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Important Children’s Literacy Statistics

One of the most important elements to a child’s development is literacy. Foundations have been created here in the UK and around the world to study the importance of literacy and how we can improve the literacy rate of children throughout the world and they have found some remarkably interesting facts which have given the UK government something to focus on and improve upon. It has also given parents something to think about when it comes to their own children’s literacy.

Keeping that in mind, let’s take a look at some of these findings and see how they apply in our own communities. Let’s get started:

Important Children’s Literacy Statistics

  • Currently, 15 million Britain’s are functionally illiterate and cannot read above a grade 5 level.
  • 50% of adults cannot read a book written at a grade 8 level.
  • 1/3 of young children, up to age 10, have reached the proficient reading level.
  • 85% of juvenile offenders have problems reading.
  • 1 out of 5 people in UK prisons can’t read.
  • By age 2, a child’s brain is as active as an adult’s and by age 3 the brain is more than twice as active as an adult’s.
  • The number of books in the home correlates significantly with higher reading scores for children.
  • Children who are read to at least three times a week by a family member are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to children who are read to less than 3 times a week.
  • Children’s academic successes at ages 9 and 10 can be attributed to the amount of talk they hear from birth through age 3.
  • Young children who are exposed to early language and literacy experiences prove to be good readers later on in life.
  • Children who were read to frequently are also more likely to: count to 20, or higher than those who were not (60% vs. 44%), write their own names (54% vs. 40%), read or pretend to read (77% vs. 57%).
  • Higher reading exposure was 95% positively correlated with a growing region supporting semantic language processing in the brain.
  • Children in low-income families lack essential one-on-one reading time, and have only been exposed to 25 hours of one-on-one reading.
  • Children who grow up middle-class families have been exposed to 1,000 to 1,700 hours of one-on-one picture book reading.
  • One in six children who are not reading proficiently in grade 3 does not graduate from secondary school on time.
  • 68% of UK grade 4 children read at a below proficient level, and 82% of those children are from low-income families.

Contact Playdays Academy

To learn more ways to ensure your child’s literacy, contact Playdays Academy today and speak with an early childhood development expert who can answer any questions you might have.

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A Great Craft Idea For Kids During COVID-19 Lockdown

With the coronavirus pandemic still going strong in many parts of the world, people are beginning to band together and do things to ease the daily lives of our frontline workers. From NHS workers and police, to emergency and other essential services, these are people who are working hard every day to help save lives and reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Many people who have the abilities are taking time out of their days to do things like delivering food and supplies to key workers, making COVID-19 masks to help protect our key workers and more. While these are things that are more involved and slightly more difficult for kids, there is something that we can do to get our children involved in making a difference during this crisis while keeping them home safe.

A Thank You Card Can Make A Difference

Greeting cards are well received by our NHS staff and other key workers and they are extremely easy for children to make. A thoughtful ‘thank you’ or other positive method can go far to cheer up a tired nurse or struggling emergency medical team. Your child could even make quite a few of these greeting cards and have an even bigger impact on our key workers.

Ways To Make Greeting Cards Visually Attractive

Good greeting cards are entertaining, inspiring, and easy to understand. You don’t need to hire skilled artists to design a greeting card for you when you already have a talented artist at home. Your child can use their creative abilities to create fun, beautifully designed cards that anyone would love to receive. To help them do this, follow these simple tips:

Sketch Your Design- have your child draw out their initial design so they can have a clear idea of what their card will look like. This can save a lot of time and art supplies later on.

Choose An Appropriate Layout- while you want your child to express their creativity, you also want them to create an appropriate design. Something that might seem logical to them, could be offensive to someone else. Always check over their art before sending off their greeting cards in the post.

Evoke The Right Emotion- a well-designed, well- meaning greeting card will evoke a desired emotion. Key workers could chuckle, be encouraged, or be inspired when they read the cards sent to them by children.

Contact Playdays Academy

To learn more ways that children can use their artistic talents to make a difference, contact Playdays Academy today.

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How To Keep Your Children Entertained This Spring

During the coronavirus stay at home order that many of us throughout the UK are enduring, it can be challenging to keep your children entertained and happy. And even though we have to stay indoors most of the time, it doesn’t mean that we can’t have fun. Here are some ideas to get your kids having fun and keep them entertained during self-isolation:

Stay Actively Engaged In Personal Interests- most children have a fun personal hobby or something that they like to do. It’s a good way to keep their body moving and their mind stimulated. From painting, crafting and drawing, to sports or some other garden area activity there are many activities that kids can do.

Watch Comedy Films- children love to watch comedy films. Smiles and chuckles release the endorphin hormone that keeps them feeling happy and this can lead to a stronger immune system.

Dine With Family Members Each Day- children love eating with dinner as a family as it becomes a part of their social activities. Mealtimes are the moment when the entire family comes together and it’s an opportunity for children and parents to catch up. Eating together with family can ensure interaction and contentedness.

Do Fun Exercise- exercise doesn’t have to be tedious and tiring for children. Fun exercise isn’t only good for physical health, but also make people feel good and reduce stress. Light- or medium-intensity exercise could help to increase strength and flexibility among children. They can gain a positive body image and improve their confidence.

Read Captivating Books- reading can be an engrossing activity for anyone. It’s a great way for children to have fun, while keeping their mind active and engaged. Regular reading habits can increase cognitive capabilities, improve sleep quality, reduce stress and maintain memory retention. Depending on personal preferences, children could read comedy, fiction, historical or non-fiction books. It’s easy to get immersed in a well-told storyline.

Maintain Contact With Loved Ones- for children, the best experience during a stay at home experience is to stay connected with loved ones. If possible, you should contact their grandparents on a weekly basis.

Contact EduCare Nurseries

To learn more ways to talk to your kids about the coronavirus, contact EduCare Nurseries today and speak with a childcare professional about the exclusive EduCare day childcare nursery experience.

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3 Creative Ideas To Inspire Your Kids To Read More

Every child is unique. Many can’t stay away from their gaming consoles, while others can’t wait to get lost in Hogwarts after school. There are children who devour books at the speed of light, and there are those who read at the rate of a tortoise. If your kids are at the wrong end of the reading spectrum, you need to come up with some creative ideas to inspire them to read more.

While easier said than done, the team of childcare experts at Playdays Academy is here to help. We are going to share 3 creative ways to get your kids to read more and increase their love for reading.

Creative Ideas To Inspire Your Kids To Read More

Start A Reading Challenge- make reading an achievement. Your child could earn a sticker after completing a book. After collecting enough stickers, they can earn a much larger prize. The trick is to make the challenge meaningful and worthwhile and the goal should be something that your kids would love to do or have. Some children may initially see reading as tedious, but they could become so engrossed in the storyline that it becomes a new hobby.

Get Topical- you will have little success encouraging children to read if you give them books that aren’t very interesting to them. If teen fictions are appealing at the moment, you should encourage children to read those. The goal is to make children get used to reading a whole book from cover to cover. Comics are often frowned upon, but it’s a good start for younger children. Parents need to communicate with children and tap into their interests. Give them direct access to interesting books and allow children to choose the books that they want to read.

Make It A Family Activity- one major reason why children don’t want to read is because they are the only ones in the house who read books. Reading books should be a family affair. Parents and older siblings are great role models for smaller children. Make it a family habit to spend time reading books. Make some noise about reading, so children see that reading is a fun activity that everyone is excited about.

Contact Playdays Academy

To learn more creative ideas to inspire your kids to read more, contact Playdays Academy today.

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5 Ways To Inspire Your Children To Get Outdoors

Not only are outdoor activities fun, but they can also keep the whole family healthier. Moderate exposure to sunlight, family interaction and physical activities can make everyone in your family feel better, including your children. Unfortunately, many children would prefer to play indoors, focusing on their video game consoles and other electronic devices.

With that being said, we are going to take a look at some ways to get your children do outdoor activities more often:

5 Ways To Inspire Your Children To Get Outdoors

Take Them For A Long Walk- walking is an easy and very basic outdoor activity and it’s something that parents need to teach to their children early on. Having a long walk with children costs nothing and it can be an enjoyable experience to relax in the park with fresh air and sunshine. If there’s no enjoyable place for a long walk around your neighborhood, you can drive to a nearby nature reserve.

Ride Together: if you need to cover more distance, consider riding bikes with the whole family, instead of driving the car. To make things more fun, you can do rigorous mountain biking on rough terrain. You can start easy when riding with children and start adding more challenging biking activities later. If you don’t own enough bikes for the whole family, rentals in your area typically cost very little.

Have A Picnic- try having lunch or dinner outside with the family. It can be an incredibly fun activity for everyone. Even if the weather is a bit cold, you can still have fun outdoors, as long as you keep the family warm. Pack your favourite picnic foods and find a great place where the family can eat while interacting and enjoying the scenery.

Teach Children About Nature Photography- most children today already have smartphones with decent cameras. Instead of only taking selfies for social media, introduce children to nature photography. Take them to parks or nature reserves. Start by taking photos of simple objects like flowers and flowing water and work up to animals.

Do Fun Activities- in the end, exercising is the best and healthiest way to spend time outdoors. Ask children what kind of fun activities they want to do outdoors and, if they prefer hiking or swimming, then it’s a good start. Encourage children to become more adventurous and offer them more challenging activities. If it’s cold outside, parents and children can always wear their cold weather gear to do moderate physical activities such as skiing or sledding.

Contact Playdays Academy

To learn more ways to inspire your children to get outdoors, contact Playdays Academy today.

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How To Make The Holiday Season Special For Your Little Ones

The holidays are a special time of year for everyone and this is especially true for children. They see the holidays in a different light than we do and that can often make this time of year even more magical for them. Where we see the stress of shopping for the perfect gifts for everyone on our list and planning holiday parties and family get-togethers, they see sparkling lights, candy canes and beautifully wrapped presents with shiny bows.

But, sometimes, the holidays can start to lose its magic as our children become just as preoccupied as we are. It’s then that we have to step in and make the holiday season that much more special for them.

If you are looking for ways to make the holidays special for your little ones, keep reading for some tips that will show you how to do just that.

Ways To Make The Holiday Season Special For Your Little Ones

Bake Something- whether it snowman cookies, Rugelach, or their favourite holiday pies, baking with your children is always a lot of fun. It can also be a learning experience as you can show them, step-by-step how to mix ingredients, or teach them a Christmas or Hanukkah story while waiting for cookies to bake.

See The Holiday Lights- whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, the holiday lights are always a beautiful sight to see. Find a local holiday light show or a neighbourhood where the decorations are especially beautiful.

Make A Holiday Craft- holiday crafts are a fun way to spend a snowy day inside. Light up your walkway with Hanukkah luminaries, make snowmen out of construction paper and cotton balls or create a Santa Claus craft that you can hang on your Christmas tree. There are so many holiday craft ideas that you can keep your children busy well into the New Year.

Learn Holiday Songs- traditional holiday songs can be a lot of fun for kids to sing along to. Whether it’s Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, or the Dreidel song, everyone has their favourite.

Holiday Film- there are plenty of holiday films showing this season and children love seeing their favourite holiday characters while munching on some popcorn. Take in a holiday film and make this holiday season even more special for your children.

Contact Playdays Academy

To learn more ways that you can make this holiday season even more special for your child, contact Playdays Academy today.

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Play Days Academy – Water play day !!!

water play day leicester - 1

Water Play Day !!!

Today out in the garden, we asked Alex if we can have some water. He filled up a big green bucket and tipped it into the water trough.

We looked around the garden and saw the green powder paint on the table. “that would look good in our water” we thought! So that’s what we did.

The water turned green so we used pots, tubs and scoops to run it down the guttering. It went from the top all the way into the water trough really fast!!

Afterwards, we used the green water and paintbrushes to paint the train green Water play is fun ?

water play day leicester - 2

 

Local child care nursery

For more information about our Day Child care Nursery services, nursery fees, holiday care, toddler care and enrolment procedure, please download our prospectus. We are Located in the Glen Parva area of Leicester, our nursery is suitable for those living or working in South Wigston, Enderby, Oadby, Narborough, Whetstone and south Leicester. To book an appointment you can call us on 01162 788 782 or email us at play.days.academy@outlook.com

Dinosaur Hunt Day

dinasaur hunt day - path behind the nursery

At our Play Days Academy nursery in Leicester; today we went on a Dinosaur hunt day with our nursery children and nursery staff.  We got ourselves all ready in our wellies and high Viz vests and off we went. We were very exited for this event, we had made a plan for the hunt. We decided all the children will follow the staff members and every one will look for dinosaurs.

 

We walked along the lane just behind the nursery, looking for evidence of dinosaurs. We had to listen hard to see if we could hear any…. We heard lots of birds singing! We had to fight our way through the long grass, luckily there was a pathway to walk along.

dinosaur hunt day leicester - kids looking for dinasaurs

 

When we got to the woods, we had a good look for dinosaur bones on the floor, in the bushes and in the tress. We collected lots of bones (twigs & stones) and leaves to take back to our nursery.

dinosaur hunt day leicester - children collection bones

 

 

After such a lovely day, every one was hungry, so we all gathered and we had our snacks. Before going back we counted all the children and the staff members. Luckily every one was present, no one was left behind for the dinosaurs.  We started walking back to our nursery with all the wonderful memories.

dinosaur hunt day leicester - Children eating snacks

 

What an exciting adventure we had ?

Our Child Care Nursery

For more information about our Day Child care Nursery services, nursery fees, holiday care, toddler care and enrolment procedure, please download our prospectus. We are Located in the Glen Parva area of Leicester, our nursery is suitable for those living or working in South Wigston, Enderby, Oadby, Narborough, Whetstone and south Leicester. To book an appointment you can call us on 01162 788 782 or email us at play.days.academy@outlook.com

Our New Nursery Website

New nursery website design

In this blog post we would like to introduce our Day ChildCare Nursery. Last month, Plays Days Academy Ltd. in Glen Parva Leicester, launched its new website. Our old website was dated and we hired a professional website agency to build our new website. In our Nursery website you can clearly see the services we provide, our services include Toddler day childcare services, Baby childcare services, Pre school services and we are also introducing Holiday play schemes for Local children living in Glen Parva, Wigston, South Wigston, Blaby and South Leicester. We welcome children from all backgrounds and we provide quality childcare at affordable prices. If you are interested, you can download our welcome pack from our website. On our website you can also see parent reviews, our history page, our nursery staff and nursery admission procedures. We have tried our best to provide you with all the information required for Nursery admission procedure.

 

 

Summer holiday care in Glen Parva Leicester

 

Our Nursery is surrounded by fields and farm animals, which makes us unique and different from other local nurseries. Our Nursery children regularly interact with nature and our nursery animals, which helps them in their development. To find our exact location you can click on the google map added in our website or you can simply type “play days academy” in google maps. Most Nurseries in Leicester have limited parking for parents, which can make it difficult to drop off and collect your child. Our Nursery has ample parking and we are located on a quiet street.

To find out more about our Nursery services and our beautiful location, you can fill out our online form or you can send us an email to play.days.academy@outlook.com . To speak with our Nursery manager please call 01162788782. Don’t forget to download our welcome pack which contains lots of important information.