During the week of April 6–12, Pre-K 4 SA celebrated the Week of the Young Child. This annual week of celebration, sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), raises public awareness of the needs of young children and their families — and draws attention to the organizations and individuals that meet these needs.
According to the NAEYC, the purpose of Week of the Young Child is to “recognize that children’s opportunities are our responsibilities, and to recommit ourselves to ensuring that each and every child experiences the type of early environment—at home, at child care, at school, and in the community—that will promote their early learning.”
Pre-K 4 SA celebrates Week of the Young Child by having a theme for each day of the week and planning activities centered around those themes. The themes are chosen by NAEYC, but activities are planned and implemented by schools and child care providers.
- Music Monday encourages children to be active and develops early literacy skills through singing and dancing.
- Tasty Tuesday combines math, science, and nutrition lessons to encourage healthy eating habits.
- Work Together Wednesday helps develop early literacy and social skills through collaborative building projects.
- Artsy Thursday uses open-ended art projects to inspire creativity, develop social skills, and encourage expression through art.
- Family Fun Friday focuses on engaging the families who support young learners.
These themes and activities align with Pre-K 4 SA’s curriculum by facilitating play-based learning and exploration, touching on a number of subjects, and encouraging healthy habits that build a foundation for future success.
Pre-K 4 SA also kicked off Week of the Young Child by participating in “Kids Day in the Park” on Saturday, April 6, at San Pedro Springs Park. The event was hosted by KLRN Education, and it provided educational activities for children and opportunities for their families to learn about more than two dozen schools, child care centers, non-profit organizations, local businesses, and city departments that were present. The event also featured family yoga sessions and a meet-and-greet with Zadie from Work It Out Wombats, the animated PBS show.
To learn more about the Week of the Young Child, visit https://www.naeyc.org/events/woyc.
