We do at KCCC! Studying music from an early age has proven to be beneficial in almost every aspect of a child’s life. Learning to read and understand music and its underlying theory facilitates learning of many other subjects. For example, music assists in language development and increases verbal recall. As they develop higher language and social skills, children become well rounded and benefit from the intrinsic benefits of learning music. They become disciplined, learn a skill, manage performance and the related anxiety, and learn interpersonal skills like cooperation, sharing, and compromise.
As children learn music, especially an instrument that requires both hands like bells, they see multiple benefits. Using both hands as they ring bells helps to develop better fine and gross motor skills. Learning to play an instrument has also been proven to open new pathways in their brains. These improvements in how the brain develops allows the brain to work harder and can also improve spatial-temporal tasks, like putting together puzzles, playing with blocks or Legos, problem solving, and painting.
In our music classes at KCCC, the children learn rhythms and sing songs that support math skills, understanding the seasons, and use patterns to help with sequencing and memorization skills. Along with motor skills, the songs they perform on the handbells and Boomwackers promote patience as they wait their turn to play their portion of the song.
Even performing the Christmas and Spring concert songs has teachable components! It’s one thing to learn how to play or sing the songs, but it’s quite another to learn how to perform the songs learned in music class. When preparing for the performances, the children learn that bowing is a sign of gratitude to the audience for watching, listening, and enjoying. Performing in front of an audience at a young age builds their confidence and sets the child up for success as they grow older and perform in school and participate in classes that involve standing in front of others giving speeches.
Parents can add to the musical experience by taking their children to concerts and musicals. Attending a performance will reinforce the concert manners they learn in school. It also teaches respect for other listeners and for the musicians. Not only are live performances fun and engaging, but they help kids learn and grow! Through what the children learn at KCCC and by being introduced to and attending various other types of musical performances with family and friends, preschoolers may discover their desired path in music for the future!
Will you or someone you know be searching for Preschool and/or Childcare options for a little one within the next couple of years? Put yourself a step ahead of the others and get on Kaneville Community Child Center’s (KCCC) wait list now. You’ll be so glad you did!
It’s a great idea to get on the wait list right away. Life changes for families all the time and usually quickly when it’s least expected. How great would it be to have peace of mind that when a space becomes available for your child that you will be contacted first? Put yourself in the driver’s seat and get ahead while you can. While you wait for the great news that a spot is available, you will receive regular fun family newsletters on topics like parenting, early learning, family fun, health, recipes, crafts, and more. Once you join the wait list, you are welcome to check your status on it at any time!
What Exactly Is A Wait List?
Have you experienced the disappointment of discovering that your preferred child care program is full? Do you wonder when you should start looking into preschool and/or child care options? Do you have a toddler or a baby right now? We suggest you get your child on the wait list sooner than later.
A Wait List puts you at the front of the line when it comes to new enrollments and available spaces in the program you are interested. KCCC maintains a Wait List for our programs for this very reason. Whether you are currently expecting, have a child younger than three who is not quite of age to attend KCCC, or the program you are interested in is full, it’s a great idea to get on the wait list for several reasons.
Instead of waiting until your child is old enough, you can get your child on the wait list now so that you can be one of the first notified when they are old enough to attend. Family situations can change overnight and they do most times unexpectedly. A child care opening can become avaiIlable sooner than anticipated and if you are on the list, you will have opportunity to snag that desired spot right away.
Please click the link below to complete KCCC’s wait list form and get on the wait list today!
When an opening becomes available all families on the wait list will be notified in the order their application/wait list form is received.
Priority will be given to siblings of children already enrolled and families whose requested schedule most closely fits the available opening.
Parents who are offered the opening have 24 hoursto submit an Enrollment Application along with the enrollment fee.
Generally, all interested families are interviewed and tour before any decisions are made; however, in certain circumstances the opening may be filled before all of the scheduled interviews and tours are completed.
Child CareWaiting List FAQ’s
1. How long is the wait list?
The length of each class wait list varies. It is generally longer for the Preschool program and part-time care in Beginning Learners Daycare. KCCC keeps very low ratios for our 3-5 year old programs, a 30% difference in fact in comparison to the DCFS maximum ratio state requirements. We also do not fill our classrooms to the DCFS licensed capacity. This is a HUGE benefit to our families, our children, and our staff. Low ratios equals better quality and more successful developmental outcomes.
2. Will a part time opening be available sooner than full time?
Unfortunately, most of the time, part time openings are rare because most children are enrolled on a full time basis. Often a part time work schedule requires specific days for care and the openings may not fit with the schedule needed by someone on the wait list.
3. Can I stop in anytime and have a look around?
We are happy to have you visit and take a tour of our facilities! However, in order to provide a safe and secure environment for the children in our care, as well as avoid upsetting daily routines an appointment is required. You can click this button to contact us to schedule your tour.
4. What if my child doesn’t get off the wait list this year? Will we go to the bottom of the list?
We maintain one wait list for each of our programs. Your family’s name is added to the list in the order of original date of application. It will remain higher on the list than families who applied before you, regardless of your child’s age. IF your child age’s out of the current wait list, they will automatically be added to the next appropriate wait list for their age group.
5. Will we be told where we are on the list?
As much as we’d love to keep every family updated on their specific position on the wait list, it’s very difficult. The wait list is always evolving as families’ job situations, requested schedules, preferred start dates, etc. change. You are more than welcome to contact KCCC at any time to see where you are on the wait list or let us know if anything has changed that we can update.
6. What can we do to help get aspot sooner?
One of the most important things you can do is to start looking for care as soon as possible! Don’t wait for your child to turn 3 or 4 to get on the wait list. Get them on the list as soon as you are able which will always keep you further up the list than those that do wait.
Requesting a full time opening in daycare may also help you obtain a spot sooner than requesting a part time position. If we know you would prefer a part time schedule we can look for another family to fill in the open spots in your schedule, but enrolling full time would guarantee your position.
If you live in the midwest or northern part of the country, you are more than familiar with winter weather that keeps our children inside; too cold, extreme wind chills, and snow that’s too icy to actually play outside. Keeping your children occupied and engaged is definitely difficult. With the added challenges of children being home more than usual during school days and some parents working from home, the struggle is real.
Children tend to spend a significant amount of time indoors in the winter by default. This leads to them watching more television, playing video games, and inactivity. What do you do when you need to work or they are complaining “I’m bored!” ? Well, back when some of us were young, boredom led to either trouble or creativity. Hopefully, we can encourage more of the latter. How do we pull them away from their screens and interest them in something creative and fun that they can pretty much do themselves for a while?
Here are some suggestions that are SIMPLE, pretty much FREE, and perhaps once it gets nicer outside, the kids can take outdoors as well.
We find that these simple activities work with 3 year olds as well as 10 year olds here at KCCC. In fact, sometimes we have to work to get them to stop so they can move on to another activity in our daily routines.
1.) Paper Airplanes – You may have to make one or two for your little ones or maybe even show your older children how to make one. Once made, they can decorate, color, and fly them to their heart’s content. See how far they go, see if they loop-de-loop or even race if you have two children to keep entertained.
2.) Toss and Shoot – All you need is a target like an empty box, clean garbage can, basket, or even place a blanket on the ground and something to use to toss and shoot like a soft ball, a rolled up sock, a balloon, a small stuffed animal, etc. How many can you land in/on the target in 30 seconds? Who can land three on the target first? Score points for center, edges, or big areas.
3.) Indoor Bowling – At KCCC, we’ve used oversized bowling sets, paper towel or toilet paper tubes, cardboard blocks, and even play cups or food from the kitchen for pins. They can use a small ball, a pretend piece of fruit, or really anything that rolls for a ball. We’ve used masking tape or painters tape to help them set up the pins by placing markers on the floor or rug. They just love setting it up, knocking them down, and doing it again and again!
4.) Indoor Camping – Kids love to pretend they are camping! We have been known to set up small tents or use large empty boxes to place a sleeping bag and “camping equipment”. Ms. Michelle has used hot glue to make a campfire using paper towel rolls, colored tissue, and battery operated twinkle lights. The kids like to turn off the lights and use flashlights and “roast” marshmallows (cotton balls hot glued or strung onto metal skewers or dowel rods). She’ll place kids sized beach chairs around the “campfire” too. Oh the power of flashlights! They can’t have enough time to play camping. We enjoy the conversations and creativity from the kids.
5.) Scavenger Hunt – Hide any number of items around the house or in a specific room like 10 single socks, eggs from Easter, or small stuffed animals or balls. You could hide 10 items of the same color and use post it notes to number them. Give the kids a certain amount of time to find them and see how many they can find. There are SO many ways to change this game up! Use YOUR imaginations and THEIRS! Kids come up with the best ideas sometimes; ones you would never have thought to do.
6.) Domino Reaction – At KCCC, we have all sorts of blocks and objects in our classrooms that the children like to set up in a domino style chain reaction track. This lets them be creative, patient, work together or solo, and problem solve. After a few tries, they start to figure out what works best and the older children may even try more challenging chain reactions like having a domino knock a super ball off a table to start a new chain reaction that’s on a chair or the floor. This could keep them busy for hours!
7.) Play Catch – Use a soft ball or balloon to toss in a circle or back and forth and count how many tosses you can make without dropping the object or letting it hit the floor. Make it even more challenging by taking one step back after each toss. This of course, depends on space and what room you will allow them to play this.
8.) Create a Book Nook or Cozy Corner – Use blankets or sleeping bags, some “loveys” or “snuggies” to read with or to, of course, some of their favorite books or even some new books they’ve never seen or read, and maybe even place some snacks (choose easy to clean up like small crackers, popcorn, or mini pretzels) in their quiet place to read.
9.) Jigsaw Puzzles – Place a variety of sizes and maybe even a big one like 100 or 500 pieces for everyone to continue to add to over time on an extra table. You can set up a card table just for the big puzzle and some of the smaller puzzles can be left in their boxes to bring to a space where the puzzle can be completed.
10.) Big Cup Building – For less than $10, you can purchase a party pack of plastic drinking cups. Heck, you may just have a few stacks in your house already. From age 3 to 10, stacking and building cups is a big hit here at KCCC! The children will stack and build “rooms”, “castles”, towers, walls, forts, then knock them down and start all over with a new idea. This one is definitely a favorite! If you have yard sticks or rulers, they can even make doorways and windows. If you don’t already have a package of cups, please invest in a set. It will be the BEST $10 you’ve EVER spent!
Have fun and enjoy these activities! We know WE do EVERYDAY at KCCC!
