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Parenting a preschooler can be challenging, and we hope that this newsletter will add to your parenting toolbox by delivering inspiration and expert advice to your inbox each month. Do you have burning parenting questions or a topic that you would like us to cover in a future newsletter? We would love your input! Please contact Nicole Casey at ncasey@fayschool.org with any questions, comments, or feedback.

BOOK CLUB - Snow

For many parents, snow just means too much shoveling--but for kids, snow means no school, sledding, snowmen, and hot chocolate! The next time you see winter weather in the forecast, read Cynthia Rylant's Snow to your child to ignite their imagination with the sights and feelings evoked by falling snow.

LITERACY AND NUMERACY - Spatial Visualization
Spatial visualization is the ability to manipulate and orient shapes and objects to understand how different shapes fit together or to make objects recognizable. In early childhood, spatial reasoning skills have been an indicator of future success in math and reading.

For young children, incorporating spacial visualization into their activities should be fun, and many parents are probably already doing it without knowing. For example, when children build puzzles, they realize how different shapes fit together. Or when they build a block tower, they realize how important it is to balance the size, shape, and positions of their blocks so their tower doesn't fall.

To learn more about spatial visualization activities click here, and see our Arts & Crafts section below for a symmetry activity.

ARTS & CRAFTS - Symmetry Snowflakes

Materials Needed:

Dot-a-Dot Markers
White Paper
Scissors

Directions:

Gather the materials above.
Cut circles out of pieces of white paper and fold them in half vertically and horizontally to create four equal quadrants on each.
On one half of the circle, use a dot-a-dot marker to create a snowflake design. Immediately after, while the dots are still wet, fold the circle in half and make sure you press down on all the dots to transfer as much of the marker imprint as possible. The imprints likely will need to be touched up, so you may need to reapply dots on top of the imprints.
Ask your child what they notice about the imprints that were made. How are they the same? Explain to them that this is known as symmetry and that it happens when both sides of a shape match. To help them understand, you can explain symmetry as an invisible line or mirror image.
After you make a few snowflakes using the imprint method above, try asking your child to create the second half of the snowflake by hand. Can they match the design to make it symmetrical?

DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE - Boredom

After the busy holiday season ends and the winter months set in with their decreased daylight and freezing temperatures, it is easy for children to feel bored while they are stuck at home. However, feeling bored is fine for children to experience, and parents should not feel that they constantly have to provide their child with activities. Instead, parents should embrace unstructured time and let their child experience boredom. Click here for an article about why unstructured time is important and for tips to help manage it.

FIELD TRIP - Sledding

It can be difficult to keep young children entertained during the winter months, especially during a pandemic, but when the weather cooperates, make the most of it and get outside for some sledding! Check out this map from Community Kangaroo for local sledding hills that you can visit this winter.

PARENTING ADVICE - Five Tips for Helping Your Shy Child Build Confidence

Parents worry about sending a shy child off to Kindergarten. They wonder if they’ll be able to advocate for themselves with teachers and classmates and whether being quiet will make it challenging to make new friends. These concerns are understandable, but Fay Kindergarten teachers Lee Bogaert and Anne Canada want to calm those fears. “Usually, shyness doesn’t last too long in Kindergarten,” says Anne. “We spend so much time together and work so hard to build a safe community within the classroom that you’d never really know anyone was shy after a week or two!” However, if you are looking for ways to ease the transition to Kindergarten for your quiet child, here are a few helpful tips.

Five Tips for Helping Your Shy Child Build Confidence

Kindergarten at Fay School

Kindergarten lays the foundation for a child's entire learning experience. At Fay, our small class sizes and individualized 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.

Learn more about Fay's kindergarten program and beyond at an upcoming Virtual Information Session on January 13 or February 8.

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Southborough, MA | 01772 US

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