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Thanks to You...
Many of our programs wouldn't be possible without great community partners like...
The TD Charitable Foundation presented LVCC with a $10,000 check toward early education scholarship.
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Timothy Canfield, TD Bank Vice-President & Retail Market Manager, presents check to Samuel Berrios, LVCC's Vice-Chair. |
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The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival gave 97 LVCC preschoolers the thrill of seeing the play, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in June and is hosting 92 LVCC school-age children to see Shakespeare for Kids in July.
Just Born helped make our Week of the Young Child contests and the spring Crib Contest possible by donating prize packs. |
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Tell a friend about LVCC and all the great programs we have to offer their child!
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Give Lehigh Valley Children the Highest Quality Early Education Available
Click Here to Make a Donation |
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Routines Build Better Behavior |
One way to instill self-discipline and better behavior in children is to establish some daily routines. Young children adjust better to situations when they are able to predict the outcome. Knowing what happens next allows children to feel secure.
Inconsistency causes emotional anxiety and that unwanted tantrum. Consistency helps build trust between children and adults, and gives a sense of stability. Child care providers find schedules a great way to foster good habits at an early age. With good communication, parents and other caregivers can reinforce each other's established routines. |
Infants 
"If parents don't have a schedule set up at home, it makes it harder to have one at school," emphasizes Leah Chichester, infant assistant teacher of LVCC at St. Luke's. "Naptime and feeding are important times to keep a schedule."
In the infant room, the teachers prepare the environment for naptime. They turn off lights, lower the blinds, and play soft, soothing music. "The teachers will announce 'it's time for nap' to the babies," says Leah. Depending on the routine at home, some infants get bottles, while others are rocked or patted to sleep. Leah comments, "With this consistency after one or two months, the infants are in a routine and fall asleep easier." |
Toddlers 
Charlotte Cortes, assistant teacher of the young toddler classroom at LVCC on Walnut Street, feels "routines are important for every age. They make transitions easier."
The children in her class wash their hands often throughout the day. Before breakfast for example, she asks the children to "clean up" and take turns washing hands. Immediately afterward, they sit at the table to sing a song while waiting for breakfast. After a few days of the routine, the toddlers understand that "clean up" involves singing a song while cleaning up toys, then washing hands, before eating or the reward of going outside to play. Charlotte stresses, "Without a routine, there can be chaos with a room full of children. With a routine, by the time the toddlers go to preschool class, they are old pros."
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 Preschool
Brian Rogers, preschool head teacher for LVCC's Fowler Center, confirms the importance of schedules in the classroom to keep order. "The preschoolers know that 9:00 a.m. is circle time every day, where we read a book together, have phonics lessons, or do letter recognition. They look forward to it. I tell the class to meet me on the carpet for circle time and they listen because they know what happens next."
Having an organized routine also helps children become more independent and introduces time-management skills. Brian explains, "Every day when lunch is over, the preschoolers are responsible for throwing away any garbage and washing their hands. For naptime, they pull out and put away their own mats and bed sheets. Knowing this routine gives the children the opportunity to finish a project before the next project starts." |
 School-Age Being on a regulated schedule in elementary school, many students have bottled-up energy by the time they reach home or an after-school program. Every child has different needs when they are done with the school day. Some are hungry; some just want to play, while others are tired or want to talk.
"Consistency is key, but be flexible," affirms Kristina Adams, manager of school-based and seasonal programs. An unexpected event, like bad weather or a visitor, can alter a daily routine. "I try to prepare the children in advance for any changes and reassure them that things will be back on schedule the next day." Kristina explains. |
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Crib Contest Winners
In our spring newsletter mailing, LVCC requested your creative ideas on what to do with repurposed, disassembled cribs. Here are two of our favorite inventions.
 | | Repurposed crib side from Carrie Kelley's garden. |
"I have the side of a very old crib that I have used for several years in my vegetable garden for climbing veggies...beans one year, cucumbers another year. With more pieces, the crib could be a tepee (lettuce would do better protected from the sun) with climbing veggies over the top...the metal rods could support tomatoes...pieces could be sectioned together for low fencing and hinges added for gates....you could start with small gardens for your classes." - Carrie Kelley
"Use the crib sides to border gardens/flower beds at the centers. Wood crib sides can be cut in half and pushed or hammered into the ground to lower the border for little legs to see their plantings." - Jennifer Laubach
Congratulations Carrie and Jennifer on winning a
Just Born prize pack! |
Lehigh Valley Children's Centers provides highly effective early education and child care to promote healthy child development, meet the needs of families, and encourage children to discover the joy of learning. LVCConline.org
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