Livermore Valley Chamber of Commerce
August 21, 2018

LIVERMORE, CA: Buggabee Garden is small group learning program for kids two and a half to five years old. The program boasts a smaller teacher to student ratio than that of any preschool center; one teacher for every three students. The model used for this program is centered greatly in the mission to provide children with quality early childhood education and their parents' an affordable and flexible program. 

Buggabee Garden had a soft launch in their 2017 inaugural year. The program offered a small group learning platform for a limited amount of children using primarily the Learning Without Tears educational platform. During that year the owner and creative director, Yamiletth "Mrs. Elena" Siu went on to attend training for both the Learning Without Tears program as well as Montessori training through the North American Montessori Center programs. 

As the second academic year kicks off for the Livermore location, Buggabee Garden has grown to offer additional services. In partnership with the founder of Sinai Sun Academy and it's learning program, Hoda Rashad; they are providing Livermore families with a  more robust learning curriculum. Sinai Sun Academy had previously offered families in Dublin, Pleasanton and San Ramon a Hybrid-Montessori curriculum that centered around small group learning, affordable rates, and child lead learning. 

This year as both programs celebrate a partnership in learning, Buggabee Garden will provide a morning and afternoon learning program in their small group learning format (no more than 6 children per learning group), homeschool support for families with children up to age 6, and an E-learning component available for families that want to start schooling but cannot coordinate part-time or full-time options.

Buggabee Garden's philosophy stems from the idea that "developmentally, children under the age of 6 learn best with individualized attention and [their] small group setting allows for that. Children also need a balanced and dynamic education that is personalized to their own needs as well as the needs of the group as a whole. ... In addition, [they] emphasize cultural awareness and have added bilingual learning to [thier] daily curriculum."1   

For homeschool parents of preschool and kindergarten children, Buggabee Garten offers homeschooling support during the afternoon program. The program focuses on reading readiness and preliminary math skills which are then presented in the school's typical Hybrid-Montessori format.  

Becuase the mission of Buggabee Garden is to provide a financially attainable model for early childhood education, they have added an E-Learning component to their program. For a nominal fee, families who choose to educate at home can get a window into the school's on-site educational curriculum at home, through printable lesson plans and online videos. The bonus part of the E-Learning option for families will be their ability to socialize their children with those of the regular in-house program on a monthly basis. 

Currently, there is no other small group learning preschool in Alameda County that provides this amount of flexibility and options for parents. As Buggabee Garden celebrates their second year in the Livermore community, along with a more robust program, they are offering families discounted enrollment.

For families that book a preview day and enroll before September 17th, ALL INITIATION FEES will be WAIVED.
Contact:
Yamiletth Ramirez-Siu, Owner
(925) 583-5444

https://preschoolinspirations.com/preschool-readiness/

5 KEY THINGS PRESCHOOL TEACHERS WANT YOU TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING PRESCHOOL 
JULY 2, 2014 BY KATIE 6 COMMENTS

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Is preschool around the corner? As a veteran preschool teacher, there are some things you should know.

Preschool can be one of the most magical and exciting times in a child’s life. It also helps set the stage for kindergarten and beyond.

Many well-meaning parents have walked through my door and given me a list of what their child already knows: how to spell his name, all of her colors, how to count to 20, and so on. But we’re not really interested in that.

A seasoned teacher knows that these concepts will come easily in due time. We can teach your child colors in two languages and counting by 10s or 2s — all when the time is right.

We want to hear more about your child’s interests, in her self-confidence, and in his ability to cooperate.

The truth is that preschool is not a one-way street. The preschool day starts and ends at a certain time, but learning happens all the time. In the classroom, at home, when you’re at the park for a playdate.

And when your child starts preschool, they are learning more than just facts and concepts.

They are adjusting to working in a space of other 3 and 4-year-olds and at the same time learning to follow the rules.

They are learning to take directions from a different adult.

And they are also trying to figure out where they fit in with an entirely new group of people.

To be completely honest, there are lots of other things your child has to learn before I can teach her how to write letters or to make patterns.

Above all, your child has to learn to trust me and to feel safe in our new environment. He has to know he is valued and that he is welcome in my classroom.

Since we are going to do our best to give these tools to your child at school, here are simple ways you can help at home to make an easier transition to preschool.

5 Key Things Preschool Teachers Want You to Know Before Starting Preschool
When it comes to getting your child ready for preschool, these are 5 key things that make a huge difference for starting preschool.

1) A desire to explore: Before a child can learn, he must feel confident enough to discover and explore his environment. This is an innate skill that we are born with, and these moments are vital. Children learn best through play and need opportunities to explore, create, build, and to figure out how things work.

They thrive with windows of time to pretend at the dollhouse, to build with legos, to play outside with sticks and rocks, and to take things apart, again and again. The more children play, the more creativity they develop, and the more they understand how the world works around them.

Children who have lots of experience playing before preschool easily adapt to the environment and become absorbent learners quickly.

2) The ability to follow one and two-step directions: A big part of the preschool day involves listening to the teacher. Teachers often give directions such as, “throw your tissue away,” “put the truck back on the shelf,”or “get your coat and go to the door.”

It is important for children to be able to listen to these instructions and to be able to carry them out.  While it might be tempting to do some of these activities for children, they are better off if we use them as learning opportunities.

It is a huge skill for children to follow directions, and sometimes it takes weeks for children to get the hang of it in the classroom setting. Children who are successful at following directions when they enter preschool have a huge advantage over those who do not as they are able to dive into learning activities instead of spending so much time practicing their listening skills.

3) Practice at completing tasks: As a child is playing, he needs to develop the skills to complete a project — or at least the opportunity to.

In our busy world, we are running around doing errands, jumping in the car constantly, and rushing to the next activity.  I wish we could put these on hold because children need to be given time to just build a castle out of blocks, to paint a picture at the easel, or to splash in the water table until they have said they are finished.

Take time in the day to put away busyness and allow children the chance to explore and learn at their pace.

Children who have practice completing tasks also have much longer attention spans and have greater abilities to stay focused amidst all the distractions that a group setting brings.

4) The confidence to speak up: There are many times in a preschooler’s day that a child needs to feel confident and secure enough to tell the teacher something.

We want them to come to us and tell us when they need to use the bathroom, when they need help, when they are finished with an activity, or when they accidentally make a spill. Some of us are great at spotting the “potty dance” or sensing that a child needs assistance, but when there are lots of little bodies around, we won’t see everything.

Even a quiet and shy child can quickly build trust with the teacher and become an excellent communicator.

And if this is a struggle for your child, just let us know so we can help create more moments for them to feel comfortable with this.

5) A beginning understanding of empathy: While this is listed last, it is definitely one of the most important traits that all children (and adults) should have.

Empathy is a huge factor in how children build relationships. Children who are empathetic are able to get along better with their peers and treat the children and adults in their environment with respect.

One of my favorite aspects of empathy is that it breeds strong leaders in the preschool classroom. The best way to teach empathy to a child is to role model it for them, to read about it, and to talk about and accept emotions as they come up.

The next time your child cries, let her know that you see that she is very sad. Sometimes it’s scary when she falls, or it is hard when mommy says “not now.”

Children who have had their feelings validated all throughout their lives always stand out as they continually form positive and healthy friendships.

Are you preparing your child for preschool? Here are a preschool teacher's tips for getting a child ready for preschool!

Did you notice that I left out potty training? It was intentional. See why here.

Every child grows and develops at different rates, so some children will exhibit these skills sooner than others. Children with special needs may need extra help developing these skills. If you have any concerns about your child’s development, I recommend talking about them with your child’s pediatrician.