What to Look for in a Preschool

Selecting a preschool that is best for your child can be overwhelming and daunting.  There are so many factors that impact your decision, and it is something that should be contemplated carefully.  Consider the following suggestions in finding a preschool that is right for you and your child.

A good preschool should take into account how preschoolers learn:

  • Students must be in an environment where they feel safe and secure. Visit some preschools. The environment should feel kid-friendly. It should be a warm, inviting place where your child wants to be. Teachers should be welcoming and engaged.

  • Students need to have continuous, connected learning. The things your child learns should be connected. Find a preschool with curriculums that are research-based and proven to be effective.

  • Students must have chances to explore and play. Children learn through play. They should have ample time to discover and explore without having to sit still and listen for long periods of time.

  • All students develop in their own way and on their own timeline. Children should be allowed to go learn and explore at their own pace and in their own way. Curriculum should be differentiated according to student level and be introduced at a pace appropriate for each.

  • Students should have opportunities to learn with just enough challenge. Challenges are an important aspect of development; but too much, and they will get frustrated; not enough, and they will get bored.

  • Teachers can be facilitators in learning situations. They should make comments, ask questions, and add new challenges as children are exploring and learning.

A good preschool should have a balanced program that focuses on every aspect of children’s development:

  • Intellectual Development:

    • Preschoolers learn best through hands-on experience. They need to be encouraged to ask questions, problem solve, and come up with solutions, as well as be creative in their learning. As they explore with blocks or cars or pouring water from one container to another, they learn about science and math.

    • Children are encouraged to develop language and literacy skills as they listen to teachers read aloud, have chances to explain and share, and are surrounded by a print-rich environment. Students should be encouraged to interact with each other, talk, and share.

    • A students’ creativity is encouraged through expression using many mediums: markers, crayons, paints, colored papers, scissors, etc.

  • Social development:

    • Teachers are present to help children resolve social conflicts, such as fighting over toys or taking turns in a game. They talk to the students about what is happening and share positive ways to solve issues. They encourage students to build problem-solving skills that can be used on their own in the next situation. Instead of always telling students what not to do, teachers should give students the skills and abilities to solve problems on their own.

    • Students are encouraged to engage in “dramatic play.” They create scenarios and pretend to be “the mom” or “the teacher” or “baking cookies.” Teachers provide stimulating opportunities that allow students to explore and express themselves.

  • Large motor development:

    • Preschoolers crave movement. They need to be allowed to move their bodies frequently. Students are learning to control their bodies and should be given ample opportunities to dance to music, exercise, imitate other body movements, and play games. These things promote coordination.

  • Small motor development:

    • At this age, students are developing their fine motor skills. Teachers should provide activities and opportunities for students to practice. This can include things like play dough, blocks, Legos, lacing cards and, for older students, scissors. Being able to control their hands and fingers is a skill students can improve.

    • The preschool setting is also a place where students can learn independence in things like dressing themselves. Zipping up coats, tying shoes, and putting on socks are all skills that students should work towards. Opening up their own snack or cleaning up their own spills encourages students to be self-reliant and independent.

  • Language development:

    • Students learn language through listening and speaking. As they engage in conversations, it is important that they have individual conversations with adults throughout the day. They need to feel important and receive that individualized attention from those of authority.

    • Preschoolers also learn through song. They should have lots of opportunities to learn through singing, simple rhymes, and finger plays. They should be encouraged to talk through show and tell or by telling simple stories.

A good preschool will focus on several areas of learning at the same time.

  • Language and literacy skills: Students should be listening to stories, helping recite parts of familiar stories, and engaging in discussions about books and characters. Students should experiment with writing, beginning with basic scribbles to letter formation to writing their own names.

  • Mathematics and science: Children can learn math and science as they explore with different toys and tools. Toys can be counted, sorted, organized, arranged, and built. Students can learn about the weather, animals, and their bodies. So many aspects of the world around them are accessible to students in the preschool classroom.

  • Social studies: Students can and should study about their communities. They can learn about different cultures and even teach about their own customs and traditions.

  • Art, music, drama, and dance: Children should be given daily opportunities for dramatic play. There are so many tools they can use, including dress-ups, props, singing, paints and paper, etc. Students are encouraged to express themselves through lots of media.

As you search for a preschool for your child, ask for referrals from trusted neighbors and friends.  This should be an exciting time! 

Did you know that Expressions Dance hosts an amazing preschool? Leap’n Learners Preschool was established in 2008 and is Davis County’s premiere preschool programs! Set up a tour today and learn more at www.goleapnlearn.com

The Benefits of Recital - Creating Lifetime Memories

The recital is known for creating special memories—both for the dancer and for their family and friends.  It is a sentimental moment in time for many parents, watching their child perform in front of an audience!  For most of our dance families at Expressions Dance, it marks the closure of one year’s journey in dance and “sets the stage” for the next.

After the recital, costumes become special mementos, programs become keepsakes, photos become scrapbook centerpieces, and DVDs often become your household’s most-watched entertainment!  The time may have passed, but the souvenirs remain … along with the personal growth each student has achieved.

One comment we often hear from parents after the recital is how their child won’t stop talking about it!  The excitement lifts them up long after the curtain has come down.  We love hearing about this kind of enthusiasm, and we hope you’ll keep the dance conversation going at home.  This is an excellent time to listen to what your child has to say about what they liked best or what was challenging.  Being able to reflect on the experience and communicate that to others is another awesome skill to develop!

 

Sometimes the memories made at recital aren’t the ones you’d expect.  Maybe your dancer became distracted at one point onstage and made a silly face that made everyone laugh, or maybe they forgot a step during the dance and seemed discouraged.  Live performances can be a little unpredictable like this, but with a growth mindset, you and your child can still choose to see the positive outcome.  Like how that silly face was sweet and entertaining, and grandma loved it.  Or that forgotten step?  What a way to show perseverance!

 

The lifetime memories made at the recital enrich our students’ knowledge and understanding of what a performance encompasses.  They create context for other performing opportunities, such as in theater or music, and they build the kind of confidence only experience can deliver.

 

Performing onstage is an incredible opportunity for dancers to share what they have been learning in class, and to showcase their progress from the beginning of the year to the end.  Learning how to dance is a gradual process, and some skills take years to fully master—but however big or small the steps are, it is a major accomplishment for anyone to perform in front of hundreds of people!  All the hard work is worthwhile when a dancer experiences the high fives and smiles and congratulations that the recital brings from classmates, family, and friends.

 

Whether it’s a young dancer performing for their first time or a teen dancer performing at the end of her senior year, recital achievements are incredibly special to celebrate.  Lifelong memories are made from those achievements—and for many dancers, a true passion for dance is ignited! 

December Dance Newsletter

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Happy Holidays! Wishing you and your family the very best this season. We enjoy the opportunity to work with your family and love teaching your children!

YOU COULD WIN $100 IN TUITION for January! We need your help! For every 5-star review you write (or update if you’ve done it before!) on our Google profiles, you’ll be entered into our drawing to win $100 in tuition next month! You can get four entries if you copy and paste your review to all four. We really appreciate all your support! Thanks in advance!

FROZEN FRIENDS CAMP DANCE BALLET PRESCHOOL

FROZEN FRIENDS CAMP! Who has a kiddo that loves Frozen? Register to attend our Frozen Friends Camp and we will give you an elegantly wrapped box with an ice blue tutu and special invitation to put under the tree this Christmas!

  • When: January 11th, 10:30-12noon

  • Where: Expressions Dance, Bountiful location

  • To sign up, click here

  • *Space is limited; no refunds or exchanges.

  • Gift boxes will be available for pick up Dec 9-20 @ Bountiful

PARENT NIGHT OUT BABYSITTING PARTY

PARENTS NIGHT OUT- DROP AND SHOP! We have SO MUCH fun at Parent’s Night Out! Mark your calendar for your DECEMBER DATE NIGHT and we will take the kids…Friday, December 6th from 6-10 pm at our Centerville location! We have lots of fun activities planned for the kids and you can enjoy a night out CHILD FREE! Cost is $15 per child and $12 for additional siblings. Pizza will be served at 6:15pm. Must be potty trained. Register HERE or in your parent portal!  Space is limited!


Dec 23- Jan 3 | NO CLASSES FOR WINTER BREAK! We hope you all have a wonderful December! Our schedule stays the same when we return on January 6th. The classes you are currently registered for will continue through June 2020.  NOTE: We charge the same amount every month for convenience and consistency to our families. Holidays and studio closures are factored into the season’s tuition amount and is then broken into even monthly payments.

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 PAJAMAS AND BOOKS ARE DUE BY DEC 14TH! On December 14th, we are hosting "Dance For Life," a benefit performance and pajama/book drive to support the Utah Foster Care Foundation and several other local Utah charities.  We are still collecting pajamas and books at the studios. We hope you will join us in this cause! 

Get Involved!

  • Our lobbies both have “pajama trees” next to the donation boxes. Pick a few snowflakes off the tree to purchase pajamas and books for kids in need this holiday season. Snowflakes list specific ages, gender of children, and pajama sizes that we are gathering.  It is not required to pick a snowflake; we are still accepting any and all donations!

  • We are also collecting monetary donations. This will go towards more jammies and books! Bring in cash or Venmo donations to @danceforlife and include the dancers name so the amount can go toward their service society recognition!

  • Get your friends and family involved in this amazing opportunity to make a difference! We have involvement letters you can share that are available HERE.

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Winter Service Project: Service Society Recognition

The “Dance for Life” project is an opportunity for our dancers to qualify to become a member of the “Expressions Dance Service Society.”  To meet the qualifications for Service Society, each dancer needs to donate 10 pairs of pajamas, or 20 books, or $50 in cash donations. We will also accept a combination of the three donations (ex. 5 pjs and 10 books).  We want to encourage students to put their hearts into this by asking friends and family to get involved and donate towards our project.  Students that meet the donation requirements will be recognized for their service with a certificate and collectable award. These credentials will acknowledge their involvement in a good cause and will look amazing on future college scholarship applications and resumes! We are so excited to have a program within our studio to help teach our students the importance of service and community involvement! How to get credit for your donations:  When you bring your donations to the studio, please make sure to fill in your totals by your name on the clipboard that is next to the donation box.


 HOLIDAY SHOW INFO

Our Stars, Hip Hop, Company and Preschool Dance classes are embarking on an amazing journey as part of our holiday show “The Night Before Christmas.” We have started our holiday routines and will be performing at Dance for Life on December 14th at Viewmont High School. We are super excited to see these darling kids take that step out onto the big stage!

Dance for Life is an amazing event hosted by Expressions Dance and several other dance studios. Proceeds from this event go to the Utah Foster Care Foundation and other local charities. More details on how you can get involved along with performance details for your dancer visit our website. All the details can be found at www.dancetoexpress.com by visiting our parent portal and clicking performance info!

Cast announcements were emailed out in November and can be found in your parent portal. Please reach out to the office at info@dancetoexpress.com if you have questions on your cast.

Performance times:

  • Company Cast: call time 8:30am, show time 9:30-10:15am

  • Leap’n Learners Cast: call time 10:45am, show time 11:30-12pm

  • Candy Cane Cast: call time 1:15pm, show time 2:00-2:30pm

  • Gingerbread Cast: call time 2:45pm, show time 3:30-4:00pm

Tickets to Dance for Life HERE


CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS!

We can help you out this time of year! Great stocking stuffers could be new tights or dance shoes! We have limited studio beanies, hoodies, and water bottles available on our online store HERE! Order yours today!  While supplies last!


 FOR PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL DANCERS- DECEMBER THEME

In December our theme is "From My Heart to Yours."  Each class will be focused around Christmas!  This month we are focusing on:  gallop, moving your head, shoulders, 6th position (feet together), sharing, and toe touches. We hope you can find time to review these elements with your dancer at home.  It is a great way to get EVERYONE moving!!


 FOR PARENTS OF SCHOOL AGED TUMBLING/ACRO STUDENTS

December Stretch of the Month- Straddle  |  Strength Challenge- Superman

We are so excited this year to have a “stretch of the month” and a “strength challenge” in our acro/tumbling classes! Encourage your child to work on these skills at home to help them improve even faster!  Be more involved by printing off the at home practice tracker HERE.


 HIP HOP CLASSES- SHOE POLICY

With winter weather approaching, we need to remind you that we CANNOT have wet, salty, muddy shoes stepping onto our dance floor. Please carry your hip hop shoes into the studio and change into them before you enter the classroom.  You will be asked to dance with no shoes if you don't have a dry pair! Thank you! 

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EARLY BIRD RECITAL SAVINGS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER!

Can you believe it, we are already preparing for our next big show! Coming up in June will be our Tumbling Exhibition and our year-end Recital. More details on these two events will be coming your way as we get closer! Recital commitments were done at the time of registration, however, it's not too late to sign up! SAVE $20 by registering for the recital before Dec 15th. Not sure if you have registered for the recital? You can see your recital registration by logging into your online account HERE.

  1. Click account login

  2. Click the dropdown menu (hamburger icon) in the top left corner

  3. View all my classes

    • There you will see the enrollment for recital pay in full or 7 installments

    • Company members are automatically enrolled in the show and will not appear here

  4. First installment payment for the recital processed December 1st.

Not sure what recital is all about? Read about the benefits of recital and watch this highlight video.

Head over to the online consent form to view the details and fill it out now! Sign up and save NOW!


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The Benefits of Recital - Beyond the Performance

New knowledge and skills abound when it comes to preparing for the recital … and we’re not just talking about learning dance steps!  There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to all of the advantages of recital participation.  Check out some of the unique benefits your child will acquire that go beyond the performance itself:

 

Memorization Skills

Not only is your child enhancing their gross motor skills by learning choreography and improving their technique, they are also building strong memorization skills.  Remembering a recital dance requires lots of repetition with the correct movements so that the dancer’s brain and body can work together to recall the steps during the performance.

 

Musicality

Learning and practicing a recital dance also helps a dancer develop his or her musicality.  Counting music and using rhythmic patterns are a part of every style of dance, at every age!  From a syncopated hip hop routine to a classical ballet waltz, recital routines can showcase a range of musical skills and boost your child’s confidence with moving in time to the music.

 

Backstage Etiquette

Your child will also be taught proper backstage conduct, such as waiting respectfully for their turn onstage and applauding others after each routine.  In addition, they’ll begin understanding basic stage directions and terminology, such as “upstage,” “downstage,” and “wings.”  Participation in the dress rehearsal also helps acquaint them with all of the relevant cues they need to know for the big day.

 

Courage

Let’s be honest, being onstage can be daunting no matter how old you are!  The recital offers your child the opportunity to build their courage in front of an audience, a skill that will continue to serve them throughout school and eventually, in the workforce.  Courageously persevering through fear, anxiety, or insecurity is something we want all of our students to learn … and something we know will continue to benefit them multiple times over! 

 

It’s pretty cool to see how the recital positively affects our students, year after year.  It’s quite special for us to have a role in their lives introducing these benefits and helping them grow!  And while we know you expect to see your child’s progress as a dancer (and we love seeing that too) we also hope you will see their growth in unexpected ways, like the ones we’ve talked about here.

 

Have you noticed some of these qualities and skills in your child already?  We’d love to hear about the advantages your dancer is already experiencing as we move closer and closer to the recital!