Welcome!  

Dear Parent,  

I want to thank you for considering our daycare for your childcare needs. I offer a loving, safe, and educational environment for your child to grow, learn and play.   I can understand how difficult it can be for working parents to balance all of their commitments and responsibilities in their lives. For this reason I strive to offer a program that will enrich your child’s development while putting your mind at ease.   I will do my best to assist your child in developing important values such as: good manners, caring, sharing, patience responsibility, as well as communication and teamwork. With our carefully designed program and our experienced staff, your 2-5 year old will be prepared for school and grow socially, intellectually, physically and emotionally in ways you could have never imagined. Come grow with us!

We are different

We structure our day like a preschool, using a combination of child-centered and teacher-led activities. The owner is certified as a teacher on the city, state and national levels, handling double major Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology, currently working on her Master Degree.  Assistant teachers have had extensive practical and academic experiences teaching and rearing children. We only accept children between 2 and 5 years of age. We have parent-teacher conferences, daily reports, newsletters, homework, field trips, and teach the children through exciting themes and lessons. We teach a letter of the week, and have featured numbers, shapes and colors each month. Parents have reported that their children speak more clearly, significantly refine their fine motor skills for writing, read more often and know all their letters, numbers and colors after being with our program for at least half a year.

Curriculum

Young children are inquisitive and curious learners.

We will work with your child to support their independence through academic exploration. It is our goal as an educators to foster your child's academic growth so he/she can progress onto the next developmental stage more rapidly and be ahead of the curve in his/her early educational career. 

Two Year Old Curriculum Outline

Two year olds are curious about their surroundings and begin to seek independence. My curriculum focuses on all areas of development and foundational skills.   Skills and concepts to be taught are as follows: Cognitive Development/ Pre-Foundational Mathematic Skills  - Identifying & sorting shapes - Counting - Solving Problems - Identifying basic body parts - Asking questions   Language Enrichment & Communication Skills - Increasing vocabulary - Object Identification - Speaking in 2-3 word sentences   Character Building - Teaching honesty & responsibility - Cleaning up - Sharing   Social Skills - Types of play   Emotional Development - Expressing emotion - Learning emotions - Sharing affection   Fine Motor Skills - Writing Letters (practice name) - Holding objects (grip) - Tracing   Gross Motor Skills - Jump, Kick - Hop - Throw a Ball (over their head)   Self-Help Skills - Putting on shoes, clothing - Pouring juice   Sensory Integration - Discovery time - Textures   Listening Skills - Following 2 step instructions

Three Year Old Curriculum Outline

Three year olds are eager to explore. They seek excitement and engagement. It is important to stimulate their minds with knowledge and structure learning as an activity.   Skills and concepts to be taught are as follows: Cognitive Development - Practice logical thinking skills - Problem solving - Promoting creativity in child - Engaging in asking/ answering questions - Expressing personal opinions   Social Studies - Animal recognition & animal sounds - 5 senses   Pre- Literacy Development - Reading readiness (listening to stories, engaging, turning pages   (L to R), identifying letters in own name   Communication - Expressing and channeling emotions/thoughts in a healthy way - Expressing wants and needs verbally - Strengthening listening, speaking skills   Mathematic Skills - Identifying  basic numbers (0-5) - Practicing counting (10) - Recognizing primary colors - Sorting and identifying shapes - Sorting objects by color - Patterns - Classification of materials Social Skills - Increase independence  - Types of play - Turn taking   Emotional Development/ Character Building - Learning patience - Supporting confidence in the child​- Showing concern -> responding to   emotion (others and self) - Listening and following directions - Teaching honesty, trust, responsibility   Fine Motor Skills - Introduce cutting with scissors - Practicing holding crayon -> pencil - Turning book pages (1 page at a time) - Tracing inside lines   Gross Motor Skills - Skip - Catching and throwing - Balancing  

Four Year Old Curriculum Outline

Four year olds are rapidly gaining independence. At this age, it is essential to allow them to be creatively expressive and utilize hands on learning. Their minds are beginning to understand complex concepts and they are absorbing knowledge at a quicker pace.    Skills and concepts are to be taught as follows: Reading Readiness & Language Enrichment - Lowercase and uppcase letter recognition - Identifying parts of a book - Print first name, letters   Mathematic Skills - Identifying numbers up to 15 - Practing counting (30) - Sorting objects/ classification by attributes - Identifying more complex shapes - Writing numbers - Patterning (creating, identifying) - Sequencing - Matching   Social Skills & Pre- Classroom Skills - Manners (P's & Q's) - Responding to teacher instruction - Strengthening listening skills - Appropriate emotional responsiveness - Practicing good work habits - Learning how to solve conflicts   Social Studies & Science - Months of the year, days of the week - Classifying living & non-living things - Identifying parts of a plant & its survival needs - Day & night - Space (plants, moon, stars, sun) - Identifying external & some internal body parts - Animal habitats & behaviors - Dinosaurs - Ocean & aquatic life - Jungle - Introduction of community & helpers - Holidays   Cognitive Development - Understanding opposites - Problem solving - Puzzles   Character Building - Cooperation - Encouragement of others - Practicing manners - Building responsibility & honesty    Fine Motor Skills - Properly using scissors - Gluing with control - Cutting simple shapes - Coloring in the lines  - Correctly able to manipulate buttons, zippers

Five Year Old Curriculum Outline

Five year olds are imaginative learners. At this stage it is best to introduce material and allow them to experiment independently. They should be exploring and formulating their own ideas and opinions, through guided instruction. Children learn best by doing!    Skills and concepts are to be taught as follows: Reading Readiness & Language Enrichment - Correctly using past, present, and future tenses - Strengthening handwriting skills - Learning blends (sh, er sounds) - Decoding - Increasing language and communication skills - Vocabulary   Cognitive Development - Building on previous skills - Concepts (above, below, before, after, more, less, etc.) - Following 2-3 part instructions   Mathematic Skills - Estimate - Write and recognize numbers 1-100 (and beyond) - Measuring - Classifying - Grouping & Sorting - Simple addition, subtraction - Introduce telling time - Money & value - Abstract concepts   Social Studies - Building on previous concepts: deeper connections - Learning about historical figures - Geography   Science - Experiments - Investigate - Prediction - Observation - Problem solving - Increasing science vocabulary   Social Development & Character Building - Morals (right & wrong) - Rules - Reinforcing & promoting values (generosity, honesty,                compassion, responsibility) - Learning safety - Healthy choices & nutrition - Current events


Our DayCare Program

*In-home care for ages 2 -4 *Nutritious, homemade breakfast, lunch and snacks provided *Preschool curriculum designed and operated by NYC certified Elementary School Teacher  get kids ready kids for Kindergarten *Art, music and sport projects daily  *A monthly newsletter, including a menu of meals, schedule of activities and a child spotlight section        

Our Sample Schedule

8:00 - 8:30 Individual / Small Group Play - Children Choose Quiet Activities (Puzzles, Coloring, Books) and Center Activities.

8:30 – 9:00 Breakfast / Bathroom Break 

9:00 - 9:45 Circle Time: Weekly Theme – Books, Daily Calendar, Songs

9:45 –10:30 Group Activities, Art, Science, Mathematics, Language Arts, Center Play, Music and Movement, Free Play

10:30 - 10:45 AM Snack

10:45 – 11:45 Indoor / Outdoor Play

11:45 – 12:00 Children Clean-Up for Lunch / Bathroom Break

12:00 – 12:30 Lunch

12:30 – 1:00 Quiet Activities

1:00 – 3:00 Nap Time/Rest Time

3:00 – 3:15 Bathroom Break


3:15 – 4:00 Table Toy Activities (Play-dough, Manipulatives, Beads, Puzzles, Cutting, Pasting, Coloring, Legos),Free Play

4:00 – 4:15 PM Snack

4:15 - 5:00 Art 

5:00 - 5:30 Large Motor, Indoor/Outdoor Play

5:30 - 6:00 Individual/Small Group Play, Free Play-all centers open / Clean-Up, Pick-Up

This schedule can change without notice.  


Hours of Operation

Our program is in session from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

We are closed for some public holidays and public school vacation weeks. Check our calendar for specific information.

A minimum of 3 mornings or 2 full days is required. For monthly invoicing, enrollment and other procedure details, please see Admissions  

Full day                      drop-off 8:00 – 9:00 AM / Pick-up 4 – 6:00PM    

Morning Program     drop-off 8:00 – 9:00 AM / Pick-up 12 PM  

After School              drop-off 2:00-3:00 / Pick-up 4 – 6:00 PM                                 

If you require early drop-off or late pick up, it can be arranged for en extra charge of $20 per hour or $10 per half hour. Early drop-off is considered before 8 a.m.  Late pick up is considered after 6:00 p.m. 


Our Philosophy

We believe that the first years of a child's life is by far the most important, helping to lay the foundation for all intellectual and emotional development to follow. Through nurturing and individualized attention, we take great care to provide a warm, friendly, and fun environment for your child, while ensuring they receive the guidance and structure they need. We strive to nurture your child's ideas and imagination, acknowledge each child's individuality, and validate each personality. Our goal is to provide a place where children know that they are accepted, loved, protected, and wanted; helping to instill in each child a strong sense of self-worth and purpose. Our job is to make sure that each child has numerous positive experiences and interactions throughout each day. It is our hope that when the day is done, and children go home, they feel happy and proud of themselves; eager to express the happenings of their day to you.

Each and every day we feel privileged to have the opportunity to see the world through the eyes of a child, to join in their laughter, and to be included in their games. This is how we have chosen to spend our days. We are both very tolerant individuals with an enormous amount of patience. This coupled with our love for children makes us nurturing childcare providers. Having three children of our own, we understand how difficult it must be to leave your child in someone else's care. Because of this, we can appreciate the trust you must put in us on a daily basis. Therefore, our goal is to build your trust by being professional, dependable, honest, and most importantly caring for your child the same way we would want our own children to be cared for. We view our chosen profession as a career, not as just a job. Therefore, we look forward to keeping children smiling and safe for many years to come.

We feel that good communication between parent and provider is a very important part of a quality daycare. Because of this, we are committed to creating a strong bond with you and your child, helping to ensure the best start to your child's life. Our goal is that you feel completely confident and reassured when you leave your child in our care. Each child is different, unique, and special and will be treated as such. These carefree years are far too short. Therefore, we do not rush children through this fun filled time in their lives. Rather, each child is encouraged to develop and grow at their own pace. We understand that you are trusting us to care for your child, and we take this responsibility very seriously. We look forward to the opportunity to care for your child, while providing a positive influence in their life.

Behavior Management Philosophy

We provide a daily routine that is flexible, yet structured, to ensure that children are comfortable with their surroundings and expectations. Children's interactions with one another are carefully watched, giving us an opportunity to help instill common values within each child. Through sensitivity and understanding we strive to teach each child in our care manners, kindness, and to be respectful towards others and their belongings. When a child displays inappropriate behavior towards others, he or she is encouraged to make amends through a sincere apology; all in a sustained effort to help teach children the basic understanding of right from wrong. Additionally sharing, taking turns, problem solving, and teamwork are stressed with equal importance, so that the children can learn to play harmoniously with one another; helping to lay the foundation for all social interactions to come later in life.

We believe that the discipline of a child is achieved through patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement. One of the influential ways positive reinforcement is used is during activities such as circle-time, reading, and etc. If two of the children among the group are listening well and paying attention, we commend the children who are following directions - "Thank you Billy and Hailey for listening so well. Great job!”. If a younger child is given the responsibility of carrying a cup of milk across the room with no lid on it, we would say things such as - "Wow what a big boy, look how good you’re carrying that cup and not spilling!". These subtle words spoken have the affect of reinforcing positive actions, and at the same time, drowns out the influence of negative actions and thoughts, either upon oneself and/or from others in the group. This simple technique is used with great success by many top professionals in the childcare field, and is why we have adopted this reinforcement by positive reinforcement outlook into Building Blocks Home Daycare's core belief system.

Another of the ways in which we do this is by the example we, as childcare providers, set. We understand that our actions and reactions speak much louder than our words. The children are explained the rules of the daycare frequently, so they know what's expected of them. Once a child is old enough to understand the rules and disobeys them, by exhibiting inappropriate behavior (hitting, aggression, etc), hurts others, or property, the following developmentally appropriate guidance techniques will be used.

  1. Positive Reinforcement: The child will be encouraged when he or she is demonstrating acceptable behavior.

  2. Redirection: The child is redirected to another activity and given an opportunity to try again at another time.

  3. Time-Out: The child is separated from the group for an age appropriate amount of time (one minute per one year of age). This technique is only used when a child repeatably will not follow our directions or listen to our words, is exhibiting temper tantrum type behavior, or hurting ones self, others or equipment. When the child shows that he or she is ready to demonstrate acceptable behavior, they are encouraged to join the rest of the group to try again.

  4. Last Resort: When a child's behavior is continually upsetting or dangerous to others, a conference will be called with the parents. If the problems cannot be resolved, arrangements will have to be made for the child to go elsewhere for care.

We take the well-being of your child very seriously and work hard to provide an environment that is as healthy as possible. We are committed to keeping our home and the children in it as clean as possible, in order to help minimize and/or prevent the spread of germs.

Cleanliness

Hand Washing

Hand washing is the single most effective practice in preventing the spread of germs. We wash our hands many times throughout the day, as well as the children's hands before and/or after engaging in a thorough list of activities.

Providers wash their hands:

  • Before beginning work

  • Immediately before handling food or feeding children

  • After using the toilet, helping a child use the toilet, or after changing soiled clothing or diapers

  • After coming into contact with any bodily fluid, such as a wet or soiled diaper, runny nose, spit or vomit

  • After handling a pet or pet equipment

  • Whenever hands are visibly dirty

  • After cleaning a child, the room, toys, or bathroom

  • Before giving medication or applying ointment

  • After work

Children wash their hands:

  • Immediately before and after eating

  • After using the toilet or having soiled clothing or diaper changed

  • Before and after using water tables

  • After using play-dough or other substances

  • After playing on the playground

  • Whenever hands are visibly dirty

  • Before going home

Cleaning and Disinfecting

Our home is kept clean and disinfected at all times. We thoroughly clean surfaces that children come in close contact with using soap and water, or Lysol, etc. The high chairs are cleaned between each use, and the diaper changing tables are cleaned and disinfected between each diaper change. Toys are cleaned and disinfected often, and water-play tables are cleaned and disinfected before being filled with water and carefully supervised when in use.

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Call to Register: (347)608-9739

Or visit our Learning Center located at 8103 91st Avenue, Woodhaven, NY 11421

 

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