Early Childhood Education Tips Archives

July 25, 2017 by WeeCarePreschools

9 Ways Summer School Helps Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten

Are you the parent of a child living in San Diego? Do you want your child to have the best chance of getting ahead in Kindergarten? Are you looking for resources on a summer school or Kindergarten prep program that will get your preschooler comfortable with heading into grade school?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then read for the nine top ways that summer school helps prepare your child for kindergarten:

#1: School in the Summer Helps Your Child Practice Writing

Kindergarten prep | Wee Care Preschool — Summer school helps kids become independent

This skill is extremely important during that first year of school. Your child is going to need to know how to clearly write his or her name. Summer sessions also help your child sound out words and practice writing them. All good prep for the formal classroom.

#2: Get Them Ready to Read

Your preschooler may already be reading, but if not, a summer session is a great way to introduce these skills. Most kindergarten students will learn to read before the school year is over. Why not give your child a better chance at succeeding by practicing in the summer?

[Read more…]

May 31, 2017 by David Suder

7 Summer Enrichment Ideas for your Preschooler in San Diego

Summer is a great time for families because they have more time to spend together. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long before most parents start to run out of ideas for how to fill up the time. Parents may become concerned about keeping their little ones active so that they avoid the “summer slump.” But if you live in or near San Diego, there are hundreds of ways you can both entertain and teach your preschooler. Here are a few of the most popular and fun summer enrichment activities for preschoolers.

Enrichment for your Preschooler in the San Diego Zoo

summer camp | Wee Care Preschool in San Diego — Take kids to the zoo for a fun experience

Taking kids to the zoo is a classic way to entertain them and get them out of the house for the day. The San Diego zoo comes with a bonus: it provides many amazing opportunities for summer enrichment. You can take a DIY approach by doing a little research on the animals before your visit. Be sure to make use of the zoo’s itinerary tool to stay ultra-organized! There is also organized programming. Would your little one enjoy a guided bus tour or an inside look tour?

[Read more…]

April 20, 2017 by David Suder

7 Ways STEM Projects Benefit Your Child

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education programs are becoming more popular and taking a greater role in school, but what do these programs offer your child and will participation in them really make a difference in cognitive development?

Knowing the benefits of this curriculum which is based on four disciplines (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) will help you make better decisions for your child’s at Chula Vista Preschool education. Read the 7 ways this education program benefits your child.

Practical Knowledge They Can Use Tomorrow

1. Affects All Areas of Daily Life

Importance of STEM education } Wee Care Preschools — Children learn by observing

The four disciplines that make up STEM education have a place in everyday tasks. Having knowledge of how things work together to help our daily lives progress is important in educating a truly well-rounded student. The program relies on presenting young children with materials and activities based on things they see daily. The National Education Association agrees that scientific learning in early childhood should come from observing nature as well as simple scientific experimentation.

2. Children who are exposed to this education early will do better in school

Young children are naturally curious and will ask more questions about the world around them as they develop more complex cognitive abilities. This characteristic has been shown to encourage a love of learning and to make learning intrinsically rewarding for kids. These programs know how to appeal to this innate curiosity.

Teaching these topics is based on asking questions and encouraging discussion between kids and teachers and in groups with classmates. In other words, kids are not spoon-fed information, rather their critical thinking skills are cultured. This leads to better grades as they get older and critical thinking becomes more important to academic achievement than simply remembering facts for a test then forgetting them.

3. It’s a fun way to teach children essential life skills and facts

Teaching the four main subjects in a single program and in a way that appeals to children of all ages is easy due to the many engaging activities and interesting materials that can be used to help children acquire these skills. The importance of STEM education is that it teaches the whole child, or is a holistic program. Each activity uses the child’s current level of thinking and past learning and builds on it.

Educators give children a lot of positive encouragement and help build the child’s self-esteem. Many of the lessons and activities require that children work together, which helps develop their social skills. Fine motor skills are exercised when they have to handle small objects and write observations while gross motor skills are essential for moving large body muscles.

4. The program can be tailored to accommodate all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels.

Children as young as three and four can engage in STEM activities using appropriate materials. The materials, like those used in Chula Vista Preschool, are carefully selected to appeal to the children in each classroom while ensuring their safety.

As children develop and progress through their education, the importance of each subject becomes more pronounced. Older children are gradually given more complex materials and pieces to manipulate, and taught more complicated concepts.

5. Teachers receive training and collaborate with other educators

Teachers receive training in teaching best practices when delivering lessons. A school may require teachers to spend a certain number of hours or days. There is also a large amount of professional collaboration that goes into developing and implementing a successful teaching program. These teacher training program continue to improve to meet child’s needs.

Lifelong Benefits of Program

6. Acquiring professional skills

STEM education | Wee Care Preschools — Kids acquire professional skills

One of the benefits of the learning program is that young children learn skills and facts that are required across different areas of life. Science continues to have a role in helping us lead healthier lives, including how to eat better and stay safer. Knowledge of technology is now a basic requirement for any job. The same is true for engineering and essential mathematical reasoning ability. Having the ability to think critically and creatively about these topics can set them apart in their future careers.

Parents Are Partners

7. Parents are partners in their child’s education

An important step in developing a great program is to keep parents informed about their children’s progress and how to reinforce learning at home. Effective educators know that parents are partners in a child’s education and their involvement in their child’s learning is essential.

Help your child start acquiring the benefits of STEM education today. Contact us now for any questions about the program.

March 30, 2017 by David Suder

What are the Benefits of Gymnastics for Children?

Did you know that there are so many benefits of gymnastics for children? Youngsters are energetic. They love to bop and hop, jump and twirl, roll and leap! You certainly have to admire their boundless energy! As parents, we have the opportunity to help our kids harness that energy. Gymnastics is the perfect activity for young children. It makes use of their natural affinity for movement. It directs their overflowing energy towards something more structured and productive. Wee Care Preschool, located in Chula Vista, California, offers children’s gymnastic classes. Go ahead and enroll your child in this healthy and fun activity! The little rascals won’t even know they’re hard at work, building muscles and bone strength! Not only that, but they will feel so accomplished when they show off their first somersault! Perhaps they can even teach us a few tricks!

Why Gymnastics is Important

This 200-year-old sport is a popular highlight of the Olympic Games. Why do we love watching it so much? Perhaps the sport’s high intensity and dynamic quality attract us. Or the displays of exceptional precision impress us. Gymnastics shows off the human body’s wondrous capabilities. It astounds us with almost miraculous feats of extreme agility, control, and strength.

Professional gymnasts inspire us all to reach a little farther and jump a little higher, even as we cheer from the sidelines. Wouldn’t you love to be cheering for your little one as they tumble with joy? Give your tyke rewarding experiences that make you both feel good.

Of course gymnastics is super fun; however, there are also many health benefits of gymnastics! With regular classes, your child can literally get a “jump start” on development. This activity challenges the whole body, from head to toe. Gymnastics classes offer your child a foundation on which to build a lifetime appreciation for fitness. While physical training has so many beneficial qualities for the body, it also works wonders for the mind! The rigor and discipline needed in gymnastics class carry through into other aspects of a young child’s life. After all, it’s never too early to try your best.

What are the Values of Gymnastics

There are countless benefits of gymnastics for children. The list below names just a few.

Develops the body. Your child will become more aware of their body. They will develop coordination and basic skill-building. The regularity of gymnastic exercises will also increase muscle strength and flexibility.
Builds confidence. Accomplishing a new skill offers your child a badge of pride. Let them show off a little; they’ve earned it!
Introduces discipline. To meet their goals, little gymnasts must work hard. It is important for kids to experience this correlation between focused effort and goal achievement.
Cognitive skill development. According to studies, cognitive skills are higher in children who take part in activities that engage both mind and body. (Barrett, 1998)
Exploration and discovery of their body. Children have a natural curiosity about the world, which includes their own body. Gymnastics provides room for exploration so children can follow their curiosity. It lets them figure out how their limbs move.
Provides socialization with peers and teaches etiquette. In gymnastic classes, students are part of a team. They are obliged to support one another, treat everyone with respect and follow all the rules. This sets them up with yet another skill: how to get along with others.

Go For It!

Gymnastics are a fun way to channel the abundant energy of your child. Watch them jump, roll, and spin! Cheer them on as they try new things! After every session, your child will feel fully satisfied and, hopefully, even a bit tired.

For children, gymnastics is all fun and games. Parents know that gymnastics lessons also assist in development. Your child will gain physical

strength, flexibility, and coordination over their body. Not only will their cognitive skills improve, but also their confidence and discipline. They will develop a healthy relationship with their own body. Also, their social skills will flourish.

Your little gymnast will grow up to be a fit, social and confident individual who doesn’t fear a challenge. Your little one might even become an Olympic gymnast and inspire a new generation of children. Become an even prouder parent and contact us today! We invite your child to join our gymnastics lessons at the Chula Vista day care. Let your child take the plunge and experiences classes himself. They’re fun; they’re healthy! You simply can’t lose. The benefits of gymnastics are plenty!

February 12, 2017 by David Suder

How does Amazing Athletes help your Child Shoot out of this World

When looking for a fun and engaging sports program that focuses on helping your child gain a higher sense of self-esteem, better social and emotional skills, and develop advanced motor skills, then Amazing Athletes will amaze you.

The program, that has been providing sports education to children ages 2 and a half to six years old for over a decade and is a part of early education programs across the United States, is available at Chula Vista day care and Chula Vista preschool. How does playing sports in a non-competitive environment achieve to their full physical, mental, social, and emotional potential?

What is Amazing Athletes?

The sports education program is a franchise program that works with over 100 schools in 26 states. This includes Chula Vista preschools and child care programs. Keeping in mind that the most effective way to educate young children is to provide structure. The sports activities are supervised and guided by adults.

It focuses on teaching kids the basics of a different sports. These include volleyball, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, and golf. The program is child-centered and aims to help kids gain better motor abilities. This is achieved by practicing sports that target large muscles used for running, jumping balancing, throwing, bowling, catching, and kicking. Kids are encouraged to try new sports and challenge themselves to interact with other kids.

What makes Amazing Athletes a great educational sports program for very young children?

Understands that children between 2 and a half and six years old are developing their fine motor and gross motor skills.

A great sports education program for young children will take into account how children develop socially and emotionally. It also focuses on physical and cognitive development at this age.

With increased physical abilities, young children need to have appropriate channels to run, throw, kick, and move.

Outdoor sports encourages the child to safely explore and learn about the world around them.

The structured but non-competitive Amazing Athletes program lets kids have fun. It focuses on the child as a person not labeling them a winner or loser (also keeps children from feeling inadequate or becoming too

Children in this age group are learning about socially acceptable behavior. That can only be learned through interaction with peers and adults.

A child-centered early child care program that doesn’t rely on indoor activities and technology is better than one that does.

How can an educational sports program benefit a young child?

The increased usage of technology devices at a younger age and the number of available early educational software and applications is a wonderful thing. It’s a huge benefit to this new generation of naturally curious children to have easy access to a world of age-appropriate knowledge. However, is it really helping them? Using these devices all day eventually leads to a dependence on the solitude and immobility often required from application users (of any age)?

Young children need to spend time outdoors moving and interacting with each other. Time outdoors in a structured sport environment helps improve their health, mood, and quality of life.

How can structured, outdoor sports activities improve my child’s health?

Amazing Athletes brings to Chula Vista day care and Chula Vista preschool a variety of structured activities. These are headed by competent educators to give children an educational sports program that meets their health needs. The program structure gives your child the most opportunity for growth. It also makes sure all children have fun each time they take part in one of the nine outdoor sports.

Does the Amazing Athletes Program nurture mental health?

Amazing Athletes Program | Wee Care Preschools

Amazing Athletes works with Chula Vista child care providers to ensure positive environment for your child’s cognitive health and development. Mental Health America explains that a young child needs structure, guidance and discipline, encouraging and supportive educators, and the chance to interact with other children. Experts emphasize the need for physical exercise, that improves mood and may help in preventing several childhood diseases, like obesity and early onset diabetes. Children are encouraged to play in teams and pairs as appropriate.

Chula Vista child care is ready to help your child grow and develop to their potential with Amazing Athletes. Rest assured that your son or daughter will have fun playing and learning with their peers, making friends, and forming positive relationships to experienced sports education specialists.

Alex Kahn

20:09 18 Sep 23

Maziar Sefidan

05:40 31 May 23

After 6 years (2 kids) at Wee Care we say with high certainty that this is a solid childcare/preschool.
Things we like:
1. Staff is great. We've had a number of teachers as our kids have progressed through the age groups and we haven't had one that we haven't liked.
2. Director (Diane) is a great communicator and generally runs a tight ship.
3. Lunch is included. Thank goodness; one less worry in the crazy morning.
4. Excellent hours and schedule. Something like 6:30AM to 6:00PM daily with only a handful of holidays unlike many other preschools where the hours are unfriendly to working parents and preschool is out for extended periods during the holidays.
5. Reasonable prices (although some increases lately but i don't mind the staff getting raises and cost of living adjustments). Still a pretty good deal.
Things that could improve:
Not gonna sugar coat it, but the location behind a strip mall was a little off-putting at first until "we got over ourselves". It's about the kids, not how fancy the facilities look. Our kids liked it there and never complained; both fully prepared for kinder socially and academically. They are fully accredited and certified, staff is great, turnover is low; these are what's really important.

Jared Marais

19:25 19 May 23

Grant Weaver

16:23 03 Apr 23

With two kids and both me and my wife working full time - I have a lot of experience with Preschools and Daycares, and WeeCare consistently has provided top tier education and service at an incredible price point.

I am consistently amazed by the things my son learns and brings back each day: he loves the alphabet, learning, and will know the proper names of animals that even I have trouble remembering. My daughter was in a different WeeCare years ago, but I was likewise always impressed by the things she was learning and the skills she gained here - it certainly gave her a huge leg up when she joined Elementary.

WeeCare in Rancho Bernardo (now a different company) was my first preschool, so I didn't realize what I had until they left, and I went through several other schools trying to find the quality that I originally had.

The biggest factor (in my opinion) is that both had the excellent guidance of Preschool Director Diane Martine. She has always been responsive, helpful, and I think she does a great job picking the best teachers for the kids. She was also very helpful and understanding during the time when my son was lagging a bit on potty training, and helped to catch him up with the wonderful teachers she has employed. Big shout out to all the incredible teachers who are patient, always on top of informing us if there is owies, or things to help our kids grow and learn, and are always available and responsive to our questions.

Thank you WeeCare - it's tough being a parent right now, and it's a HUGE worry off of our shoulders to know our kids are being taken care of.

Naomi C.

20:30 23 Mar 22

It is more affordable than other day cares in San Diego. They also have more availability than other day cares. My daughter loved going to Wee Care! She had so much fun and made so many friends. She enjoyed going to Wee Care and loved her teachers and teachers assistants. Whenever an issue was raised, the staff was quick to resolve it. My daughter is in Kindergarten now, but she always remembers this school and talks about wanting to come back for a visit. Thank you Wee Care for nurturing growing minds.

Melissa Manns

17:21 16 Oct 19

We love WEE CARE! The facility is nice and clean. We love that they provide their meals. Our son loves his teachers and looks forward to going to school. The new director seems very sweet and we've always had positive interactions with her. Definitely recommend!

April Gossett

05:25 18 Dec 14

Our daughter has been going there since April. We absolutely love this place. They are so engaging with the children and they actually TEACH the children during classroom time. When I picked my daughter up a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving she was telling me all about cornucopias...I was blown away because she completely knew what it was and she is only 4!! Because of Wee Care she enjoys learning and doing crafts. They also offer Spanish class, dance class, as well as other programs for a really good price. My daughter is actually taking Spanish right now and is on the wait list for the dance class. I am really really happy we found this place and I know that she will be beyond ready for kindergarten.