Fall is for the Family

 🍂 Fall Is for the Family at the Academy 🍂

There’s just something special about fall… the crisp air, the familiar traditions, the laughter of children, and the joy of coming together as a community. At the Academy of Mt. Juliet, our annual Fall Festival, Chili, Chills & Thrills, is one of those special moments that reminds us what makes our Academy feel like family. 🧡

From the delicious chili cook-off and homemade fall pies to warm apple cider, games, arts and crafts, and trunk-or-treat, the evening is filled with all the little things that make fall so magical. 🎃🍎

But the sweetest part of all isn’t the chili, the treats, or even the costumes. It’s the connections. It’s watching children make memories, parents share conversations, families laugh together, and friendships grow beyond the classroom.

At the Academy, we believe that a strong community is built on more than the time we spend together each day. It’s built on the relationships we nurture, the traditions we share, and the feeling that we belong to something special.

Our families are part of our story, and these moments are part of what makes the Academy feel like home.

Chili, Chills & Thrills is more than a fall festival. It’s a celebration of the people who make our community so special. And we wouldn’t want to celebrate it any other way than together. 🍁❤️

Infant/ Toddler Gross Motor Development

 

Importance of Gross Motor Development in Infants and Toddlers in Preschool

Gross motor development matters for infants and toddlers because it involves using large muscles to move in ways such as rolling, sitting, crawling, walking, running, jumping, climbing, and balancing. At the Academy, providing opportunities for gross motor activities in a preschool setting supports children’s overall development.

• Builds strength and coordination: Activities such as climbing, crawling, running, and jumping help children develop stronger muscles and better body control.

• Develops balance and body awareness: Movement activities help children understand how their bodies move through space and improve balance and coordination.

• Supports physical health: Active play encourages healthy physical development and establishes positive habits around movement and exercise.

• Promotes independence: As children become more confident with movements such as walking, climbing, and carrying objects, they are better able to participate independently in everyday activities.

• Supports cognitive development: Gross motor activities help children develop skills such as following directions, problem-solving, spatial awareness, and planning movements.

• Encourages social-emotional development: Group movement games give children opportunities to interact with peers, take turns, cooperate, and build confidence.

• Prepares children for later skills: Strong gross motor skills provide a foundation for more complex physical activities and can support the development of fine motor and classroom skills.

Examples in a classroom

Academy teachers support gross motor development by providing tummy time for infants, crawling opportunities, push-and-pull toys, dancing, outdoor play, climbing structures, balls, obstacle courses, and simple movement games. Activities should be appropriate for each child's developmental level and abilities.

Overall, gross motor development is an essential part of preschool because young children learn through movement. A preschool environment that provides safe, consistent opportunities for active play helps children develop physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally.

Progress Monitoring

 

ESGI Testing Helps Your Preschooler Learn and Grow

As parents, you want to know that your child is learning, growing, and getting the support they need at school. Preschool is an exciting time because children are developing new skills every day—from recognizing letters and numbers to learning how to communicate, problem-solve, and become more independent.

One tool our teachers use at the Academy to better understand a child's early academic skills is ESGI testing. ESGI stands for Educational Software for Guiding Instruction, and it gives teachers a simple way to see what children know and which skills they may need more practice with.

What Is ESGI?

ESGI is an assessment tool designed for young children. Instead of a traditional written test, teachers ask children age-appropriate questions and record their answers.

The assessment looks at skills such as:

• Recognizing letters and numbers

• Identifying letter sounds

• Counting

• Recognizing shapes and colors

• Recognizing their name

• Developing early reading and math skills

The goal isn't to give children a grade. Instead, ESGI helps teachers understand where each child is in their learning journey.

Every Child Learns at Their Own Pace

One of the wonderful things about preschool is that no two children develop exactly the same way. One child may know all of their letters while another is still learning a few. Some children may be excellent counters but need extra practice with shapes or letter sounds.

ESGI helps teachers identify these individual differences so they can provide activities that are appropriate for each child.

For example, if a child is having trouble recognizing certain letters, the teacher can provide extra opportunities to practice those letters through books, songs, games, puzzles, and hands-on activities.

It Helps Teachers Know How to Help

Teachers observe children throughout the day, but an assessment can provide additional information about specific skills.

ESGI results can help teachers answer questions such as:

• What skills has my child already mastered?

• What skills are they currently developing?

• Where might they need additional practice?

• What should we focus on next?

Having this information allows teachers to make learning more intentional and meaningful.

It Shows Your Child's Growth

Children make tremendous progress during the preschool years. A skill that seems difficult in the fall may become easy by spring.

ESGI can help teachers track that progress. Seeing a child's growth over time can be encouraging for both teachers and families.

It also gives teachers an opportunity to celebrate accomplishments with children: "You didn't know this letter before, and now you do!"

Those little moments of success can help children build confidence and develop a positive attitude toward learning.

It Can Help Families Support Learning at Home

ESGI results can also give parents ideas for simple activities to do at home.

If your child is working on recognizing letters, you might look for letters together on signs, food packages, or favorite books. If they are practicing counting, you can count toys, steps, snacks, or objects around the house.

Learning doesn't have to feel like homework. Some of the best learning happens naturally during everyday activities with family.

ESGI Is One Piece of the Picture

It's important to remember that ESGI is just one tool our teachers use to understand a child. Preschool teachers also learn about children through daily observations, conversations, classroom activities, play, and interactions with families.

A short assessment cannot tell us everything about a child. Instead, it gives our teachers another helpful piece of information they can use when planning instruction and supporting individual needs.

Working Together to Help Children Succeed

The preschool years are the beginning of an exciting educational journey. When teachers and parents work together, children benefit from having support both at school and at home.

ESGI can help teachers identify skills, celebrate progress, and determine where children may benefit from additional practice. Most importantly, it helps keep the focus where it belongs: on helping each child learn, grow, and feel successful.

Every child has their own strengths, interests, and pace of development. With caring teachers, supportive families, and the right tools, we can help children build a strong foundation for the years of learning ahead.

Play the Day Away

 

Play the Day Away: Celebrating the Power of Play in Early Childhood

What happens when we give children the freedom, time, and space to simply play?

They explore. They imagine. They create. They problem-solve. They connect with others. They build confidence—and most importantly, they learn.

That’s exactly what we celebrated at our preschool conference, Play the Day Away!

This special event is designed to bring early childhood educators, preschool professionals, and passionate advocates for young children together for a day filled with inspiration, connection, and plenty of opportunities to rediscover the joy and importance of play.

STEAM Experiment

 As part of our curriculum at the Academy of Mt Juliet we incorporate STEAM education. Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. STEAM education is pivotal for young minds. 90% of brain growth happens before a child reaches kindergarten. Early education matters.

Making elephant toothpaste in a preschool STEAM setting encourages curiosity, observation, prediction, and language development while introducing young children to basic science concepts such as cause and effect and change. It also integrates science, math, engineering, and art in an engaging, memorable way to promote collaboration and excitement for learning. 

Science in a Preschool Classroom

 Using science in a preschool environment helps young children develop curiosity, observation skills, and a better understanding of the world around them. When the topic is ocean animals at the Academy of Mt Juliet, science activities can be especially engaging because they combine hands-on exploration with fascinating creatures and habitats.

Here are some key benefits:

1. Encourages Curiosity and Inquiry
   • Children naturally ask questions about ocean animals, such as "Why do fish have gills?" or "How do whales breathe?"
   • Science activities encourage them to observe, predict, and discover answers through exploration.
2. Develops Observation Skills
   • Looking at pictures, videos, shells, or models of ocean animals helps children notice differences in size, color, body coverings, and movement.
   • They learn to compare and classify animals, such as fish, mammals, and crustaceans.
3. Builds Vocabulary and Language
   • Children learn new words like habitat, coral reef, octopus, dolphin, tide, and ocean.
   • Discussing observations strengthens communication and listening skills.
4. Supports Early STEM Learning
   • Science introduces basic concepts such as animal needs, life cycles, habitats, and adaptation.
   • Children practice critical thinking by asking questions, making predictions, and solving simple problems.
5. Promotes Hands-On Learning
   • Activities like creating ocean sensory bins, sorting sea animals, experimenting with floating and sinking, or observing saltwater versus freshwater engage multiple senses.
   • Hands-on experiences improve understanding and memory.
6. Encourages Environmental Awareness
   • Learning about ocean habitats helps children understand the importance of keeping oceans clean.
   • Simple discussions about recycling and protecting marine life foster responsibility and respect for nature.
7. Supports Social and Emotional Development
   • Group investigations encourage teamwork, sharing ideas, and cooperative play.
   • Caring for living things and learning about endangered ocean animals can build empathy.
8. Integrates Multiple Learning Areas
   • Math: Count sea animals, measure shells, sort by size or color.
   • Literacy: Read ocean-themed books, learn new vocabulary, and retell stories.
   • Art: Create jellyfish, fish, or coral reef crafts.
   • Music and Movement: Sing ocean songs and imitate animal movements.
9. Develops Fine and Gross Motor Skills
   • Picking up shells with tweezers, cutting and gluing crafts, or pretending to swim like different ocean animals strengthens coordination and motor development.

The Power of Baby Doll Circle Time

 The Power of Baby Doll Circle Time: Conscious Discipline Meets Toddler Learning at the Academy of Mt Juliet

Baby doll circle time is a simple practice that yields big benefits in a toddler classroom—especially when paired with Conscious Discipline principles. By intentionally combining nurturing role play with predictable routines and adult-led emotional coaching, teachers can accelerate social-emotional growth, language development, and classroom community.

Why it works

• Developmentally appropriate play: Toddlers learn by doing and imitating. Caring for dolls gives them a safe, concrete way to practice real-life social skills (feeding, soothing, dressing) at their developmental level.
• Predictability & safety: Circle time provides a calm, predictable structure where children know what to expect. Conscious Discipline emphasizes safety and structure as the basis for learning, thereby reducing stress and increasing engagement.
• Emotional coaching in context: Doll care provides natural opportunities to label feelings (“Baby is sad”), offer calming strategies (“Let’s breathe with Baby”), and model empathy and problem-solving—core Conscious Discipline skills.

Key benefits

• Empathy and perspective taking: Caring for a doll helps children notice needs, express concern, and practice comforting behaviors. Over time, this nurtures empathy and prosocial responses.
• Self-regulation: When teachers model and guide calming techniques around the doll (deep breathing, gentle touch, rhythmic rocking), toddlers learn to regulate arousal and transfer those skills to real interactions.
• Language and communication: Role play sparks vocabulary (body parts, actions, emotions), turn-taking language, and narrative skills as children describe what they’re doing for the doll.
• Social skills and cooperation: Sharing dolls, negotiating roles (who feeds, who burps), and ensemble caregiving build cooperation, conflict resolution, and impulse control.
• Attachment and trust: Consistent circle routines and responsive adult-child interactions deepen relationships and a sense of classroom safety—vital for exploration and learning.
• Inclusion and identity development: Dolls that reflect diverse races, abilities, and family structures help children see themselves and others, supporting identity formation and anti-bias learning.

Baby doll circle time is more than a cute moment. At the Academy, we believe it's a strategic, developmentally informed practice that supports emotional regulation, empathy, language, and classroom community when aligned with Conscious Discipline. With consistent routines, intentional adult modeling, and opportunities for child-led caregiving, preschool teachers can turn a simple doll into a powerful learning tool that nurtures both heart and brain.