke, at 605-335-1923 to talk through the next steps in our enrollment process.

Virtual Preschool Visit for 3-Year-Olds

Virtual Building Tour

Complete a Virtual Visit

Learn More

What families are saying:

“The teachers and staff are outstanding. They go above and beyond to help my active kid adjust to school life. The new building is also a blessing, and the pricing is reasonable.” –Carla, SFLS Parent

“I love the scheduling options. You provided such a great avenue to segue my son into the routine and expectations of school without it being overwhelming and stressful.” –Brooke, SFLS Parent

“The best thing about SFLS is the ‘culture of service’ imbued by the staff. Everyone is always incredibly helpful. I love that my daughter observes this everyday! By walking into your building, she is learning that people should always help each other, however they can!” –Carey, SFLS Parent

“We have absolutely loved our experience at SFLS. My only regret is not finding you sooner!” –Kay, SFLS Parent

School Blog:

Sep 13, 2022

Christina VanDenHoek Joins Preschool Team at SFLS

Sep 13, 2022

SFLS is pleased to welcome Mrs. Christina VanDenHoek to the 4-year-old preschool team during the 2022-23 school year.

Read More →

Sep 13, 2022

Nov 4, 2021

Fostering Friendship and Empathy Among Early Learners

Nov 4, 2021

Our early childhood director, Brenda Bernard, provides tips for fostering friendship and empathy among early learners—foundational skills that will benefit them for a lifetime!

Read More →

Nov 4, 2021

3-year-old Preschool – Johnston Community School District

Students are engaged in activities and learning opportunities to grow socially, emotionally, physically and cognitively in the early learning environment. The maximum number of students for 3-year-olds is 16 students with two teachers.

Our 3-year-preschool program days, times and expense are listed in the chart below. Project Ready for School Scholarships are available for qualifying students. To attend, children must be three years old by Sept. 15 and do not need to live in the district.

Curriculum

The Johnston preschool curriculum is based on the Creative Curriculum for Preschool, early literacy concepts, Zaner Bloser writing and Everyday Math. The curriculum also adheres to the Iowa Early Learning Standards for Preschool. The Early Childhood program is accredited in the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards (IQPPS).

Also available in the preschool program:

• Field trips
• Hearing, vision and speech screenings
• A literacy assessment
• Parent/teacher conferences held twice yearly

Philosophy

Our philosophy is to include all children. Children with special needs are included in our preschool classrooms. An early childhood special education (ECSE) teacher and associates work in the classroom to support the individual educational goals of the ECSE children. The preschool teacher and the ECSE teacher work together as a team to implement the curriculum.

2022-23 Registration (Opens 8 a.m. Feb. 2, 2022)

Children enrolling in 2 & 3 Year Old Preschool need to register through Eleyo. Online is the quickest and preferred way to register. You will need to set up an account in Eleyo if you don’t already have one prior to registering for 2 & 3 Year Old Preschool.  Registration by phone is also available, starting 8 a.m. Feb. 2, 2022. Please call 515-727-5352; translation services are available. 2 & 3 Year Old Preschool classes are first come, first serve. If your desired course is already full, add your child to the wait list. If there are several children on the wait list, we will see if additional class sections can be added. *Children must be age 2 by Sept. 15, 2022 to enroll in 2 Year Old preschool and age 3 by Sept. 15, 2022 to enroll in 3 Year Old preschool.

ALL FAMILIES REGISTERING FOR 2 & 3 YEAR OLD PRESCHOOL (Opens Feb. 2, 2022)

1. Go to johnston.ce.eleyo.com and choose your preferred preschool class time. Learn about the different class times and prices here.

2. Pay the $65 one time, non-refundable program fee.**A scholarship program may be available. This scholarship provides financial assistance for families who qualify to help cover the expense of 2 or 3 Year Old Preschool tuition. Application are available online at bit.ly/jela-scholarship.

3. Enter your information and you will receive an email with the next steps in the registration process. NOTE: Registration is not final until all steps have been completed.

4. Turn in or mail a hard copy of your child’s physical and immunization records to the JELA office (P. O. Box 10, 6207 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston) by May 1, 2021.

If you need assistance with registration, please call the Johnston Early Learning Academy at 515-727-5352; translation services are available. Placement is on a first come, first service bases until each class is filled.

There is a $65 one-time non-refundable program fee required upon initial registration. Your family will receive a follow up email to complete your registration through Infinite Campus at a later date.

2022-2023 3-year preschool Program Class Schedule and Fees

Four days/week class schedule | $300/month

TIME	DAYS	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	LOCATION
9:00-11:30 a.m.	Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.	16	Johnston Early Learning Academy (6207 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston)
9:00-11:30 a. m.	Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.	16	Johnston Early Learning Academy
12:30- 3:00 p.m.	Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri.	16	Johnston Early Learning Academy

Three days/week class schedule | $250/month

Two days/week class schedule | $200/month

TIME	DAYS	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	LOCATION
9:00-11:30 a. m.	Tues., & Thurs.	16	Johnston Early Learning Academy (6207 NW 62nd Ave, Johnston)

Project Ready for School

Project Ready for School is a scholarship program for preschoolers who qualify to help them have a successful experience in kindergarten. The scholarship provides preschool tuition and family literacy visits. You must live in the Johnston Community School District to qualify and the child must be three or four years old by Sept. 15. Call Joy Palmer at 515-727-JELA (5352) for an application or for more information.

Project Ready for School Scholarship Application

Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement
It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216. 7and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office Building, 400 E. 14th St., Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone number 515-281-4121, 800-457-4416; web site: Iowa Civil Rights Commission.

Additional Telephone Numbers
English/Spanish 1-866-632-9992
English (TDD) 1-800-877-8339
Spanish (TDD) 1-800-845-6136

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Preschool – City of Aurora

2022-2023 Preschool

The 2022-2023 continuous preschool program is now in full swing!  We are continuing registration for the school year.  Registration for continuous preschool classes is open to the public. Space is limited in classes! Please contact the location you are interested in attending to register for the upcoming school year. A payment of the first month of tuition is due at the time of registration to secure your child’s slot.  

Assistance is available for participants who qualify.  

City of Aurora Preschools has been awarded a grant to help support families of students who are 3 years old, entering kindergarten in the fall of 2024.  CLICK HERE for more information!

For detailed information or to register, call Preschool is the start of a child’s educational journey. Our goal is to provide a positive and engaging learning environment for all of our students. Our preschools focus on each child as an individual, allowing each child to learn at his/her own pace and through new experiences. We offer a play based curriculum that focuses on the Colorado Early Learning and Developmental Guidelines. We provide a safe, fun and engaging environment where children are free to explore and express themselves through play. All city of Aurora preschool programs are licensed by the Colorado Office of Early Childhood. 

Programs Offered

The city of Aurora offers a continuous preschool program during the school year (August – May) for children ages 2 to 5-years-old. Registration for continuous classes begins in April and is taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Continuous classes include:

Parent/Tot: Back by popular demand, this class is an opportunity for parents/caregivers and their children ages 18 months to 2 1/2 years to explore and learn together!  Each class session will include a parent education topic relevant for parents of young children.  Class structure will allow for open communication between parents and teachers to support understanding and implementation of learning activities specific to toddlers.  Class meets for 1 1/2 hours on Tuesday and Thursday morning at the Meadowood Preschool.

Toddling Tots:  Class is designed for children ages 2 1/2-3 years.  This program is 2 hours in length and meets on Monday and Wednesday at Meadowood Preschool.  Must be 2 1/2 years old by the start of class.

Tiny Tots: Class is designed for children ages 3 years. This program meets 2 or 4 days a week for 2 ½ hours hours each day. Must be 3-years-old by October 1st of the school year.

Kinder Kids: Class is designed for children entering kindergarten the following year. This program meets 4 days per week for 3 or 4 hours each day.  Must be 4-years-old by October 1st of the school year.

Combo Class: Class is a combination of 3 and 4 year old students.  The program meets 2 or 4 days a week for 2 3/4 to 6 1/2 hours.  Must be 3 or 4 years old by October 1st of the school year.
 

Congratulations to all city of Aurora Preschools for your continued commitment to quality from Colorado Shines Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS).  

Colorado Shines is a rating and improvement system for licensed early care and learning programs. Using proven methods, it measures overall school quality based on five areas:

1. Workforce Qualifications and Professional Development
2. Family Partnerships
3. Leadership, Management and Administration
4. Learning Environment
5. Child Health Promotion

Research consistently shows that children who attend quality early care and learning programs are more likely to do well in school and less likely to drop out or need remedial education. Quality early education helps children start strong and the benefits last forever.

Locations

The city of Aurora offers preschool classes at four different locations. Please contact the location you are interested in for more information about specific classes and availability.

City of Aurora Preschools are Now Hiring!
Are you an Early Childhood Education professional and want to be part of an amazing team that is committed to high quality programs for young children?  City of Aurora Preschools is now accepting applications for Early Childhood Teachers, Substitutes and Summer Program Teachers! Visit the city of Aurora’s careers page to apply.  

PARTIAL DAY PRESCHOOL | YMCA of Rochester

It is our intent to bring the Y’s Partial Day Preschool Program back this fall. The YMCA of Greater Rochester is committed to providing high quality early education for all. Using NYS Educational Standards and Curriculum, we aim to best prepare our students for success here at the YMCA and beyond.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Social Emotional Growth: Early Education plays an important role in developing effective communication, problem solving skills and creativity. Facilitated, open-ended play time allows children to explore their interests in a safe, supportive environment. Children are encouraged to enjoy a variety of stations in the classroom, from dramatic play, to building, to arts & crafts, reading & writing, and more!
• Physical Development: Classes with children three-year-olds and older will receive a weekly physical education class. These classes focus on developing the foundation of fine and gross motor movements needed to develop hand-eye coordination, exposure to different types of sports and games, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate good sportsmanship, resiliency, and teamwork. These children will also receive weekly swim lessons to help them understand the importance of safety around water and learn to swim!
• Trained Staff: All our staff have a passion for working in early education. They are certified in First Aid, CPR, and Child Abuse Prevention. Lead Teachers are qualified and experienced providers who facilitate a warm and nurturing environment in which children can thrive.
• Members-Only Program: Participants must have a YMCA membership. This membership must be active by the time of first payment. This membership can be a junior membership just for your child, or a family membership.

All preschool participants must be YMCA members at the start of the school year in the fall. 

LOCATIONS & REGISTRATION

View locations, pricing, and registration links by selecting a location from the list below. Your child must be age appropriate by December 1, 2022. Ex: Your child must be 2 years old by December 1, 2022 to be eligible for 2 year old classes.

Camp Arrowhead

Looking for more information? Contact us!

Canandaigua Family YMCA

Age Group	Available Classes
2 Year Olds	Tuesday and Thursday 9:30-11 am Member: $30 per week, Non-Member: $50 per week REGISTER HERE
2 Year Olds	Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30-11 am Member: $45 per week, Non-Member: $74 per week REGISTER HERE
3 Year Olds	Tuesday and Thursday 9-11:30 am Member: $40 per week, Non-Member: $56 per week ​​​​​​​REGISTER HERE
3 Year Olds	Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9-11:30 am Member: $57. 50 per week, Non-Member: $78 per week ​​​​​​​REGISTER HERE
3 Year Olds	Monday-Friday 9-11:30 am Member: $87.50 per week, Non-Member: $118 per week ​​​​​​​REGISTER HERE
4 Year Olds	Monday-Friday 12:15-2:45 pm Member: $87.50 per week, Non-Member: $118 per week ​​​​​​​REGISTER HERE

Looking for more information? Contact us!

Eastside Family Branch

Looking for more information? Contact us!

Northwest Family Branch

Looking for more information? Contact us!

Schottland Family Branch

Looking for more information? Contact us!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We want our preschool families to feel confident and comfortable as they enter our program. Check out our FAQ’s below!

What does a typical day look like?

Schedule may vary by class and branch, but each class will have these components:

• Greeting, put belongings away, table time
• Circle time – calendar and weather, discuss theme, project and/or activity for the day
• Work time – small groups with teachers at the table doing guided activity
• Centers – children utilize a variety of area in in the classroom
  • Kitchen
  • Dramatic play
  • Building and transportation
  • Library
  • Arts and crafts
  • Writing
  • Puzzles and manipulatives
• Snack time and or lunch
• Active Play
  • Adventure Center
  • Physical Education Class
  • Swim Lesson
  • Yoga Class
• Clean up and dismissal

What do children need to bring each day?

Children should bring:

• Labeled backpack that can hold a folder
• Extra change of clothes in a labeled gallon bag
• Labeled water bottle
• Close toed shoes and comfortable clothing for active play

Do you have Early Intervention parent resources?

Yes, please see below:

• CDC’s Developmental Milestones
• Monroe County Early Intervention, Birth through 2 Years 

Early Intervention is services and supports available for children who may have development delays and disabilities and their families. See below for school district specific resources for Early Intervention:

• Brighton
• Brockport
• East Irondequoit
• East Rochester
• Fairport
• Gananda
• Gates Chili
• Greece
• Hilton
• Honeoye Falls-Lima
• Penfield
• Pittsford
• Rochester City School District
• Rush-Henrietta
• Spencerport
• Wayne
• Webster
• West Irondequoit
• Wheatland-Chili

How can parent/guardians best support their student?

• Preschool is a partnership between the YMCA and your family. Open and clear communication is essential for everyone’s success. Please let us know of any insights, concerns, ideas at any time. Our door is always open!
• Parent/guardians can attend Meet your Teacher events, Curriculum Night, holiday celebrations, and Parent/guardian / Teacher Conferences.
• Encourage your student to try hard things – preschool stretches student’s comfort zones and academic skills. Helps students by fostering a positive outlook towards skill building

What does the school year look like?

Each branch follows their local school district’s calendar for holidays, breaks, and snow days.

What is the teacher to student ratio?

The teacher to student ratio will be 1:6.

How do swim lessons work?

Swim lessons are for children in 3 year old classes and up. This does not include 2-3 year old combination classes.

• Swim lessons are taught by certified swim instructors. The ratio for swim lessons are 1:6.
• On swim days, students should wear their suits under their clothes.
• Please pack a swim bag with undergarments to change into after swimming and a towel.\
• Morning classes will swim the last part of their day and dismiss on the pool deck. Parent/guardians will change students into dry clothes.
• Afternoon classes will swim the first part of their class. Please meet in the locker room at the class start time, ready to swim. YMCA staff will change students into dry clothes.
• Students do not have to swim or put their heads under water if they choose to swim.
• Any questions regarding swim lessons should be directed to the branch’s Aquatics Director.

Preschool – Henrico County Public Schools

Henrico County Public Schools offers a preschool program at many elementary schools to children who meet specific criteria. Preschool is a full-day program that follows the HCPS school calendar and school hours. School hours vary depending on location. The preschool program empowers students with the knowledge, skills, attributes and experiences to be life-ready.

HCPS preschool students gain literacy and other skills using a developmentally appropriate, hands-on curriculum, including a focus on phonemic awareness; language enrichment; letters and sounds; decoding and beginning reading and writing; numeracy with a focus on numbers and number sense; and social and emotional development.  

Our program reinforces HCPS’ Henrico Learner Profile and focuses on creative and critical thinking, communicating, collaborating, quality character and becoming an effective global citizen in our increasingly diverse society.

Concerned about your child’s development? Don’t sit back and wait.

Ask about Child Find.

ELIGIBILITY

Early Learning Preschool is funded through the Virginia Preschool Initiative and federal Head Start grants awarded to the school division.

Acceptance to an HCPS Early Learning Preschool classroom is granted as slots are available, after a complete application has been submitted and reviewed. Invitations for enrollment are based on specific criteria, and are not granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Eligible students who live within the attendance zone of a school with an HCPS preschool classroom are considered first.

Children must be 4 years old on or before Sept. 30 of the upcoming school year and reside in Henrico County. There are no exceptions to age and residency requirements. There is no cost to families for the program and transportation will be provided for preschool students in accordance with HCPS transportation guidelines. HCPS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs and activities.

WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY

The online application for the 2022-23 school year is now open.

• Complete an application in English.
• Complete an application in Spanish.

Please note: Preschool applications submitted Aug. 12 or later will be placed on a waitlist and reviewed as classroom slots become available.

Apply Now!

Here are the documents you’ll need to upload with your application:

• Child’s certified birth certificate (original document). If in a language other than English, you must provide a translated copy in English.  
• Proof of income for all individuals contributing to the family. You may provide one of the following: 2021 W2; 2021 1040 tax form; two most recent check stubs; TANF verification; or a letter from your employer indicating period of employment and salary, child support, social security benefits and/or unemployment. 
• Current lease/mortgage agreement. If not in your name, you must complete a residency affidavit, which must be notarized by a notary. The homeowner or person renting the home must be present with you at the time of your scheduled appointment. 
• Current utility bill (gas, electric, water, etc.) in your name, dated within the past 30 days. 

• Picture I.D. (military I.D., driver’s license, DMV I.D. or other photo I.D.)
• Medical and dental insurance cards. 
• Current physical/immunization examination report (showing TB immunization), completed within one year before the start of the preschool school year. Page one must be completed and signed by the student’s parent or guardian. 
• Completed dental exam form, dated within the past six months. 
• Court-ordered custody papers, if applicable. 
• Individualized Education Program (IEP), if applicable.

If anything is missing from your application, a staff member will contact you.

Early Learning Preschool classroom sites:

• Jacob Adams
• Arthur Ashe
• George Baker
• Chamberlayne
• Crestview
• Cashell Donahoe

• Echo Lake
• Glen Lea
• Greenwood
• Harvie
• Highland Springs
• Elizabeth Holladay

• Sandston
• Skipwith
• Springfield Park
• Three Chopt
• Henry Ward

Contact Information:

For the fastest response to any questions regarding HCPS’ Early Learning Preschool program, email preschool@henrico. k12.va.us. You may also call our office at 804-328-8104. Please be aware that because of the large volume of calls we receive, email is the most efficient way to communicate.

Does the child need to go to kindergarten

Does a child need to go to kindergarten? They say that “home” children are very difficult to adapt to school, because they are not used to being in a team.

Until recently, it was believed that kindergarten is a truly necessary link in the development of every child. Indeed, “home” kids often had difficulty adapting to school rules, to the rules of communication adopted in the peer group. Perhaps these difficulties were explained primarily by the fact that there were very few such children, the vast majority were just “kindergarten” children. Often, children moved in whole groups from the “yard” kindergarten to the same “yard” (that is, in the microdistrict) school. And if a child who spent the first seven years of his life under his mother’s and grandmother’s wing fell into the same class, he, of course, had a hard time.

Today the situation is different. Children who have never attended kindergarten are no longer an exception. In addition, the very concept of “kindergarten” today is not as clear as it used to be. In addition to the standard state kindergarten, there are a number of other options for “employment” of a preschool child. So, children come to the first grade with the most diverse “luggage”: someone went to an ordinary kindergarten, someone went to some Development Center, and someone sat at home with a nanny.

And now, at first, timid, but gaining strength, voices of those who took the liberty of asserting that “home” children are no worse than “kindergarten children” began to be heard. Of course, everywhere there are exceptions, but, in general, a child raised at home, and not in an “institution”, may well be as developed, independent, proactive and sociable as a kindergarten pupil. Another thing is that for this, parents should not just “keep” the precious child at home, but work on developing all these qualities in him.

What exactly does kindergarten give a child? First of all – the opportunity to communicate with peers, inclusion in the group. You can be staunch individualists, withdrawn and uncommunicative, but it is necessary to remember: Starting approximately from three years old (and even from four – absolutely!) a child needs to communicate with other children. And you must give him this opportunity.

Of course, in kindergarten a child learns to communicate not only with other children, but also with adults. Before school age, parents are, of course, the only truly authoritative adults in a child’s life. But the experience of communicating with kindergarten teachers helps the child avoid difficulties in establishing relationships with school teachers in the future. The kid learns that in addition to the mother, there are other adults whose opinions need to be listened to, and sometimes just obeyed.

Another moment is naturally connected with this moment: in kindergarten a child gets acquainted with certain rules of behavior and learns to observe them. The word “discipline” in many of us evokes a rather negative attitude, since it is associated with the “equalizing” drill, adopted both in kindergartens and in schools of the Soviet era. But if we ignore these associations and understand the word “discipline” as simply the ability to adhere to the necessary rules of human society, then we should admit that these skills are necessary for a child.

Finally, in kindergarten, the child receives opportunities for intellectual and physical development. Strictly speaking, the standard educational programs adopted in public kindergartens leave much to be desired: in many ordinary kindergartens, classes are not enough, and they are far from being carried out at the highest level. The mere “kindergarten” education is not enough for a child. In any case, parents should deal with the baby themselves. But if a “home” child spends whole days exclusively in front of the TV screen, then in kindergarten, of course, he will receive incomparably more. Drawing, modeling, construction, speech development, music lessons and physical education – this minimal “gentleman’s set” will provide even the simplest state kindergarten. If you are lucky and you find a really good kindergarten (there are also state ones) with a good, extensive program, you can expect that your kid will be really interested there.

Can I provide my child with all the conditions necessary for his harmonious development at home, without sending him to kindergarten?

In principle this is possible. But only if you are really ready for this very, very serious work. The most difficult thing in home education is, perhaps, not the intellectual or physical development of the child. Just in these areas, a caring and educated mother can give a child much more than kindergarten classes. It is much more difficult to create all the necessary conditions for the child’s social development.

Above, we have already talked about the main advantages of the kindergarten: the child gets the opportunity to communicate with peers and with adults other than parents, learns to behave “in society”, to follow the rules. And if you do not want to send your baby to kindergarten, you need to think carefully about how you will provide these opportunities to your child.

The “at home” child should spend a lot of time in playgrounds playing with other children. In addition, it is highly desirable to provide him with some kind of permanent friend-the same age – or rather, several friends. You need to take him to visit and invite other children to your home.

This task is quite feasible. But we must not forget about another important point – the communication of the child with adults. It is no secret that women who prefer to stay at home with their children until it is time to go to school often have a heightened sense of parental duty and the desire to be perfect mothers without fail. Some rather unfavorable consequences follow from this laudable desire: such mothers are almost always convinced that they simply do not have the right to entrust their precious baby to someone else (moreover, all other people often fall into the category of “outsiders” – including closest friends , and grandparents).

If you don’t send your child to a kindergarten because you don’t trust the caregivers and think that no one but you will be able to properly treat your child, find the right approach to him, you need to urgently change this point of view! Of course, the child cannot be given into the first hands that come across. But you can’t limit his world only to your own person either. You need to understand that a child needs experience with other adults besides mom – even if this mom is really the best in the world!

If you don’t want to send your beloved child to a kindergarten – give him to some circle, section, play group. Arrange with one of your friends that from time to time your child will spend the day with her. The best thing is if among your friends there are young mothers just like you. You can create a “visiting schedule” by taking turns hosting other kids. Let your private “kindergarten” “work” for only a few hours a day, at least a couple of times a week: this will already bring great benefits to the kids. They will learn to communicate with each other, and little by little they will get used to the fact that sometimes you have to obey not only your mother.

Pay more attention to how your child interacts with other children on the playground. Is he easy to get acquainted with. Does he know how to play, follow the order and rules of the game. Can share toys and, if necessary, defend his property and his interests. These are very important criteria for his social development, and if by the age of five the child still does not acquire the appropriate communication skills, it is worth consulting with a child psychologist and looking for some kind of replacement for kindergarten – a development group, a play group, a kids club, etc.

Suitable age: does it make sense to send a child to a nursery?

The most optimal age for going out is four years. Yes, no less! And, please, try not to listen to the persistent advice of experienced grandmothers, who are always ready to explain to us that “the sooner the better – you’ll get used to it quickly”! Because it’s not true.

A one-year-old toddler, of course, can “get used” to the fact that for some reason his beloved mother was replaced by someone else’s, not too affectionate aunt. To get used to means to accept and suffer in silence, reacting to stress “only” with frequent colds and other illnesses, bad mood, and a decrease in interest in the world around. Such passive resistance is far from being a trifle, it has a very negative impact on the further emotional, intellectual and physical development of the baby.

Today, most nurseries accept children from only one and a half years old. But this is too early! A year and a half is the age when the so-called separation anxiety is just beginning to subside. Simply put, the baby is still too strongly attached to the mother and reacts very painfully to her absence, and equally to the appearance of strangers, especially if they try to get too close to him.

It’s not a secret for anyone that “unfavorable” children adapt best in the nursery, that is, those who do not live very well at home. Kindergarten teachers are well aware of this. They sadly talk about the fact that in each group there are one or two kids who do not want to leave the kindergarten in the evenings: parents come, call from the threshold of the group, and the child … turns his back, hides behind a shelf with toys. And the point here is not at all that the baby “played” too much, was too carried away by some of his important baby affairs.

For a one and a half year old toddler, meeting with his mother, the opportunity to cling to her tightly and not let go anywhere is the most important thing, by definition, due to age characteristics. Starting from this age, the fear of unfamiliar adults is gradually smoothed out, but it does not completely disappear for quite a long time (although different children differ greatly in this). Interest in other children wakes up in babies only by the age of three. At the same time, at first they are drawn to comrades older than themselves, then they begin to be interested in those who are younger, and only in the last turn they pay attention to their peers.

So, a nursery in a year and a half can only be justified by the most extreme necessity. Before deciding to give the child to a nursery, you need to go through all the possible options that allow you to leave the baby at home. Look for work at home, try to negotiate with familiar mothers that you will take turns “grazing” your kids. Believe me, there are no hopeless situations, and if you wish, you can always find some alternative to a manger.

It is a little easier for a two-year-old child to get used to the nursery. The general rule remains the same – early! But there are quite a few exceptions to this rule. By the age of two, the baby can be really very sociable, and if the kindergarten (primarily teachers!) Is good, the child may like it there. In any case, you can try to take the child to the nursery if you are already convinced that he is not afraid of other children and adults, has the necessary self-care skills (he knows how to use the potty, can eat on his own), without much suffering experiences your absence.

At the same time, you should definitely observe the behavior, mood of the baby, and his state of health. If you see that your two-year-old is difficult to adapt to the nursery, in no case do not insist, do not persist in your intention to accustom him to the “institution” right now. The saying “be patient – fall in love” does not work in this case! The negative experience of visiting the nursery will affect in the future: in a year or two, when “home” children come to the group and adapt to the kindergarten without any problems, your baby will still perceive the kindergarten as a place of confinement, will often get sick, cry in the morning and evenings.

In our case, the following folk wisdom applies: “A miser pays twice.” Sending a two-year-old who is not ready for this to a nursery does not win anything. Returning to work will result in regular sick leave. It is much wiser to spend time wisely: gradually, without haste, but persistently and consistently prepare your baby for kindergarten. Such an “investment” of your time, your care will pay off in full. Let it sound trite, but still: what can be more precious than the health of a beloved child – both physical and psychological?

Some mothers send their two-year-olds to a nursery not because they really need to go to work, but for “pedagogical” reasons: they say that in a group a child will be taught to be independent, he will develop faster, etc. Yes, communicating all day with other people’s aunts and being just one of fifteen or twenty of the same little ones, your child will probably learn to hold a spoon and pull on his pants faster than his “home” peers. But is it really that important in and of itself? At home, he also learns independence, masters all these necessary everyday skills – but how could it be otherwise? This, of course, requires your attention, your work and your patience.

Let’s be honest. Bringing the baby to the nursery, we cannot even dream of some kind of individual approach, respect for the personality of the child, etc. Things are better with kindergartens, but the nursery cannot be considered a place that is useful for the child.

Both the age characteristics of a two-year-old child and the quality of our nursery, in general, lead to the following conclusion: wait, don’t hurry! It has been proven that the pupils of the nursery are often later characterized by less initiative in making decisions, since activity and emotionality are largely laid in the first years of life.

Note to mum

A child who is not getting used to a nursery or kindergarten does not necessarily show this clearly. He can behave quite obediently and even submissively, expressing his feelings in some indirect way. The most common form of passive resistance in toddlers is frequent colds.

But there are other points that you should definitely pay attention to. This is sleep, appetite, the behavior of the child at home in the evenings, after kindergarten. For the first time after the start of attending a nursery or kindergarten, such “charms” as a decrease in appetite, difficulty falling asleep and even crying at night, domestic whims and a somewhat reduced or irritable mood can be considered “normal”. But if after three or four weeks the situation does not improve, we can say that the child does not adapt well to kindergarten or nursery.

In this case, it is advisable to save the baby from visiting the kindergarten for the next year, and if this is completely impossible, try to mitigate the traumatic situation for him: leave him in the kindergarten only for half a day, give him an extra day off in the middle of the week, look for a kindergarten or nursery with less the number of children in the group.

These recommendations may not seem very realistic. Nevertheless, the experience of many mothers shows that they can be performed if desired. And the efforts justify themselves, because as a result you preserve the mental well-being of the child, and therefore your own.

At what age is it best for a child to start kindergarten?

We have already begun to answer this question. We repeat once again: most psychologists today consider four years to be the optimal age, and three is quite acceptable. By the age of three, the child is no longer afraid to remain without a mother for some time, begins to be interested in communicating with other children, and has self-service skills. But he will really enjoy playing with peers only closer to four years.

The ideal variant is to gradually introduce the child to kindergarten at the age of three to three and a half years, without haste and without making strict demands. First, go for walks with him with the kindergarten group, then leave him in the kindergarten for half a day.

If it turns out fairly quickly that the child does not mind spending time in a new environment, you can move on to regular kindergarten attendance. If the baby does not express special enthusiasm, there is nothing wrong with the fact that up to four years old he will attend the kindergarten according to the “sparing” regime.

Don’t worry if he falls behind his peers in some way. The main thing is that after three years he should not remain in a closed home space, one on one with his mother or grandmother, but gradually expand the boundaries of the familiar world.

Note to Mom

Here is a very important, albeit purely “technical” warning. All the advice given by psychologists, authors of various books and manuals (including the author of this article) regarding kindergarten is somewhat theoretical. Smooth, soft and unhurried adaptation to kindergarten is an ideal to strive for. But in fact, unless you have sufficient financial resources to enroll your child in a private “family” kindergarten (and most of us just don’t have such opportunities), be prepared for the fact that life will make its own adjustments to your ideal scheme.

And the first thing you’ll encounter is the queue. Yes, yes, the good old queue in kindergarten from your own childhood. Even seven or eight years ago, mothers could really slowly move from one kindergarten to another, compare and choose the one that is better.

The birth rate in the country was low, kindergartens were empty and closed, and those that remained afloat were ready to take almost everyone into their walls, regardless of registration in the desired microdistrict. (Crèche, by the way, has always been overcrowded, but there are much fewer of them than kindergartens.) Today there are more children, and the number of kindergartens has decreased – just in those “childless” years. And in the simplest, “yard” kindergarten, you need to sign up at least a year before the child goes there. With the same gardens that are especially popular in your area, you can safely begin to “be friends” even during pregnancy.

This practice has become more and more common in recent years. A child at two years old is given to a nursery, he gets used to them with difficulty, and the parents decide to leave him at home for another year. But at the same time, in no case do they take away documents! They persuade the administration to “keep the place”, regularly pay monthly receipts in order to keep the opportunity to send the child to kindergarten without any problems in a year or even two.

So draw your own conclusions. You need to look for a kindergarten in advance, at least a year in advance, ideally even earlier. Be active, do not expect gifts from fate. Walking the streets with a stroller in which your newborn lies, get to know the mothers of older children, find out which kindergartens they go to, whether they are happy with them.

In addition, the Internet can be of great help in finding a good kindergarten. There are ratings of schools and kindergartens on numerous “parent” sites. There you can find reviews about different kindergartens, groups, development centers. In addition, you will have the opportunity to ask any specific questions, get the necessary advice.

The child does not want to go to kindergarten at all…

Can any child be taught to go to kindergarten?

Doctors, psychologists and parents call some children “non-kindergarten”. What is behind this definition? Are there really children who under no circumstances can adapt to kindergarten?

Frankly speaking, there are probably no such children. The only question is how much effort the child and his parents need to make in order for adaptation to kindergarten to take place, and whether these efforts are justified, that is, whether they need to be made.

Children can be divided into three groups according to how they adjust to kindergarten.

The first group – children who react to a change in the situation with a real nervous breakdown. Frequent colds are almost always added to this.

The second group – children who do not show signs of nervous strain, “only” begin to get sick often.

The third group is children who get used to kindergarten without any problems or difficulties.

So, every second child belongs to the first or second group. Does this mean that only half of the children who go to kindergarten have a chance to “take root” there, and all the rest should stay at home until school age? Of course not.

In most cases, adaptation problems can be solved without taking too long. Kindergarten is stressful for a child, but stress is quite manageable. Only the baby must be helped to cope with this new and very serious experience. Such a large number of children experiencing difficulties in adapting to kindergarten is largely due to their unpreparedness for a new way of life. You can not throw a child into an unfamiliar environment, like into water, in the expectation that he will immediately learn to “swim”. It is worthwhile to devote time and attention in advance to preparing for visiting the kindergarten, and then your baby will most likely be in the third, prosperous group.

Despite all my efforts, the child still cannot get used to kindergarten. What explains this and what can be done?

Indeed, in some cases even thorough preliminary work does not help. Despite all your efforts and good intentions, the child continues to protest in one form or another against attending kindergarten. What’s the matter?

First of all, the baby may not yet have reached the right age (we discussed this issue in detail above). In addition, as already mentioned, a child’s attitude towards kindergarten can be greatly spoiled by a bad experience attending a nursery. A conditioned reflex can work here: even a small child remembers (at least on a subconscious, emotional level) that he has already been within these walls and felt bad. If this is the reason, then it is best to postpone the “publicity” for some more time (at least for six months), while continuing to maintain contact with the kindergarten during this period – go for walks, make friends on “neutral territory” with someone from the kids who go to the same group.

Difficulties in adapting to kindergarten may also be due to the child’s temperament. Temperament is an innate characteristic, it cannot be changed, but “on the other hand”, unfortunately, it can be suppressed, forcibly distorted. Sanguine babies usually adapt to a new environment quite safely, but choleric and phlegmatic people often have a hard time. Children with a choleric temperament turn out to be too active and noisy, but slow phlegmatic people can suffer even more – they simply do not keep up with the others. And in the kindergarten, it is important to keep pace: eat on time, get dressed or undressed on time, complete some task …

Observe your child carefully, ask the teacher about how the child spends the day in the group. And if you decide that the difficulties in adaptation are connected precisely with the “uncomfortable” temperament for the kindergarten, be sure to discuss this with the teachers. Explain to them that the baby is behaving in an “inappropriate” way, not because he is guilty of something, but because he cannot do otherwise.

Do not be shy to be persistent and firm, informing caregivers that your phlegmatic little one should never be constantly tugged at, urged on, and even more so scolded for slowness. Tell them (and, of course, keep in mind yourself) that under pressure from adults, a phlegmatic child only becomes even more slow and passive.

His nervous system functions in such a way that when overstimulated, “emergency braking” is generally activated, and the child falls into a real prostration. But, if such a child is not disturbed, he knows how to bring what he has begun to the end, is calm and balanced, accurate and reliable. As for slowness, as the child grows and develops, it will gradually smooth out. The pace of the phlegmatic will still be somewhat reduced compared to sanguine and especially choleric – the pace, but not the effectiveness! While the hurried choleric man pulls all his clothes inside out and upside down twice, and the teacher finally changes his clothes correctly, the phlegmatic child will just have time once, but correctly and accurately, fasten all the buttons and even, perhaps, tie the shoelaces. All this must be explained to the educators so that they remember: the less they pull and rush your “slow mover”, the faster it will “level out”, get used to the kindergarten environment and begin to have time to do everything you need.

But what to do with those hurried choleric people who do not sit still for a second and in general often resemble a small tornado? It is clear that such a temperament does not cause much enthusiasm among kindergarten teachers. But again, it is necessary to talk to the staff and explain that the baby is “raging” not because of a lack of education, but because of the innate personality traits. Tell the educators that it would be good for your “hurricane” child to engage in some kind of active activity if possible. If he scattered toys, then he will surely collect them with the same pleasure and speed – if he is asked, and not forced. As a rule, in kindergartens, children are still allowed to move quite freely – run and jump (they are allowed, if only because it is impossible to force twenty-three-year-olds to sit quietly and for a long time on high chairs!).

If you come across very strict teachers who require children to stand in one place during a walk or walk back and forth in pairs, well, in this case it is best to look for other teachers. (By the way, this applies not only to the problems of choleric children! Drilling, suppression, severe restriction of natural activity are harmful to any child, regardless of temperament.)

Finally, in search of the reasons for a child’s poor adaptability to kindergarten, think about one more thing: do you easily adapt to new conditions yourself? Do you like to be in noisy companies? If a child grows up in a society of closed, little sociable parents, then, most likely, he himself will prefer quiet games alone. For such a baby, an ordinary crowded kindergarten can really be contraindicated, but at the same time, in no case should he be left in isolation! It certainly needs to be “brought to light”, although it should be done unobtrusively and carefully, in small “doses”. It is very good to define such a “recluse” in a play group in which there are few children and where you do not need to spend the whole day.

Who better to stay at home

Weak, often ill children (before any kindergarten!) and children with an unstable nervous system should not be sent to an ordinary, standard kindergarten. This does not mean that such children cannot be sent anywhere at all. You just need to consider that if your baby is not too healthy, this means his increased sensitivity, vulnerability. It must be approached with extreme caution, and the kindergarten should be chosen even more carefully than in the case of an “ordinary” (if there are such a thing in the world!) Child. There are special health-improving kindergartens, but one should not rely on the name alone: ​​if there are fifteen people in the group and one teacher for two shifts, visiting such a garden will not bring your baby a big healing effect.

If you do not plan to spend the next few years on sick leave to care for your child, put aside your dreams of a kindergarten for the time being and start “healing” your baby on your own: watch his diet and nutrition, take more walks, if doctors allow you, start tempering. Try to find opportunities for the child to attend at least a couple of times a week some kind of “school of development”, a play group. If this is in no way possible, at least get out with him to visit, so that he gradually “breaks away” from you, learns that the world around is wide and not dangerous.

Video from Yana Schastie: interview with professor of psychology N.I. Kozlov

Topics of conversation: What kind of woman do you need to be in order to successfully marry? How many times do men get married? Why are there so few normal men? Childfree. Parenting. What is love? A story that couldn’t be better. Paying for the opportunity to be close to a beautiful woman.

30 questions you wanted to ask child psychologists

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How to prepare a child for kindergarten, do I need help with homework and how to deal with childish jealousy? BeautyHack.ru asked psychologists questions that concern every parent.

Larisa Surkova

Psychologist, PhD, author of 15 books, mother of five children

Do children need early development schools?

I am enthusiastic about early development programs if my mother needs it. If by six or twelve months of a child’s life she has “stupefied” from sitting at home and from social networks, where she constantly compares herself with glamorous pictures, and she needs people, let her take her child to classes at least three months old, where happy mothers stomp and dance around their kids.

At the age of 2-3, a child should not be seated at a desk for half an hour and asked to complete tasks according to a pattern: the sun should be yellow with five rays. Have you drawn the sun? So you won’t get a sticker! Evaluation is unacceptable at this age. Template thinking inhibits the development of creativity. Children have imaginative thinking, they think in pictures, fantasize a lot and develop in this way – they must play and run. And after such classes, a child by the age of seven will hate everything related to study, and you will get big problems at school.

How to learn not to take it out on a child?

You can instantly suppress aggression: kick a pillow, wash your face, drink water, click a rubber band on your hand. But this will not solve the problem – internal reflection is needed.

Find the reason in yourself. Think about how a baby feels when a huge man with a belt is standing over him? He’s afraid of you! The most common reasons for such breakdowns are: conflicts within the family, when mom is angry with dad and pours out anger on the child; fatigue; a drinking parent (unfortunately, still a classic situation for our country).

Is it possible to show one’s feelings in front of children?

It is possible and necessary! This is especially important in the upbringing of girls. Read about the rules for raising daughters according to BeautyHack columnist Alexei Belyakov here. It’s great if dad takes care of mom, hugs her, gives flowers. So the daughter will understand the different functions of both parents. If you want her to grow up to be feminine, don’t scold her for putting on lipstick and putting on makeup at the age of three. It’s like in the old joke: “If a French girl puts on lipstick, her mother will tell her: well done, you will be an actress! And if a Soviet girl does the same, her mother will say: you will grow up walking around.

How not to feel guilty if you don’t spend enough time with your child?

You can spend an hour a day with your child, but do it well: play, rage, wallow.

There is nothing worse if, after coming home from work, the mother continues to “plow” at home: cleaning, cooking.

It is really very difficult for such women. God bless her, with this dish, better spend time with the child. And today, take disposable dishes!

In a large family, each child should be able to communicate with one of the parents alone for at least half an hour a day. With the elder Masha, we go shopping. She likes it, and we have time to talk about working moments: she helps me maintain a second Instagram account. With Glasha we communicate on the topic of animals. She now breeds lizards, so I constantly visit pets, listen to her stories. Well, the smallest Matryosha is the luckiest of all – she even gets joint nights.

How to choose a school?

I don’t think the modern Russian education system is ideal. Rather, the opposite is true: from kindergarten, everything is done in order to extinguish the potential of the child. The goal of 90% of our schools is to get a good exam form. Of course, there are exceptions in the form of teachers who light up and lead.

The school should not suppress the potential of children, but, on the contrary, provide an opportunity to develop subjects that are interesting to children. It is also important that there is no cult of exams in it, when children are coached on the correct answers in tests from the 8th grade. When my eldest daughter was at school, in the 8th grade, I stopped going to parent-teacher meetings, because they began to “go through” the children, saying that they were stupid and would not pass anything. I kept my word, and at the same time Masha graduated from school with two “fours”, wrote the exam and is now studying to be an industrial designer.

Should I help my child with homework?

School is not for parents. They have already unlearned their own, but at the same time they continue to be afraid of the bad grades of their children.

Here’s an unfortunate scenario: a mother came home from work and instead of asking how the child is doing, she gives out: show the lessons! School is a common cause of family conflicts. Give responsibility for learning to children. They must understand that no one will do it for them. It often happens that the child is sleeping, and the parents are building ships for him.

How to prepare for traveling with children?

I advise parents to drink valerian on the eve of the move and take good medical insurance. The child is a mirror of the parent! If you are calm, sure that you are doing everything right, the children will also be calm. If mom is afraid of planes, viruses, and everything in general, you don’t have to go, because you are most likely not ready. When you really catch the virus, you will joyfully shout: “Well, I told you that you shouldn’t have gone.”

In general, traveling is good for children. There is such a thing as “the psychology of positive stress” – their children older than a year experience during trips. This is the stress that pushes for development. Parents often notice that when traveling, children grasp information faster, begin to talk, walk.

Oksana Blank

Child psychologist of the Center for Successful Relationships

How not to raise an egoistic child?

Mothers often neglect their desires and needs in favor of children. This is not true! The child should know that parents also have their own interests, which are not inferior in importance to children’s. The same applies to purchases: the child should not see that you are saving on yourself, trying to allow him everything he wants.

Parents may not attach importance to their work in the background of caring for the child. It turns out a situation when the whole family, including grandparents, comes to the baby’s matinee, all relatives are interested in his affairs, and the baby may not know where and by whom mom and dad work. I often come across this. Children should know about all the achievements of the family, but there is no need to talk about career growth or improving their financial situation against the backdrop of other people’s failures.

How to instill independence in a child?

Many mothers, citing lack of time, prefer to do many things for their child. As a result, by the age of 14, children cannot make their beds or cook their own breakfast. If the baby shows interest in something, he needs to be given the opportunity to be independent and proactive. Intellectual development occurs in parallel with the physical: when motor skills are formed, the child learns to tie shoelaces, dress, put away toys.

What is the optimal workload for a preschool child?

It surprises me when a child goes to five places for the New Year holidays, because he has four clubs and a kindergarten. As a result, a 3-year-old kid sees Santa Claus for five days in a row, not fully understanding who he is. Mom seeks to enroll the child in several sections, explaining this by his frenzied activity. On the contrary, due to the large number of sections, children get tired and overexcited because of this, they cannot fall asleep, calm down.

In the preschool period, the main activity is role-playing. As a result of games with peers and parents, the child acquires all the necessary knowledge and skills. A preschooler came to see me. His schedule included choreography, music, drawing, Italian – about 6 lessons. Do you think he had time to relax or play in the yard?

No need to be realized at the expense of the child. Let him choose his hobbies and sections. If you didn’t learn to play a musical instrument as a child or youth, it’s time to do it now, and not try to impose a new hobby on your son or daughter.

Should gender roles be imposed on children?

When girls don’t want to wear dresses or skirts, mothers exacerbate the situation by saying, “She’s like a boy!”. If you relax, it is possible that in the future your daughter will have a friend who will teach her how to wear skirts and dresses. If your daughter wants to play a male sport, there is nothing to worry about. The main thing is that it does not affect health.

The same with boys. If your son cooks, support him. But at the same time develop masculine traits in him.

When I watch the games of preschoolers, I see that they already intuitively distribute the social roles of “dad” and “mum” very clearly. Avoid the phrases “In the future you will owe / on …”. Nobody knows how their life will turn out. If mom and dad are equally involved in the upbringing of children, they do not face gender difficulties.

How to deal with childish jealousy?

It develops a competitive spirit in children. But it is important for a mother to learn how to avoid serious conflicts and switch children to other things. Let me explain: for example, you recently had a baby, and the elder is at a loss. Leave the younger one with dad, and go for a walk with the older one. But spend quality time so that he does not just stomp around, but plays games with you, has fun and enjoys it!

The term “senior” puts pressure on the child. Show him all the advantages: consult with him in choosing products, spend more time with him, do not be afraid to entrust him with small household chores and do not say that he owes something. He should not share his toys and books. Children are possessive by nature. That is why they experience a crisis with the advent of other children. Read a psychologist’s commentary on the jealousy of older children for younger ones here.

Show his importance, together with the youngest child, joyfully meet him from kindergarten, provide him with maximum positive experiences at this time.

How to tell a child about a divorce?

Only the statement of facts is acceptable. Usually the child does not want to know who is right and who is wrong. Give him complete information so that he does not worry. But at the same time, you need to convey that after a divorce, you do not cease to be the parents of your child.

How to behave with a child after a divorce?

Children endure divorce most easily before the age of three and after the age of majority. Aggression is one way of expressing feelings. It’s just that in boys it is not expressed verbally, like in girls (because of this, it is more noticeable), but physically and usually not in the family circle. Children relate to divorce through the prism of women’s experiences. Surround them with attention, help at a critical moment.

You have to understand that children will never have another real dad. And mothers often annoy ex-husbands by using children. Usually, negative information about the father is used, which the mother conveys to the child, explaining the impossibility of meeting him.

As a result, he has to live with the fact that his father (his “half”) is a scoundrel.

How to raise a boy if you are divorced?

If before the divorce your ex-husband rode a bike on the weekends with the child, let him continue to do so (if he doesn’t mind). Do not disturb the rhythm of your son’s life. For him, it is stability, emotional comfort, a symbol of well-being. The task of parents is to minimize the consequences of divorce for the child and, of course, to raise a balanced, courageous son.

It is important that the child has an example of masculine behavior. It could be an uncle, a coach, or even your friend’s husband. It is difficult to master social roles when there is no example. You can spend time with the parents of your son’s friends.

How to tell a child about a new relationship?

Both boys and girls compete for their mother’s attention. Therefore, if you are in a new relationship, be prepared for conflicts. You need to introduce children to a new person gradually, and not “today you introduced, and tomorrow you announced that you are moving in”. A man needs to find common ground: joint trips, basketball – it is important that children feel safe.

Another situation: the mother does not want the children to see the father on his territory, stay overnight – he already has a new relationship. Such a position cannot be condemned. For a child, the first time to see dad with another woman is psychologically difficult. Because this woman will remain a stranger to him. I often come across situations where quite old children (13-14 years old) say that the best event in their life could be the reunion of their parents. They understand that in reality this is impossible, but this is proof that there are no more important people for a child than mom and dad.

Elena Kushnerova

Psychologist, author of a blog about early development and children’s creativity Smileymommies

How to develop fine motor skills in a child?

This is necessary so that in the future the child does not have problems with speech. My most favorite and effective activities: finger gymnastics, paper games, sorting through beads, lacing toys, appliqués, modeling, puzzles, erasing drawn objects with an eraser. There are also simpler ones available to all mothers and children: sorting cereals, fastening and unbuttoning buttons, zippers, buttons, hooks, dripping from a pipette into the narrow neck of a bottle.

How to choose a developmental method at an early age?

The best development method is the one that my mother came up with. Mom, like no other, feels and understands her baby. No Montessori, Domans, Waldorfs will replace mom and her intuition. All methods are good in their own way, but none of them is 100% suitable for kids: one child is assiduous, the other is not, one is choleric, the other is phlegmatic, one likes creativity, and the other likes sports.

Choose not a technique, but a combination of approaches and activities. We play according to the Montessori and Teplyakova systems, we use Doman cards, we adopt some of the principles of the Waldorf school. I do almost everything myself: I find thematic kits, games, blanks, cards on the Internet, which I then print. With them we study colors, seasons, animals. I do themed weeks. Now we have the sea in the kitchen, the autumn week in the bedroom, and forest and domestic animals in the hall.

Is it necessary to take care of the baby if he does not want to?

Early development is effective if games, classes, reading are regular. Do not force the child, study with him when he is ready to receive new information. If the child is set to play freely, do not impose classes on him. Your goal is not to cram textbooks, but to grow up a comprehensively developed person.

Create a learning environment for him. This is the child’s personal space: a corner or a room with his own toys, books, cubes, educational toys for getting new tactile, visual, auditory and taste sensations. It’s great if it is possible to install a Swedish wall or a sports complex.

How to instill in your child a love of books?

The parent’s example is the foundation! Do you want children to read and love books? Do it yourself! And even better in front of the kids. Get your child interested in a book: leaf through it, look at the pictures, discuss what you see. Fidgets need to relax in order to sit down to read. Wrap your child in peace. Remove all distractions. If the child still doesn’t show interest, they may just be hungry or tired.

While you are reading, the baby should look at something. Take short, understandable and well-illustrated publications. Postpone 200-page stories until better times!

Anita Antipova

Child psychologist of the international educational club Global Child

How to bring up leadership qualities in a child and not grow up a tyrant?

This problem often occurs with boss parents. In psychological tests, there is such a question: “When you grow up, will you be like mom or dad?” Children who are prone to leadership and manipulation and have boss parents often respond that they will command everyone like dad or give orders like mom, literally “tell what to do”. This is what they hear from their parents. Watch the kids. Usually this behavior is transferred to toys. Here you need to adjust your behavior at home and not transfer work issues to the family. And your child will learn your best leadership qualities!

Is it necessary to develop perfectionism in a child?

It is very difficult for children of perfectionists. The child is set a high bar, you always need to meet the expectations of the parents. If he fails, fears appear and intrapersonal conflict grows. For example, if an anxious-fearful child cannot fight back, you do not need to put pressure on him and shout. An introvert may not want to have a lot of friends, while mom tends to introduce him to the whole yard.

I advise perfectionist mothers to improve themselves and motivate their children not to succeed, but to take small but significant steps. Develop not your ambitions, but your child’s abilities. When sending him to football, don’t say that he will become a great football player, tell him that he will learn to run and become strong.

Nina Liventsova

Child psychologist

How to survive the crisis of three years?

The crisis of three years is characterized by stubbornness and negativism. The latter manifests itself in the rejection of everything that parents offer: he can not wait to go to the playground, but he will refuse, because his mother so wanted! Such a protest is understandable – the baby wants to make decisions himself and emphasize his importance.

When you forbid everything to a child, he rebels even more. If you show excessive flexibility, the baby stops feeling boundaries.

With his “want”, the child tests how far he can go. Find the golden mean!

There should be “red” rules in the family, which the baby adheres to and observes regardless of the circumstances – most often they are related to safety. “Conditional” rules: they must be observed, but sometimes they can be broken (candy before breakfast, for example). “Green” rules – what he does himself always and everywhere: he decides what to take on the street, puts on (the choice depends on the parents).

Parents must understand: what happens to the child is normal! Do not expect an “infantile” form of behavior from him – you don’t have to do everything the way mom said. Reconsider your attitude towards the child and realize that he has his own desires that do not correspond to yours. Give him the opportunity to test this world “for strength” (of course, within the framework of security).

How to register for baby crying?

The child is not crying because he is mischievous – he is upset. Give him the opportunity to experience his “grief”. Sympathize. Speak emotions. “I understand that you are upset, but I can’t let you wear summer flip-flops outside, because it’s winter and you will catch a cold. Let’s find some cool boots.” Be sure to offer alternative solutions to the situation. Listen to him and hug him.

Find the strength in yourself not to be limited by the phrase “don’t cry” – let the child understand what is happening to him. It will become easier for you when you start treating the baby not as a person who wants to spoil the mood, but as an upset person who needs sympathy.

How to learn to refuse a child?

Any refusal must be accompanied by reasoning. You need to communicate with the child through “because” and “I understand you.” “I understand your feelings, but I can’t buy you a chocolate bar because it ruins your teeth.”

Before refusing, consider whether the request of the baby is really unacceptable, or today this rule can be classified as “conditional”. Stick to the chosen behavior.

The situation when you say “no” and then change it to “yes” is much worse.

How to wean a child from eating with gadgets?

In a good way, this does not need to be taught. There is nothing useful in the fact that you are trying to feed the baby, including cartoons for him. This is how eating problems develop. The child should feel hunger, understand when he is full, feel the taste of food. At first, you may think: “How cool! At least the child has eaten!” In fact, it would be better if he stayed hungry and later asked for food himself.

If you still have a problem, calmly take your gadgets and distinguish between cartoons, games and food. The child can be invited to play after, but at the table he should be focused on food.

How to explain to a child where babies come from?

Everything depends on the age. The first questions usually appear at 4-5 years of age. During this time, speak the child’s language. Here your imagination is limitless. But I propose this scheme: mom and dad have cells that connect, and the child begins to grow in mom’s tummy. This is exactly as much as the child is ready to understand.

Encyclopedias often convey this information very delicately and beautifully. Just choose benefits by age. At 6-7 years old, the child needs other books. In general, a son or daughter should familiarize themselves with this issue before school.

How to potty train a child and is it necessary to hurry?

There are a lot of controversial points in this issue: someone says that the baby needs to be “planted” almost from birth, someone thinks that time will put everything in its place.

My opinion: up to 1.5 years it is difficult for a child to realize what a potty is, and even more so to control himself. If someone tells you that at this age the baby goes to the pot – this is an invention and merit of the mother. She can remind 10 times, monitor the child, often put him on the potty. But the child still does not feel the connection between this object and the urges of his body.

I advise you to start acquaintance with 1.5 years. But not by force, when the baby is put on the potty and held until he does his business. Tell him what this object is for, put a toy there, put the pot in a prominent place. From 1.5 to 3 years, he will definitely understand everything.

If a child lies, what should I do?

The task of parents is to understand the reason for deception. A preschooler may lie because he is afraid of punishment (which means you go too far with punishments) or want to embellish reality. He tells stories about his house in the garden to make himself look better. Talk to him: why does he want to be better?

Sometimes a child fantasizes, but this cannot be considered a lie. Children have a very rich imagination. They can tell stories by actually believing in them.

Schoolchildren often lie because they are afraid of being punished or disappointed by their parents. So you have high expectations for your child.

If the child does not want to go to kindergarten, but he should. How to negotiate?

It is very difficult to reach an agreement with a child, but parents must understand that it is their decision to send the child to a kindergarten, which means that responsibility must be taken on.

If you know that your baby will go to kindergarten in six months, prepare him in advance. Tell us about the kindergarten, arrange it at home, involving toys familiar to the baby in the game. Walk near the kindergarten.

The kid doesn’t need to be told “fairy tales” that it will be fun and cool in kindergarten! The greatest stress for a child occurs when he enters an environment about which he knows nothing. Perhaps the children will not want to play with him right away, and he used to be told that everyone in the kindergarten is friendly and very cheerful.

Many parents think that if you don’t tell your child in advance that he will be without his mother in kindergarten, he will more easily reconcile himself when he is confronted with a fact. Not! Parents should explain in advance that the baby will be in the garden without mom and dad. He will experience stress all the same, but if you approach the preparation wisely, the addiction process will be less painful. And never leave without saying goodbye and come for the child at the time you promised.

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Slavyansk

Good day. The site “Razumeikin” is a wonderful project for children. I liked that all tasks are systematized by age, by blocks, and there are free trial lessons. And also “Razumeikin” gives nice discounts, which is much cheaper than ra…

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March 9, 2021

Child:

Asalia

Child’s age:

6

Location:

Kyrgyzstan

Thank you very much 😊
What created such a cool online school
The child learns everything with pleasure, and always looks forward to the next lesson. Before finishing, she waits for the dwarf to praise her🥰🥰🥰😍😍😍
Your school is even better than all the expensive online schools…

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January 28, 2021

Child:

Dima

Child’s age:

5

Location:

Tomsk

Thanks to the developers and methodologists of the site. A unique site, everything is thought out to the smallest detail, all the nuances are taken into account. “Razumeykin” exceeded all my expectations. I really liked the fact that there are video lessons, an understanding of new material is available for the child, a large . ..

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September 18, 2020

Child:

Dasha

Child’s age:

5

Location:

Phnom Penh

I wanted to share my feedback on the use of tasks from Razumeikin.
We live abroad, and we have a shortage of Russian-speaking communication, so I was looking for some kind of resource that would allow me to cover all the gaps from all sides. Must say th…

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May 20, 2020

Child:

Andrew

Child’s age:

6

Location:

Lyubertsy

You are just geniuses! We don’t go to the garden, and I tried to deal with my son myself, but everything always ended with my psychos and his tantrums))) I’m not a teacher at all))) I couldn’t pull away from the phone with toys for half a day, I didn’t want to do anything! I stumbled upon your. ..

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March 18, 2020

Child:

Gleb

Child’s age:

4

Location:

Kraskovo

My child does not go to kindergarten, but it is necessary to develop, learn letters, numbers, etc. We bought a bunch of books, but failed, the child was always distracted and could not understand what we really want from him. Then I decided to take online classes and did not lose. Razumeyk…

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October 9, 2019

Child:

Milena

Child’s age:

6

Location:

Abramtsevo

I want to express my gratitude to the creators of this program! The child really likes to study, and she is simply delighted with your positive gnomes and awards. The classes are quite informative and interesting even for me. Good preparation for school…

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September 13, 2019

Child:

Michael

Child’s age:

5

Location:

–

The child is delighted with classes with Razumeikin! It has already become a tradition for us to complete assignments in the evenings, for this he is ready to remove toys, brush his teeth, and help his mother to free herself faster. In general, I am very glad that my son is developing …

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September 9, 2019

Child:

Olivia

Child’s age:

5

Location:

Moscow

Thanks for the great site! Filling, design, showing the result, testing, price – I like everything! And of course, special thanks for the quick response to requests.

April 4, 2019

Parent:

Oksana

Child:

Lera

Child age:

5

Location:

Nizhny Novgorod

I studied on the site with my son, now my daughter has grown up. I want to say that the children really like the activities – the tablet, the game and the awards, everything that the children love …. And in return we get knowledge ☺
And compared to the prices of development schools and books, the cost is very …

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February 18, 2019

Parent:

Sergey

Child:

Gleb

Child’s age:

6

Location:

Podolsk

Good afternoon everyone! Began to be friends with Razumeykimny since last autumn. Before that, we tried other projects on the network. But we liked this resource more. We needed the development of horizons, the expansion of horizons. We decided to do this through knowledge of…

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January 11, 2019

Child:

Liliana

Child’s age:

6.5

Location:

Tokyo

Many thanks to the creator of this project! Very exciting, interesting, visual and most importantly, the acquaintance with the topic is not delayed. Solving problems with a simple drag and drop of the answer is very convenient! I would happily recommend this site to. ..

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October 13, 2018

Child:

Fedor

Child’s age:

5

Location:

Salekhard

Initially, I chose classes on the Razumeikin website as an alternative to classes from books, since the child stopped showing his former interest in them. I could not even imagine that the child would be seriously interested in these activities. Is this not a success? Want…

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March 24, 2017
Julia

Child:

Artem

Child’s age:

years and

years

Location:

Tyumen

I express my deep gratitude to the creators of the site. The kids are happy and always ready to go.
Our favorite block is “Science” (physics and chemistry), after watching your “scientific and educational films” our house turns into a laboratory).
We tried to do…

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October 2, 2015

Child:

Vladislav

Child’s age:

5

Location:

Minsk

The child likes to study with Razumeykin, the result is visible after each lesson. For a long time I could not explain to Vlad how to read letters together, a couple of classes on the site and he is already reading! Thanks to the creators of such a cool project!!

April 10, 2015

Parent:

Dina

Child:

Gleb

Child’s age:

7

Location:

Kazan

We would like to thank you for your project. To say that I liked it means to say nothing at all! Me and my child, Gleb, are absolutely delighted! For a long time I searched the Internet for online tasks for the development of logic, attention and thinking. Were…

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February 23, 2015

Child:

Lena

Child’s age:

7

Location:

Samara

The classes on this site helped us successfully prepare and pass the interview for the gymnasium we wanted to get into. Moreover, classes on the site turned out to be much cheaper than developing classes in the children’s center, and the result is more than worthy! Saved. ..

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All reviews

Online classes for children on the Razumeikin platform:

• develop attention, memory, thinking, speech – namely, this is the basis for successful schooling;

• help to learn letters and numbers, learn to read, count, solve examples and problems, get acquainted with the basics of the world around;

• provide quality preparation of the child for school;

• allow primary school students to master and consolidate the most important and complex topics of the school curriculum;

• broaden the horizons of children and in an accessible form introduce them to the basics of various sciences (biology, geography, physics, chemistry).

Our online classes will help the child learn to listen, hear, understand information and work with it. And most importantly – do not be afraid of mistakes, believe in your own strengths and understand that learning is interesting!

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A child aged 3-4 does not sleep well > What to do if a child sleeps restlessly at night

3 years is a new important stage in a child’s life. At this age, changes occur in the development and social life of the child. After reading this article, you will learn:

• age characteristics of a child at the age of three,
• how is age 3 different from other age periods,
• what is a crisis of independence and how to overcome it,
• daily routine features
• preparation for kindergarten

Features of age

“I myself.” A three-year-old child is quite an adult! He actively strives for independence, and any attempts to interfere in his “affairs” are met with protest and the famous phrase “I myself!”.

A three-year-old kid is trying to do everything himself, but the kid still knows little “by himself”. This is what causes an increase in emotional intensity.

The baby wants to do something on his own – the mother allows him to try – the baby does it, it doesn’t work out for him – the mother starts to get angry, or wants to help and does it herself – the child in response gets angry, upset and cries, pushing away from himself and that activity , which he was engaged in, and “assistants”.

There can be dozens of such episodes in the life of any three-year-old child a day. This is what contributes to the accumulation of fatigue and questions from parents: “What to do and how to survive this?”

Game. In the fourth year of life, play becomes the leading mental activity of the child. Any knowledge, any experience, the baby is able to perceive and assimilate in a playful way.

Socialization. This age period is characterized by the stage of socialization. At the age of 3, a child begins to learn to perceive the world not only through the prism of normal egocentrism, but also gradually begins to realize that there is another vision. Awareness of the differences of the “I” strengthen the desire of the child to establish himself in this new understanding and strengthen this “I” in every possible way. From here comes “I want”, “I don’t want”, “I won’t”, “I won’t give”, “Mine”. Parents note that the child has become “aggressive”, “greedy”, “harmful”. This phenomenon is called “protest behavior” or “negativism”. This is also a manifestation of the formation of the “I” of the child – the first attempts to establish the boundaries of one’s own personality.

How to overcome the crisis of 3 years?

, What can parents do to help a child at the age of three to go through this age crisis in the most adaptive way and how not to aggravate its manifestations? We have several recommendations:

1. Everything that is happening now is normal! This crisis is normative, it shows that the child develops in accordance with age. Psychologists believe that if the crisis of 3 years passed unnoticed by the parents, some mistakes may have been made. This happens in families with an authoritarian type of upbringing, where the child’s attempts to defend his “I” were suppressed. In this case, the crisis may occur in the next sensitive period, for example, at puberty.

2. Borders. At the age of 3, boundaries are especially important for a child. Now, when the baby is actively defending his own, he needs guidelines. What borders consist of:

– Family rules. Explain to the child what must not be done under any circumstances. As well as rules on what to do. This is an important point that can greatly facilitate the passage of the crisis of 3 years “I myself” for parents and the baby.

For example, you cannot break a valuable thing, but you can crumple a piece of plasticine. You can’t beat your brother, but you can stomp your feet and beat a sofa cushion. You can’t draw on the wallpaper, but you can draw on a large Whatman paper in a special place or in the bathroom with finger paints.

– Mode and rituals. The more stability and predictability there is in a child’s life, the easier it will be for him to adapt to current events. It is important to inform the baby about any changes in advance.

3. Help your child recognize his emotions. It is important to teach your baby to distinguish his emotions. The child does not yet understand what is happening to him and does not know how to control his feelings.

It is important not to suppress the feelings of “Stop screaming!” “I’m ashamed of you,” and give your child feedback that you feel him: “I see that you are scared / hurt / angry. I can’t let you hit me/break things/hurt a cat. But I want to help you. Let’s do this (suggesting alternative ways to express emotion).”

                                                                                                                                                                                    If the child (“I love you, I’m close”) (“You can’t beat”). If a child hits a parent, let him know that you are ready to hug him, you love him, but you cannot do this while he wants to hit you. In no case should aggression be allowed towards a person or animal (“It doesn’t hurt me”). Otherwise, the child receives and assimilates messages like this:

– Beating is the norm

– He does not understand why dad can be beaten, but there is no one-month-old brother.

– If they hit me, this is acceptable, because hitting is the norm.

4 . Parents, rest! Own rest and resources are the key to successfully passing through any children’s crisis. In psychology, there is the concept of “containment”. Containerization is the parent’s handling of the child’s emotional state and careful handling of his feelings. Of course, the parent can only containerize when he himself has rested. Therefore, it is very important not to forget about yourself.

An example of an INCORRECT reaction to the baby’s emotions: “Oh, you bit me – then I answered you. How are you?!”, “If you don’t obey, I won’t talk to you / I’ll give it to an evil aunt / policeman”, “What are you yelling, I’m tired too!”.

Examples of CORRECT reactions: “You can’t bite or hit anyone. You are very angry now, but you can’t do this with anyone. Let’s see how you can get angry so as not to offend anyone? “It’s hard for me to communicate with you when you don’t want to listen to me. This is important, let’s try to talk later. Can I hug you?”, “I see that you are angry, you are tired. I’m tired too, but I’m sure I can handle it, because I’m your mom. I love you, no matter what happens”

Preparing for Kindergarten: Adapting the Mode

A child enters Kindergarten, an important milestone in a family’s fourth year. This is the first serious social institution, the beginning of the baby’s socialization. Before the main society was his family. And now those rules, rituals, daily routine to which the child is accustomed must undergo adaptation, synchronize with the rules and daily routine of the kindergarten.

If the child is used to going to bed at 22:00 and getting up at 9:00 am, then quickly adapt to the kindergarten regimen can be difficult. The mode in kindergartens is early, the kids start the day as early as 8:00 in the morning, so it’s better to adapt in advance.

Let’s give an example of the daily routine of a three-year-old child for a kindergarten. This mode is easy to reproduce at home:

Time	Action
7.00	Lifting, feeding
7.15	Rituals for awakening
7.35	Preparing for breakfast, child helps
8.00	Breakfast
8.25	Self-play
8.55	Joint active games
9.30	Walk
11.15	Calm educational games, reading, massage
11.45	Dinner preparation, child helps
12.00 – 12.30	Dinner, sleep rituals
12. 30 – 13.00	Beginning of daytime sleep
15.00	Awakening, rituals, afternoon tea
15.30	Joint active games
16.00	Self-play
16.30	Walk
17.00	Calm educational games, reading, massage
17.30	Dinner preparation, child helps
18.00	Dinner
18.30	Bathing
18.30 – 19.00	Sleeping rituals
19.00 – 19.30	Beginning of night sleep

In order to make it easier for the baby to get used to the new routine, try to gradually adjust the daily routine to that adopted in the kindergarten. If the baby had a late regimen, then gradually, in increments of 15 minutes, adjust it to the earlier side for 15 minutes every 3 days.

During the day, when you are awake, it is important to talk about any upcoming changes in your child’s daily routine. You can do this in a playful way – play the situation with the garden on toys, draw, sculpt from plasticine, compose fairy tales. Go for a walk in the afternoon or visit the future garden. Show your child how it all works.

A good way to help your child adjust to gardening is to introduce rituals. Come up with rituals for parting and meeting. If the rules of the kindergarten allow, you can give the baby some familiar favorite thing with you – a talisman or a toy. The toy will become an additional connection for the child with his mother during his stay in the garden. This approach works well both at 3-4 years of age, and at an older age.

Any adaptation, any restructuring of the regime takes time. But the main thing in this matter is not time, but stability – primarily psychological. Feeling the parental rear behind him, the child can easily cope with any adaptation and adjust to the new routine of life.

Early Bedtime Sleep Mode Frequent Awakenings

Food and Sleep Normal Sleep Waking Time

child does not obey the teacher – Kindergarten and the child

Heading – Child psychology 9043

002 Question: Hello. I don’t know what to do at all. Р the child does not obey the teacher at all, and not any particular teacher, but any teacher !