Skills Your Child Will Develop in Preschool and Kindergarten

In Preschool and Kindergarten, children lay the groundwork for academic success while learning how to interact socially, manage their emotions, and work with peers. At the French American Academy, we focus on developing these skills and easing children’s transition into preschool by using consistent methods and tools, such as the Responsive Classroom approach, which nurtures […]

A Season of Learning: Supporting Summer Reading Goals

For students entering second grade and up, the French American Academy teachers assign summer reading tasks, activities, and challenges to ensure that students retain their reading stamina and skills. We do this because it’s very helpful for preventing the dreaded “summer slide” (more on that here), and because it’s useful for students to return to […]

What’s the Difference Between Pre-K and Kindergarten?

The Difference Between Pre-K and Kindergarten

One of the most common questions we receive from both current and prospective FAA families is “What’s the difference between Pre-K and Kindergarten?”. In our bilingual school, where we draw from both French and American practices, how are children ushered from 2 to 6 years old and made ready for the first grade? In this […]

Scrolling into Slumber: The impact of electronic device usage on sleep

Phone usage before bed

March 10-16 was national Sleep Awareness Week, and it got us thinking about the importance of a good bedtime routine for students, whose minds are rapidly developing and who need many hours of restorative, high-quality sleep every night. Longitudinal studies of adolescents have shown a clear correlation between late night phone or tablet use and […]

Benefits of Spending Time in Nature for Children

Does anyone else hear their mother’s voice identifying plants in their head, or is that just me?  As I walk around Jersey City every spring, she constantly pipes up:                 Ooh, look at the little crocuses popping up!                 There are the daffodils […]