Los Nios News

March 2013 The Write Stuff

You know already that the Los Nios curriculum fosters reading skills development, as part of our Emergent Literacy Program, but are your children learning to write? Yes. Once again, play is the way. Children master small motor skills, like writing letters and numbers, via large motor activities like running, climbing, balancing, trike riding, large easel painting and finally, slowly being introduced to smaller motor skills like cutting with scissors, fine art activities and outlining. As an adjunct, activities that strengthen the thumb and forefinger for gripping writing tools are a part of much of the block, puzzle and manipulatives play at Los Nios. Dr. Maria Montessori had a great idea several decades ago: by putting pegs on puzzle pieces and seriation toys she encouraged children to exercise the gripping motion for exactly the same purpose. We employ her materials partly for that function and partly because they are so well made and appealing. Yard play, blocks, art activities, carpentry, manipulative play, interviews, the use of simple symbols in our cognitive tasks (which I talked about last month) ...at Los Nios your children have the write stuff! current research agrees with my grandmother: According to researchers based at the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University, the social skills of middle-class children suffer- in terms of cooperation, sharing and engagement in classroom tasks - after attending preschool centers for more than six hours a day. However the study also concluded that children benefit cognitively from moderate exposure to preschool centers, e.g., three hours at nursery school. Right all along. Researchers at the University of Birmingham in England have warned that young children, especially boys, are at risk from watching unsupervised TV programs, video movies and games that have violent scenes. The availability of video film, satellite and cable TV in the home allows children access to violent media inappropriate to their age, development and mental health. From these studies, all of them from North America, the researchers concluded, violent imagery clearly arouses emotions in young children increasing the likelihood of aggressive or fearful behavior. And they recommended parents and caregivers exercise the same care with adult media entertainment as they do with medication and chemicals around the home. Another reason to turn it off and go outside and play! ******

******

Bilingualism Again!
A study published in the last issue of the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology has revealed that bilingual children develop a better working memory -which holds, processes and updates information over short periods of time- than monolingual children. The working memory plays a major role in the execution of a wide range of activities, such as mental calculation (since we have to remember numbers and operate with them) or reading comprehension (given that it requires associating successive concepts in a text). The study referred to this finding as further evidence of the cognitive superiority of bilingual children.

Dramatic Play
It is important for young children to role play and Im sure at home you have observed your own children trying on different roles and personalities as they engage in dramatic and imaginative play. In our Dress-up Room young children can externalize a range of emotions, fears, hostilities, unacceptable behaviors and aggressions in a safe, vicarious setting. Role-playing also helps children distinguish between reality and fantasy and come to terms with both. We have a lot of respect for your childrens dramatic play at Los Nios Nursery School.

******

Why Isnt LNNS Longer?

First of all because I went to my grandmothers nursery school in Palo Alto and the sessions were three hours. Second, since the beginning our sessions have also been three hours. And Third,

****** Tee Vee Violence, Ouch!

******

Los Nios News

March 2013 Free Vision Screening!
Leeanne Cadwallader, Certified Pediatric VisionScreener California-Hawaii Elks Will be back March 7 & 8 with her free Pre-School Vision Screening. Permission slips are required and available now. This is a wonderful program we are fortunate to have been selected to participate. Dorothy Mauer will be conducting an Auditory Screening for all of our Three-Day children coming up soon. These screenings are provided for FREE by Los Nios, Dorothy and Leeanne.

******
For those of you ahead on your tax preparation:

Our tax ID# 90-0141223