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May 2025

Giving MECK Pre-K families the tools to succeed!

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As we near the end of the school year, our hearts are full of gratitude. Thank you for allowing us the incredible honor of being part of your child’s early learning journey. It has been a true joy to watch them grow, discover, and blossom in our program.

As they take this important next step into kindergarten, we couldn’t be prouder. We know they will carry with them the curiosity, confidence, and joy they’ve cultivated here—and continue to shine brightly.

We look forward to celebrating all they’ve accomplished at our upcoming graduation ceremonies. Thank you for being a cherished part of our MECK Pre-K family and for trusting us with such a meaningful chapter in your child’s life.

To understand and respond effectively to behavior, you must think about what came before it as well as what came after it.

Here are three important aspects to any given behavior:

1. Antecedents: Another more familiar term for this is triggers. Learning and anticipating antecedents are extremely helpful tools in preventing misbehavior.
2. Behaviors: The specific actions you are trying to encourage or discourage.
3. Consequences: The results that naturally or logically follow a behavior. Consequences positive or negative, affect the likelihood of a behavior recurring. And the more immediate the consequence, the more powerful it is.

Here are antecedents that can produce productive behavior:

• Adjust the environment: When it’s homework time, for instance, remove distractions like video screens and toys, provide a snack, establish an organized place for kids to work, and make sure to schedule some breaks.
• Let kids have a choice: As kids grow up, it’s important they have a say in their own scheduling. For example, “Do you want to take a shower after dinner or before?” Giving kids a choice can help them feel empowered and encourage them to become more self-regulating.
• Provide countdowns for transitions: Prepare children for an upcoming transition. Let them know when there are 5 minutes remaining before they must go to bed or start their homework. Then, remind them when there are 2 minutes left.

What is Behavior?

The first step in behavior management is to identify target behaviors. These behaviors should be specific, observable, and measurable.

• Creating effective consequences: Not all consequences are created equal. Some are to create structure and help kids understand the difference between acceptable behaviors and unacceptable behaviors. As a parent/caregiver, having a strong understanding of how to intelligently and consistently use consequences can make all the difference.

Consequences to AVOID

• Giving negative attention: Children value attention from the important adults in their life so any attention positive or negative is better than none. Responding to behaviors with criticism or yelling adversely affects children’s self-esteem.
• Unbalanced consequences: Parents understandably get frustrated. At times, they may be so frustrated that they overreact. A huge consequence can be demoralizing for children, and they may give up even trying to behave.
• Positive consequences: When a child takes their time putting on his/her shoes or picking up his/her toys and, in frustration, you do it for him/her, you increase the likelihood that he will dawdle again next time.

Listed below are great summer reads for and with the children

• The Color Monster A Story About Emotions by: Anna Llenas
• The ABC’s of Emotions by: Camille Childs & Bryan Jones
• You, Me and Empathy by: Jayneen Sanders
• In My Heart by: Jo Witek
• The Way I Feel by: Janan Cain
• The Feelings Book by: Todd Parr
• The Boy with Big, Big Feelings by: Britney Winn Lee
• A Little Spot of Anger A Story About Managing Big Emotions by: Diane Alber
• When I Am Angry by: Michael Gordon
• The Grouchies by: Debbie Wagenbach

Summer is almost here, and with it comes sunshine, popsicles, and plenty of playtime! But did you know that over the summer, young children can lose some of the important skills they've built during the school year? It’s a normal part of growing up — but the great news is, with just a little bit of daily fun and learning, you can help your preschooler stay on track and even get ahead!

Here are some easy, playful ways to keep your child’s brain active over the summer:

📚 Read Every Day (Even Just a Little!)

 Make reading part of your daily routine — whether it’s a bedtime story, a picture book at breakfast, or a visit to the local library. Let your child choose books they love. The more fun it is, the more they'll want to do it!

🎨 Turn Play Into Learning

 Pretend play, building with blocks, drawing, and playing with puppets all build imagination, language, and problem-solving skills. Even helping you “write” a grocery list or count spoons during snack time adds learning into everyday life.

🧮 Keep Math Fun and Hands-On

 Look for math moments in your daily routine: count steps as you climb, sort laundry by color or size, or have your child help set the table (“We have 3 people — how many forks do we need?”).

🎵 Sing Songs & Play Rhyming Games

 Songs, nursery rhymes, and fingerplays build listening skills, memory, and language — plus, they’re just plain fun! Try making up silly rhymes or clapping to the rhythm of your child’s favorite tune.

🌻 Explore the Outdoors

 Nature is the perfect classroom! Go on a scavenger hunt in the backyard, plant flowers or vegetables, or talk about what you see on a walk — colors, textures, bugs, and sounds. Asking questions like “What do you think will happen if…?” encourages critical thinking.

🌟 Most of All: Keep It Light and Playful

 Summer is a time for joy, exploration, and rest. Every small moment you spend playing, talking, and exploring with your child supports their learning and helps them feel confident and curious when school starts again.

We’re so proud of the progress your little ones have made this year and can’t wait to hear about all their future successes! Kindergarten, here they come!!!

May 5th-9th is Teacher Appreciation Week! Show some love and support for all your classroom teachers!

Help Spread the Word

About MECK Pre-K!

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