Parent & Family Resources

Dear Berry Patch Families,

“What did you do at school today?”
“I played!”  

If this is an everyday conversation at your home, your child is on the right track! The Berry Patch School’s play-based program incorporates intentional and systematic learning experiences. Learning objectives are taught in direct instructional methods with the teacher leading the learning. Guided play and free play are used to practice and learn skills and concepts. Specific outcomes are associated with both free play (independent) and guided play (adult coached) activities in the classroom and relate to the overall learning objective.

Dear Berry Patch Families,

What a wonderful start to a fresh year of love and learning at The Berry Patch School. I hope you and your family had a great first week. It’s sure to be a terrific year!

At The Berry Patch, learning isn’t just for the little ones. The administration and staff take continuing education seriously. As a staff, we continue to hone our craft in developmentally appropriate practices for preschool children throughout the year. As part of our training, each summer we read a book pertaining to best practices. This summer, we read Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. and discussed how to apply the concepts in Berry Patch classrooms.

Dear Berry Patch Families,

Thank you for a wonderful year of love and learning!  New adventures await your children over the summer months, including Camp Sizzleberry. As the current school year draws to an end, make plans to connect with other little Berries. And make a plan to keep learning!

For young children learning is best done through play. Play-based activities allow children to practice executive function skills like self-regulation, problem solving, and attentiveness. You can read more in Executive Function is Enhanced Through Play. Summer learning can happen spontaneously or be planned. The goal is to keep the learning alive by sparking the imagination. Consider the following tips for learning during June, July, and August.  Continue reading “May 2021 Parent & Family Education Newsletter” →

Dear Berry Patch Families,

Young children are scientists at heart. Kids experiment to make sense of their world. Scientific learning begins at birth, with cause and effect and builds from there. Encourage curiosity and exploration. Continue reading “April Parent & Family Education Newsletter” →

Dear Berry Patch Families,

Faith matters. As a school community, it’s “our desire that each child enrolled at the Berry Patch learns about the heart of God.”¹ Faith lessons and family values are rooted at home, in what a child learns, observes, and lives each day. The Berry Patch staff reinforces these values in the classroom.

Foundational faith practices like praying and reading the bible, come from intentional leading on the part of the parent. The bible is a roadmap, instruction book, and communication tool all rolled into one. Reading the bible with children of any age provides a solid foundation in faith. The lessons learned today will translate into truth for the future when the going gets rough. When Mom and Dad lean on God, scripture, and faith-filled friends, children learn to do the same. These practices become habits in times of need and celebration. We as parents will not do it all perfectly, but where we’re lacking, God fills in the gaps. Continue reading “March Parent & Family Education Newsletter” →

Dear Berry Patch Families,

Do you ever experience BIG emotions in your children? If so, it’s normal! Social emotional learning (SEL) is an essential aspect of your child’s development, big emotions and all. Helping our children manage their emotions in a healthy way is another aspect of their education. Children need time, maturity, instruction, and practice to manage emotional responses. Learning to navigate emotions and solve their problems leads to self-regulation. This skill set, being able to express, control, and re-direct emotions, is one of the predictors of later academic and social success. Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D. explains, “Healthy self-regulation is related to the capacity to tolerate the sensations of distress and anxiety that accompany an unmet need (respond vs. react). Healthy self-regulation is related to teaching children to recognize their needs and find positive ways to meet their needs.” Continue reading “February Parent & Family Education Newsletter” →

Dear Berry Patch Families,

We all know children learn through experience. This is also true with fine and gross motor skills. Small and large muscle motion are important for little ones as they learn to navigate their world. Recall your child as a baby, grasping an object. Think of the skills needed to accomplish that task: eye-hand coordination, small motor reflexes in the fingers, large motor skills in moving the arm, and more. The lesson in cause and effect as well as independence in accomplishing the movements without assistance all add to the learning curve.

According to CDC guidelines, young children (less than 5 years of age) need at least 60 minutes of vigorous activity per day. Unfortunately, the American Academy of Pediatrics has determined many children are falling short. “Sedentary activity for young children has been shown to range from 32.8 to 56.3 minutes per hour.”¹ That’s a lot of inactivity! Continue reading “January, 2021 Parent & Family Education” →

Dear Berry Patch Families,

December offers a variety of terrific opportunities for learning adventures. With all the time we’ve spent at home with our immediate family members this past year, think of Christmas as a jolt of joy. Provide intentional learning experiences punctuated with love this month. Here are a few suggestions to get the ideas rolling. Continue reading “December Parent & Family Education” →

Dear Berry Patch Families,

Did you enjoy math as a kid? If so, great! If not, know that mathematics can be a stressful competency area for many. Add in the “new math” children are taught in elementary school and it can become downright frustrating. But math can be fun! Your kids need to know math is fun.

Learning activities to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten and beyond are already in full swing at The Berry Patch School. Pre-math activities are easy to incorporate into daily life at home too, both spontaneously and intentionally. Pairing socks teaches children matching skills. Counting apples at the grocery store aids in one-to-one correspondence and sequencing. Talking with your child while building with blocks is an opportunity to identify colors and shapes. Continue reading “November 2020 Parent & Family Education Newsletter” →