"What is the most important thing I can do to prepare my child for preschool?" This is my most frequently asked question during tours of South Hills. My answer has remained the same throughout my 45 years of teaching "Read, read, read to your child, and never stop!". Scholastic Corporation recently released a compelling study regarding parents and their reading aloud years with their children. It found that most parents stop reading aloud to their children around first grade. Parents feel that once a child begins reading independently, there is no longer a need to read together. Yet, there is more to reading together than providing reading skills. The emotional connection and a parent's total attention to their child is an enriching one, providing warmth, security, and the potential for conversation starters that become critical as a child grows. The achievement of independent reading is significant--a new world opens for the child who reads, and as the research shows the effects "ripple through family life" as familiar reading routines often change.

Jim Trelease, author and advocate of reading aloud to children, cites that children's reading comprehension can be as many as three years beyond their independent reading ability. This in itself is a compelling reason to keep reading to your child! Jim (a Jamestown NY native) has a tremendous website at http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-contents.html and I highly value his book The Read Aloud Handbook which is now in its seventh revision to include recommended current books. His website states it is proven that test scores overall increase among students whose parents read to them. Reading vocabulary, speaking vocabulary and writing vocabulary all increase dramatically.

The Scholastic study shows that 23%of parents of children ages 6-17 stopped reading to their children before age 9, often citing their child's independent reading as the reason. And yet, 40% of all children ages 6-11 said they wished their parents still read aloud to them. This emotional connection, the "snuggling" and "cuddling" was expressed among the children as something they missed in their lives. Eight in ten children ages 6-17 spoke of the special time of reading with their parents. Reading aloud well into the teenage years provides conversation starters for many problems children face outside of the home--a way to initiate conversation regarding the child's struggles outside of the home. Books/stories can teach compassion, awareness, and provide for positive modeling for children. Reading aloud with expression brings out the child In the parent at times, creating laughter and closeness on a lighthearted level. Humor and laughter is good for all family relationships! As one child stated in the study "Lots of times I just don't feel like reading, but want a story to be read to me instead. I like being close to my mom and dad when they read to me. It's easier to fall asleep."

♥Ms. Connie

A few weeks ago, as I gave my daily tour to new families added to the waiting list, an eager father asked me a question no one has asked in the past 38 years.  (I LOVE the opportunity to be challenged with a new question!)  He asked what books I might recommend to read.  I assumed he meant children’s books, but as I began to answer, he stated, “I mean books for me to read about child development—books that will help me to be a better father.”   I can’t tell you how THAT warmed my heart!  I did immediately rattle off a few favorites, but thought I would share them in this blog so that every parent who reads this will have the opportunity to dig into some VERY important books.  These books will support you as you share in your child’s growing by deepening your understanding of these critical years in your child’s development.  I can confidently state that the South Hills’ parents are already doing most of the ‘right things’ for their children, but these books all contain information and research that can make all of us pause and consider new approaches, ideas, and ways that we can guide our children to be successful, confident, and happy in all domains—focusing on the whole child, as is our priority here at South Hills as well.

Please let me know your thoughts after your reading!  This list will get you started—I am sure to add more!

All children are naturally musical—it is the ‘universal language’!  Did you know that in all cultures there is a natural phenomena that all children ‘sing’ “Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah”(The tune of Ring-A-Round-the-Rosie and A Tisket, A Tasket in the English language)  Ask any adult about their early musical experiences, and there is rarely hesitation—lullabys, church choirs, children’s games.   These musical experiences can have a powerful effect. 

Research has also demonstrated that music training in children results in long-term enhancement of visual–spatial, verbal, and mathematical performance  (Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain and Cognitive Development by Gottfried Schlaug, Andrea Norton, Katie Overy, Ellen Winner, Department of Neurology, Music and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston Mass. and Department of Psychology, Boston College, Boston, Mass.)

Music is an important component to our program at South Hills Child Development Center Inc.  We want children to love music as a beautiful sound that enriches all of life’s experiences.  At the preschool age, we encourage much singing.  As Zoltan Kodaly, the Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, linguist and philosopher states, “The voice is the most natural instrument, and one which every person possesses.”

Some components of the Kodaly Concept for teaching music are used here at South Hills. We teach basic musical skills based on experiences for the children (not just listening to music), and singing is emphasized since it is a natural instrument, and because it is “a powerful means of musical expression” according to Kodaly.  He also states that “What we produce by ourselves is better learned; there is a stronger feeling of success and accomplishment.”  Kodaly also emphasizes that “Learning through singing should precede instrumental training, since singing best develops the inner, musical ear.”  I am especially fond of this quote of Kodaly:

“If we ourselves sing often, this provides a deep experience of happiness in music.  Through our own musical activities, we learn to know the pulsations, rhythm, and shape of melody.  The enjoyment given encourages the study of instruments and the listening to other pieces of music as well.”  (Kodaly, 1964)

My goal for your children is that they have a ‘deep experience of happiness’ as they sing, dance, move, and listen to a variety of music.  As Kodaly also states, and I fully support, “ The pure soul of a child must be considered sacred; what we implant there must stand every test…”

Parents--do not hesitate to sing and dance with your child!  It doesn’t matter if you can keep a tune or if you can keep rhythm—it is a precious memory maker for your child, and creates that ‘deep experience of happiness’ that all children deserve.  Listen to music with your child, talk about how songs make you feel, attend musical events together, find ways to ‘make music at home (two wooden spoons make great rhythm sticks or drum sticks!).  Sing!  Sing!  Sing!  Sing loud, sing soft, sing stories to your child instead of reading them (using the nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah tune if you can’t come up with anything else!).  Try singing your child’s name when you call him/her to dinner, or give any kind of instruction.  Sing to your child as you wake him/her up and open the bedroom curtains!  These types of experiences are enriching far beyond what you can imagine! (neurologically, psychologically, mathematically, linguistically, emotionally, and much more!)

♥Ms. Connie

©ckvogt 9/29/2012

This year is a milestone for me, as I celebrate my fortieth year as an educator.  This special occasion has conjured up thoughts of the past, and how far Early Childhood education and Special Education has come throughout my career.  Here are some thoughts I would like to share regarding the progress and changes that I have noticed over the past four decades:

1) When I began my career in the public schools, as a Special Education teacher, my room had a sign on the door that announced “Emotionally Disturbed”.  (Cringe!) The next year it was changed to “Socially and Emotionally Maladjusted”. (Not much better!)   Special Education classes were never mainstreamed; my eight students and I were kept hidden from the rest of the school population by remaining in our classroom for the day. Outdoor time was assigned when the playground was emptied of all other students; the children arrived earlier by special bus, and left earlier, so they were out of sight for the majority of the day.  By the time the Right to Education laws and mainstreaming were finally implemented, I had already founded South Hills and committed to accepting all students who fit the age guidelines, regardless of what intervention might be required.  It made sense to me that good modeling was required for the children who desperately needed it; and good modeling was provided for children to easily learned tolerance and compassion.

This model is the norm now, in all schools, and I am so grateful to witness this change!  Early Intervention services are so easily available now, and children who receive these services benefit enormously—most need minimal, if any, support once they enter elementary school!

2) When I graduated from college in 1972 and signed my first teaching contract, I was not able to purchase a car without my father’s signature.    No woman could make these types of purchases or obtain loans by themselves in those days.  Women could not even apply for their own credit cards!  The women’s movement of the time finally changed all of that, and as women moved into the work force in droves, I sensed the need for a safe haven for the children whose mothers were employed.   And that was the initial vision behind South Hills…

I rarely met fathers of my young students during those early years.  Although women were moving into the work force and children were enrolling for full day education while their mothers worked, it remained the mother’s responsibility to get the children to school and pick them up after work.

Oh how times have changed, however!  Now, I know BOTH mothers and fathers of South Hills’ students equally well, and am so happy that both parents share an equal role in caring for their children.  I enjoy observing the warm relationships that children have with both parents, knowing how much children benefit from equal relationships from both mother and father, and what that bonding can offer the child in terms of future success.

3) When I started the school, lunches were basically lunch meat or peanut butter/jelly sandwiches, potato chips, and cookies.   There weren’t a lot of options. These days, children are more likely to bring yogurt, organic vegetables and fruit, hummus, organic milk, etc.  Parents pay a LOT more attention to nutrition than we did in the seventies, although the movement was beginning in those days with Adele Davis and others who advocated organic foods and minimizing processed foods.   The children definitely benefit from parents’ heightened awareness and knowledge regarding the foods they offer their children!  I am always impressed by the beautiful, healthy lunches parents provide for their children.

4) Children always spent lots of time outside in the fresh air, exploring open spaces independently four decades ago.  However, a strange phenomena of missing children in our country placed fear in everyone, and suddenly as a nation, we started keeping our children occupied indoors more, or scheduling supervised activities for their outdoor time to reassure our worried, frantic psyches.  Independent outdoor time diminished, and may never again be the same as it was during what I call ‘our time of innocence’. 

However, over the past decade, the environmental movement in making all of us aware of the importance of independent outdoor play (Last Child in the Woods made a HUGE impact on so many of us!) and it is evident to me by the enormous support that South Hills’ parents have offered regarding our nature based play area.  Here, the children have the opportunity to explore, create, observe, question, hypothesize, and deeply reflect on their experiences regarding gardens, plants, insects, birds, trees, flowers, worms, seeds, and much much more.  The children have a safe and carefully supervised area for outdoor play and learning, and parents who are wonderfully enthusiastic regarding their experiences. The return to green space and nature opportunities has been a gratifying highlight of my career.

5) What has NOT changed is the commitment of parents to provide the best possible start for their children’s education.  It is so inspiring to observe parents going to work every day, balancing their demanding careers with their family life, and arriving in the late afternoon with a smile, hugs and kisses for their child as they anticipate the evening together.  Parents still find the time to share their gifts and talents with us here at South Hills, and I know that their personal involvement in their child’s education enormously increases their chances for educational achievement and success.

Spending my days with families who are so committed and devoted to their children is a most rewarding part of my work here.   And, after forty years (over 3000 children!) and a whole new generation of students (Many current students are the children of my former students!), I still love my work so much, and am so proud of the children and young families with whom I share my days!

♥Ms. Connie

©ckvogt 7/5/2012