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April at The Learning Experience: “Grant Wishes” with Grace and Charity!

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Discover The Learning Experience’s April curriculum focused on kindness, philanthropy, and weather exploration. Learn how children can make a difference through sharing, giving, and kindness.

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How Lynn Ann Zazzali went from being an everyday teacher to becoming a very successful entrepreneur and never looked back.

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TLE Curriculum Expert featured on Motherly.com

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The Learning Experiece Daycare Curriculum Expert Article on 7 activities that teach preschoolers + toddlers social skills

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Playdates are a fun and essential activity for children to develop friendships and learn important social skills that will enable them to make their way through life. As children develop from the "me" or "mine" stage, they learn to become more independent and empathetic. Playdates are great opportunities for them to practice the art of compromise and taking turns. They are also learning kindness, generosity, and how to express their feelings appropriately.

When scheduling a playdate that your child will attend to without you, it's a good idea to talk to the other parent about important details regarding your child such as diet or allergies. You may also want to know if the family has pets in the house.

Keep in mind that while this may be your first child, your child's friend could be that family's second or third child. If the familty has other children, ask what types of activities your child will engage in and voice any activities you are not comfortable having your child participate in. Check to see who will be supervising the children: is there another caregiver at the home if something happens?

If you're hosting the playdate, keep things simple and don't worry about impressing other parents. While this could potentially mean your house may get a little messy, or that your child will have to share their toys, you'll save yourself from unnecessary stress. It also provides you with teachable moments to guide your child through these situations.

Tips for hosting great playdates

Let your child take the lead. Ask them who they would like to invite over or you can take cues from who they seemed drawn to at daycare or your local playground.

Start out small. Invite one child over first so your child gets used to sharing their things with another child. Later, you can build up to having a small group.

Lock up your pets so everyone stays safe.

Keep snacks simple while making sure you know about any allergies or food sensitivities.

Set a definite start and end time. Two hours may be a good start.

Have a quiet or structured activity in your back pocket if the kids start getting too wound up. Consider activities like baking cookies or doing an easy arts and crafts activity.

Be firm about clean-up. Explain to the children that they need to clean up one activity before moving on to the next. You may not want to keep toys with a lot of pieces readily available until you get the hang of hosting.

Make yourself available as children need help working out conflicts. For older children, don't jump in too fast - see if the kids can work out their own resolution.

Give the children fair warning that their playdate is coming to an end. If it was a success, talk to them about what they enjoyed and what they might like to do at the next playdate.

Playdates will enrich your child's life as they learn a whole range of essential life skills in the best way - through play and fun. As they play, they are learning creativity, communication, and working together as part of a team. Knowing how to do this builds self-esteem and confidence, and will help children thrive in group settings in and out of school.
Related Post: Easy DIY Teacher Appreciation Day Ideas

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Planning Playdates & Fostering Friendships at Home

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Playdates can enrich your child's life as they will learn a whole range of essential life skills in the best way - through play and fun. As they play, they are learning creativity, communication, and working together as part of a team.

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One of the proudest, and possibly scariest, times for a parent is sending their little one to school on the first day of Kindergarten. Questions circle their mind asking, "Are they ready?" "Are they prepared?" We have a few tips for preparing your child for Kindergarten that might help.

To quell the apprehension within yourself and to facilitate a successful and easy transition for your child, there are a number of things you can do at home in advance to prepare your child for Kindergarten.

Encourage independence and self-help care

As a Kindergartener, your child will often receive multi-part directions that require them to complete several tasks. Help your child develop the skills to take care of themselves and manage their own things. This will help them master the ability to handle multiple tasks at school. Encourage your child to dress themselves. For example, putting on and zipping their coat and tying shoes by themselves. Also, train your child to use the bathroom unassisted, wash hands without prompting, blow their nose with a tissue, and to work and play independently. Even allowing them to make small snacks by themselves will teach children to take ownership of fulfilling some of their basic needs.

Teach them responsibility

At home, start shifting small responsibilities, that you usually handle, over to your child. Tasks may include setting the table and clearing their place after a meal, watering the house plants, sorting their laundry, carrying in and putting away groceries, making their bed, and putting away toys. Preparing your child for Kindergarten can be as simple as daily chores.

Promote positive social skills

Make sure your child knows the importance of cooperating with adults, other than you. One way to do this is to enroll your child in a preschool program, or other activities, such as a children's gym class or a religious education class. These experiences will teach them to transition from one activity to another, get along with peers, practice using good manners, take turns, and to sit still and pay attention for short periods of time.

Engage your child in meaningful learning activities

Read with your child every day. Incorporate a variety of books, perhaps using your local library as a resource. Help them to learn the alphabetic letters and their sounds and numbers in meaningful ways. For example, having them identify letters or numbers, on boxes or packages in the grocery store and other places in the environment. Support your little one in continuing to develop their fine motor skills by using scissors, playing with clay, and drawing with pencils, crayons, and markers. Help them to be able to identify and write their name.

Start now!

Don't wait until a month before school starts to begin readying your child for Kindergarten. There truly is no time like the present, so don't hesitate to begin reinforcing the skills your child will need to be successful. The sooner you begin the Kindergarten preparation process, the better for your child.

Instead of focusing on whether your child is ready to read and write, consider their abilities as a whole. Start ahead of time building their self-esteem, participating in activities, and practicing skills that will promote a smooth transition into Kindergarten.
Related News: Traveling with Your Child: Make it a Learning Experience

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There's No Time Like the Present! Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

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Are you already nervous about your child's first day of Kindergarten? Do you find yourself asking, "Are they ready?" and "Are they prepared?" Instead of worrying if they're prepared, make sure they are prepared by teaching the necessary skills for success!

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Did you know Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated all over the US? This week is dedicated to honoring, recognizing, and thanking educators and childcare providers for the positive difference they make every day in the lives of children, their families, and the communities they serve!

Teachers make a huge difference in our children's lives. They help to form their minds, hearts, and character. Teachers also ensure every student is looked after and cared for. That's why it's so important to show heartfelt gratitude by saying thank you for all that teachers do, and both National Teacher Day (May 7) and Provider Appreciation Day (May 9) are great opportunities to thank them.

Here's a list of quick and easy gifts that any teacher would love:

Thank you Note

Is your child graduating from TLE this year? Have your child write a simple note of appreciation to their teacher (you should too) to show off the writing skills they learned this year from their teacher! Teachers love hearing how they have helped each of your children and how they are making a difference. This thank you note is a great example.

You can find a printable version of this letter here courtesy of The Suburban Mom.

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Social Media Shout Out

Tell the world how awesome your child's teacher is with a heartfelt post, story or tweet. Seeing this gratitude shared publicly will definitely brighten their day! Consider taking a video of your child thanking them (you can join too!) for that

extra special touch. Don't forget to mention what center your child attends!

We will be sharing all posts, stories, and tweets that tag or mention us and include the hashtag #ThankATeacher on all week long! You can find us on Twitter at @thelearningexp and on Instagram at @thelearningexperience.

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Baked Goods & Other Edible Treats

Remind your child's teachers how sweet they are by making or buying them their favorite baked goods! Here's a great example of how you can add a personal touch to the presentation:
One Smart Cookie

1. Purchase pre-made cookies or bake your own.

2. Decorate a plain-colored box with coordinating stickers and ribbons.

3. Place the cookies inside the box and complete the look with this free printable courtesy of Sweet Metel Moments.

The Gift of Caffeine

What teacher doesn't need an extra caffeine push to get them through their long days? Whether you give this gift by buying them a morning coffee now and then, buying them their favorite brand, or giving them a gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop, they will appreciate this gift! This DIY coffee gift example is sweet, simple and cuts straight to the point.
Thanks A Latte

1. Print this pre-designed thank you card courtesy of Longing for Home Designs.

2. Pick up a gift card from your local coffee shop.

3. Assemble the items and voila!

Useful Supplies for the Classroom

Teachers are always in need of supplies or other classroom materials and will appreciate you buying these items so they don't have to! This gift idea takes this idea to the next level with a cute and clever message:
Highlight Their Hard Word

1. Purchase a pack of highlighters with really cool colors

2. Decorate a mason jar with patterned tape.

3. Download this free printable courtesy of Love the Day and attach it with yarn.

4. Make a list of your child's favorite moments from the year and include in the jar.

Gift Cards

Teachers tend to prefer gift cards to any other store-bought gift. With a classroom full of students each year, those trinkets, candles, and knick-knacks just end up cluttering shelves or ending up on a closet.c teachers tend to like gift cards from Target or Amazon so they're not restricted to going out to a specific restaurant or shopping at a certain store.

For more ideas and inspiration on how to show your appreciation this week, you can check out our Teacher Appreciation board on Pinterest.
Read TLE! Focus Newsletter

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Did you know Teacher Appreciation Week is celebrated all over the US? This week is dedicated to honoring, recognizing, and thanking educators and childcare providers for the positive difference they make every day in the lives of children, their families, and the communities they serve! Teachers make a huge difference in our children's lives.

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Getting ready for the first day of school!

Getting close to that first day of school? Here are some tips that our Childcare Experts have come up with to help you make the transition back to school!

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The summer slide isn't part of a fun day in the park, but rather refers to the loss of learning or "brain drain" children many children experience during the summer when not academically engaged.

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The Learning Experience’s Summer Reading Guide - The Learning Experience

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Check out the summer reading guide by the amazing staff at The Learing Experience. Tips and tricks to keep kids busy as those summer months heat up.

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The holidays are upon us! In a time when social media places everything at our fingertips and makes it easy to share our accomplishments in an instant, the holidays seem to be a time of undue stress and pressure for most parents. Before having children, holidays were a time to gather and enjoy spend…

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Let TLE® help you prioritize your employees-and the early education of their children. Our Work and Family employer-sponsored child care offers 10% tuition discount for your employees, priority enrollment, complimentary "Lunch and Learn" seminars, and nationwide access to all participating TLE® Centers.

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Let TLE® help you prioritize your employees-and the early education of their children. Our Work and Family employer-sponsored child care offers 10% tuition discount for your employees, priority enrollment, complimentary "Lunch and Learn" seminars, and nationwide access to all participating TLE® Centers.

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Our mission is to make a positive difference in the life of a child, their families, and the communities we serve.

We achieve this mission through three core values: an Innovative Mindset, a Collaborative Spirit, and Community Impact.

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Our mission is to make a positive difference in the life of a child, their families, and the communities we serve. We achieve this mission through three core values: an Innovative Mindset, a Collaborative Spirit, and Community Impact.

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Shaped by our experience developing more than three million square feet of childcare center space, the TLE® Strategy is simple: One block at a time in concentrated markets. This proven model ensures that TLE® will continue to grow, while maintaining low corporate G&A, and enabling our company to build top-line management directly at the center level, where it belongs.

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Our proprietary smartphone app is loaded with features that let parents check in on their children's activities by receiving picture notifications during the day-an immense comfort to parents whose children are attending daycare for the very first time. It also gives parents the power to plan and stay organized. You can easily check your tuition balances and notify us of any upcoming absences, as well as stay on top of upcoming events and closures at your TLE® center.

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Our proprietary smartphone app is loaded with features that let parents check in on their children's activities by receiving picture notifications during the day-an immense comfort to parents whose children are attending daycare for the very first time. It also gives parents the power to plan and stay organized.

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Our early childhood education centers focus making children feel comforted, creative and curious. TLE centers are designed to be vibrant and joyfull. Learn more.

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Our Early Education Programs | The Learning Experience

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Our proprietary L.E.A.P early education program encourages children to learn in their favorite way: by exploring, discovering and doing. Learn more.

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"My daughter loves going to daycare at TLE. She loves her teachers, friends, and the programs that change monthly keeping her engaged and learning, and I get peace of mind. The staff there is always friendly and approachable, the directors awesome to deal with. Come be apart of the family. Your kid will love it, mine surely does."

- Ouida from New Haven, CT

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Early Childhood Education and Daycare | The Learning Experience

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"My daughter loves going to daycare at TLE. She loves her teachers, friends, and the programs that change monthly keeping her engaged and learning, and I get peace of mind. The staff there is always friendly and approachable, the directors awesome to deal with. Come be apart of the family.