APRIL 2021

Greetings!

WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD!
April 10-16 is Week of the Young Child. This is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs/services that meet those needs.

MUSIC MONDAY
Today is all about music & movement!! Each classroom will find the beat to connect music, movement, and math. Practice clapping, drumming, or stomping to the beat of the music while counting.
TASTY TUESDAY
Did you know that cooking together connects math with literacy skills, science, and more? On Tasty Tuesday, we’ll be cooking up a storm!!
WORK TOGETHER WEDNESDAY!
Stop by and visit our new large activity & Pre-K classroom! We’ll have new games & activities for you to “work & do together.”
ARTSY THURSDAY
On Artsy Thursday, we’ll celebrate the joy and learning children experience when engaged in creative art making.
FAMILY FRIDAY
Bring in a photo of something your family did over the week to celebrate week of the young child… from cooking together, playing outside, or reading together.
PARENT RESOURCES
EASY BREAD RECIPE
 
Ingredients
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 1/4 cup milk, warm 110 to 115 degrees
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/8 cup melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups all purpose flour

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
  2. Dissolve one package of yeast into a bowl of the warmed milk. Next add the honey, melted butter, and salt. Mix to combine.
  3. Add 3 cups of flour and mix with hands until a soft dough forms. Use additional flour for dusting.
  4. Place the dough on a floured surface and begin kneading for about 10 minutes. 
  5. When you are done kneading, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Place the bowl in a warm place so it can rise and double. This will take about an hour.
  6. Next, punch down the dough and place it in a greased loaf pan. Cover the dough and place in a warm place for another 30 minutes until it rises and doubles.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees. You may need to cover the top with foil if it gets too brown. Remove from pan when done and allow to cool.
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM FROEBEL’S KINDERGARTENS
Community Playthings recently posted an article on its blog about Friedrich Froebel, the founder of Kindergarten, and his philosophies about its purpose. We found the article to be a good reminder of the foundations for early learning. Here are some highlights:
 
“A good way to begin to understand Froebel’s philosophy is to define the word, Kindergarten. Kindergarten literally means Children’s Garden, which covers Froebel’s concept of ‘a place for children’ as well as his beliefs about child growth, development, and learning (Elkind, 2015). He believed that the best place for young children is a place where the child’s nature can be developed and nurtured…”
 
Some of Froebel’s critical concepts are:
 
  • Use of the Outdoors
  • Importance of Hands-on Learning
  • Use of multiple intelligences
  • View of early childhood as a unique learning period separate from formal educational
  • Nurturing individual growth and development
  • Importance of the family
  • The value of play
  • The importance of creativity
  • An understanding of children who struggle in school
  • The need to challenge educational orthodoxy
 
You can read more about each of these concepts here:
ESPECIALLY FOR PARENTS
 LOOKING AHEAD: SUMMER AT EFC
The end of the school year brings so many special traditions to our schools. In a now-familiar refrain, while things still look at bit different as we move through (and closer to the end!) of the pandemic, we hope you and your children will enjoy the activities we have planned – Week of the Young Child, parent/teacher conferences, and end of the year classroom celebrations, and, finally, after a very long winter, some wonderful time outdoors!
 
For the past several years, we have made our outdoor gardens a central aspect of our summer, and that will continue in 2021. Children will have the opportunity to plant and harvest a variety of foods. They will learn about the life cycle of plants and how to take care of them. And best of all, how good fresh, homegrown fruits and veggies taste!
In addition to gardening, children will learn and grow through fun and engaging programming developed by their teacher(s). This summer you will notice your child’s teacher highlighting activities and themes that call to mind the best elements of summer and adapt them to the particular interests of children in their classroom. As always, the core elements of our curriculum will remain woven into each day as we continue teaching literacy, science and math skills and supporting children’s social and emotional learning through play, stories, and interactions. Some special classes will return to the centers as well.
 
We will bring back summer t-shirts this year that reflect the joy and freedom of summer. Please look for ordering information in late spring.
 
Finally, if you have any vacations or time off planned for the summer, please fill out our form here: https://especiallyforchildren.com/summer-form/
 
We are so excited to celebrate and enjoy summer with your children. It will be a well-deserved reward for us all!
Especially for Children
6125 Cahill Ave.  
Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 
(651) 450-1994  

Center Director:
Kristine Berg
Center Assistant Director:
Sarah Barlow
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