RESOURCES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Apple Tree Orchard Preschool & Childcare is passionate about fun and learning. The educational resources below will educate and entertain your pre-k children for hours. From their earliest years, kids are learning every minute of the day. Everything that happens around them and every interaction is a part of early childhood education and helps our kids start to understand the world around them. As their understanding grows, their experiences become integral to the learning process. Kids learn best when they are having fun.

Fun helps them engage, and they are able to experience and observe more. There is plenty of research that confirms the importance of play for kids. The baby and toddler years are critical in development and they learn through problem-solving, creating, and interacting. Problem-solving can be as simple as rolling an object around an obstacle course or sharing their Lego bricks with playmates.

Incorporating Early Childhood Resources into Our Curriculum

At Apple Tree Preschool & Childcare, we make sure that our curriculum includes resources that make learning fun. We utilize all the latest internet technology to allow our preschoolers to interact with educational games online. We also utilize good-ole-fashioned books to stimulate imaginations and encourage a lifelong love of reading and learning.

The toys we use in the classroom allow children to play, build, create, make a mess, learn something new, have fun, and solve problems. Many of our toys teach children about navigating daily life, sharing, getting along with others, and overcoming challenges, plus our kids have fun while learning all of these invaluable life skills.

We are always staying up-to-date with new technology for early childhood education and care, and we are dedicated to remaining in touch with new research for providing the best in preschool education today.

The Many Benefits of Early Childhood Education

For many children, there is no pre-k education in a traditional early childhood education setting. Only about half of the children in the United States are enrolled in a full-day pre-kindergarten program, and this statistic has not seen significant improvement for more than a decade. But there are many proven benefits to enrolling your child in an organized and systematic pre-k educational program. Some of those include:

• Socialization and the concept of cooperation - Learning to socialize with individuals outside of their family is a foundational skill for children to pick up in early childhood education. Without socialization skills, your child will struggle in almost all other areas of their life and their confidence will suffer. Going hand-in-hand with learning, socialization is learning the concept of cooperation. Early childhood education programs are especially important for developing cooperation among first children who don’t have siblings at home whom they must share and work with.
• Love of lifetime learning and understanding the value of education - Through the fun learning activities and environment of a full-day pre-k education program, we can help instill in children a love of learning. The love of learning encourages them to become effective learners who are enthusiastic about their lessons into elementary, high school, college, and beyond! Not to mention, by demonstrating to your child at such a young age that you prioritize their education, it will foster a sense of the value in embracing a quality education.
• Develop respect, teamwork, and resilience - The fun environment of a pre-kindergarten educational program is perfect for young children to learn the virtue of respect for others. This respect can be for other children, trustworthy adults outside of the family, belongings, as well as both the immediate and global environment. Resilience is a valuable thing to encourage in young children and it is especially effective when fostered in a consistent, secure, and fair social environment. The aspects of teamwork fit into this as so many of the activities used for learning in early childhood education center on teamwork. Children will learn at an early age how to be more socially attuned and, as scary as it can be to think this far ahead for the parent of a three-year-old, employable. 
• Improve concentration skills and patience - Concentration isn’t easy for everyone, especially not young children. Through compassionate early childhood education, we develop the ability to balance a child’s zest for life and energy with the need to listen, follow directions, complete tasks, and participate with the group. Patience is developed through the preschool setting as well, as the children must learn to wait for their turn when listening to others or working with a group. By enrolling your child in early childhood education, you are going to have more trustworthy adults in their life modeling the virtues of patience to them on a daily basis. 
• Build confidence and self-esteem - There is perhaps nothing as critical in all of early childhood education than the development of healthy confidence and self-esteem. A child without these traits will struggle in every aspect of their life, not just education. Positive interactions with other children and teachers will promote a positive and healthy view of themselves so they can approach challenges with confidence.

Early childhood education starts at home but is actualized through taking the extra step of enrolling your child in a full-day pre-kindergarten educational program, like the one we offer here at Apple Tree Orchard. In our dedication to providing the very best for your child, we also have some great educational resources for you as parents to utilize. 

What Resources Do We Use to Accomplish Our Goals in the Classroom?

Computers

Technology can be a great way to improve on the development of young children. Because websites can be accessed anywhere, kids can learn at school at their own pace, and with parental involvement, they can learn at home too! Interactive websites are educational, but they are also fun! Kids love to learn when they are having a good time. Additionally, there are long-term benefits of early exposure to technology because our world has grown reliant on computers and electronics. Kids may do better in school and in jobs when they have access to technology at the preschool level.

Books

Child development can be accelerated with great books. At Apple Tree Orchard, we make sure our classrooms are filled with age-appropriate books to make early childhood learning fun and easy for kids. Children are naturally drawn to stories, making daily reading one of the best ways to stimulate their minds, teach them new things, and help them overcome obstacles.

Age-Appropriate Toys

Lesson plans are important for keeping classrooms on track, but having the right kind of toys is also important. Apple Tree Orchard takes playtime seriously, and we make sure that kids have the right toys to inspire, shape their minds, and keep them engaged.

Playground & Exercise Equipment

Physical activity is an essential part of growing up and learning gross and fine motor skills. We provide many different types of playground and interactive equipment to inspire movement, teamwork, active play, and physical development. All equipment children have access to is appropriate for the child’s age. Physical playtime can be fun and does a body good.

Games

High-quality early education always includes games! Whether participating in interactive games online or enjoying sports and board games throughout the day, your child will have access to educational games and activities that make school exciting. Your child’s preschool teacher will incorporate games into much of their learning, and they will enjoy it so much—they may not even realize they are developing new skills, making friends, and laying the groundwork for a successful, happy life.

Help Your Child Reach Their Full Potential

Would you like your child to continue learning at home? Enrollment in an early childhood school is the best thing for the development of young children, but that does not mean that parents can’t help out at home. You can engage your early learner through interactive websites, trips to libraries, and by utilizing available child resources.

Browse some of our recommended educational resources for kids below:

PBSkids.org

This site has sing-along songs, sorting and counting games, videos, and more!

Highlights for Kids

Matching games, art activities, animated stories, and science experiments are just a few ways kids can learn while having fun on the Highlights for Kids website. Highlights also puts out a magazine that contains stimulating activities, educational stories, fun puzzles, and challenging brain games.

Dr. Seuss

The Cat in the Hat, Sam-I-Am, Horton and the Whos, and the rest of the Seuss characters welcome you to Seussville, Dr. Seuss’s playground in cyberspace. You can play games, chat with the Cat in the Hat, win prizes, find out about new Dr. Seuss books and CD-ROM’s, and much, much more! What are you waiting for? Let’s play!

Berenstain Bears

There’s lots for you to do in Bear Country! Try the maze to Bigpaw’s Lair – just make sure you don’t wake him up! Sister’s got a secret message for you – can you solve it? Take a tour of the Bears’ tree house from the cellar all the way up to Brother and Sister’s room. Visit the library or take in a movie. Send an email to Mama, Papa, Sister, or Brother (or the whole family). And don’t forget to check out our brand new Berenstain Bears First Time Books and Berenstain Bears Big Chapter Books!

For more information on the best educational websites for your kids or to learn about our preschool, call us at (402) 827-7537 today.