In recognition of Arbor Day 2019, during the months of April and May, Prime Time Early Learning Centers will donate $3 to One Tree Planted for every new child enrollment at our six child care centers in New Jersey and New York.
In an effort to reduce colds and illnesses spread between children, Prime Time Early Learning Center in Paramus recently re-painted its five shared hallway bathrooms using Sherwin-Wiliams proprietary Paint Shield ® microbiocidal paint. Paint Shield microbicidal paint is the first ever US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered interior latex paint that kills 99.9% of bacteria [...]
Educators and researchers have begun to recognize playgrounds as outdoor classrooms and see the value of having large interactive “loose things” for children to manipulate in their playground space.
In 2018 Prime Time Early Centers collected and distributed more than 200 coats for those in need, as well as 200 pairs of gloves. Prime Time East Rutherford was especially successful in their coat drive this year, collecting 75 coats at their center from their families and staff living in Rutherford, Carlstadt, Wood-Ridge, Lyndurst and Moonachie NJ.
To help prepare our Prime Time children for school and life ahead, beginning in February 2019, we are rolling out a new STEM enrichment program for all our schools. What is STEM? It is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM activities involve our teachers presenting an age-appropriate approach to introductory science, [...]
Child care professionals agree that “play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation and promoting language, cognition, and social competence”. Play is also anecdotally a natural activity for children to engage in that supports good physical and emotional development, contributes to a child’s underlying happiness, and reduces life stress levels. While these ideas may be [...]
Every parent has had the experience of their child saying that a peer or a sibling or even the parent themselves has touched their body in a way they did not like. Sometimes it's a push or a grab, other times children complain about not wanting hugs or kisses. Inevitably, most parents have also had [...]
Nowadays, we're seeing more and more parts of our lives pivoting towards digital. We see it almost everywhere we look — from brick and mortar stores turning to eCommerce sites, to real experiences being adapted into Virtual Reality. Books, however, were one of the first to make the shift. And as a result, we're seeing [...]
Every parent and caregiver in the world is always searching for that snack that's economical, delicious, nutritious, and child appropriate. It seems only a fraction of those qualities are ever available with any snacks we manage to find. Just when it seems we have found something, the children grow tired of it or decide they [...]
Ordinarily, most adults would say that risk-taking is something for more experienced people to do, and would say that toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and even young elementary age children should probably not engage in. However, risk-taking is a life skill everyone needs to learn, and where better to learn to manage small risks than in a [...]
Many parents find themselves relying on screens to help contain busy households, more so than most would like to admit. Everyone has the best intentions for their toddler and Pre K age children and many people include limited screen time as part of those intentions, but life gets busy, kids get more demanding each year, [...]
Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles are always so polite when they receive the handmade holiday gifts that their nieces, nephews, and grandchildren make for them for birthdays and holidays. Of course they are delighted by the sentiment, but ultimately, what can they do with a macaroni necklace, or modeling clay sculpture, or cardboard picture frame dripping [...]
Nursery school, Preschool, and Pre-Kindergarten age children churn out masterpieces all day long in their childcare centers and schools. Parents probably receive at least one “gift” of children’s artwork a day. Soon, the refrigerator is covered, and the walls are slowly being invaded. If it gets thrown away, heaven forbid a child see it in [...]
Previously, this blog has discussed the qualifications that someone wishing to do professional infant care, or to teach preschool or nursery school must have, including their formal education and various training certificates. However, most people know that certifications and coursework are of little value without related experience. Preschool, Nursery School, and Pre-Kindergarten teachers have unique [...]
It is hard when children come home from preschool or daycare forlorn and reporting that they didn't have a great day with their friends. We imagine that while we work, they're having a blast in school, running, playing, safe and happy. However, most parents are familiar with the experience of picking up a child from [...]
At what age can children be expected to contribute to household duties? Why should they be expected to contribute to household duties? Many parents of young children wonder when it's time to, or appropriate to assign simple chores. Some parents are worried that they are putting too much on their children to ask them to [...]
From October until mid April there is a constant trickle of candy and sugar related festivities at every turn. As soon as the Halloween candy is gone, the Thanksgiving cakes, pies, and cookies appear. Shortly after that the Hanukkah gelt and Christmas candy arrive. Just when the last of it has finally been exercised from [...]
Few toys for preschool age children carry as much controversy as a doll. While most people don't give a second thought to girls playing with dolls, including dressing, feeding, and walking them in strollers, some adults are absolutely incensed at the idea of boys doing the same. Some adults feel the need to protect boys [...]
Research shows that children who are in high quality child care and early learning programs when they are young are better prepared for kindergarten with better reading skills, more math skills and larger vocabularies. Grow NJ Kids, New Jersey’s Quality Rating Improvement System, is New Jersey’s state program to raise the quality of child care [...]
Adapted from NAEYC article by Jack Wright, 2017 Biological science research during the last 20 years has offered educators and parents dramatic changes in our understanding of child development. One key change is it is generally accepted that the debate over nature versus nurture appears over. We now understand epigenetic adaptation: how a child’s nurturing [...]
At camp, children: Make new friends– Camp is the place where kids make new friends. Free from the social hierarchies and expectations that develop at home, every child arrives at camp as their own person, with no family history or expectations as who they are or should be. Camp encourages kids to relax, be themselves […]
When we discuss the importance of play as a young child’s primary vehicle for learning, it is important to be knowledgeable of the huge body of research that has been done in major universities around the world about early brain development, how young children learn, and how we can improve the way we support the […]
When we talk about “gardening” with children, we are embracing a whole variety of concepts and lessons that are important to growing minds. Gardening is the coming together of the four parts of our world; earth, water, air and the miracle of life! When you teach children to garden, you teach them about soil and […]
Many new parents will need to return to work while their children are young, and many face the stresses of finding a trusted caregiver and/or a safe and loving place to take their child to each day. There are many options and combinations of options to consider. Primarily, the decision comes down to using Family […]
As part of of Prime Time Early Learning Center’s “Growing Green” environmental awareness and education program, Prime Time continues to look for ways to introduce nature into our classrooms. Each Prime Time Center has a tropical fish tank in the lobby, and some Prime Time classrooms have Betta fish bowls or Hermit Crabs to introduce […]
From the moment a new baby is born, it is put in a hat and swaddling and placed under a warmer. Keeping babies warm is something most parents and caregivers just know to do. But as children age and begin to dress themselves, they seem to get progressively less bundled up than they were when […]
Playground surfaces are not something most people give thought to. Its ubiquitous nature means that most families accept whatever is in place at face value and at first view. It’s typically only when kids come home from camp, nursery school, preschool and childcare centers with what seems like half of the playground in their shoes […]
Right now, most upper grade elementary students, middle schoolers, and high schoolers will at some point in each school year attend some sort of presentation in their schools on Bullying and Anti-bullying measures. It is a good thing. But teaching kids to respect other people’s bodies, and how to advocate for themselves begins much earlier […]
Studies have shown that infants with normal vision and hearing who learn to use signs and gestures to communicate with adult caregivers before speaking will often speak earlier than those who do not. Baby signs are usually gestures or signs taken from the deaf sign language community and modified to make them easier for an […]
As part of its new Growing Green environmental awareness and stewardship program, Prime Time Early Learning Centers is starting the switch to LED lighting. Light Emitting Diodes (LED) lights use an entirely different type of highly efficient illumination source than the inefficient but popular “incandescent” light bulb invented by Thomas Edison in the 1800’s. As […]
Children like to climb. On parents. On purpose built play structures. On furniture. For kids, your home is a playground. As you look at your home with an eye to childproof it, you may not be aware that unsecured TVs, furniture and appliances are “hidden in plain sight” hazards lurking in every room. To Prevent […]
As of December, 2016 all Prime Time Early Learning Centers have installed Little Free Libraries for young children’s books outside all our centers. What’s a Little Free Library? Glad you asked! A Little Free Library is a home-made and decorated outdoor book box that serves as a small neighborhood based community lending library. Prime Time’s […]
Parents are great at worrying, especially when their kids are at preschool or day care all day. We wonder if our kids are somewhere crying for us over a skinned knee or a bruised chin. Every once in awhile when parents get a call from the school in the middle of the day our hearts […]
Every preschool, daycare, or nursery school that has an outdoor play space also has an outdoor classroom. It’s true! When there is a place for the kids to go outside, there is a valuable learning environment waiting to be put to good use. Even the most bare bones playground has the potential to teach science […]
Mary Had a Little Lamb, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Row, Row, Row Your Boat….they seem like simple, even mindless little rhymes, but they are so much more. Yes, simple rhyming songs and verses can absolutely boost language skills in even the youngest of children. When sung by caregivers, such as parents and daycare providers, songs […]
Living in New York and New Jersey means that families and childcare centers are well experienced with all kinds of weather, from infamously humid East Coast summers, to wet and windy autumns, and cold snowy winters. In many day and child care centers, nursery schools, preschools, and camps, the teaching staff is prepared to take […]
Parents everywhere are no doubt exasperated when the 15-18 month old’s fascination with dumping out containers becomes a regular activity for their children. Dumping water, food, toys, the garbage, the cat food, the everything… It gets old quickly, cleaning up all that stuff. The toddlers show little interest in the items they have dumped out, […]
Many adults took some foreign language classes in high school or college, but most did not become fluent or even conversational, and many also then forgot most of what they learned without frequent practice. That model of education leaves a lot to be desired in terms of efficacy. If today’s parents want bilingual or multilingual […]
Most parents probably don’t remember their very first official science lesson, but it was probably sometime in second or third grade. Surely, there was some sort of textbook reading and perhaps a short demonstration by a teacher on surface tension or gravity. We have come to think of science as a book-learned set of ideas […]
The CDA, or Child Development Associate Credential is a credential awarded to childcare and preschool staff that have completed relevant coursework and experiential training based on a core set of professionally prepared competency standards recognized nationally by educators and child development professionals. This means that teachers with a CDA credential are among the teaching professionals […]
In 2016, many parents are concerned about the Earth they will leave behind for their children. Combating climate change, air and water pollution, and resource depletion is on a lot of people’s minds. Many families have systems in place at home to reduce, reuse, recycle. However, schools (where most kids spend much of their waking […]
Pick up and drop off times are often the only face time parents get with teachers and staff at their children’s preschool, child care, or camp. However, those times are also the most hectic and busy, and every other parent has the same idea. Busy parents might not have enough insight into what their child’s […]
Ever been to a preschool, child care center, or nursery school and found a basket of toilet paper tubes? How about a bin of old magazines? Maybe even a bucket of small mismatched ceramic tiles? There is a great reason for all of that stuff, plus the other dozen or more recycled materials that teachers […]
Every Preschool, Nursery School, and Daycare Center should definitely be growing some sort of plant, ideally an edible, as part of the enriching environment. It doesn’t matter if it is a window box, a garden, or a muffin pan with paper cups sprouting radishes from potting soil, kids should be growing something in their place […]
Many Preschools, Nursery Schools, and Daycares have done away with the notion of a Class Pet. It used to be that many child care centers had some sort of resident critter like a hamster, turtle or a parakeet. Modern times have brought allergies, fears of disease, possible liabilities, and too much added responsibilities to the […]
It may come as a surprise to some parents that some Child Care centers, Camps, Preschools and Nursery schools have a Parent (or Family) Manual, often detailed, that is provided to all families upon enrollment. Most parents did not go to schools with family manuals when they were children, so the idea that families need […]
Preschool is not mandatory, so parents may choose to send children to “Pre-K”, or to wait until Kindergarten to begin their education. It may not seem like a big deal to skip preschool, after all, it’s mostly playtime and snacks, right? Well, on the surface, perhaps. However when you dig deeper, it’s way more than […]
In many Summer Camps, Nursery Schools, Preschools and Elementary Schools, families are asked to maintain a nut-free classroom. Peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, etc. are now sometimes disallowed in lunches and snacks in classrooms and occasionally school-wide. Some parents view this as overprotective and unnecessary measure. Many children enjoy a PB&J in their lunches, […]
Parents of preschoolers are familiar with the refrain “No one plays with me at school”. Just about every preschool student or child care attendee will say something like this at some point. More often than not, the child was not purposefully excluded, the child more likely was waiting to be invited to play and the […]
Parents all over the world can all agree that getting kids to eat a variety of healthy foods can be a challenge. Pickiness is an evolved human behavior. Early mankind avoided poisoning themselves by eating what is familiar. So, toddlers and preschoolers are just doing what is natural. It is also natural to learn to […]
Every year at nearly every preschool, childcare center, day camp and nursery school, head lice affects one or more children; sometimes suddenly affecting many kids at a time. Most folks now know that there are misconceptions about head lice being caused by unsanitary conditions or poor hygiene, anyone can get lice. The good news is, […]
If you are the father of a child in day care, preschool or organized childcare such as our Prime Time Early Learning Center in Paramus, NJ, you have likely received or are about to receive a precious artifact of your child’s affection. Whatever it is, it was hand-made by your child with the help of […]
by Michael Reisman, M.Ed. If you are the parent of a toddler or preschool-age child, it is likely you are supporting your child’s transition from diapers to the toilet. As parent, coach, mentor and cheerleader you wear many hats as you search to provide the right support at the right time – prodding yet sympathetic, […]
by Julia Luckenbill, M.A. – University of California, Davis. Used with permission from the NAEYC It’s gardening season, and soon our vegetable gardens will be overflowing with tomatoes, zucchini, and beans. Well, some of our gardens will. Those of us who have small toddler helpers may not have the loveliest veggies to show for it, […]
[ezcol_1third][/ezcol_1third] [ezcol_2third_end]Prime Time Early Learning Centers recently implemented a new and improved plan to have more of our teachers certified as Child Development Associates. The Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) is a nationally recognized credential in the field of Early Childhood Education issued by the Council for Professional Recognition. The CDA is designed for those […]
Prime Time Early Learning has long supported the critical child health research and services offered by by the highly successful March of Dimes organization. In 2015, Prime Time donated $1,000.00 to the March of Dimes, which was matched by another $1,000.00 from its Board of Directors, for a total donation of $2,000.00. The following is […]
At Prime Time Early Learning Centers in Bergen County, NJ and in Middletown and Farmingdale, NY, our first priority always is the safety and security of the children in our care. The good news is that we have our own security expert on staff. Prior to joining Prime Time, Prime Time’s Facilities, Safety and Security […]
Adapted from an article by Dr. Gabrielle Principe Chair of the Department of Psychology at the College of Charleston in South Carolina If you watch how your baby spends her days, you might think that s/he doesn’t have the cognitive, social or emotional wherewithal to understand much about the world around them or the people […]
Deciding to send your child to professional care can be a difficult, often heart rending choice for many parents to make. When your job or other personal or professional responsibilities don’t allow you to stay at home with your child all day, it can be emotionally trying for your family to have your child transition […]
With the change in the weather, parents and childcare professionals turn their gaze towards the summer. It’s time to figure out what to do with the kiddos this summer. Prime Time Summer Camps provide your child with all the desirable activities and opportunities of a stand-alone NJ/NY day camp program within the Prime Time Early […]
Michael Reisman, M.Ed. Last Monday in the Bergen Record newspaper, Ask the Teacher columnist, Toby Sorge offered some great suggestions for parents on how to get better and more information from their school-age/middle school child regarding that timeless question “What did you learn at school today?” The information you get from your young child’s teacher […]
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