Start SMART

The School Foundation is so excited about honoring Tonya Frazier McNair at our upcoming gala on September 24th! Tonya is a 1986 Wilson High School graduate and a director at NASA. Tickets and sponsorships are available now.

Check out the StartSMARTflo.org website for resources and information for parents of young children. An example is developmental milestones.

Age 2 - The School Foundation The second year marks the child's departure from depending solely on the primary caregiver for attention. In the second year, children are likely to begin exploring their surroundings in earnest by climbing, playing with toys, and walking.

Great info for parents!

Thanks to The Care House of the P*e Dee for this information.

Great article on pre-writing skills!

This is my most widely shared post. And rightly so, it’s an important one. These are “prewriting patterns”, with the average (not prescribed) age at which children are developmentally ready to achieve these patterns listed below them in years and months. Being able to process visual information and produce a movement in response (e.g. copying these prewriting patterns or letter formations), is known as “visual motor integration”. ⠀
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Note that an X is not typically achieved until 4 years 11 months, and a triangle at 5 years 3 months. If a child can’t form these basic shapes...then they probably won’t be able to form letters. ⠀
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It is quite concerning then that there are 3 year 7 month olds starting formal schooling, where they’re expected to write. Not only are their visual motor integration skills not developed enough, their hands are also physically under-developed. In addition, recognising letters, understanding phonics and beginning to read are all needed in order for a child to write meaningfully, skills which children starting kindy typically don’t have. We also know that when a child learns something that doesn’t hold meaning, it‘s unlikely to stick. ⠀
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So if you have a 3-4 year old who spontaneously asks or attempts to write letters, that’s great; otherwise, there is no need to initiate or worry about this. Unfortunately there is a misconception, particularly with the way that the current curriculum stands, that earlier is better. Earlier is not always better.⠀

Source: Beery Buktenica Test of Visual Motor Integration, 6th Edition
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Great sensory activities!

For the kids who constantly slam into furniture and hang upside down... Great sensory input activities to start the day!
Every 1 hour of input can create calm and focus for up to 4 hours!

Imaginary play is great for young children!

Don’t Forget the Dramatic Play! How Pretend Play Is Beneficial for Young Children While no one can deny the importance of fostering STEM and literacy skills in early learning, dramatic play can also provide exactly what is needed for a child’s development. Research tells us that dramatic play is the natural way children make sense of the world.  Because it is engaging and fun,...

Good info!

This Train Analogy Will Completely Change How You See Your Crying Child I'll never relate to my crying child the same way again.

Child care providers should check out this resource!

Emergency Funding Resources that Child Care Providers Can Use Now These resources can help child care providers who have closed and are facing financial duress during the Coronavirus outbreak.