Island Village Childcare

05/30/2026

By age three, a child's brain has built most of the language pathways it will ever use. The raw material for that construction is words. Heard words. Spoken words. Repeated words.

And not all words count equally.

Research on the "word gap" found that children in language rich homes hear 30 million more words by age three than children in language poor homes. That gap predicts vocabulary size, reading readiness, and even IQ. The difference is not intelligence. It is exposure.

Here is what does not count. Television playing in the background. Arguments. Chaotic noise. The brain filters out sounds that are not directed at the child. What counts is face to face interaction. Narration of daily life. And most efficiently, reading aloud.

Five minutes of reading a day exposes a child to vocabulary they rarely hear in conversation. "Curious." "Enormous." "Whispered." Words that build the architecture for later reading comprehension.

You do not need hours. You need consistency. One board book at bedtime. One silly rhyming book in the morning. That is it.

The catch up window is real. Early intervention is more effective than later remediation. But it is never too late to start. Read to your baby tomorrow. Their brain is listening.

05/19/2026

Since July 2024, the Child Care Employment Award has helped staff in licensed child care programs access more affordable child care for their own children. While this two-year pilot program will end in June 2026, many participating families also qualified for CCAP, and that support remains available after the pilot ends.

Beginning 6/27/26, families who had their CCAP parent fee covered through the Employment Award will be responsible for paying their assigned parent fee directly to their child care provider.

If you need child care assistance or additional resources, please review the image below. Families can apply for CCAP through the Family Portal: https://som04.my.site.com/family/s/

05/10/2026

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to our wonderful IVC mothers! May your day be filled with love and relaxation.

05/08/2026

Thank you for showing up each day!

04/08/2026

It has been a while since our last update, and we are thrilled to share our current endeavors. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring. In all seriousness, we are committed to learning through play.

Utilizing the chalk wall is an effective way to develop the gross and fine motor skills that are essential for future writing.

Dramatic play is a valuable tool for fostering imagination and social connections.

Recess, which comprises running, climbing, sliding, and exploring, is perfect for developing gross motor skills.

The activity depicted, where children match colored pompoms with clothespins to corresponding bunnies, supports a range of skills, including color recognition, fine motor development, matching, and focus.

Our infants and toddlers are enjoying exploratory play with colors and textures.

The impressive line formation as we head out for recess is a testament to their excellent direction-following skills.

We have openings for enrollment in our infant-toddler room! Not ready? Request being added to our waitlist! Let’s chat!

03/17/2026

The first couple weeks of after school care have been a lot of fun! As you can see we are keeping them busy, or maybe they are keeping us busy?!? 🤔😆🤔

02/19/2026

In school settings, big behaviors are often labeled as sensory needs, but many times, the root cause is emotional and relational, not sensory input.

A child may look “sensory” when they are actually:
• overwhelmed
• anxious
• frustrated
• unsure
• disconnected from adults

⸻

💛 Co-Regulation Addresses the Nervous System First

Before sensory tools can work, the nervous system needs to feel safety.

Co-regulation provides:
• a calm adult presence
• emotional validation
• predictability
• support through stress

Without this foundation, sensory tools often become:
• avoidance tools
• power struggles
• temporary fixes

⸻

Sensory Tools Don’t Teach Regulation on Their Own

Weighted items, fidgets, movement breaks, and calm corners are helpful, but they don’t teach regulation unless paired with an adult.

Kids don’t automatically learn:
• when to use tools
• why they help
• how to calm their body

That learning happens through co-regulation.

02/16/2026

02/14/2026

February is all about love. Love for our families, our friends, and a love for learning.

💗A field trip to Eldercare for a special story time! Children are working together, learning how to walk safely with the walking rope. They are using their listening and receptive language skills, and practicing manners.

💗Vertical drawing! Did you know vertical drawing works both big and little muscles needed for writing later on?

💗Sensory play encourage children to explore a variety of textures and materials using their senses!

💗Free choice play provides opportunities for independent learning with peers!

02/06/2026

It’s been a fun and busy week at IVC!

🌀Puzzles are fantastic for cultivating fine motor skills, spatial awareness, memory and problem solving skills.

🌀Games support cognitive, social-emotional, and memory development.

🌀Winter recess provides children with an opportunity to develop gross motor skills, but also gives them a chance to take safe risks. Safe risks build confidence and independence.