It is never too early to start learning. 

Age 4-12 months: Children need protection from physical danger, adequate nutrition and health care, (including immunizations), good hygiene, motor and sensory stimulation, appropriate language stimulation, and responsive, sensitive parenting

Age 1-2 years:  In addition to needs from previous years, children at this age require support in acquiring motor, language, and thinking skills, developing independence, learning self-control, opportunities for play and exploration, and play with other children.

Age 2-3 1/2 years:  In addition to needs from previous years, children at this age require opportunities to make choices, engage in dramatic play, read increasingly complex books, sing favorite songs, and work simple puzzles.

Ages 3 1/2 - 5 years:  In addition to needs from previous years, children at this age require opportunities to develop fine motor skills, continue expanding language skills by talking, reading, and singing, learn cooperation by helping and sharing, experiment with pre-writing and pre-reading skills.

At Just Like Home Daycare, I focus on pre-school activities, such as letter, number, shape and color recognition. Creative play time, story time, song time and arts and crafts are also a part of our busy schedule.  I work along with one of our local schools to see that my expectations are realistic as well as necessary for each child as an individual.

Having worked with one of the local Kindergarten classes, I see that many of the children coming into Kindergarten are not prepared for what is expected of them.  Some don't know or haven't even been introduced to the Alphabet.  Many don't know how to write or spell his or her name and those are just a couple of things that I have seen the children struggling with. 

I hope to make a difference in preparing the children for what lies ahead.  When a child enters school and feels confident about what he or she already knows, it makes him eager to learn more.  It also makes him want to help others, to show them what he already knows.  He is proud, and carries a sense of maturity not often seen in a child of his age. 

Amazing to think that all of this could come from ABC's....but it truly can.