The Learning Garden

Your safety is our highest priority. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Fall 2020 session has been canceled. We anticipate a Full reopening in 2021. We hope you have a healthy and happy summer.

During these difficult times, we could All use some encouragement

I wish we could all have a Big hug!...but here's a cute idea to send a hug to loved ones! If you don't have plain paper, try wrapping paper!

Great advice From fyi.uwex.edu/parentingthepreschooler

Sharing this from a former parent who had several children graduate from our program and she is also a teacher. Some of you are worried about school and what your children may be missing in hours of instruction lost... Here’s some excellent advice! So many treasures to share... From a School psychology specialist:... *Dear parents with school aged children who are about to start day one of remote learning from an educator and mom: You might be inclined to create a minute by minute schedule for your kids. You have high hopes of hours of learning, including online activities, science experiments, and book reports. You’ll limit technology until everything is done! But here’s the thing... Our kids are just as scared as we are right now. Our kids not only can hear everything that is going on around them, but they feel our constant tension and anxiety. They have never experienced anything like this before. Although the idea of being off of school for 4 weeks sounds awesome, they are probably picturing a fun time like summer break, not the reality of being trapped at home and not seeing their friends. Over the coming weeks, you will see an increase in behavior issues with your kids. Whether it’s anxiety, or anger, or protest that they can’t do things normally - it will happen. You’ll see more meltdowns, tantrums, and oppositional behavior in the coming weeks. This is normal and expected under these circumstances. What kids need right now is to feel comforted and loved. To feel like it’s all going to be ok. And that might mean that you tear up your perfect schedule and love on your kids a bit more. Play outside and go on walks. Bake cookies and paint pictures. Play board games and watch movies. Do a science experiment together or find virtual field trips of the zoo. Start a book and read together as a family. Snuggle under warm blankets and do nothing. Don’t worry about them regressing in school. Every single kid is in this boat and they all will be ok. When we are back in the classroom, we will all course correct and meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this! Don’t pick fights with your kids because they don’t want to do math. Don’t scream at your kids for not following the schedule. Don’t mandate 2 hours of learning time if they are resisting it. If I can leave you with one thing, it’s this: at the end of all of this, YOUR KIDS’ MENTAL HEALTH WILL BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THEIR ACADEMIC SKILLS. And how they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during those weeks is long gone. So keep that in mind, every single day.

https://www.travelandleisure.com//museums-with-virtual-tou

https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/resources/free-resources

We said good bye to our beautiful friend and co-worker last night. Meg, we will miss you tremendously but wish you a wonderful adventure in Chicago. Hope you have extra room for us because we are coming

https://www.commonsensemedia.org//help-your-family-de-stre

Play is Learning!

https://facebook.com/events/s/family-book-festival-2020/672055600273179/?ti=icl