You’ve heard it once and you’ll hear it again: the children are our future. The reason that this phrase is used so frequently is because it’s true! If we want the future to be bright, we need to make sure that our youngsters get the education and care (and don’t forget fun) that they need in their early years. Here at Compass Learning Center, every single member of our staff is committed to providing the ultimate care for the children that we look out for and do our best to ensure that they are fully prepared for the years to come (kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, oh my!).

First we would like to welcome you to our blog! We’re so excited to let you guys know a little bit more about our preschool and child care centers in Coon Rapids and Blaine, as well as some helpful tips, games, and advice relating to your child and their development. This first post will let you know a little bit more about the programs that we offer and why your child will just love being a part of our daycare and/or preschool! If you would like any further information or are hoping to enroll your child in one of our early childhood programs, please feel free to reach out to us today!

Dedicated Staff
So, what really makes the perfect child care center? Is it a comfortable and fun environment, education courses tailored to the children’s abilities, good snacks? Sure, those certainly help, and we’re proud to say that we provide all of the above, but what really makes a child care center excel is a staff that not only cares deeply about the children, but also knows how to teach them and look after them. We know how important it is to have a dedicated staff, so we make sure that every single person that we hire is trustworthy, friendly, and right for the job. No matter who is looking after your little kiddo, you can rest assured that they are in good hands.

Young Explorers
As soon as a child is born, their brain begins working tirelessly trying to figure out and understand this crazy world that we live in. It is so important to help them on this journey and encourage them to keep learning, questioning, and exploring. Our Young Explorers program is for the little bitty ones not quite ready for preschool. It begins with our infant care. In this classroom they will be learning the basics such as the sound of their name, tummy time, sitting up on their own, and even “taking steps” towards crawling and eventually learning how to walk!

Next comes Transition Day Care. This is an incredibly important stage in which we start getting them adjusted to a group schedule instead of an individual one so that they will be ready to play with the big kids! While it is very similar to our toddler classes, the children still have the infant care setting so that they aren’t intimidated or overwhelmed.

For the kiddos who are 22-33 months old, they will be in our Toddler Child Care classes. Here we will work to expand their vocabulary, enhance their social skills with their classmates and their teachers, and also how to become more independent, including the big step of learning how to go potty on their own! 

All of these stages are incredibly important to the development of your child and will help to get them ready for preschool. Not only are these classes educational, but we promise that they will be having a blast every day they come as well! 

Imaginative Play
A child’s imagination is an incredible thing. They can turn a cardboard box into a spaceship and a stick into a magic wand, they can be cowboys and firefighters, superheroes and princesses, all by using their wonderful minds. It is so important for them to use these powers of creativity for so many reasons including cognitive skills, social skills, and so much more. That is why it is so important to encourage them to do it. Here at our child care center, we not only are teaching them the foundations of education but also let them play and use their imaginations. This is not only a blast for them, but is also great for their childhood development.

Preschool Adventures
Our preschool classes are to help get three, four, and five-year-olds ready for kindergarten. We go above and beyond to make sure that they are getting the education and fun that they need to be fully prepared for the next step. Class begins in a pretty low-key fashion by letting them have their meals and take a nap (why isn’t nap time still a thing in adulthood?) but from 9:30 to 11:30, the gears are really set into motion. As a group, they will go to different stations to learn and have a good time. This includes:

• Music and Movement – As we all know, these youngsters have a lot of energy just raring to get used! The music and movement station is the perfect place for them to do it. Here they will move and groove, go through obstacle courses, play with parachutes, and learn about music and dance. Not only that, but they will be learning their ABCs and 123s while they’re doing it!
• S.T.E.M. – S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) is so important for your child to learn and we make sure to do it in a way that is fun and interactive for them. They will be performing science experiments, playing with technology, and begin to learn the foundation of math.
• Art – Every child is a tiny little artist. They love seeing how colors blend together or what awesome things that they can create with just a few objects. We highly encourage the children to express their creativity through arts and crafts during this time. They will also be learning fine motor skills, how to hold scissors and pencils, and so much more.
• Dramatic Play – As we mentioned, imaginative play is so important for children. So our last station is an area where they can play with all kinds of materials and toys and create their own reality with their classmates. This social aspect is huge in preparing them for kindergarten. Almost any kindergarten teacher will tell you that a big part of succeeding in the classroom is having good social skills.

Incredible Place To Work
The children aren’t the only ones who have a great time here at Compass Early Learning. Every member of our staff is here because we love children and we want to help them through this important time in their life. If you are looking for a job in child care and/or preschool, then please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We are always looking for motivated, friendly, and talented people to join our team!

Prepare The Children For The Future
There is a reason that nine out of ten parents who come to visit our child care center and preschool end up enrolling their child. Not only because we have fun, safe, and clean environment for the children, but also because it’s evident from the get-go that our staff is so incredible. We truly care about every child that we look after and want to help them get ready for their future. From the adorable infants to the rambunctious five-year-olds, we are here for them every step of the way. Our child care center is located in Coon Rapids, but guess what? Our second location in Blaine is just about to open its doors! If you would like to learn more about Compass Early Learning or are hoping to enroll your child or children, then please do not hesitate to contact us today.

There has been an ongoing discussion amongst the parents of infants and toddlers about whether pre-k education is a valuable asset or not. Some go so far to say that it is only a way for their children to be cared for while they go to work or run their errands throughout the day. This is sad for us at Compass Early Learning. Every day our staff works tirelessly to help prepare the children under our care for their future, and you wouldn’t imagine how much they actually learn and progress every single day! 

In fact, some refer to pre-k education as the “most important year of learning” for the young ones. In this blog post, we’ll give you just a few of the many reasons why having your child enrolled in pre-k classes is so beneficial for them. We are proud to provide day care and preschool classes in Blaine, and are so happy to announce that we have opened our new location in Coon Rapids! If you have any questions or are looking to enroll your child in one of our child care classes, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

Getting Them Out Of Their Comfort Zone
Many parents decide to opt-out of pre-k classes for their child because they feel like the care and lessons that they are getting at home are just as good as the ones that they will receive in a child care center. We are in no way questioning the parenting skills of these parents, but there are things that they will learn at our center that can not be taught in the comfort of their own home. For one, they may listen to you and follow your directions very well, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they will listen to a teacher or another elder once they enter kindergarten. Your child needs to learn how to step out of their comfort zone and learn to interact with the world outside of their home. If this is not established before they start kindergarten, class might be very scary and hard for them to understand or adapt to. 

Socializing
Speaking of getting them out of their comfort zone, it is really important for your child to have the social skills they need to make friends and get along with their classmates as they begin kindergarten. While they may get along with their neighbor friends or younger family members, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be able to mix in comfortably with a class full of strangers. That can be very frightening for them if they are not used to being in groups similar to that environment. Many kindergarten teachers agree that having social skills when they first begin class is one of the most important traits for them to have to succeed. And these skills don’t just relate to the classroom setting, but everywhere that they go where they will encounter children that they don’t know of the same age. 

They Learn To Follow The Rules
While there are many similarities, house rules are not the exact same as the rules of the classroom. For example, sharing with their classmates is very important in school, and especially if your little one is an only child, they may not be very good at sharing, especially with a classful of children. In our pre-k classes, the children learn about not only the importance of sharing but also how to follow rules from someone other than their parents. Specifically their teacher! This will be an important trait for them to have throughout their lives.

Nurturing Creativity
Here at Compass Early Learning, we think that it is incredibly important not to just help the children to learn such lessons taught through STEM, but also to help them nurture and explore their own creativity. Letting the children learn what they can create through arts and craft, or expanding their imagination through role-playing activities, isn’t only a blast for them, but also teaches them many lessons that will be beneficial in their future. Kids have an incredible amount of imagination, and it’s important to support them with it. This will not only help them discover the magic of art and music but also has other benefits such as problem-solving and while playing with their classmates their social skills will also strengthen. 

It’s Fun!
While it may be intimidating and scary for them at first, your child will quickly learn that being a part of our pre-k classes is a whole lot of fun! They’ll meet new friends, play awesome games, learn interesting things, and so much more! We want the children to learn, of course, but we also want them to have a good time!

Preparing Them For Their Future
Maybe the most important part about pre-k education is that it will help each and every student be more prepared for the future. By starting them out early, your child will learn a variety of life lessons to help them get ready for whatever might be in their path. They will have a head start on their education and won’t be as scared to begin their kindergarten courses. 

If you have an infant or toddler and are looking for child care in Coon Rapids or Blaine that truly cares about furthering the education of their child as well as the child’s comfort and creativity, then what are you waiting for? Contact Compass Early Learning Center today to get them started!

Your child is the light of your life and you will always be there for them, although, maybe not always physically present. It can be pretty darn scary for your child if they are just beginning pre-K classes. They are so used to having you around for comfort and protection, that when they suddenly find themselves in a new environment with children and teachers that they have never met before, it can be difficult for them to find the confidence to make friends. Don’t worry! This is completely normal and they’ll find their way in time, but there are a few things that you can do to help them.

In this blog post, we’ll provide a few tips for parents looking to help their child make friends with their classmates. If you have any questions or you are looking to enroll your child in one of our classes at our child care center in Coon Rapids, then feel free to contact us today!
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Be An Example
Your little one learns and develops a lot of their traits and tendencies through watching you. You are their hero! That being said, you have to lead by example when it comes to socializing with other people! It doesn’t matter if it is a family member, a good friend, or a complete stranger, your child is always taking mental notes so make sure that you are being courteous and respectful to everyone that you encounter and teach your child how to break the ice and be friendly with those around you.

Encourage Them
If your kiddo is having a hard time becoming buddies with the others in their class, it can be incredibly discouraging and will have them dreading the next time that they go. They might stop trying to make friends, thinking that maybe it’s just a lost cause. As you know, this is not true! You need to make sure that you continue to encourage them when times get hard and let them know that things are going to look up.

Listen
One of the most important things that you can do for your child’s mental development and social skills is to listen to them. Make sure that you hear them out when they speak about the struggles that they are going through and that you offer them words of advice on how they can overcome their struggles.  

Teach Them To Be Polite
It is so important, not only at an early age but all throughout their lives, for your child to know to be polite with the people that they meet. One crucial aspect of this is the act of sharing. Teach them how to share their possessions, if they have siblings then this is a great way to do it! Students in our child care classes make friends much easier if they are not possessive over their toys or other items.

Soon your child will realize that making friends isn’t as scary or as difficult as they convinced themselves, and then they will realize the wonders that come through friendship. If you would like to learn more tips or have questions about child care in Coon Rapids, then contact Compass Learning Center today!