Fun4GatorKids.com
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Fun4gatorkids.com is the ultimate resource for finding stuff to do with kids in the Gainesville, FL area. They currently have over 1000 listings and are adding more each week!
Gainesville has SO much to offer for young children, but much of it is not advertised, and many activities and businesses do not even have a website, so kids and their caregivers often find out about them through word-of-mouth or just happen to discover things on their own.
www.Fun4GatorKids.com had 3 goals when developing this website:
1. To create a FREE online resource for parents, teachers and care-givers to quickly find activities, programs, businesses, and places to visit with kids in the Gainesville area.
2. To promote locally owned businesses and programs offering products and services appealing to kids. The website does this in two ways:
—All fun4gatorkids.com listings are FREE! And
—Advertising rates are priced below market value in order to allow small businesses the opportunity to advertise
3. To give back to the community by donating a portion of the proceeds from advertising to local charities benefiting children in the Alachua County area.
Please click on the logo to check out this wonderful resource:
A FREE website with over 1000 listings for family events, kids activities, childrens programs and classes, and MORE!
Finding a Quality Preschool for Toddlers
Finding a quality preschool for children can be quite challenging. There are several benefits to sending toddlers to a preschool rather than a daycare center. A quality preschool program helps children to develop their self identity. It also helps toddlers to discover and develop their positive attitudes toward learning. Preschools provide interesting learning tools and help the toddlers to gain self confidence.
They also help children to understand their capability to remember and build on things they have learned. Preschools also help children to develop their creative expressions through music, art and drama and by using their unique self expressions.
The most important factor in selecting a quality preschool is to make sure that it provides a safe and secure learning space for the children. It should be comfortable and provide areas where toddlers can enjoy activities without being easily distracted. It should have a staff that makes children feel comfortable and nurtured. The teachers and staff should be very caring, responsive and sensitive to the requests and needs of the children. They should get involved with the children and help them accomplish projects, solve problems and give adequate space and time for indoor and outdoor activities.
The location of the preschool is also an important factor that parents need to take into consideration. Most parents prefer to send their children to a preschool which is near to their home or workplace. As the child needs to be picked up or dropped by their parents, the preschool selected should be located nearby.
The amount of fees charged may also vary between different preschools. Some preschools may be subsidized by the state government for providing education to children who come from low- income families. Most charge monthly fees. It is also important to verify whether the preschool follows well defined curriculum. There may be some preschools that follow the same curriculum as daycare centers, while others may be preparing the children for kindergarten.
To contact the best preschool in Gainesville, FL for more information on our certifications, curriculum or to schedule a tour of our new campus updates just follow the link above.
Preschool Education – The Best Way To Impart Basic Knowledge To A Child
Caring parents are always eager to know about childcare options and are cautious to select the right preschool for their children.
Many parents may need guidance to make their decision regarding best school for their child. Often parents worry that their child will not get affection and attention, which is probably the most significant element attached to a child’s overall growth and development. Parents may not opt for homecare with a nanny for a number of reasons. It is difficult for many parents to even consider leaving their child in the care of someone else.
If any of these issues are tugging at your heart, A Child’s Academy preschool is your answer.
A Child’s Academy believes strongly in nurturing each child educationally, physically, and emotionally, all in a caring and loving environment.
Our experienced and qualified preschool teachers ensure that learning is fun. They also ensure that each child’s day is filled with skill-building activities, both indoors and outdoors.
Quality preschools, such as ACA, have years of experience in childcare and in imparting basic knowledge to young children. We know how to operate a secured, caring, and stimulating childcare center and preschool.
Our low instructor turnover rate provides for continuity with the children and is indicative of our dedication to quality teaching, learning, comfort and improved communication skills.
At ACA we have ample space for dividing children into age groups. Our wide range of indoor and outdoor learning games are always age appropriate.
Children often develop a strong bond with their teachers and friends. Because they always feel safe and cared for, ACA can help children learn to be attentive in their classes, and thus prepare them for school instruction.
Our parents often tell us of signs, books, and billboards that their children point out to them, and which they first learned about at ACA. We introduce the children to the alphabet, numbers, and colors. We also strive to make them aware of the environment and nature.
Deciding with whom to entrust your preschool-aged child is one of the most important and difficult decisions parents make. Our staff treats each child as if they were their child.
We at A Child’s Academy stand ready to help you make that decision. Our 30+ years of experience in childcare and preschool makes us eminently qualified to care for children of all ages.
Please feel free to call or come by for a visit. We will answer all of your questions. Contact us here or by telephone to schedule a visit at 352/371-3360.
A Child’s Academy looks forward to hearing from you.
Nurturing The Reader In Your Child: 5 Strategies To Get Your Preschooler To Love Reading
Reading allows your child to understand more about the world around him. Having television and computers at hand, however, diminishes the allure of reading a good book. Here are some ways to encourage your child to read despite having tech gadgets within reach.
Read To Your Child
It is never too early to start reading to your child. This allows the child to learn that reading is a pleasant experience and that printed words have meanings. For beginning readers, using your pointer finger as you read through the text can develop sound recognition and word families (i.e. cake-bake). Changing your voice as you narrate the characters’ dialogues makes reading more animated and, thus, more appealing.
Even if your child may already be a proficient reader, being read to would still be entertaining provided you use a book or reading material that is appropriate for his level. Reading to him would help increase his vocabulary, pronunciation, and comprehension.
Be A Model
You can best encourage your child to read if you read yourself. Let your child see how much you love reading by always taking time to read. You may encourage the whole family to allot at least half an hour every weekend solely for reading.
Collect Reading Materials And Keep Them Within Reach
You may want to start investing in good books and other reading materials. Choose books or magazines that your child may be interested in (for example, if he likes cars and trains, then get a set of books on cars and trains), as well as those that you may have loved to read when you were a child. Although your child may be showing a particular interest, you may also introduce other literary genres or topics in order to broaden his interests and knowledge. Still, let your child take the lead and choose books or magazines to buy.
Keep these reading materials within your child’s reach so that your child may discover their different uses— whether to inform, entertain, or simply create a pleasant experience.
Create Opportunities To Read
There are endless ways to encourage your child to read wherever you and your child could be. If you’re in the car, you can play “I spy the letter ____, or I spy the word ____.” If you’re in the grocery or mall, looking for brands of your everyday commodities could be a good way to start to read. Posting notes or rules at home not only encourages reading but also lets the child imbibe the importance of reading.
Set A Limit For TV And Computer Use
Compared to simply watching and clicking on the computer, reading a book involves more brain processing. This is why most children, and even adults, prefer using the television or computer than reading a book—these activities involve less brain work. Thus, if you are determined to instill the importance of reading in your child, you may have to limit the hours of watching TV and using the computer.
Learning how to read may pave the way to your child’s future academic success. Moreover, nurturing your child’s love for reading may inspire him to realize his future career or work passions.
About The Author:
Barbara Harpe has run Gainesville FL Preschools for over 32 years. Her expertise is in teaching children from preschool to elementary. She advocates parental involvement since she and her husband have always been partners in raising their children.
Preschools and Their Benefits
“Preschool or no preschool?” That is the question.
While there is no right or wrong some parents may want to send their kids to a preschool while some parents prefer to keep their kids at home as long as possible to send their kids to schools when they are more physically and mentally prepared.
The decision taken by parents should be influenced by their children and their personal convictions.
Nevertheless, there are several benefits for the children if they go to a preschool before they are ready for kindergarten. Some tips may help parents to get good idea of how they can help their children to get ready for kindergarten.
Basic Education
Preschools help in instilling basic knowledge in children. The best way to get children prepared for kindergarten is to get them enrolled in an accredited preschool.
The renowned preschools with a certified curriculum help small children get familiar with the letters in the alphabet, numbers, shapes, colors, days of the week, and months of a year and much more.
If children are aware of these basics when they join a kindergarten, they will gain more confidence and will be able to grasp things better throughout school. The most important thing is to help children have a strong foundation in the basics, which will help them to understand things much better as they attain higher knowledge. Those kids who have not attended preschools will certainly get knowledge at kindergartens, though it’s just the fact that their learning bend will not get accelerated as much as of those children who have attended preschools.
Learning Social Skills
Parents who send their children to preschools will really help them to broaden their social skills. This may not appear to be a great benefit until children at the kindergarten are able to easily connect and interact with other children all the day, which proves that social skills are really important.
By enrolling the kids at such preschools, especially those open all day, five days a week, will help children to develop friendship with other children, learn and follow new instructions, share new ideas, and learn to socialize. This however, does not mean that kids who do not attend these preschools will not have the social skills expected of others in kindergarten. It’s just that they will develop these traits at a later stage.
Overcoming Separation Anxieties
Another advantage of attending preschools is that children will be able to overcome, or at least reduce, their separation anxieties much earlier.
If children are accustomed to being with their parents all day and then they are dropped at a preschool all of a sudden, they tend to throw tantrums and get panicky due to fear of separation. However, if children have attended preschools then they are aware of the fact that they will be picked up by their parents once the school gets over, so they will not feel that they are being abandoned by their parents.
Moreover, they will understand that it is really fun to attend school.
For a private tour of A Child’s Academy Preschool please contact us and we’ll be glad to help.
New and Lasting Friendships for Parents and Kids
Make new friends
And keep the old
One is silver
And the other’s gold
Ah, friends. They’re worth their weight in gold, and just like gold, you can’t have too many of them. At some point in life, you (and your child) are going to find yourselves in a situation where you’re feeling lonely and in need of a good friend. Maybe you’ve just moved to a new town. Maybe your child is starting at a new school. Maybe his best friend (or yours) away. Even if you’re already blessed with a circle of good friends, there’s always room for one more. But make no mistake, it’s not always an easy task, especially if you’re quiet or shy. It’s never too early to start teaching your child how to make (and keep) new friends, so here are a few tips to make it a bit easier:
Join a playgroup
Find a local parents’ club or organization that has regular playdates already organized. Playgroups are usually grouped by age, which makes it easier for your child to bond with others. And since you’ll be going through the same parenting joys and sorrows as the other parents in the playgroup, you’ll have plenty to talk about.
Join a class
There’s nothing like shared interests to jump start a conversation. Sign your child up for a class he loves, like ballet or soccer or gymnastics so that he can meet people who like the same things he does.
Head out to the playground….
If your child needs a friend, go to where the children are. Many parents or caregivers take their children to their neighborhood park on a regular basis, so if stick to a particular date and time for your playground runs, you’ll likely see the same faces again and again.
…. and take an extra toy with you.
If you have a shy child who finds it difficult to approach a group of children, just take along an extra dump truck, shovel or ball to the playground Give your child some advance notice that these toys are meant to be shared, and dump the whole lot into the sandbox. Children will flock to your child like bees to honey — and so will their caregivers. Your child is bound to find a new friend, and so will you.
Make the first move
If you’re the new family in town, jump start your social life by making the first move. Join the PTA, become a room parent or volunteer at your church’s Sunday School so you can get to know the other families in the neighborhood. Then invite a fellow parent over for coffee, and invite a classmate over for the afternoon.
Even if you’re not the ones moving to a new place, remind yourself and your child that there’s no need to limit yourself to your old circle of friends! It’s tough enough being the new family on the block, so put on your welcoming hat and make the first move. Welcome a new family into your neighborhood or school by knocking on their front door with a pan of brownies, inviting them to your block party, or arranging a playdate with your child.
Keep your old friends
Stay in touch with old friends by exchanging emails, letters and Christmas cards. Have your child write out a birthday card to the friends in his old school or town — or better yet, put them on the phone so they can hear each other’s voices. Keep the memories alive by putting up photos of your child and his friends or making scrapbooks of fun moments they’ve shared together. And if you’re still in the same town but have moved to another school, keeping the friendship alive is easier than ever. Sign up for the same ballet classes or soccer teams so they get to see each other in an organized group setting. And remember to keep those playdates and parties going!
A Child’s Academy, is a Gainesville FL Preschool and Daycare. We have provided Gainesville FL Preschool Children with the Love of Learning for 32+ years. Book a tour of A Child’s Academy to meet our great teachers and to experience our preschool at www.achildsacademy.com/tour.
The Impact of a Great Pre-School Teacher
Great teachers make great preschools. When looking for a preschool, it is very important that a parent understand the preschool learning environment and the influence that a teacher has in creating that environment. Understanding a teacher’s contribution to a well-run classroom, then, is critical in selecting a preschool for your child.
Life is very active for a preschooler. A young child learns most of his or her concepts through play and hands-on, real-life experiences. Therefore a great preschool teacher will plan and set up a rich, inviting environment that provides each child the opportunity to learn at an optimal level. A classroom filled with toys, equipment, and themes by which children can learn language, math concepts, social skills, fine and gross motor skills, creativity, problem solving, and science concepts, serves as a tool for teachers to use in keeping a well-managed classroom. He or she will understand the various means by which young children learn, and provide activities and lessons which engage children on multiple levels. With a carefully planned and prepared environment, an early childhood teacher has all kinds of teaching resources at his/her fingertips.
A great preschool teacher will notice and value the individual. A great preschool teacher will have a method to take notes about a child’s individual development and methods to customize attention or activities to individual needs. A great preschool teacher will take the time to understand each aspect of a child’s development: creative development, social and emotional development, cognitive development, language and communication development, and physical development. Within this framework, the teacher will honor each child as a unique person worthy of respect, listening and responding to questions and concerns.
A great preschool teacher will encourage each child. A teacher should provide plenty of positive reinforcement, both when children are in groups and also when working one-on-one with a child. Just as adults appreciate affirmation in what they do well at work, church, or volunteer service, so children desire to know specifically what they do well. A great preschool teacher will notice these details and communicate them to the children. A critical part of preschool development involves social interactions; so a great preschool teacher will encourage healthy relationship development between the students, and between the students and staff.
A great preschool teacher will be effective by being a gentle leader. The list of characteristics that describe teachers is endless. One parent said that she looks for “someone who is very, very sweet – is kind;” but “kindness” only begins the list. Preschool teachers must be mature leaders who have great inner strength and know how to be creative, spontaneous, problem solving, patient, calm, positive, consistent, caring, listeners, kind, knowledgeable, and respectful. These qualities are the same qualities we hope to instill in our children; and they learn what they love. All these characteristics can be summed by one word: LOVING.
A Child’s Academy, a Gainesville FL Preschool and Daycare, strive to hire great preschool teachers with loving character. They are leaders that teach with LOVE. At A Child’s Academy Preschool and Daycare we say that LOVE is Leading the children, Optimizing their learning opportunities, Valuing each as unique and individual, and Encouraging each to develop as a complete child. Book a tour of A Child’s Academy to meet our great teachers and to experience our preschool at www.achildsacademy.com/tour.
2010 Mothers Day Luncheon
We had a wonderful turnout and a fantastic time at the ACA 2010 Mothers Luncheon today. We are so blessed to have such wonderful families. We took some photos of all the action at our Gainesville Daycare and Preschool and put together a little photo montage below.
All of our Mothers were really excited about their FREE Massage appointments that we booked them for!
Updates, Inspiration, Ideas & More
Private Tour Appointments
Why our Parents Love ACA:
Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment
A Child's Academy's VPK program has received a gold seal rating from the state of Florida for the highest standards of "quality in the level of care and supervision provided to children"