Conversations with Children

It is easy to ask yes and no questions when talking to a young child. These are called close ended questions. When you ask children open ended questions it supports critical thinking and language development.These questions allow children to go beyond short answers and get to something deeper. Keep in mind your child's strengths and interest when asking open ended questions. Encourage them to talk about themselves, their ideas, and reflections. When playing with your child ask them questions that encourages them to analyze, evaluate, and create. These can increase back and forth dialogue. Here are some great conversation starters for young preschoolers.

Here are some great questions for older children.

As a parent, it's up to you, the one who knows your child best, to decide which questions are best for your child and in what scenerios. It can be challenging to develop and ask questions that engage your child who will answer in there own way, but this is well worth the effort!

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Water Play with Toddlers

Water play is a great sensory activity.  It is easy, versatile, and the kids love it. You can keep it really simple or find tons of different water ideas.

• Take your indoor toys out and get them wet.
• Use sponges, strainers, cups.
•  Build there vocabulary by using words to describe the water. Such as; wet, dry, deep, shallow, sink, float, pour, and splash.
•  Make alphabet soup using foam bath letters. 
•  Paint with water. They will love watching it dry in the sun as much as painting it.
• Let them use their imagination.
• They learn social skills while playing with other children. Even if it's just parallel play. They have to be cooperative.
• Go with the flow! Let your child led the way!

Here at The Academy of Gateway we had fun with bubbles and letters in our water table. We also had fun with a caterpillar sprinkler.

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Best of Parenting

We have been voted Best of Parenting for the last 11 years and we are ready to make it 12! Best of Parenting is voted by local readers of the Rutherford County Parent Magazine. Please help us by voting! Nominations are open until July 31st and voting begins August 8th. If you would like to nominate The Academy please click here.

Our goal is to give children the highest quality preschool education in a fun and safe environment and to provide you with the peace of mind that your child is receiving the best possible care.

We have had a great year at The Academy of Gateway! Here are some pictures of the fun we have had so far and why we do what we do.

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4th of July Fun and Safety

4th of July is the epitome of summer family fun but tends to include fire, water, and crowds. Here are some tips to navigate these hazards so that your family can have the best possible holiday!

• Sparklers are a family favorite but pose hazards.
•  Make a sparkler cup. Poke a hole in the bottom of a cup to place the sparkler in.
• Always supervise. These are hazardous.
•  Never point them at people or animals.
• Wear closed toed shoes.
• Dispose of sparklers in water. 
• Glow sticks can be a great alternative.
• Firework Fun
• Keep family seating far away from fireworks.
• Have water and/or a fire extinguisher handy in case of fire.
• Get sound proof headphones for little ones.
• Water Safety
• Keep life jackets on anytime children are near water.
• Supervision is key.
• Crowds
• Make a plan for what to do and where to go if seperated.
• Make a supervision plan and verbally agree.
• If alcohol is being served make sure children's cups are distinguishable and can't be mixed up with a adult cup.

Here at The Academy of Gateway we are closed for 4th of July. We are welcoming the kids back on July 5th with a fun water slide day. 

For more information about our preschool program click here.

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