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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRESCHOOL FOR YOUR CHILD IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION, OF COURSE, YOU WANT
THEM TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO PLAY.
BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT TO HELP THERE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT.
AND JOINING US AGAIN IS DOCTOR DR.
ELANNA YALOW, CEO OF KINDERCARE, EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS.
AND DR.
YALOW, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE BACK FOR PART TWO OF THIS SERIES.
AND REMIND OUR AUDIENCE WHY EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT AND LOOKING FOR THAT RIGHT
PLACE IS SO IMPORTANT.
AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, THE CHILD'S EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES REALLY SET THE
STAGE FOR THEIR SUCCESS IN LATER LIFE.
WE KNOW THAT 70% OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT ACTUALLY OCCURS BEFORE THE TIME A CHILD IS EVEN 3 YEARS
OF AGE.
WOW.
IT'S SO IMPRESSIVE AND WHAT WE ALSO KNOW IS THAT THERE'S NOW SOME LONG TERM RESEARCH THAT
LOOKS AT THE GREAT BENEFITS THAT CHILDREN HAVE IF THEY'VE WENT TO A HIGH QUALITY EARLY
LEARNING PROGRAMS.
THEY HAVE HIGHER HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES, MORE SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, HIGHER LIFETIME EARNINGS,
LESS CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND THERE IS SOME GREAT NEW RESEARCH THAT POINTS OUT THAT THEY EVEN HAVE LONG TERM HEALTH
BENEFITS IF THEY'VE ENROLLED IN HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS WHEN THEY WERE JUST
YOUNG CHILDREN.
THAT REALLY IS REMARKABLE.
AND SINCE EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCE IS SO IMPORTANT AND WHAT SHOULD PARENTS BE LOOKING?
THE FIRST THINGS PARENTS NEED TO KNOW IS THAT WE FEEL RIGHT ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
SURE.
THEY ARE BEST JUDGES OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE BEST FOR THEIR CHILD AND THEIR FAMILY.
BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO LOOK FOR IN A HIGH QUALITY PROGRAM.
THE FIRST IS THE QUALITY OF THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE TEACHERS AND THE CHILDREN.
THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO HELPING OUNG CHILDREN DEVELOP.
WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND REALLY ENGAGED TEACHERS THAT
HAVE THE RIGHT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SUPPORT THEIR ONGOING SKILLS.
WE ALSO WANT TO HAVE AN INTENTIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
ACTIVITIES ARE RIGHT FOR THE CHILDREN AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT.
IS IT SAFE AND SECURE AND WELCOMING?
WE ALSO LOVE TO TALK ABOUT HAVING A LANGUAGE RICH OR LITERACY RICH ENVIRONMENT.
THAT MEANS THAT THERE SHOULD BE LOTS OF BOOKS AND THOSE BOOKS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE
CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES.
OR LABELING ON THE SHELVES OR EXAMPLES OF THE CHILDREN'S WRITING, WHETHER IT'S JUST
EARLY SCRIBBLES OR EARLY LETTER FORMATION.
AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THERE ARE STRONG FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.
WE REALLY WANT OUR FAMILIES TO BY OUR PARTNERS.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE STAFF TO LISTEN TO THE FAMILY.
CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION YOU SEE BETWEEN THE STAFF AND THE FAMILY?
THAT'S SUCH A GREAT QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE THAT TALKED ABOUT KIND OF FAMILY COMMUNICATION, WHAT THAT USED
TO MEAN, WAS THAT WE TOLD THE PARENTS WHAT THE CHILDREN WERE EXPERIENCING IN OUR CENTERS.
BUT WE REALLY THINK MUCH MORE BROADLY NOW ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS.
WE WANT TO HAVE A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION WITH OUR PARENTS.
IT'S JUST IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE CHILD IS EXPERIENCING AT HOME AS IT IS FOR
THE PARENT TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT THE CHILD IS EXPERIENCING IN OUR PROGRAMS.
SO, THAT THERE IS REALLY THAT CONTINUITY OF THE CHILD.
SURE.
BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCES THEY HAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS AND AT HOME AND WE'RE SO COMMITTED TO WORKING
ON OUR FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS.
WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION TO MEASURE OUR PARENTS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TWICE
A YEAR.
THAT'S REALLY THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION BETWEEN WHAT OUR PARENTS ARE FEELING AND HOW THEY
ARE FEELING ABOUT THE CENTER.
AND THE MEASURE WE USE, I CARE ABOUT THE MOST IS A QUESTIONS THAT SAYS, I CANNOT IMAGINE
A WORLD WITHOUT KINDERCARE.
SO YOU COULD IMAGINE WE'VE SET A VERY HIGH BAR FOR WHAT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT REALLY LOOKS
LIKE.
YOU CERTAINLY HAVE AND TALK ABOUT KINDERCARE.
SHOULD KINDERCARE BE ALLOWED TO PLAY OR SHOULD PARENTS BE MORE CONCERNED WITH THEM BEING
PREPARED TO ENTER SCHOOL?
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO MANY PARENTS ASK THAT.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT IT REALLY IS A FALSE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PLAYING AND LEARNING
FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.
FOR THE YOUNG CHILD IT SHOULD FEEL PLAYFUL AND JUST THEY SHOULD BE HAVING FUN AND REALLY
BE ENJOYING THEIR EXPERIENCES.
BUT FROM OUR TEACHERS POINT OF VIEW, IT SHOULD BE INTENTIONAL.
THEY SHOULD REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS THEY HOPE THEY CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE LEARNING AND
WHAT THEY GOING TO BE DEVELOPING WHILE THEY ARE IN OUR KINDERCARE PROGRAMS.
AND SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE REALLY LOOK FOR TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING
THAT IN OUR CURRICULUM.
WE FOCUS ON LANGUAGE AND LITERACY.
WE FOCUS ON COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.
WE FOCUS ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
CERTAINLY THE CREATIVE ARTS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR PROGRAMS.
AND THEN THERE IS ANOTHER AREA CALLED EXECUTIVE FUNCTION WHICH WE COULD DO A WHOLE SEGMENT
ON.
SURE.
THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF AN EARLY CHILD'S EXPERIENCES.
YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE EVALUATING YOUR CHILD'S NEEDS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BUT WE SHOULDN'T
BE CHOOSING LIKE, A KINDERCARE OR SOMEWHERE TO GO THAT'S CLOSE TO WORK OR CLOSE TO HOME.
THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE BASIS OF WHY WE CHOOSE.
IS THAT CORRECT?
ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND AGAIN, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO PICK A PROGRAM
THAT FEELS RIGHT TO YOU AND YOUR CHILD.
SO, THAT MEANS WHEN YOU ARE PICKING A CENTER, WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO DO IS INVEST A LOT
OF TIME AND YOU SHOULD ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS, YOU SHOULD VISIT THE CENTER, YOU SHOULD REVISIT
IT.
BRING YOUR CHILD, SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS YOU NEED.
SPEND TIME WITH THE TEACHERS AND TALK TO THE CENTER DIRECTOR.
IT REALLY IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS YOU WILL EVER MAKE FOR FOR YOUR CHILD'S LIFE.
THAT'S FOR SURE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH DOCTOR.
AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR PART THREE OF THIS.
IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
OH JULIE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE.
ALRIGHT.
YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE, CHECK US OUT AT THEBALANCINGACT.COM OR LOG ON TO FACEBOOK/THEBALANCINGACTFANS
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