BOOK CLUB - Biscuit Goes to School

The Biscuit I Can Read! books are perfect for young children and early reading, but a good one for this time of year is Biscuit Goes to School. Dogs are not allowed at school, but will that stop Biscuit from trying to discover what school is all about?

LITERACY & NUMERACY - Measurement

Has your child ever noticed that a sibling got a bigger bowl of cereal or had more time on a swing? If so, this is measurement! In fact, measurement is one of the earliest forms of mathematical thinking that young children understand, and you can easily build measurement practice into everyday activities and play.

To further your child's understanding of measurement, try asking questions related to their play. If you are building block towers, ask you child which tower is bigger. Then, follow up by asking them how much bigger the tower is. For this step, you can use informal units of measurement to come to an answer. For example, maybe the tower is ten blocks bigger, two hands bigger, or even three race cars bigger. 

ARTS & CRAFTS - Picture Frames

Before school starts and your schedule is busier, try taking some time to connect with your child while you decorate picture frames. The frames could be used to hold your favorite summer memories or your upcoming back-to-school photos. These frames from Michaels are perfect for crafts, and you can use paint, markers, stickers, or even gems to decorate them.

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE - Routines

With the school year starting soon, many families will be adapting new routines into the lives. For young children, who tend to be creatures of habit, this may prove to be challenging. To help your child with their new routine, Fay Kindergarten teacher Anne Canada says that "visual checklists are essential,” and she often recommends that families create short graphical lists to help children start to take responsibility for routines at home. “Keep the lists short and manageable,” suggests Anne. “It lets your child know that these are the things that they are responsible for doing before leaving the house in the morning.” 

FIELD TRIP - Beaver Brook Reservation

Before the warm weather is gone, check out Beaver Brook Reservation in Belmont for a fun day at their spray deck, playground, picnic area, and walking trails. The reservation is perfect for a short day trip with young children.

PARENTING ADVICE - Kindergarten Jitters? Five Tips for Helping Your Child Navigate the Start of School with Confidence

The end of summer brings with it growing excitement about the start of school - for parents and children! However, if your child is heading off to kindergarten, it can also churn up some anxiety. Kids worry that they won’t know their way around the school, that they won’t like their teacher, or that they won't have friends in their class. Parents fret about all those things too, on top of wondering how they will navigate that emotional goodbye on the first day. While all these anxieties are common, there are some things that parents can do to prepare their child (and themselves) for this important step in their academic and social-emotional development. Here are some tips for helping your child develop a positive and confident outlook about heading off to school and for navigating a case of the kindergarten jitters.

Kindergarten at Fay School

Kindergarten lays the foundation for a child's entire learning experience. At Fay, our small class sizes and differentiated approach help each kindergartener establish the skills they will need for a successful educational journey. Our teachers focus on each child’s literacy, numeracy, science understanding, and social-emotional development, supported by a team of expert specialists who coordinate instruction in art, music, French, and Spanish, and P.E. Our teachers also focus on fostering a love of learning, and they know that when students believe that their learning matters, they give their all.