Children's Developmental Center of Raeford

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the best time to start potty training is when your child shows an interest in wearing “big boy” or “big girl” underpants or when they begin complaining about a soiled diaper and wanting to be changed. This usually happens around 18 to 21 months of age, but it may be later depending on the child.

According to the AAP, before you begin potty training, your child should be able to:

• Pull their pants up and down
• Understand and respond to directions
• Imitate others
• Show independence and readiness to learn to use the potty
• Come to you when they need their diaper changed
• Wait two hours or longer before urinating and passes stool three or fewer times per day

Learn more here: https://f.mtr.cool/mrgmnqhmze

Matching hearts activity using magnetic tiles 💜

These simple tips and activities can improve the way kids hold their pencils! ✏️

✍️ Draw, write, or color in prone position

✍️ Use shortened writing utensils like library or gold pencils

✍️ Break crayons into smaller pieces and use for coloring

✍️ Draw, write, or paint on a vertical surface

✍️ Work on core strength! Remember, proximal stability is the foundation for distal mobility.

✍️ Use colored tape to mark where kids should grasp their pencil

✍️ Try tucking a small object like a bead into the child’s 4th and 5th fingers while they grasp a pencil. This will promote the use of the “tripod fingers”.

Want the free pencil grasp handout? Leave a ✍️ in the comments and we’ll send it your way!

🍎 Kindergarten Registration and NC Pre-K Applications are NOW OPEN! 🍎

👉All Hoke County students who will be 5 years old by Aug. 31, 2026, are eligible for Kindergarten for the 2026-2027 School Year. Kindergarten students who register early may be eligible to attend Rising Stars, a FREE Kindergarten Readiness Summer Program.

Start your child's registration here:
https://www.hcs.k12.nc.us/family-resources/student-enrollment

Students Registering for Kindergarten Need:
⭐Certified birth certificate
⭐Immunization Record
⭐Proof of residence (current mortgage statement/rental contract AND current electric/water bill, AND current identification)

👉If you are interested in your child attending NC Pre-K during the 2026-2027 school year, they must be 4 years old by Aug. 31, 2026.

Students Registering for NC Pre-K Need:
⭐Certified birth certificate
⭐Immunization Record
⭐Proof of residence (current mortgage statement/rental contract, AND current electric/water bill, AND current identification)

👉Pre-K Applications can be found here:
https://www.hcs.k12.nc.us/departments/pre-kindergarten/pre-k-application-documents

Sing & Speak: Songs for Speech Development 🗣️ ✨

📚✨ Kindergarten Registration & Pre-K Applications Events! ✨📚

Hoke County Elementary Schools are offering in-person events for Kindergarten registration and Pre-K applications for the 2026–2027 school year! These in-person events give families the opportunity to ask questions and connect directly with school staff.

❓ Who is eligible?
• Kindergarten Registration: Any Hoke County students who will be 5 years old by August 31, 2026
• Pre-K Application: Hoke County students who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2026 (application required)

📂Required Kindergarten Documents:
• Certified Birth Certificate
• Immunization Record
• Proof of residence (current mortgage statement/rental contract AND current electric/water bill AND current identification)

📂Required Documents for NC Pre-K:
• Certified birth certificate
• Proof of residence (current mortgage statement/rental contract AND current electric/water bill AND current identification)
• Proof of income (4 weekly/2 bi-weekly pay stubs, W2s, employer statements, disability, Military LES or child support statements)

We’re excited to welcome our newest students and families—the journey starts here! 💙✏️

Children’s rhythm skills are strongly linked to early language and reading development. Studies have found that preschoolers who can clap, tap, or move in time with a beat tend to perform better on early literacy measures, such as phonological awareness and word recognition. This is because rhythm and reading share underlying neural processes involving timing, prediction, and auditory processing.

Brain recordings show that children with stronger rhythm skills have more precise neural responses to speech sounds, allowing them to segment words into syllables and phonemes more effectively.

In 2024, researchers extended this understanding by using a rhythm-based training game with elementary students. After six weeks, the children who practiced rhythmic tasks showed measurable improvements in reading fluency compared to a control group.

Scientists think this happens because reading is inherently rhythmic: the brain must synchronize to the cadence of language, anticipate upcoming sounds, and map them to meaning. Engaging in rhythm games or musical play seems to train these timing mechanisms, giving children a cognitive boost that helps reading come more naturally.

Find a list of 30+ materials to use to promote fine motor skills in toddlers and preschoolers, along with activities to do with them.

https://handsonaswegrow.com/objects-fine-motor-skills/

🧩 Did you know that “bilateral coordination” means using both sides of the body together smoothly? It’s super important for things like tying shoes, cutting with scissors, eating, and so much more!

✨ What our top picks for Toys & activities that encourage both arms to work together help build motor planning, strength, & coordination? Drop a 👏🏼 below. ✨

Why Rereading Books to Kids Is Great 📚✨

I know the Little Blue Truck, Pout-Pout Fish, and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom hate to see us coming lol!😅