Akers Academy

The Best Alpharetta Preschool and Cumming Preschool Akers Academy is located at Alpharetta, Georgia. We are not just a daycare or preschool. Our teachers here at Akers Academy dedicated, certified, and loving who will do their best to give your child every advantage they need. We offer programs starting from infants to pre-k that are all designed to meet your child’s needs. Come and visit Akers Academy today! At Akers Academy, the enrichment, safety and love of your children are the primary motivations in everything we do! From the time they are babies, through their Pre K years, our proven, early learning curriculum helps build a strong foundation of self-confidence and academic excellence for your child’s future.

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Top 12 Tips and Tricks for Raising a Reader

As a parent, you are your child’s first teacher. Thus, you should seek out opportunities to share books with your little one from an early age, creating enjoyable experiences that nurture a love for this form of storytelling. Introducing your child to different types of literature – from classic stories to graphic novels – can open doors and foster a genuine appreciation for reading that will last far beyond childhood. So, how do you help your little one from becoming a novice in reading into someone who will find reading as a form of entertainment? Here are some tips and tricks for raising a reader!

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8 Engaging Sensory Activities for your Toddler

Toddlers are notoriously curious creatures. They want to know why the sky is blue, how a bird can fly, and why they must go to bed at night. This limitless curiosity can be exhausting for parents, but it is an important part of development. Through their never-ending questions, toddlers try to make sense of the world around them. They build their own understanding of how things work and gaining the ability to think abstractly. This is where sensory activities for toddlers can come in handy!

One way that toddlers learn is through sensory exploration. This means they use their senses (sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound) to investigate the world around them. It’s how they learn about hot and cold, soft and hard, wet and dry. And it’s why they love to put everything in their mouths!

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7 Ways to Build Your Child’s Language Skills at Home

Language development is an important part of a child’s early years. After all, language is the key tool that we use to communicate with others. However, the importance of language development goes beyond simply being able to communicate. Research has shown that strong language skills can positively impact a child’s cognitive development, social skills, and even school performance.

There are many simple things that parents can do at home to support their child’s language development. Here are seven ways you can help your child build their language skills.

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8 Elements of a Healthy Parent-Child Relationship

A healthy parent-child relationship is vital for a child’s overall wellbeing and development. It sets the stage for how they will relate to other people and develop emotionally and socially. When children have a strong, loving bond with their parents, they are more likely to be happy, confident, and booming. Parent-child relationships provide children with a sense of security and belonging. They learn to trust and feel loved. Children who feel secure and loved are more likely to explore their surroundings, be curious and try new things. They are also more likely to cope better with setbacks and disappointments.

Like any other relationships, a parent-child relationship takes work, patience, and understanding. Here are eight elements of a healthy parent-child bond!

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How to Get your Toddler to Listen and Cooperate

Achieving obedience and cooperation from your toddler can be a challenge. Toddlerhood is a stage where kids explore their independence and test limits. During this phase, parents start to see behavioral issues such as tantrums, defiance, and disobedience. While it can be frustrating to deal with these behaviors, there are things that you can do to encourage your toddler to listen and cooperate.

Here are ten helpful parenting tips to consider!

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6 Ways to Instill Self-Help Skills in Toddlers

As parents, we want to do everything possible to ensure that our kids grow up to become healthy and happy individuals. As they explore and navigate the world, we play an important role in guiding them through their journey. One of the ways we can help them gain independence is by equipping them with important self-help skills.

Teaching toddlers essential life skills that help them do things on their own is a vital step of healthy growth and development. Gaining independence increases children’s confidence, empowers them to try new things, maximizes their potential, and inspires them to do more. Read on and learn about a few essential ways you can encourage your toddler to develop important self-help skills.

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How to Establish Toddler Bedtime Routine

Adequate sleep is of paramount importance for growing children of all ages. Sleep is a crucial component of your toddler’s healthy development and growth, as it affects health, behavior, attentiveness in school, and mood. As parents, part of our role is to ensure that our kids get enough sleep. This is why it’s so important for parents to establish a consistent toddler bedtime routine.

As most of us know, bedtime for toddlers isn’t always a walk in the park. In fact, the challenges brought on by this time of day is a common dilemma faced by many parents. Establishing a bedtime routine is extremely beneficial in order to help your family overcome nightly bedtime battles, which can lead to your little one becoming cranky and overtired.

This article will discuss seven tips for setting up a bedtime routine for your toddler to help you win the battle of when it comes to getting your little one to sleep!

Learn more here!

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7 Tips for Supporting Cognitive Development in Toddlers

As parents, we want to do everything we can to help our children grow and thrive, and provide them with a solid foundation for success in school and beyond. This is why it’s so important that we support toddlers’ cognitive development during these early years. In this post, we will discuss the importance of cognitive development during the toddler years.

Cognitive development refers to our ability to process information and learn about the world through thoughts, experiences and the people around us. Cognitive development begins as early as birth, as babies explore their surroundings through all five of their senses. These experiences help gather information, learn, and remember all of the things they take in, leading to cognitive growth.

It’s essential that parents provide their little ones with plenty of opportunities for cognitive development. Here are eight tips to help you support your toddler’s cognitive development.

Have conversations and ask open-ended questions

One of the best ways to support cognitive development during the toddler years is to engage them in frequent conversation. When young children are exposed to language at an early age, it helps them learn how to process language and build vocabulary. Use simple words and ask open-ended questions when you talk to your toddler. This will go a long way when it comes to boosting language skills and comprehension.

For example, instead of asking, “Do you want a banana?” ask your child, “What’s your favorite fruit?” or, “What type of fruit would you like to eat?” When you’re enjoying activities together, you might ask your little one, “What do you like about puzzles?”

Read together

Reading to your child from an early age is another great way to enrich cognitive development. Through books, children are introduced to a variety of concepts, such as cause and effect relationships, size comparisons, shapes, and colors. They’ll begin to understand that certain words have specific meanings, and they’ll begin to grasp various sounds and letter combinations, which are essential cognitive building blocks and children learn and grow.

Encourage pretend play

When toddlers engage in pretend play, it can enhance cognitive development as they exercise their creativity and imagination skills. Children’s cognitive abilities expand as they role-play characters and begin to understand other perspectives too.

For example, you might pretend that your toddler is a doctor, and you could be the patient. These types of activities provide opportunities for little ones to utilize cognitive skills like sequencing (the order in which things happen) and problem-solving skills.

Sing songs together

Music brings numerous cognitive benefits for toddlers. Singing songs together encourages them to listen and understand the meanings of words and phrases while building their vocabulary. For example, if you’re singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”, your toddler might gain an understanding of what the word “twinkle” means, and it provides an opportunity to point out stars in the sky. Singing also boosts emotional intelligence by discussing different feelings.

Play with toys that stimulate cognitive development

There are many different toys that can help support cognitive development in toddlers. These kinds of toys include puzzles, blocks, or stacking rings. They give children something a task to accomplish independently while they practice using their creativity and imagination. With each completed task, they’ll be honing a variety of cognitive skills, like problem-solving and critical thinking skills.

Let kids solve problems independently

As much as we may be tempted to do everything for our children, cognitive development in toddlers takes place when we allow them to solve problems independently. Instead of rushing to complete a task for them, step back and watch as young children work out how to access a toy that’s just out of reach, or figure out how to get out of a spot in which they’re stuck. Encouraging and praising is also helpful.

Let children play and explore on their own

Allowing toddlers to explore by themselves provides cognitive benefits as well as independent building exercises. Self-exploration encourages cognitive growth by developing problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and creativity.

Allow your child to enjoy opportunities for independent play without too many toys within reach. Let them think creatively and absorb information through touch, smell, sight, and sounds.

Supporting your toddler’s cognitive development is one of our priorities here at Akers Academy. The students in our Toddlers Program are energetic, fascinated by the world around them, and always on the go! Children at this age are learning about their world through all five of their senses, and rely on self discovery to recognize unique boundaries and independence. Contact us and learn why we’re the best fit for your little one!

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How to Help your Child Overcome Bedtime Fears

For parents of children who have anxiety at bedtime, getting them to sleep each night can be exhausting and stressful. Fear about bedtime can come in many forms. Some children are afraid of the dark, while some are worried about monsters in their closets. If your little one has anxiety about bedtime and struggles to fall asleep each night, you’re not alone. Many parents face a similar dilemma when it comes to helping their kids overcome bedtime anxiety. Here are a few tips that can make bedtime easier for both you and your child.

Establish a bedtime routine

It’s helpful for your child to get up around the same time every morning. By following the same bedtime routine each night, which can include taking a bath and cuddling together as you read a book, your child will learn to look forward to a predictable turn of events, which can help bedtime become less scary.

Make bedtime relaxing

When bedtime is a relaxing time, children are more likely to get the sleep they need. Make sure your little one has a comfortable bed, pillow, and bedding. Also, bedtime should be quiet and free from distractions (such as the TV and overstimulating interactions with others). If possible, it’s best to remove electronic devices and screens from your child’s room before bedtime so that kids aren’t tempted to stay up late.

Play peaceful music

Studies have found that certain types of music can help children fall asleep more easily. Classical or instrumental music tends to work well because it doesn’t have too many loud or high notes. Playing low soothing tunes can help to make bedtime less scary for children who are afraid of the dark. Music can also mask any odd noises that might occur outside while children are trying to fall asleep.

Read bedtime stories

Reading together is a fun way to help your child get ready for sleep and alleviate bedtime stress. When you incorporate reading into a relaxing bedtime routine that you can enjoy together, it will help your child learn to anticipate a familiar routine. Carve out time to read bedtime stories with your child every night. Be sure to choose stories that are not overstimulating or full of energy, as these types of books may make your child too excited to fall asleep. You can also invite children to pick out stories that interest them.

Give children reassurance

If children are worried about something that keeps them from falling asleep peacefully at bedtime, find ways to reassure them that they are safe and nothing bad will happen. For example, If kids are afraid of the dark, you may say something like, “The sun is still shining even though we can’t see it right now,” or, “No monsters are hiding in the closet because I already checked!”

Reward positive bedtime behavior

If you catch your child being brave despite bedtime fears, you can give some sort of reward or token. The benefit of recognizing positive bedtime behavior is helping kids develop motivation to overcome their fears.

If you choose to recognize when your child goes to bed and cope with anxiety in a positive way by giving a token, you might decide to let your child enjoy a treat or an extra hour playing video games. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that your child is likely to like and work to achieve.

Being anxious at bedtime is not uncommon for many young children. There are things parents can do to help alleviate their children’s fears about bedtime. Sometimes, this type of anxiety may be indicative of other problems that need attention, such as worries or stress about school or something going on at home. It’s crucial to pay attention to your child’s cues so you can nip bedtime fears in the bud.

For more helpful parenting tips, or if you’re looking for a school that offers high-quality early education, Akers Academy is an ideal choice. Here at Akers Academy, enrichment of skills, safety, and love of children are the primary motivation behind everything we do. Our early learning curriculum helps build a strong foundation that lays the groundwork for self-confidence and academic excellence for your child’s future.