We had a GREAT turnout for the parent staff committee meeting. Thanks to everyone for your ideas, thoughts and suggestions. Parent teacher partnerships are paramount in encouraging the optimal growth and development of your child/children.
In “SMART MOVES — Why Learning Is Not All in Your Head”, I have found a few suggestions to help your child develop the limbic system. Now what is the limbic system? The Limbic system consists of 5 major structures in the brain – the thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, amygdala and hippocampus. These structures support a variety of functions including emotion, behavior, motivation, long-term memory and the sense of smell. You can contribute to the healthy development of the limbic system by following these suggestions:
- Bond with your child, take time and be present. Encourage spontaneous imaginative play, wither alone of with parents/caregivers and other children. Spend time playing, climbing splashing, crawling and spinning with children in nature, allowing them to the lead the play process. Rough and tumble play is good for both child and parent. Allow children to create their own toys. Steer clear of non-creative, fully constructed commercial toys.
- Read and participate with full attention when with a child. Encourage creative, imaginative story making and play-acting.
- Encourage and allow full emotional expression moving to rational dialogue between the ages of 3-5 year.
- Expose children to good, consonant music. Sing and dance with children. Encourage them to explore musical instruments and musical styles.
- Encourage lots of movement and interaction with other children to develop playground rules, sharing and the beginnings of altruistic behavior.
- Honor care of other people, pets and objects.
- Encourage a sense of time and delayed gratification.
- Discourage any TV, video games or computer until at least age 8.
- Provide a loving, low stress environment and model rich emotional expression and stability. Model JOY.
- Control caretaker’s stress…..
Please remember that immunizations need to be up to date so please make sure that you have given your latest ones to the office. If you have any questions, let me know.
Again, if you have questions about our programs please just let me know. We did meet with the Professional Development Coordinator for the Quality Rating & Improvement Project. At our initial meeting we went through the education of our staff, the acceptance of High Scope as our research based curriculum and what further steps we should start with as we continue our professional growth.
Sincerely,
Jane
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