Written by Amy Aversano
Summer can be a blessing and a curse for parents. The prospect of spending all day, every day, with your toddler or preschooler for almost three months sounds like heaven until you run out of activities halfway through the first week. With short attention spans and a need for constant socialization, young children require a high amount of stimulation that one or two parents alone cannot provide. So unless you are Supermom, you might want to consider signing your child up for Sheepshead Bay Preschool’s Summer Camp, an incredibly stimulating experience running in July and August, equipped with all the necessary activities for your youngsters growth and high energy level as well. Here are seven ways to enrich your preschooler’s summer:
- Summer socialization: Children at the preschool age are developing from individual play to social interaction necessary for healthy growth. At around three or four, children go from playing independently alongside one another to playing with their friends. Depending on the environment where this socialization occurs, your child can learn healthy skills to relate to one another, develop empathy, and learn the appropriate rules of human interaction. Sheepshead Bay Preschool’s Summer Camp provides opportunity for integrated socialization for the Juniors Team, with teachers who specialize in early child development, to aid your child along these crucial developmental milestones.
- Preparation for kindergarten: When a child begins kindergarten, there are certain behavior expectations that are required from your little one. Children are expected to follow directions from an adult that is not their parent, cooperate with other children, and be able to sit still during instruction without speaking out or interruption. Because of the high level of rigor that is now being expected from kindergarten aged children, it is important that your child be able to act appropriately before entering the big world of elementary school. Sheepshead Bay Preschool focuses on that type of behavioral preparation by providing a scholarly-like structure, allowing your Junior Team player to learn appropriate classroom behavior.
- Understanding the world we live in: At the preschool age, children go through what psychologists refer to as the egocentric stage. Child-like egocentrism is the phenomenon where our little ones believe that they are central, and all items and people in their lives exist for their purpose. You might notice that your child thinks the sun only exists to keep her warm, mom only exists to love and snuggle and feed her, and food only exists to feed her and her alone. As your child grows into their schooling ages, it is important that they learn their position in the world and how that relates to their environment. Sheepshead Bay Preschool’s summer camp will allow your child to develop out of this stage through socialization as well as through thematic units that actually focus on the child’s position in this big wide world they are so curious about.
- Science enrichment: In addition to your child learning their physical place in the world, your child can learn all the ways they biologically exist as well. With four full weeks dedicated to various biological sciences, your child will learn all about the ocean and the fascinating creatures that live there, the natural wonders of the big planet we live on, the stars in the sky and how they function, as well as human anatomy. These will not only be fun and exciting for the Juniors Team, it will prepare them with knowledge that will give them a head start when they begin elementary school.
- Technology: There is no doubt we live in an age of technology. Unheard of even 10 years ago, children are beginning their relationship with technology before they can walk and talk thanks to handheld devices. As the debate on the long term effects of these interactions continue, it is important that your child is educated on the benefits of technology and how to integrate it appropriately into their lives. Our use of Smart Board technology in addition to our two week-long units dedicated to technology can give children a basis of understanding of the importance of appropriately using technology and how it can aid them educationally. The Juniors Team will be taught the responsibilities that come with the privilege of living in a technological world.
- Art and Music: Studies show that schools with good and available art programs improve the test scores of children in their core classes, such as math and English. Allowing your child to explore themselves artistically and musically allows them to develop a strong sense of identity as well as giving them the tools to develop self-esteem and an intrinsic motivation. Not only will Sheepshead Bay Preschool’s summer camp focus on one full thematic week of art, artistic and creative projects are integrated throughout every unit we will be covering for the Juniors Team. Exploration of topics through art and music will help your child apply their new knowledge to their long term memory, better preparing them for school and for life.
- Reading, writing, and arithmetic: Number and phonetic awareness are necessary staples for your child before they enter elementary school. Familiarizing children with numbers and letters and what each represents before they begin kindergarten is essential for their progress in the academic system. Children who enter preschool knowing their letters and sounds, as well as understanding numbers and the amount they represent allows them to start ahead, rather than spending their kindergarten year playing catch up. At Sheepshead Bay Preschool’s summer camp, the Juniors Team will be permitted to play with the concepts of numbers and letters, familiarizing themselves with the basis of all academic learning.
Summer should be a fun and exciting time for both you and your child. Sheepshead Bay Preschool’s Summer Camp allows your child to experience hands on learning through developmentally proven educational methods. The Jr. Summer STE(A)M allows your child an integrated experience that will further prepare them for the long educational road ahead of them, as well as allotting some free time for yourself (manicures, anyone?). We strive for both growth and proficiency, creating an environment of exploration to fulfill the needs of the little humans of Brooklyn.
