We all know how hard it is to make the right decision on where to send our children to school.

Pooler MOPS tries to make the decision a little bit easier by hosting a School Fair each year.

This year, the Pooler MOPS School Fair is Wed. Feb. 2 from 9 AM-noon at First Presbyterian Church of Pooler 305 HWY 80SE, Pooler. There will be public, private and home schools represented. The event is open and free to the public.

Interested schools can contact Liz St.Lawrence at poolermops@gmail.com if they would like to attend. A list of confirmed schools can be found by clicking here.

Check out the new SouthernMamas page Savannah School Open Houses for the Winter 2011.

We’re trying to make the tough process of selecting the right school a little easier and will add more school open houses and general info on the pre-K lottery and how to get your child into the pre-K of your choice.

To have a school open house or other info included in the guide, email the info to anne@southernmamas.com.

The madness that is the Savannah pre-k lottery (i.e. the race to get into your choice of free pre-Kindergarten) starts soon.

Applications for the 2011-2012 Pre-Kindergarten Program will be available Mon. Feb. 7, 2011 through Fri. March 4, 2011.  The FREE Georgia pre-k program is a full-day program available at some public and private schools.

The FREE pre-K classses are funded by the Georgia Lottery and open to children who will be 4 years of age prior to or on September 1, 2011.

At Savannah-Chatham public schools, children will be selected through a lottery process, which will be held in late March 2011. Parents will receive written notification of acceptance or waiting list status. Applications will continue to be accepted after the classes are filled, but they will be placed in a “waiting” folder in the event that openings occur in the Pre-K classes.

To obtain an application, go to any of the sites with the program. The Information desk at 208 Bull Street will also have applications.

Private schools also offer the free pre-K program including Maggies’ Morning School, Savannah Youth University, Candler’s  The Children’s House, and  YMCA Childcare Plus: but many have a different application process. If you’re interested in a private child care that has it, call the school to find out when their applications are due.  Many are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Savannah-Chatham Public Schools: Speciality Elementary Schools (These public schools either don’t have an attendance zone/neighborhood district or they also accept children outside of their attendance zone/neighborhood district)

Bartow Elementary
Math, Technology and Design Program
1804 Stratford St. Savannah, GA 31415
912.395.5300
Has 20 lottery-funded (Free) Pre-K spots; children in the school’s attendance zone receive first priority. Any remaining spots are open to children outside the attendance zone.

Charles Ellis (P-8)
Montessori Academy
220 E. 49th St., Savannah GA 31405
912.395.5470
Has 40 lottery-funded (Free) Pre-K slots and no specific attendance zone/neighborhood district.

Garrison Elementary (P-8)
School of Visual and Performing Arts
649 W. Jones St., Savannah, GA 31415
912.395.5975
Has 20 lottery-funded (free) Pre-K slots and no specific attendance zone/neighborhood district.

Heard Elementary
Advanced Learning with Core Knowledge Program
414 Lee Boulevard, Savannah GA 31405
912.395.6630
Has 40 lottery-funded (free) Pre-K slots. Children in the school’s attendance zone receive first priority. Any remaining spots are open to children outside the attendance zone.

Hodge Elementary
Medical/Allied Health Program
3609 Hopkins St., Savannah, GA 31405
912.395.5200
Pre-K slots number not available

Jacob G. Smith Elementary
Traditional program with Core Knowledge
210 Lamara Drive, Savannah GA 31405
912.395.6530
Has 20 lottery-funded (free) Pre-K slots. Children in the school’s attendance zone receive first priority. Any remaining spots are open to children outside the attendance zone.

Largo-Tibet Elementary
International Baccalaureate Primary Years
Programme Candidate School
430 Tibet Ave., Savannah GA 31406
912.395.3450
Pre-K slots number not available

Marshpoint Elementary
International Baccalaureate
Primary Years Programme
135 Whitemarsh Island Rd, Savannah GA 31410
912.395.4000
Has 20 lottery-funded (free) Pre-K slots. Children in the school’s attendance zone receive first priority. Any remaining spots are open to children outside the attendance zone.

Several local schools welcome prospective students and families at January Open Houses, during which you can tour the school, meet teachers and ask questions. This is not a complete list of schools having open houses. If there’s a school you’re interested in call, it’s best to call the school to find out when they will host their open house.

EF Garrison School of Visual and Performing Arts (K-8) Open House, 649 W. Jones St.
5-7 PM Thurs. Feb 3 with a presentation at 6 PM
The new arts K-8 school at Garrison prepares students for the district’s premier high school, Savannah Arts Academy. The school does not have an attendance zone/district
Parents who would like to chose a specialty school for their child rather than their neighborhood school may apply for admission.
(912) 395-5975
http://internet.savannah.chatham.k12.ga.us/schools/gvpa/default.aspx

An information session (not an open house) about a new charter school proposed for Savannah
The Savannah Classical Academy: A Challenge Foundation Academy aims to provide elementary and middle school-aged children in Chatham County with a rigorous, content-rich, educational program that develops academic potential and personal character.
A public information session will be 4 PM Sat. Jan. 29 at the Caraway Café, 202 E. Broughton St.
Contact: Barbara Grimm at 912-484-6581 for more details or visit the school’s website at www.sca.teamcfa.org

 The New Covenant Preschool Open House
Thurs. Jan. 13, 6:30-8:00 PM
2201 Bull St., Savannah (corner of Bull and 38th St.) Come out and enjoy an evening of family fun while learning more about The New Covenant Preschool for your family. Activities will include: tours of the facility, face painting and balloon animals, food, door prizes, and more.
Enjoy a free trial day with New Convenant Preschool
Take advantage of the school’s 50 percent off Registration (Good through Jan. 30, 2011)
Email newcovenantpreschool@ymail.com or call (912) 232-7012
www.newcovenantpreschool.com

Jacob G Smith Elementary School Open House, 210 Lamara Drive
5:30 PM Thurs. Jan. 20
5:30 PM PTA Meet and Greet in the Media Center
6 PM School overview, Q&A with principal Jane Tyler and school families
6:30 PM See the school in action as school families return to school for Family Science Night
912.303. 6530

Savannah Christian Preparatory School Open Houses 
DeRenne Avenue Lower School Open House PreK-5th
**PreK will be available 2011-2012 school year
Wednesday, January 12th 10 am
Chatham Parkway Lower School Open House PreK-5th
Thursday, January 13th 10 am
Personal tours of both campuses and all grade levels are available by appointment by calling our Director of Admissions, Debbie Fairbanks at 912.234.1653 ext. 106.
Savannah Christian Prep offers multiple testing opportunities and two acceptance dates this year.
Early Acceptance- Announced February 9th
Testing Dates
Saturday, January 22nd Lower School
Saturday, January 29th Middle and Upper School
General Acceptance- Announced March 9th
Testing Date
Saturday, February 26th Lower, Middle, and Upper School
Openings maybe still available after the General Acceptance date. Please contact our Director of Admissions, Debbie Fairbanks at 912.234.1653 ext. 106 to discuss openings and to set up individual testing opportunities.

A slew of open houses at schools are happening this season. If you are looking into schools for the 2011-12 school year, below are a few open houses to check out. If you’d like to have a school included in this list, please email the info to anne@southernmamas.com:

Located at 2201 Bull St., near the heart of downtown Savannah, The New Covenant Preschool provides:
• Warm and inviting child-friendly atmosphere
• Enthusiastic, experienced, and engaged teachers
• Developmentally appropriate learning activities
• Enrichment classes in foreign language, music, and movement
• Daily Drop- In Care (subject to availability)

Special Offers:
Receive 50% off Registration (Good thru Nov. 30)
Enjoy 1 Free Trial Day

For more information, call (912) 232-7012, or visit the New Convenant Preschool Website at www.newcovenantpreschool.com
Call today to schedule a tour!

“Waiting for ‘Superman,” the celebrated pro-charter school documentary about the state of U.S. public education, is playing in Savannah, but not for long.

The film is opened at the Carmike Wynnsong 11, 1150 Shawnee St. last weekend and is only playing this week.

This Thurs. Nov. 11 is the last night that the controversial documentary will be at the theater. Call 912-920-3994 for showtimes.

We’re sorry to hear that this eye-opening movie about an incredibly important issue is only going to be playing in Savannah for less than a week.

Making Melodies Music Therapy is now in Savannah and surrounding areas.

Making Melodies offers quality individual music therapy sessions, as well as adaptive piano and guitar lessons, for children ages newborn to 18 years.

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.

Music Therapy can address the following developmental domains:

• communication skills
• academics
• motor skills
• emotional/behavioral development skills
• social skills
• adaptive skills

Making Melodies also offers adaptive guitar and piano lessons, which are tailored to meet the needs of specialized population including children with:

• developmental disabilities
• physical disabilities
• learning disabilities

These lessons use a therapeutic approach in teaching the skills needed to play the piano and guitar, while increasing self discipline, increasing all motor domains, and improving self esteem through accomplishment.

Sessions are offered in your home, making it extremely convenient and comfortable for you and your child! For more information on how your child can benefit from music therapy, visit www.makingmelodiesmt.com For more info, contact Caitlin Whitaker, MT-BC, via email at makingmelodiesmt@gmail.com or call (912) 293-1161

A slew of open houses at schools are happening this season. If you are looking into schools for the 2011-12 school year, below are a few open houses to check out. To access this list throughout the school year, visit the Savannah private school open house page, included in the Pages list on the left side of the main page of SouthernMamas.

If you’d like to have a school included in this list, please email the info to anne@southernmamas.com:

Savannah Children’s Book Festival at Forsyth Park
10 AM-4 PM Sat. Nov. 13
Celebrate the joy of reading and the power of the written word and the magic of storytelling. Meet children’s book authors and illustrators from around the country.
Presented by Live Oak Public Libraries and the City of Savannah
Featuring Anna Dewdney author of “Llama Llama Red Pajama”, Judy Schachner author of “Skippyjon Jones”, Music Alive! and more.
Rain location: Savannah Civic Center
For more info, call 912.652.3689
www.liveoakpl.org

Below is a guest post from Lowcountry homeschool expert Donna Cartwright of Beaufort-County-based Mama & Company:

Interested in homeschooling but don’t know where to start?
Click here! Southern Mama Readers get a ONE FREE CONSULTATION email. Email your question to mama@mamaandcompany.com

Are you a thinking of homeschooling? I was in your shoes not too long ago! She did a lot of research and asked a few friends who homeschooled what they do. I learned more about curriculums they use and local support groups. Joining a local homeschool cooperative allowed me to talk to other mamas and see what they like as a curriculum and also how they taught inside their homes. I just loved meeting new people and making new friends. Homeschoolers are a unique commmunity.

If you’re a military family like we are, the only stability really for the children is the parent who stays home with the child. Let’s face it, the other parent (whether Mama or Daddy) deploys for months to years at a time. Homeschooling is taking this ‘stability’ to the next level.

Check out some books at the library about home schooling to help you decide if you want to do this. Only you can make the decision but be realistic with what you can handle and cannot. You certainly don’t want to take the kids out of school and realize this is not for you.

Take advantage of the ONE FREE CONSULTATION email offer to get your homeschool question answered. Email mama@mamaandcompany.com. For more homeschooling info, click here.

The above was a guest post from homeschooling expert Donna Cartwright of Mama & Company.

For more homeschooling resources in Savannah and the Lowcountry, click here.

KOOLSCIENCES4KIDZ presents: Saturday morning sessions of physical science activities at Southwest Middle School, 6030 Ogeechee Road, Savannah.
One session for grades k-5; a second session for grades 6-8. Medical students from Mercer University Medical Mentors program will be involved with teaching and will present free science sessions related to the medical field.
For session dates, sample topics, or to sign up, click here.
Cost.: $48 a month. Includes materials
912-660-3442 email: Mathscmatters@aol.com

In2Books Savannah needs 481 volunteer pen pals to help students in 27 Savannah classrooms.

In2Books is an award-winning program that connects students with adult mentors – community members who have agreed to become “Pen Pals.” These generous volunteers provide essential support for the development of our elementary school students’ reading, writing and critical thinking skills, and their direct engagement and assistance in our classrooms is making a substantial difference in the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

Visit www.in2bookssavannah.com to sign up. If you have questions, email info@in2bookssavannah.org or find In2Books Savannah on Facebook by clicking here.

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School is a Montessori Learning Community serving children 3-years old through the second grade.

The school is growing and will add a grade each year until a full compliment of elementary classrooms is reached. Currently, the school has openings in the 3-year old program, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade. If you would like more information on enrolling your child please contact the school office at 912-238-1973 or click here.

Coastal Empire Montessori Charter School, supported by the Montessori philosophy and method, educates the Whole Child.

A new yoga class is being taught in Savannah that is geared toward children with special needs.

The Special Needs Yoga Class will be 4:15-5 PM Thursdays for six weeks at Yoga Me Fit, 7208 Hodgson Memorial Dr. Cost is $120

The class is for children ages 4 – 8 year olds. For more info, contact Lynn Geddes, 912-308-3410 or email yogamelynn@comcast.net.

Attention teachers and home-schooling parents: archaeology workshops are available to come to elementary schools or homeschool groups to teach Georgia Performance Standards in a variety of subjects, using archaeology as the hook.

ArchaeoFest is an educational program sponsored by the Coastal Heritage Society in Savannah that uses hands on-activities and the excitement of archaeology to teach a range of Georgia Performance Standards in 4th and 5th grade Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies.

Participants practice critical thinking, observations and inferences, identification, classification, matching, measuring, logic, and inductive & deductive reasoning.

Choose (Each program accommodates 25-30 students):
•2 hour program, given three times in a day at same location ($500 Flat Rate for all three programs) [averages $5.50-$6.70 per student depending on number of students]
•3 hour program, given twice in a day at same location ($450 flat rate for both programs) [averages $7.50-$9.00 depending on number of students]

Programs available for Chatham County area Sept. 13-Oct. 8, 2010.

Reservations required and can be made beginning Aug. 12. For more info, contact: Rita Elliott, relliott@chsgeorgia.org; 912.651.6850.

Brought to you by Coastal Heritage Society, Savannah. www.chsgeorgia.org

KOOLSCIENCE4KIDZ is a Saturday morning Hands-on Science Program for elementary and middle grades students designed to improve and excite your child’s curiosity in the physical sciences.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: 1 hour of science fun/week; 2-3 hands-on experiments/week; different themes each month; monthly sign up; no registration fee. It’s held at Southwest Middle School. 6030 Ogeechee Road, Savannah.

PROGRAM TOPICS 2010-2011
AUG 7, 14, 21 Does it Matter? (3 states of matter). Dry Ice.
SEPT 4,11, 18 Wow! It’s Chemical Excitement
OCT 2, 9, 16 Where did it go? Dissolving/melting/ temperature
NOV 6, 13, 20 Amazing Slime and Polymers; Separations
NO DEC SESSIONS
JAN 8, 15, 22 So what’s with acid rain? Making indicators.
FEB 5, 12, 19 Awesome machines; pressure, density
MAR 5, 12, 19 Sounds and making music.
APR 2, 9, 16 Light, Colors & Optical Illusions.
MAY 7,14, 21 All about Magnetic Attractions.
JUNE 4,11, 18 So WATT’S this about? (electricity)
NO JULY SESSIONS

TIMES: 9 AM- 10 AM (ELEMENTARY)
10:15 AM- 11:15 AM (MIDDLE GRADES)

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Dr Sabitra Brush
COST: $48/month- there are 3 one hour sessions/month
TO REGISTER & FOR MORE DETAILS, click here. Call 912-660-3442 or email: Mathscmatters@aol.com

Back to school means homework, projects and lots of independent research.

Of course, the Internet is one of the best resources, but is bursting with over 100 million sites. How do you find the best? Do you really want your children randomly using Google? With Usborne Internet-Linked (IL) books, the searching has been done for you.

Usborne’s IL books make recommendations about carefully selected, screened, and regularly updated websites where readers can find out more about a subject. All the websites can be located via links at www.usborne-quicklinks.com. The link is available at the website of Melissa Mallory, a local Usborne Educational Consultant, at www.EsteemReading.com in the Parent Resources section.

Many of the IL books are also approved Accelerated Reader titles. Internet links are either found on the back of the book (Internet Referenced-IR) or links throughout the book (Internet Linked-IL). View our selection of Internet-Linked books here. What can you discover with Usborne’s IL titles?
• Puzzles
• Quizzes
• Coloring sheets
• Maps
• Templates
• Parent/teacher resources
• Language pronunciation guides
• Much more with over 15,000 websites

Enter Usborne’s monthly drawing for a chance to win $50 in FREE BOOKS at www.EsteemReading.com. Check back each month and re-enter! Get Double Hostess Dollars, plus an additional $50 in FREE BOOKS (with a qualifying show) by having an Educational Home Show in August! Contact Melissa Mallory at mmallory@myubah.com for more details.

Follow Usborne on Facebook at Esteem Reading-Usborne Books and More for literacy tidbits, event information, contests, and specials!

Remember, read aloud to your child EVERYDAY!

Below is a guest post by Jane Madison, an early childhood education expert and pre-K teacher at Saint Peter the Apostle School on Wilmington Island. To read her past guest posts on preparing your child for preschool, click here:

About twenty years ago, when I was working with 3 year olds, we had a child in our class who always had to be first. First at art, first served at the snack table, the first turn in a game, and even the first one called to get his book bag. He had to be first. And, if he wasn’t first, he would whine,”What about me, what about me?!” louder and louder, until he got what he wanted. Needless to say, that behavior really got on our nerves! What this little guy needed to learn was self-control!

Self-control is the ability to control one’s emotions, desires and actions by one’s own will, and is one of the most important skills we can help our children develop.

There is a famous experiment, conducted by Dr. Walter Mischel at Stanford University that supports this statement.

In the 1960s, a group of four-year olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, if they could wait 15 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. They were then divided into three groups. Those who ate the marshmallow right away were moved to group A, and those who waited before eating the marshmallow were moved to group B. (Those who were able to wait for some time, but didn’t last the full 15 minutes were not included in any more research.) The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those children with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined by surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). (Shoda, Mischel,&Peake1990)

The research also showed that the children who, when they were four-year-olds, could not wait, as teens were troubled, indecisive, and less confident and still were unable to delay gratification. To read the rest of this post in its entirety, click here.

We finally made it to The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island this weekend, with the kids in tow, because we’ve heard such great reviews.

We have to say, Georgia’s first sea turtle rehab, research and education facility lives up to all the kudos. A 90-minute drive from Savannah, the center provides state-of-art emergency care to sick and injured sea turtles.

My 3-year-old’s favorite part was looking through the treatment room window and seeing staff do various procedures on the sick or injured turtles. The one-story center, open since June 2007, also has just enough interactive exhibits to hold a preschooler’s attention and teach. In the Rehab Pavilion, kids can see the patients and learn about the various reasons why the turtles are sick or hurt (Caution: Your turtle-safety savvy kids will never again let you use a plastic bag after your visit as turtles are known to mistake discarded plastic bags for jellyfish and eat them).

Certain times of the year, you can take part in guided turtle and nest walks on the beach. A guided behind-the-scences tour is also available for an extra fee (but call ahead if you are interested as the behind-the-scence tour was not available on the day of our visit). The center also hosts special events, birthday parties and holiday celebrations like Turtle-ween. Summer programs are available for children, educators and seniors. Learn more by clicking here.

The Sea Turtle Center is in Jekyll’s pristine Historic District, where you can treat the kids to an ice cream at the nearby Sweet Shoppe or have lunch outdoors at Rah Bar on the Jekyll Historic Wharf, all within walking distance of the Center. Consider timing your visit to coincide with the Jekyll Island Beach Music Festival and BBQ Bash Aug. 21 or the Shrimp & Grits: Wild Georgia Shrimp Festival on Sept. 17. For more info on those festivals, click here.

Georgia Sea Turtle Center, 214 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island. Cost: $6 for adults (13+ years); $5 for Seniors (65+ years); $4 for children (4-12 years); FREE for children 3 and under. $5 for Active Duty Military Personnel, Students and Teachers (ID required). For more info, call 912.635.4444 or click here.

Check out KOOLSCIENCE4KIDZ, an innovative exciting Saturday morning Hands-on Science Program for GRADES 3-8 at Southwest Middle School, 6030 Ogeechee Road.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS include:
– one hour of science fun each week
– 2-3 hands-on inquiry experiments each week
– different themes each month

COST: $48/month- there are 4 one hour sessions/month

DATES: Summer/Fall 2010
JULY 10, 17, 24, 31 AUG 7, 14, 21, 28 SEPT 4, 11, 18, 25
OCT 2, 9, 16, 23 NOV Oct 30, Nov 6, 13, 20

TIME:9-10 AM

To register and for more details, click here.

Social and Emotional Development to prepare your child for preschool

Below is a guest post by Jane Madison, an early childhood education expert and pre-K teacher at Saint Peter the Apostle School on Wilmington Island:

In the last article we discussed the importance of talking with and reading to your child to enhance language skills, a crucial factor in school success. This article will focus on social skills and emotional development as they relate to school readiness.

As in language development, the brain begins wiring for social and emotional intelligences from birth. The optimum window of opportunity for these skills is 0-48 months with continued enhancement from 4 years to puberty. (See complete chart at www.pamschiller.com, Windows of Opportunity).

There are many attributes that fall under the category of social and emotional intelligence. Trust, confidence, competence, independence, cooperation, and impulse control are just a few of the characteristics needed for social success. We have seen in recent years how important “playing well with others” is to a happy, productive school career. Sadly, a week hardly goes by without reading about a teen suicide, internet or school bullying or violent behavior among adolescents. These can all be seen to be direct results of poor social or emotional development of both the bullies and victims.

Therefore, we need to recognize the importance of helping our children develop strong social skills at an early age. A good preschool program will focus mostly on socialization, because after preschool there is little time in the school day to really work on these skills.

Children need to be shown how to get along with others. They need to be told what people like, and don’t like. When explaining unwanted behavior to your child, do it calmly and with as few words as possible.( When I do this with the children in my class I think of it as a golf announcer on TV giving a whispering play by play.) “When you push Suzie out of the way, it makes her mad. Next time wait and let her go first.” “You might think it is fun to take the Batman away from your brother, but he doesn’t. Give it back and ask him if you can have it.”

Don’t assume they can read your body language or facial expressions. They have to be told what happy, sad, mad, irritated, amused etc. all mean, and look like.

Here are some things you can do to help your child develop social skills;
• Praise him specifically when he does something “friendly”. “You gave John a cookie. That is what a friend does.” “You helped me clean up. That is one of the things I like about you.”
• Teach her how to wait a little bit. “I will get your water when I finish folding the clothes.” “Give your dad this bowl of ice cream first, and then I’ll fix yours.”
• Encourage independence. Allow him to do everything he is capable of doing on his own. This is hard for a lot of parents, because you love your child, want him to be happy, and it is easier to do it for him. Please remember, this is not helping him grow-up. Do you really want to be spreading peanut butter on his sandwich when he is 13?
• Teach him how to listen and have a conversation. This sounds easy, but really takes practice! You say something, he listens. Your husband says something on the same topic. Then, you ask your child a question. He answers off topic. You say, “That is not what I asked. I asked…” Wait for his answer. You comment on what he said, and continue in this manner.
• Teach her to notice other people’s circumstances, and promote empathy. “Oh, look Sally fell down and is crying. How can we help?” “I can’t carry that for you, look at my hands.”

Research has shown that a child’s ability to interact with others, recognize, control and express feelings, and demonstrate self-help skills independently are as important (or even more important) as academic skills in school success! Here’s to “playing well with others!”

Below is a guest post by Jane Madison, an early childhood education expert and pre-K teacher at Saint Peter the Apostle School on Wilmington Island:

Many parents wonder how to prepare their child for preschool. The answer is,simply, by doing anything that helps your child develop emotionally, cognitively, and physically.

Research shows there are certain times when the brain is becoming wired for specific skills at an optimum level. The development of social and emotional intelligences, motor and vision skills, thinking and reasoning skills and even the foundation skills needed for reading begin at the moment your child is born.

This article will focus on language development. Sound discrimination and vocabulary development, which are two indicators of reading success, begin developing at birth, with the optimum opportunity being 0-24 months. The greatest enhancement of these two skills occurs from 2-7years for sound discrimination and 2-5 years for vocabulary development. (To view the complete chart, go to www.pamschiller.com.

Children learn sounds by hearing them, and develop language by being spoken to. Talk to your child about everything that is going on around you all day long. When he asks questions, answer him. When he asks the same question over and over again try to rephrase your answer, so he hears different vocabulary. Turn the tables on him by saying,”You tell me what it is?” Have conversations with your child and resist the temptation to answer for him when he seems stuck. Forming the words in his mind and then saying them takes time, and letting him go through this process will seal the new vocabulary in his mind.

Also, it is important to stay on top of any infections or fluid build-up in the ears. Children who cannot hear sounds cannot learn them!
Read to your child 15 to 20 minutes every day. This can be at more than one session, but gradually build time as your child learns to sit still longer. Reading helps develop vocabulary, comprehension and gives you and your child more opportunities to converse.

Talking to and reading with your child is an easy way to help him develop some of the skills he will need for school success.

Jane Madison graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She has been teaching pre-school in Savannah for over 20 years. In addition to teaching, she has worked as a consultant training teachers working in the Georgia State Funded Pre-Kindergarten program as well as presenting workshops at local, state and national Early Childhood conferences. Jane is currently teaching pre-kindergarten at Saint Peter the Apostle School on Wilmington Island. She is married and the mother of two grown children.

Among the top most common requests we receive at SouthernMamas is for local preschool recommendations.  So we have created a special SouthernMamas Preschool Page. Click here to access the page.

Email any suggestions for preschools to be included to anne@southernmamas.com.