The Relationship Between Music and Brain Development in Children
Research shows music is good for children and has many cognitive benefits in their development. In fact, modern neurological research has discovered music and child development are deeply intertwined. Exposure to music can help children develop new neural connections, language skills, and more. As children engage with different types of music, whether through singing, listening or dancing, their brains undergo a symphony of activities that engages many areas of the brain including those related to: Working memory Language Processing Emotional Regulation of Self-Control Prob...
The Benefits of Outdoor Play in Child Development
As an adult, it can be challenging to cut back on screen time and sometimes it can be much more of a challenge to encourage your children to take a step back as well. They live in a world where digital games, TV, phones and iPads are more accessible than they’ve ever been before. However, while screen time does have some benefits, research shows that finding a healthy balance between physical and outdoor play and screen time can help improve physical and mental health. Furthermore, research confirms that physical play can partially reverse negative effects on the brain associated with exc...
Supporting Healthy Screen Habits for Children
In today’s digital world, screens are everywhere. From smartphones and tablets to TVs and computers, children are exposed to technology daily, often for long periods of time. While devices can offer educational benefits and entertainment, it is also important to understand how too much screen time can affect your child’s development and what you can do as a parent to support healthy habits. Research shows that too much screen time can have a significant impact on a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Language Development - According to a study published b...
7 Way to Create a Calm and Consistent Nighttime Routine for Children
Establishing a reliable nighttime routine is key to helping young children transition smoothly from a busy day to a restful night. A consistent routine promotes better sleep and provides children with a sense of security and predictability, which is essential for their emotional and physical well-being. At Stepping Stone School, we understand how important sleep is for a child’s growth and learning, and we want to share tips to help parents create soothing and effective bedtime routines. 1. Set a Regular Bedtime Young children thrive on consistency. Choose a bedtime that works for your ...
Understanding and Addressing Biting in Young Children
Biting is a common concern for many families with young children. While it can be distressing, especially when it happens unexpectedly, biting is a typical developmental behavior often seen in infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds. Children usually outgrow this behavior as they mature, develop self-control, and learn better ways to express their needs and emotions. However, it's important for families to understand why children bite and how to respond in a way that encourages healthy behavior. Why Do Young Children Bite? Children may bite for various reasons, and understanding the cause is...
Essential Skills Parents Can Help Children Develop in the Early Years
The first five years of a child's life are filled with rapid growth and learning, and it’s during this crucial time that children lay the foundation for their future success. At Stepping Stone School, we recognize the importance of equipping children with a blend of academic, social, emotional, and physical skills that are essential for success in elementary school and beyond. While our nurturing environment and Future Strong™ approach provides a solid foundation at school, parents play an invaluable role in extending this learning at home. Here are key skills parents can help their chi...
The Importance of Water Safety Instruction
With summer just around the corner, the allure of pools and water activities is undeniable. As we prepare for a season filled with fun, it's essential to prioritize the safety of our children around water. Water safety instruction might seem like just another item on your schedule, but they are incredibly important for your child's safety and development. Let's explore why enrolling your children in a water safety instruction program this summer is a wonderful decision. Why Water Safety Instruction Matters Safety First: Water safety is a critical skill for children, especially presc...
Stepping Stone School Continues to Elevate our High Standards and Progressive Program!
At Stepping Stone School, our focus is, and always will be, to provide the highest quality care and education for our children and families. From digital literacy and safety to emotional intelligence and positive self-regulation skills, our program provides the latest research-based curriculum combined with the reputable educational standards we are nationally recognized for. We are also emphasizing a reconnection to nature and implementing environmental sustainability practices to help develop responsible citizens. Our Proud to be Polite™ program focuses on the development of manners and...
The Value of Constructive Play & How to Encourage it at Home
As a parent, it is easy to overlook the value of everyday toys, such as blocks, Legos® and Tinker Toys®. However, the daily utilization of these toys are proven to be a vital benefit to a child’s development. These toys fall under the category of constructive play. Through constructive play, children learn about materials and objects and how to use them to create, build, order and manipulate. By age four, constructive play is the most common form of play. Constructive play is also a big part of our S.T.R.E.A.M. curriculum at Stepping Stone School has been suggested that children who eng...
Leadership Skills for Children
Research suggests that tomorrow’s leaders will be those with highly developed “Soft Skills.” Soft Skills are interpersonal aptitudes focusing heavily on communication and problem-solving abilities which support success in children long after high school and college. Many of these skills are key focuses in our Kindness & Empathy™ curriculum. During the month of January, the children at Stepping Stone School will develop Leadership skills as they participate in activities relating to these soft skills. When leadership qualities are nurtured in young children they bloss...
The Benefits of Sensory Play in Childhood Development
Children are naturally curious and absolutely love exploring the world around them through their senses. Sensory play includes activities involving touch, smell, sight, sound and taste, but it also covers movement, balance and spatial awareness. Sensory play is a vital component of childhood development and research shows that exposure to sensory-rich environments positively influence cognitive development. This type of play, where children explore various materials, textures, sounds, smells and sights can invite children into a world of limitless exploration. The types of sensory play a...
Montessori, Reggio Emilia or Play Based?
Montessori, Reggio Emilia or Play-Based? Stepping Stone School: Where Education Meets Innovation At Stepping Stone School, our commitment goes beyond just providing quality early care and education. We are dedicated to nurturing the development of the whole child, strengthening families, enhancing lives, and maintaining the highest standards for Early Care and Education. We pride ourselves on our unique innovative curriculum, Platinum Learning for Life™ and Calendar of Curriculum Themes™, which is the culmination of over 40 years of teaching experience and interaction with child...
Outdoor Classrooms
As parents of young children attending Stepping Stone School, you're likely aware of the importance of outdoor play in your child's early education. But do you know just how impactful it can be? Let's explore the numerous advantages that outdoor play brings to your child's learning and development. It Invites Children to Learn Science - Nature is a perfect classroom for young explorers. You don't need formal science lessons; outdoor play naturally encourages your child's curiosity. Children are born discoverers, and their questions can become group inquiry projects. Outdoor play natur...
Encouraging Emergent Writing
For young children, art and early writing skills go hand in hand. At first, your child will start experimenting with crayons and the cool things that they can do. Children often start to develop early writing skills through creating art, such as scribbles and begin to imitate the act of writing by symbolic marking and drawings that express their thoughts and ideas. These early writing skills are called emergent writing. Emergent writing is your child’s first attempt at the writing process. The development of emergent writing skills, such as writing their own name are important for setting...
Raising a Reader: Starting with Infants
From the moment you are expecting your first child, you are overwhelmed with information and advice about the importance of reading. There are good reasons for this as it is important to instill good reading habits and skills in your child from infancy and as they go into adulthood. The benefits of reading at every stage of a child’s development are well documented. Some of these benefits include, sparking your child’s imagination, stimulating curiosity, social and communication skills. Raising a reader is fun, rewarding and relatively easy. Here are some ways that you can help your ...
Three Ways to Improve Your Child's Sleep
For many families, sleep issues are present for parents and children alike. Many adults experience problems with getting a good night’s rest due to everyday stress factors, such as balancing work and family life, along with all the stressors of everyday life. Research shows many younger school-age children have issues getting quality sleep. In the past two years, bedtimes and wake times have drifted 30 to 60 minutes later for some families. If your children are having trouble catching those Z’s, here are some ideas that might help: 1.) Enact New Bedtime Rituals. Current research s...
Night Time Fun!
Nighttime games can liven things up—and maybe boost mental health. For most children the dark is a scary place. When the lights go out, imaginations run wild and our visual and auditory senses become more active. Since the connections between the Amygdala and Frontal Cortex, which are associated with regulating emotion, develop through early childhood and teen years, over time children are better able to manage their responses to more intimidating situations. Engaging in activities that are mildly risky, or scary can be especially helpful in a child’s chaotic life, as well as mentally p...
Peace of Mind for Parents - Talking Time!
Why is a large vocabulary important for children? Because it’s linked to their reading and school success. Help your child learn new words through conversations, reading aloud, and singing. Try these vocabulary-building ideas at home. Describe what you are doing. "I’m putting the food out for breakfast. I made scrambled eggs because we all like them." "There is some tangerine juice to drink. Tangerine juice tastes a lot like orange juice that you think is so yummy." Talk about what your child is doing. "Look how high you made that LEGO skyscra...
Peace of Mind for Parents - Choosing Meaningful STREAM Activities for Your Child
Young children love to explore the world around them—and STREAM activities are a great way to help them do it. STREAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math. There are lots of STREAM activities available online for families and children to do at home, but some are better than others! With so many STREAM ideas to choose from, how do you find what is best for your child? Here are some questions you can ask yourself: 1. Will this activity interest my child? Is your child interested in building? Collecting rocks? Looking at the night sky? Choos...
Peace of Mind for Parents - Developing Your Child's Spatial Thinking Skills
Research suggests that children’s early mathematics learning—including spatial-thinking skills—is related to later success in both reading and math. Spatial thinking involves children learning to navigate through their environment, to use maps and diagrams to solve problems, and to follow directions. These skills are linked to later achievement in STREAM (Science, Technology, Relationships, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) fields, and these skills grow tremendously during early childhood. Here are some tips for supporting your child's spatial thinking! Play Fun Spatial-Thinking Act...
How to Achieve Successful Transitions from Home to School!
Stepping Stone School is uniquely qualified and committed to help support warm and positive transitions at all levels. The teachers and campus administrators at Stepping Stone School are specially chosen for their Kindness, Helpfulness and Empathy. They are educated from day one to provide a seamless transition between home and school for our children AND parents. We know that All parents want their children to be loved, cared for and to be treated with kindness and acceptance. We do all we can to ensure your children experience this daily! Stepping Stone School professionals treat ea...
Peace of Mind for Parents - Encouraging Curiosity at Home
“Why is the sky blue?” "How does a car work?" "Where did that plant come from?" These are only some of the many questions that your precocious child likely asks you. It’s not always easy to answer children’s questions, but encouraging their curiosity is an important part of helping them grow. Here are some ways that you can encourage your child’s curiosity at home. Find answers together. No doubt your preschooler asks you countless questions every day. This is a great opportunity to work together to explore and find the answers to their questions. Go to the librar...
Infants Learn by Watching Caregiver’s Faces
In this time of mask-wearing, it is particularly important for us to understand how infants and young toddlers learn. Young children learn an enormous amount of information from faces. From language to social cues, developmental psychologists say faces are a learning tool in the same way books are. Since the start of the pandemic, young children have been losing out on the crucial visual tools needed for language development. While wearing masks doesn’t mean children won’t learn language, it makes it more challenging for children. Stepping Stone School understands the crucial need...
The Necessity of Beauty
Four-year-old, Jamie stood motionless in front of a flower. Moving closer, I noticed a small white butterfly perched on the petal of a purple flower. Jamie reverently whispered, “See the dot on its wings, it has the same on both!” Going on he said, “It’s so quiet. I like it.” Throughout the rest of the day, Jamie talked about the butterfly. He thought about which flowers it may like best, where it may fly to next, he even wondered if he stood really still whether or not it may think him a flower. Jamie paused in the presence of a beautiful insect perched on a beautiful...
How to Help Your Child "Connect the Dots" to Develop Ownership Skills
My four-year-old enjoys connect-the-dot puzzles. She loves revealing the hidden shape after connecting each letter or number in sequential order. In life, helping children “connect the dots” or link the cause and effect between actions and the results of those actions enables children to see the relationship between their choices and the consequences of their behavior. As a part of our Character and Empathy™ curriculum, Stepping Stone School teachers will teach children about what it means to take Ownership for their actions and behaviors. Children will participate in a variety...
Help Your Child Think Before Acting
Executive Functions are the ability to “stop and think,” regulate emotional responses and focus attention. These functions are strengthened as the brain (specifically the frontal cortex) develops. Executive Functions have three major components: Self Control – the ability to resist doing something tempting in order to do the right thing. It also helps children pay attention, act less impulsively and stay focused on work. Working Memory – the ability to keep information in mind where it can be used to make connections between ideas, to make mental calculations and to p...
Developing Self-Regulation Skills with Conscious Guidance
This past year, we integrated Dr. Becky Bailey‘s comprehensive self-regulation program, Conscious Discipline into our Platinum Learning for Life Curriculum™ (identified as “Conscious Guidance” on our learning plans). During the month of January, we will focus on the practice of self-regulation combining the goals of Conscious Discipline and our Communities of Character™ curriculum. Children will learn self-regulation skills to manage their emotions, overcome stress, and persist through challenges as they read age-appropriate books and participate in hands-on activities and gam...
1.4 million words
Astounding new research estimates that young children who have been read to multiple times a day from infancy until they reach school age have heard an average of 1.4 million more words than their peers who have never been read to. Even if a child has only heard one book a day, she has still heard 290,000 more words by the time she reaches kindergarten. (Grabmeier, 2019) The language in books, unlike conversational language, introduces children to more complex vocabulary words not always heard in day to day conversation. Therefore, well-read children enjoy a rich vocabulary, improved...
3 Important Ways to Communicate with Your Infant
For a new parent, it can be frustrating not knowing what your infant’s wants and needs are. What does a loud screeching cry mean? Does it mean that he is hungry or hurt? What about a soft cry? Aside from the crying, what do her body signals mean, such as arching her back, rubbing her ears, or moving her arms around? These are all questions that go through a parent’s mind on a daily basis when they are caring for their infant. Infants communicate well before they are able to speak and are born with the ability to express many different, and rather important, emotions. Here are some gen...
Infants and Toddlers and Math, Oh My!
The idea of very young children participating in mathematical thinking may seem strange to some, however, researchers have observed infants at six months of age demonstrating matching skills, sorting and classifying, and recognizing amounts of more and less. These basic math skills exhibit as children work to understand the world around them. Between the ages of one and two, children develop number sense and are able to pick out one or two objects when asked. They develop a sense of shape and space, as they sort objects, stack blocks, and complete simple puzzles. By the middle of th...
Living a Compassionate Life
The holiday season often causes us to think of others. What is it that a loved one needs physically or emotionally during this time of year? We ask ourselves questions like, “What can I do to make another person feel the joy of the season?” Compassion involves not only recognizing the needs of others but also following through in action to meet those needs. Over this month, the children at Stepping Stone School will have opportunities to think of others as they learn about this important character trait. They will create gifts and cards for families and friends. Teachers ...
Welcoming a New Sibling
After almost nine months of preparation, most parents feel prepared to welcome a new child into the family. But when the new child is a second or third child, how do parents prepare the soon to be older siblings? Various doctors and child psychologists have made several of the following suggestions: Make them friends before birth. Help your older child get acquainted with the new baby before birth by showing sonogram pictures of how the baby is growing. Let your child pat your belly, feel the new baby kick, and talk to the baby. Tell your older child stories about when you were ...
Developing Perseverance
Beyond intelligence and raw talent, the ability to push through challenges and continue reaching towards a goal is the best indicator of the future success of children. Persistence, as described here, is a character trait which can be taught and learned. (Crawford, 2016) At Stepping Stone School, we recognize the value of perseverance and encourage growth in this area daily.OurPlatinum Learning for Life™curriculum is specially designed to provide developmentally appropriate activities for children of all ages. Each child is provided the support and care she needs to become confiden...
Building a Foundation in Writing
Wrapping his tiny toddler fingers tightly around a large crayon, two-year-old Bentley stands over a piece of paper making firm strokes across his page and states then with excitement, “I write!” Considering her picture from different angles, Mila adds a few letter-shapes - a couple pointy marks reminiscent of M’s and repeating lines like L’s. After adding eyes and whiskers to his drawing, Jamie thinks intently. Very carefully he adds a wobbly “c” and then excitedly shows his teacher, “I wrote, Cat!” Early writing skills develop following the same sequence of stage...
How to Teach Young Children Fairness
Have you ever wondered why we enjoy sporting events where the “underdog” wins the day or hearing “rags to riches” human interest stories? Using functional MRIs, a team of researchers at Rutgers University discovered how the brain reacts to perceived fair and unfair treatment of others. Their findings demonstrate higher levels of brain activity when one perceives fair treatment of another. Additionally, they observed decreased activity when one perceives incidences of unfairness or inequity. These findings suggest that our sense of fairness is not entirely based on a set of ...
Creating Routines: Promoting Love and Learning
From those earliest days after a child is born, parents begin employing new routines to meet the needs of an infant and keep up with the daily obligations of home and work. As children grow and develop, family routines change. Research demonstrates when children follow a daily routine they may be healthier, better behaved, and could even perform better at school. (Education.com, 2018) Rules and routines create order and structure to the day. Knowing what to expect allows predictability, builds independence, and promotes emotional regulation. When creating routines, the CDC recommen...
Teaching Responsibility
In many of our Stepping Stone School prekindergarten classrooms, you will notice a classroom chore chart. Using this list of chores, teachers encourage children to take on certain roles and responsibilities as a member of the classroom community. Children work together to straighten the classroom, welcome guests, and line up at the door. They are learning responsibility and the satisfaction of a job well done. A responsible person is reliable and trustworthy, completing the tasks she says she will do. Responsible people think before they act, they put forth their best effort, take...
Teaching Children to be Caring
Ruth had just woken up from her nap and was sitting alone near her mat with her head lowered, arms crossed, and a sad expression on her face. Three-year-old Lizzie walked over after noticing her friend was not moving to participate in the classroom activities. Squatting down and looking closely at Ruth’s face, Lizzie gently patted Ruth on the back and gave her a soft toy. Lizzie’s acknowledgment of Ruth’s feelings caused other members of the class to ask Lizzie what was wrong with Ruth. Following Lizzie’s lead, other children brought toys over to try to cheer Ruth up. ...
The Value of Drawing
Starting with Scribbles Handing a child a crayon for the first time is a game of chance often ending with the removal of crayon wax from his mouth. However, once he is taught to use crayons with paper rather than as a teething toy, he soon notices the cause and effect relationship between his hand movements and the colorful marks on a paper. The realization causes exhilaration: “I have control.” Scribbles progress becoming more purposeful as he develops motor control. Around three and a half, children begin to connect the two ends of a line to form enclosed shapes. At this sta...
Explore Your Creative Genius this Summer!
Summer at Stepping Stone School During Stepping Stone School’s Summer Break Camp at The Brainery™, students will investigate their own unique Creative Genius while exploring the various art forms that inspire us. Each two-week session learning plan will focus on a different type of artistic expression, along with a leader in that art form. Campers will discover the potential opportunities open to them to become the creative geniuses of the future. Our camp offers six specialty camps in one place. All of our bi-weekly lesson plans are based on our unique Platinum Learning for Life™ cu...
Kindergarten Readiness at Stepping Stone School
This month, many of the children whom we have watched grow from infancy will be donning their cap and gown as they walk across the stage to receive their prekindergarten diploma. Our end of the year programs celebrate the accomplishments of our advanced prekindergarten classes over the past school year. It is always a bittersweet moment: a mixture of the overwhelming sense of accomplishment and the uncertainty which comes when starting the next chapter in one’s life. Engaging with our Platinum Learning for Life™ Curriculum, these children have come to identify many letters a...
5 Ways to Help Children Take Ownership of Their Behavior
My four-year-old is obsessed with connect-the-dot puzzles. Revealing the hidden shape after connecting each letter or number in sequential order brings him a special thrill In life, helping children “connect the dots” or recognize the link between actions and results enable children to see the relationship between their choices and the consequences of their behavior. This month, Stepping Stone School teachers will discuss the Kindness and Empathy™goal for the month: Ownership. Children will participate in discussions, learning activities, and read children’s literature demo...
Developing Trust
Developmental psychologist Erik Erikson was best known for his theory of psychosocial development. He identified the first stage in this model astrust vs. mistrust beginning in infancy until approximately 18 months. During this time in a child’s life, he will learn he can trust those caring for him based on their consistent care meeting his needs and responding to his cries. According to Erikson, success in this stage leads to the virtue of hope – when the same child encounters uncertainty in the future, he has hope that he will be successful because he knows those who care fo...
Big Body Play
Puppies do it. Kittens do it. Elephants and monkeys do it. And yes, young boys and girls do it. Rough and tumble or big body play (BBP) like running, climbing, jumping and even wrestling is necessary for proper brain development in children and beneficial for building relationships and developing healthier bodies. At Stepping Stone School, we recognize the need for young children to use large muscle groups in safe yet physically challenging ways. Our shaded outdoor play areas are designed with safety in mind with equipment appropriate for each age group. During the rainy ...
5 Ways to Teach and Encourage Respect
In preparation for this month’s Kindness and Empathy™ focus, I asked my four-year-old about Respect. He pondered for several moments and then provided an exasperated reply, “I don’t know; what is it?” I found myself challenged to come up with the words to describe this character trait and fell back on examples of when we have seen respect displayed through the actions of others. Respect is one character trait you may easily recognize when you see it and just as easily identify when it is absent. Partnering with you to encourage this valuable character trait, our Steppi...
Developmentally Appropriate Chores for Children
Spring is in the air! Which also means spring cleaning is just around the corner. This year, consider including your children in this annual home ritual. Through age-appropriate tasks, children acquire important social skills as they continue to learn what it means to be a part of a family. Children learn responsibility, how to care for materials and pets at home, and how to work cooperatively with family members to get things accomplished. The 2015 Texas prekindergarten guidelines suggest that right around the time a child turns four, he or she begins to recognize personal role...
Mathematics Development and Learning
The “M” in S.T.E.A.M. stands for Mathematics! Concrete experiences with math concepts and interactions with teachers have a direct impact on your children’s acquisition of mathematical skills. When children manipulate materials in their classrooms and learning centers, they practice math skills. All Children at Stepping Stone School: Use number concepts and operations Explore and describe spatial relationships and shapes Compare and measure Demonstrate knowledge of patterns For example, in block centers, children explore the differences in sizes and shapes ...
The Five Best Coding Toys that Won’t Break the Bank!
At Stepping Stone School, we are excited to unite technology and learning as we teach introductory skills in our early childhood classrooms by focusing on Coding Foundations. Coding foundations include higher order thinking skills associated with the coding process, including tasks like analyzing, predicting, planning, patterning, sequencing, sorting, organizing, and evaluating. Before introducing children to the technology tools used for coding, we practice the concepts of higher order thinking skills through screen-free, hands-on activities basic to the coding process. These a...
Kindness Matters
February 17th is National Random Acts of Kindness Day, to celebrate, Stepping Stone School is teaching children about kindness through daily interactions by focusing on acting friendly, giving generously, and being considerate of others. Acting Friendly Exchanging Pleasantries Encouraging children to smile or wave is a small act of kindness in which even our youngest children can participate. As they get older, teaching children to use polite phrases like, “Nice to meet you” and “Have a nice day” provides kind and friendly interactions in everyday situations. Inv...
Toilet Training Toddlers
It is that joyous yet challenging time in the life of a child, the moment parents trade in their child’s diapers for the coveted “big kid underpants.” Most children begin toilet training between 2 and 3 years of age, but each child will reach this developmental milestone in his or her own time. The following provides tried and true toilet training strategies from our own Stepping Stone School toddler teachers as well as expert advice from pediatricians. Remember as you enter this stage, it is important to let your child’s classroom teacher know your intentions. Talk about t...
Higher Order Processing Skills to Improve Resilience
When you look closely at the Stepping Stone School learning plans, you will see a set of parentheses under each activity in which teachers communicate the purpose of each activity. We call these descriptive words our “Purpose Notations.” As a teacher, I often used the purpose notation “self-regulation” interchangeably with “self-control.” Not really understanding the differences. Recently, I read an article describing the differences written by Professor Emeritus and author, Stuart Shanker, “self-regulation is what makes self-control possible, or, in many cases, unnece...
The Importance of Classic Literature
Research demonstrates that the single activity with the greatest impact on a child’s reading readiness is being read to on a regular basis. Each day, the children at Stepping Stone School listen to read-alouds, observe environmental print, delve into the classroom library, interact with our classic children’s literature collection and explore other books and printed material. These activities benefit children of all ages and support numerous pre-reading skills. Daily Reading As Stepping Stone School, teachers read to the children in their classrooms and employ a number of st...
Self-Regulation Tips for Toddlers
At Stepping Stone School, we strive to support our families through the many ups and downs of early childhood. The toddler years are a pivotal time in the life of a child. No longer infants, toddlers are transitioning, developing communication skills, and gaining independence. This developmental stage is both exciting and challenging as we share in the joy of discovery, but also the frustration of toddler tantrums. Fortunately, experts provide several ideas to reduce the number of tantrums: Give Positive Attention. In a toddler’s mind, attention is attention, whether it is p...
Screen Time Guidelines
At Stepping Stone School, we continue to explore the latest research on behalf of our families to remain current with the most up-to-date educational practices regarding early childhood development. In doing so, we have closely monitored the developing body of research surrounding the use of technology in early childhood education. Our desire is to support families as they determine how best to balance healthy technology usage in their home while enabling their child to learn about the benefits technology offers. In recent months, much research has surfaced regarding the effects of e...
3 Ways to Teach Compassionate Living
As this year’s calendar flips to its final month, I reflect on moments over the past eleven, noting certain instances which stand out in my mind. These times are often the result of either being on the giving or receiving end of compassion. Whether by tangible gifts of charity or simply the exchange of encouraging words, compassion takes many forms. In children, compassion may involve one child offering a comfort item like a teddy bear or blanket to a crying child. Helping a friend pick up her toys or asking someone to come play. Recent research supports theories stating childr...
Helping Families Cope with Separation Anxiety
For many parents, it is the most challenging part of the decision to go back to work after having a child: the idea of leaving your child in the care of another. This feeling of separation can be emotionally challenging for both parent and child alike. At Stepping Stone School, the initial separation of the child from their parent(s) is of utmost importance. Rhonda Paver, M.A., founder and executive director wrote her master’s thesis on this topic and we continue to provide the smoothest transitions for families possible since our inception. Helping Parents Cope with Separation Anxie...
Benefits of Play
Two-year-old Ellie set the baby doll in a chair at the table. She balanced a stack of pretend food, a small plate, and a cup and set them on the table before her doll. Ellie took great care to put the food up to the doll’s mouth and hold the cup to his lips. Then, Ellie picked up the baby doll, patted his back and laid him carefully in the doll bed for his nap. Through her play, my daughter showed me just how well she knows her routine. Ellie demonstrates caring attitudes as she fed her baby doll and gently tucked him into bed. She is making connections between the symbolism ...
Importance of Sleep
I pulled up to my daughter’s elementary school at the end of her first day of Kindergarten. I saw her waiting in the car rider lane with half of her hair pulled out of her pony tail and her thumb in her mouth – the tell-tale signs that my five-year-old was exhausted. Not all children are as obvious in displaying their exhaustion. Dr. Michael Breus, clinical psychologist and a leading specialist on sleep disorders, connects a slew of behaviors with the amount of sleep a child gets each night. Children who get enough healthy sleep are “optimally alert” which means they demo...
It’s a matter of Integrity…
This morning a parent told me, “I was so surprised… my children (almost 5 and 3) got themselves dressed, made their beds, and brushed their teeth without me asking them!” I told her their actions demonstrate that she is consistent in her expectations and she has established good routines in their home. I heard her repeat those words to herself as she headed out the door, “consistent expectations and good routines.” Each month, we at Stepping Stone School focus specific activities to teach character development through our Kindness and Empathy™ curriculum which is a p...
The Importance of Reading Aloud
It was just like every other afternoon in fifth grade, Mr. Huff gathered my classmates and me together to read a chapter aloud from a book. This particular afternoon, we had set aside a few extra minutes to finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. A coming of age story about a boy, Billy, and the two dogs he loved dearly: Little Ann and Old Dan. After just a few short weeks of following Billy and his dogs through the woods chasing racoons, we came to the saddest part of the story and there wasn’t a dry eye in the entire classroom. That school year as we sat at our...
The Benefit of After School Programs
Parents often enroll their child in Early Childcare at Stepping Stone School because they recognize the benefits of preparing him or her for Kindergarten through hands-on learning and academic preparation. But, what happens when that same child goes on to elementary school? Do the benefits of outside programs cease? After school care is as important as early childcare to continue to build and support a child’s development. Research and study spanning over ten years by a team of specialists from the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) confirm that “children and youth who participate ...
5 Ways to Encourage Cooperation
I heard excited tones from across the room. Children had gathered around the block center in anticipation. Four children had been working for the past fifteen minutes creating a structure. Their goal was to use every block in the center. Making sure everyone had stepped back and out of the way, Elijah stood on his tip toes to reach across the broad base of their structure and set the final block in place exclaiming, “It’s the tallest tower ever!” The class erupted, “Wow, that’s so big!” … “I want to build one next!” … “I wonder how big it is?” … ...
Coding Foundations
This past Saturday, I sat waiting for my four-year-old to complete his swimming lesson. Looking around the pool deck, I noticed several people (children included) who were engaged with electronic devices: tablets, cell phones, e-readers. I began to think about the many aspects of our lives affected by changes in technology both socially and economically. Due to advancements in technology, the job market has changed doing away with some current jobs, but also creating new ones. Years from now, there will likely be jobs available which do not exist presently, but are brought abou...
5 Things to Do with Your Children Before School Starts
My soon-to-be kindergartener asks regularly, “Do I get to go to Kindergarten today?” We’ve marked the calendar, purchased school supplies, met with other up-and-coming Kindergarteners, but, the day is not coming soon enough for my excited five-year-old. Whether your child is entering elementary school for the first time or returning for another year, here are five things you can do to help your child prepare mentally for the challenging rigors of the upcoming school year: Get Reading. Beginning in infancy, reading together builds language acquisition and literacy skills. A ...
Four Ways to Teach Young Children Fairness
That’s How You Play Three children were sitting around a table playing Candy Land. After a few rounds, Naomi, age 5, picked up the deck of cards and started flipping through them to find the Princess Frostine card which would move her piece to a space close to the finish. Isaiah, age 7, spoke up, “You can’t do that. You have to take the next card in the pile or it’s not fair.” “But last time, I got the Gingerbread card and had to move backwards, that wasn’t fair,” whined Naomi. “But that’s how you play the game. I would have to go back to the gingerbrea...
Loose Parts
Four-year-old, Ethan, was huddled over a pile of rocks he had collected from around the playground. As I walked over to him, he told me he was looking for “interesting” rocks. Naturally, I wondered what made a rock “interesting.” As I watched, he began sorting his rocks into several piles according to the level of interest: crystal-like formations, streaks of a different color, or a unique shape. I asked him to tell me which pile had more and then watched as he pointed. Pressing further, I inquired as to how he knew it had more. First, he compared the size of the piles sh...
Nurturing the Development of Responsibility
Just after my daughter turned two, she moved into Ms. Alisa’s classroom at one of our Stepping Stone School locations. My daughter had a doctor’s appointment that day, so I picked her up early. I walked into the classroom just as the children were transitioning between activities and was amazed to see each child pick up his or her toys and place them back on the shelves where they belonged. “How did you get them to do that?” I asked. “They’re cleaning up after themselves and putting things away nicely… they’re only two!” Alisa looked at me very matter-of-factly, ...
The Power of Touch
Over nine months of waiting for that moment when I would finally hold my child for the first time. It is one thing to carry a child through pregnancy, but something completely different to touch his face, feel his tiny fingers wrap around your own, and to kiss his soft cheeks. Touch is the first sense to develop in utero and is the most strongly developed by birth. Through the science of touch, we learn about the presence of neurons in our skin which relay information about our environment through receptors specialized for touch. Our sense of touch enables us to learn about ourselv...
Learning Through Play
Children across generations no matter their race, culture, or gender participate in play: enjoying games, inventing stories, imagining and creating worlds within their world. Psychologist David Whitebread of Cambridge University states “Play is essential to their development. They [children] need to learn to persevere, to control attention, to control emotions. Kids learn these things through playing.” (Kohn, 2015). Behavior research connects play to children’s development at several levels: linguistically, cognitively, mathematically, scientifically, and socially. Young c...
Teaching Ownership
In early elementary school, I started playing The Blame Game. My parents would confront me about a situation and I would blame someone else or something else for my choices. My dad’s solution - a song he made up and would sing with enthusiasm: “No more excuses, excuses are useless!” Too embarrassed to stick around, I often missed Dad’s choreographed dance moves. Through my dad’s refusal to accept excuses and his “delightful” little song, I learned to take ownership of my attitude and actions. As children grow, they often go through periods when they assume shifting b...
Benefits of Early Bilingualism
Infants have the innate ability to learn multiple languages. According to research by expert Linda Espinosa, Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri at Columbia, the early years are an ideal time to acquire multiple languages. (Espinosa, 2015) Her research demonstrates when young children are exposed to a secondary language at an early age - no matter how short the experience and no matter the pairs of languages involved - there are observable neural changes in the way in which language is organized in the child’s brain. Children as young as seven months, demonstrate highe...
Block Play for Essential Early Development
It is a widely-held belief that block play is an essential part of early childhood development, but why? What do these seemingly simple toys help cultivate and why is it so vital to development? Here are some reasons you should consider forgoing those new expensive toys for this simple and superior option: Problem Solving – Intentional “I want to build a house.” And unintentional – “if I want to make it high on this side how can I do it?” The child has to figure out how they will accomplish these tasks and answer these questions. Self-Expression – Blocks offe...
Journaling with Children
Most of us think of writing in a journal as a “diary” kept locked away or something we wrote in when we were teenagers. However, journaling is an essential literacy experience. Journal is defined as… Journal 1 a: an account of day-to-day events b: a record of experiences, ideas, or reflections kept regularly for private use. Given this definition, a journal can be a rich resource for all. For young children, journaling can be an opportunity to write the experiences and reflections of their lives. How can a preschool child journal if they cannot write? Literacy activi...
Three Stars and a Wish
The world we live in is hyper connected and technology driven, but in this fast-paced society we may have forgotten how to be present and connect with those around us. There are many times I catch myself checking e-mail or mindlessly scrolling through the Internet when my two beautiful children are playing happily in front of me. I am missing the most important moments with my children, and I begin to think, “Do I even know my children as well as I think I do?” Taking time to connect and re-connect with those we care about and love is fundamental to our happiness, but how c...
What is Respect?
What is respect? According to four-year-old Julia, respect is “being nice to other people.” Pressing further, I asked “What does being nice mean?” She delightfully answered, “it means you give someone chocolate or a kiss!” As young as she is, this child recognizes that respect is the way you choose to treat another person. “Being nice” as she puts it, is how one acts when demonstrating respect. How does one teach respect to young children? Demonstrate respectful behavior. Children often watch their caregivers looking for clues defining the expectations. If they ...
The Marshmallow Test
Almost 50 years ago, Dr. Walter Mischel, psychologist and, at the time, a professor at Stanford University, conducted a series of studies on delayed gratification often referred to as The Marshmallow Experiment. During the study, Mischel’s team tested over 600 children looking for signs of delayed gratification and self-control. A child was offered a choice between one treat (a cookie, marshmallow, or pretzel) to eat immediately or two treats to eat later if they waited for a period of time (approximately 15 minutes). While the child waited, the tester would leave the room and then return...
Teaching gratitude and giving to young children
*As of August 2019 Stepping Stone School has donated over $80,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas Generosity and gratitude are fundamental cornerstones of character development behind Stepping Stone School’s comprehensive Platinum Learning for Life™ curriculum. As our faculty model, our efforts begin in the classroom, practicing and teaching the value of sharing and caring for others. We promote these attitudes through charitable giving events throughout the year and teach monthly character building with focused learning activities. Research demonstrates that ...
Embracing Nature!
In the spirit of fall, I took my children to a nearby farm for some outdoor fun. Squatting in a small field, I attempted to capture some cute pumpkin patch photos while the children sat on the itchy hay squinting in the sunlight: “It too bright, Mommy!” my three-year old says. My older daughter whines, “I’m hot!” And then the baby falls back, hits her head on a pumpkin and begins to wail. Outdoor time over… All too often outdoor time is grouped in the “Maybe later…” category of our lives or we shorten it to fifteen minute chunks of time and call it reces...
September Character Development: Cooperation
Two opposing teams stand on the cusp of a pit of mud. A single rope with a flag tied to its center snakes through the ranks as the teams face off. Tensions mount as each individual anxiously awaits the dreaded whistle blow which will announce the start to a summer camp favorite: the Tug of War! The goal: Work as a team, pulling as hard as you can so you all don’t end up in the pit of mud. That “work as a team” part is key. Unfortunately, many of us land in the proverbial “mud” before we realize that working together, cooperating, is key to many of life’s successes. Tra...
The Benefits of Handwriting for Young Children
This past school year my kindergartener spent several hours a week learning keyboarding and document processing right alongside reading and writing. As an up and coming first grader, he has been begging for access to my computer all summer long. Beyond the games he can play, he has stated his joy at being able to write quickly while using the keyboard. It is the same reason many adults enjoy using a computer versus writing with pen and paper: in the words of my six year old, writing by hand “Takes FOREVER!” But, the formation of letters through the sequence of hand strokes prov...
Why young children are thoughtful and curious beings.
“Don’t put that in your mouth!” “How did you get there?” “Yuck, don’t touch that!” Sound familiar? Phrases like these are often heard erupting from the mouths of the parents of young children. So close to the ground, infants and toddlers often find the one lost cheerio that rolled behind the couch or wriggle their way into the kitchen cabinet with no plan of how to get back out. Their eyes ever scanning their surroundings, touching everything, tasting anything, listening to the background noises we adults have learned to tune out - using each of their senses ...
Why is it Fair…?
“Why is it fair that I have so much when other kids don’t?” kindergartener, Rachel Harris, pointedly asked. With her mother’s support and guidance, Rachel founded Let’s Help Kids, a nonprofit company which works alongside teachers and case workers to provide toys and experiences for the children of families who would otherwise not be able to afford life’s little luxuries. Over six years later, Rachel has helped over 2,000 children by providing presents for birthdays and holidays, Halloween costumes, summer camp tuition, swim lessons, and even movie tickets. It all began w...
Responsibility. What’s that? 5 Actionable Tips to Teach Your Child How to be Responsible.
I recently spoke to an aquatics director at a large facility. The majority of her faculty is made up of young adults ages 18-24. Each year this director is surprised by the number of new applicants whose parents call to try to get them a job working in her facility. She refuses to hire those applicants. Why? Because if those individuals have not shown that they are responsible enough to find their own job, then she does not want to give them the responsibility to guard someone’s life while they are in the water. Responsibility is necessary for future success. How do parents teach th...
School Readiness
Will my child be on the same academic level as his classmates? Will he be able to make new friends? Will he know how to let his teacher know what he needs? Parents with perspective kindergarteners have many concerns as their child embarks on his first year of formal schooling. In the stress and rigor of modern education, parents often wonder if their child is prepared for kindergarten. What determines School Readiness for an up and coming student? An earlier generation defined school readiness as whether or not a child is five years old. In recent years, however, stat...
School to Home Connection Folders
Stepping Stone School is excited to announce a wonderful addition to our Platinum Learning for Life Curriculum™ for our Advanced Pre-Kindergarten classes: School to Home Connection Folders! The addition of these at-home learning and communication tools is supported by research which states, “Meaningful family engagement in children’s early learning supports school readiness and later academic success. Parental involvement is a critical element of high-quality early care and education” (Snow, 2012). School to Home Connection folders provide an educational link between learning whi...
What is Resilience?
It can be seen in the significant moments in our lives: how we respond to our greatest challenges, our ability “to overcome the odds,” to learn a new skill, and to perform under pressure. Resilience is defined as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. People who are resilient understand that one can learn more through challenging circumstances than sidestepping demanding situations. They retain an attitude which enables them to keep pressing forward through life’s obstacles. Resilient people recognize their own strengths and abilities. They demonstrate responsibility an...
The Effective Use of Computers with Young Children
Stepping Stone School recently made a major investment in new computer hardware and learning software which has been installed in every three year old through school age classroom at each campus. The use of computers with young children has been intensely studied since the early 1980s. Research has taught us that technology can change the way children think, what they learn, and how they interact with their peers and adults. It can also be used to teach the same old stuff in a thinly disguised version of the same old way. That is why Stepping Stone School has been a pioneer in the placement...
Play Time is Essential
Today’s early childhood education research continues to bring evidence to light that play time is essential for social-emotional and academic development in young children. In The Importance of Being Little, child development expert Erika Christakis emphasizes that freedom to participate in unstructured play is crucial for children to inspire key learning connections. She says, "We have very crammed [preschool] schedules with rapid transitions. We have tons of clutter on classroom walls. We have kids moving quickly from one activity to another. We ask them to sit in long and often boring ...
Nine Things Parents of Successful Children Have in Common
"While there isn't a set recipe for raising successful children, psychological research has pointed to a handful of factors that predict success," states Rachel Gillett in her article from Independent, "Nine Things Parents of Successful Children Have in Common." According to a series of studies from psychologists at Duke University, UCLA, and other esteemed university research departments, these factors predict success: 1. They teach their children social skills. 2. They have high expectations. 3. The mothers work. 4. They have a higher socioeconomic status. 5. They've attained hig...
The Emergent Writing Philosophy of Stepping Stone School
At Stepping Stone School we are laying the foundation for success in literacy by providing children with early writing opportunities. Children begin demonstrating pre-writing skills as toddlers and these abilities continue to develop through the prekindergarten years. The Progression of Writing The first stage of writing development emerges between 15 and 30 months of age when children begin scribbling. Between 2 . and 3 . years, children incorporate circles and repeating lines into their artwork. These letter-like symbols may appear in a line or randomly on the page. At this age, most c...
The Importance of Vocabulary Development
Vocabulary development begins in infancy and is the foundation on which children’s language and literacy skills are built. Research shows that the size of a child’s vocabulary is a strong indicator of future school success. At Stepping Stone School, your children develop vocabulary through developmentally appropriate planning, interactions and instruction from their teachers. Infants & Young Toddlers: The very youngest are spoken to in soft, high tones that draw attention. Their teachers ensure that the children see their mouths while talking and that their actions correspon...
The Benefits of Signing with Young Children
Our curriculum incorporates American Sign Language into all of our classrooms. We know that children build confidence as they increase their ability to communicate in signs. This leads to a greater confidence in oral communication as well. And, as in learning any language, it fosters a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture of that language. Signing is a kinetic act that stimulates activity in both the right brain, which is responsible for visual-spatial reasoning and long-term memory, and the left brain, which is responsible for processing language. When we sign wi...
Raising a Reader: Tips for Parents
How can you help your child be ready to read and ready to learn? Talk to your infant and toddler to help him learn to speak and understand the meaning of words. Point to objects that are near and describe them as you play and do daily activities together. Having a large vocabulary gives a child a great start when entering school. Read to your baby every day starting at 6 months or earlier. Reading and playing with books is a wonderful way to spend special time with her. Hearing words over and over helps her become familiar with them. Reading to your baby is one of the best ways to...
Smooth Sailing to Kindergarten
Ensuring your children acquire the knowledge and skills to be ready for kindergarten is the highest priority in our advanced pre-K classrooms. Our Early Achievers Program blends into our Kindergarten Readiness Academy not only the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines criteria, but kindergarten-level activities as described in the Kindergarten Standards of the Texas Education Code. We have purposefully designed our curriculum to target the skills your children will need to succeed as they move into elementary school. For example, the kindergarten standards for language arts and reading req...
Discoveries in Nature
Children’s discoveries in nature can be made wherever there are trees, grass, dirt, leaves, twigs, sunlight or rain. We facilitate the discoveries by pointing out leaf shapes, insect life under a rock, ladybugs on a plant, worms in the soil and thorns on a rose bush. Of course, children really don’t need our assistance to make their own discoveries! They love the open-ended play of digging a hole in soft garden soil and adding a bit of water. They may make mud pies for a picnic or their own garden by “planting” twigs and leaves. Nature supplies the materials for play. Natur...
Using Work Strategies at Home
We may joke that working with our coworkers is like working with children. But did you know that you can apply some of the same strategies to get things done at work and at home? Foster teamwork – Let your children contribute ideas just as you encourage input at work meetings. Children tend to try harder to reach goals they’ve helped establish. Communicate to be heard and understood – Keep requests and instructions short and specific. Talking slowly, calmly and softly means others must listen closely to hear. And of course, what would communication be if we forgot to liste...
Easing Separation Anxiety
At Stepping Stone School, our expert team of professionals recognize and are sensitive to the anxieties parents and children often feel when separating from one another. While separation anxiety is a natural experience for both children and parents, our expert teachers hold in high regard the critical role they play in guiding families through this difficult experience and providing peace of mind for both parent and child. Stepping Stone School’s Executive Director, Rhonda Paver, M.A., has devoted much of her career and graduate studies on this topic. As a mother of five, it was the s...
Encouraging Self-Regulation in Young Children
Children’s self-regulation is closely tied to school readiness and success. As children develop and practice self-regulation skills, they are less frustrated and more successful, not only in school, but in social interactions and personal pursuits. Stepping Stone School teachers develop programming and environments that foster self-regulation skills for infants through school age. Each classroom offers opportunities for children to explore and take healthy risks while learning to respect the autonomy and interests of others. Teachers listen thoughtfully to children, encouraging ...