Early Children Education

Early Child Development

2010-09-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Children quickly grow their own personality, and it is the most vital task of the parents to help develop it and give it a shape. Children who have parents who help them at home and stay in touch with the school do better academically than children of similar aptitude and family background whose parents are not involved.

Children who learn quickly and who are stimulated by games, books, drawing, and looking around their world will help them become better observers, problem solvers, and innovative thinkers when they grow up. Children are incredibly perceptive in early development, and while it is true that the primary imprinters on a child's psyche are his/her parents, second to that are his/her peers. Children have an amazing ability to learn, but their vast brain potential is not always nurtured to the fullest extent.

The concept and related success of early child education is simple. Most of a child's education is focused on development of mathematical and language skills.

5 Steps in Children Education Planning

2010-09-15T08:17:00.000-07:00

All parents know that it is a well-known fact that educating children is very expensive. Should you choose to send your children to boarding school costs could vary from $25000-$50000 per year Day school could cost approximately half of that.

Here are 5 steps to help your financial planning of your children's education.

One. Make an accurate estimates of the educational costs. First on the list would be tuition fees, and you must try to anticipate the rise in fees over the next several years until the child finally graduates. Equipment such as books and supplies also form a main part of education expenses include such things as pens, paper, photocopying and other expenses that should be included. Don't forget to Include school uniforms, school outings, school camps, recreational activities and any extra tuition fees.

Two. Parents must identify available sources for funding for child's education. Look into the possibility of where funds can be arranged. Is there any financial aid which is available from the beginning of your child's educational career? Often assistance can depend upon the total amount of the school fees and also how much the school really wants that particular child to enrol and whether the school gives scholarships. A great idea is always make a short list of schools and see what every schools can offer to your particular child. There are also many local groups and religious groups that provide scholarships.

Three. Payment options. Parents must look into possible payment options that are made available by the institution or school being considered.

Four. Parents are always advised to start saving for their child's education as early as possible. Young couples starting off in life should consider beginning a savings bank account to cater for future child's educational needs.

Five. Parents could consider developing an investment strategy. This is advisable so that you are better able to afford your child's education. Savings alone may not be enough, whereas savings wisely invested may go to cover the full cost of your child's education.

Education for Sustainable Development and Schools

2010-09-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

ESD for child development Educational research can tell us a lot of how to make use of education for sustainable development for child development.

The most important fact might be that ESD is an excellent frame for the empowerment of children. When we respect each individual child for its ideas and opinion, and at the same time bring the child into challenging learning situations we facilitate empowerment of the child.

Developing self esteem and empowerment goes hand in hand in education for sustainable development. A proper self esteem is such an important part of successful child development.

Another important fact is that ESD is a productive frame for meaningful learning. Opposite to rote learning and the acquisition of facts without much understanding meaningful learning situations help the child to engage fully in the teaching. By working with real problems the child can develop much better understanding of concepts and skills from the schools core curriculum in a meaningful context. The key to that is the opportunity to use and reflect on these 'traditional' ingredients of classic schooling in the meaningful contexts derived from the focus on sustainable development.

Education for sustainable development and schools Some schools have focused on the beautification of their school environment. This might help the school's prestige in the local society but it isn't helpful for education for sustainable development unless it happens as the students' project.

Similarly some schools have put a lot of emphasis in making the school buildings more 'green' with solar power panels, recycling systems, water conservation measures and tree planting around the school. Again, such initiatives are only valuable for the learning of the students if they are planned as student projects. You cannot evaluate the quality of a school's work with education for sustainable development from a picture of the school.

Child Education and the Parents

2010-09-15T08:10:00.000-07:00

The best old adage that says "children are the leaders of tomorrow" is exactly an indisputable truth and should not be ignored. As a result of this, children's education should be taken very serious and parents should not leave it up to schools alone. Schools tried their best, but the sole responsibilities lie on the parents, because they are suppose to give the child a head start in life than what is being taught in schools.

Schools are being directed by professional teachers and they can only perform within the dictate of their professional ethics. For example if a child lagged behind in any subject, it is the responsibility of the school to make sure that the child is able to cope with the subject based on the teacher's expertise and the school's approved standard of effective tutoring, anything that falls out this could be considered poor performance. This is to say that, parents should step up and do something to make sure that the child is able meet up and pass any of the difficult subjects - but not going to the school and be harassing the innocent teachers.

Parents can help the schools by encouraging the child to attend extra classes outside of school hours, with the aims of helping to boost the school efforts in the child's education. For example, in the Asian countries, children's education is on their top economic priorities, most students attends extra classes after schools hours and they all tried to learn English, because they know that they are going to have a better chance of securing good job after their education.

But, the attitude of parents towards children's education in some western countries is nothing to write home about. This is due to the advent of technology; students can close from schools to a place of fun or can even get busy by spending the rest of the day chatting with friends - it is not good for a child's future and parents must do something about it.

I am of the opinion that, it has to do with parent's attitudes toward the future. Some decades ago, things have been going smoothly and children did not need to worry about the future, this is due to the solid foundation laid by our founding fathers. But now, the attitudes has changed children education has been completely handed over to teachers and parents have forgotten; that tender motherly love and the soothing fatherly word of a caring father can do spur that child to the next level of educational achievement.

Getting Fun by Learning with Child Educational Toys

2010-09-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

Toys at Different Stage

A child educational toy should be brightly colorful and have the ability to entice and draw the attention of a child. Red, white and black are the first noticeable colors in the eyes of infants. The eye-catching hues help the child to get drawn towards the toys and get a hold of it. The various aspects of the child educational toys stimulate the sensory organs and stir interest amongst the infants who can hardly understand anything.

The infancy stager of a child is characterized by inquisitiveness. But once they grow up they can solve their queries by asking many questions. With the passing of years, the maturation of their body parts contributes a lot to the development of the motor skills. The varied types of toys like the building blocks, puzzles, stuffed toys, reading and coloring books, arts and crafts material helps a lot to boost a child's' imagination capability and creativity.

When a child steps into a school, he or she is open to a lot of obscure faces. Gradually the child learns to interact and play with his or her classmates and teachers. When the child grows a little the surrounding atmosphere becomes very amicable and a lot more casual. At this stage the various child educational toys are useful and enable them to enhance their educational skills. Games like balls, skipping ropes, board games and playing cards hone their skills and teach them a lot.

About Educational Toys

Good bonding with your child is very essential as it can drive away their shyness and aid them to win their fears. Nowadays most of the parents are working and can hardly squeeze out time for their children. Therefore, they try to compensate their prolonged absence by gifting toys. Hence the demand for educational toys has escalated in the recent years. The manufacturers have taken great pain and labor in researching and understanding the child's psychology and creating toys that will accomplish their demands.

A few examples of child's educational toys incorporate math basics, geography and variety of games that enhance the analytical skills, kids spelling and many more. In the recent years demand of the educational toys has amplified because children now prefer those toys with which they can actively interact than the usual stuffed toys.

Play is not merely a passing of time but plays a pivotal role in improving a child's emotional and learning capability. Playing enables to widen a child's capacity and maximize his potentiality. Remember that different child have different development pace and hence should be tackled differently. Do not force your thoughts on your child. A child may love to play with the same toy day after day. But another child may quickly lose interest in a particular toy after some time. You should understand this difference and meet their demands accordingly.

Once equipped with a child educational toy, your child is open to a myriad of activities, which makes the game more interesting. Hasbrow's Baby Einstein Company is recently creating waves in this arena. Besides, playing with the toys encourage the children to learn music, art, language and poetry.

To name a few interesting toys the Leapfrog's Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set, the Fisher Price's Laugh and Learn Home and Leapfrog LeapStart learning Table are very educative and lots of entertaining.

Hence, there is a variety of choice for your child but you should buy something, which is quite apt for your child.

Single Parent Role in Child Education

2010-09-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

Single parent role in child education may seem difficult to achieve, but it isn't as difficult as you think, and the benefits make it all worth it.

Benefits of Parental Role in Child Education

A parent's role in their children's school and academic life has a positive impact on their child's success, not only in school, but later in life. The more a parent becomes involved in their child's education, the more likely the child is to score higher than average grades, and have a positive attitude towards school and homework. The children are also more likely to pursue higher education.

Given the benefits, for some parents, however, involvement in their child's education may seem unworkable, and is true especially for working and single parents. Single parent involvement in child education is a challenge. Single parents feel they may not be able to contribute to their child's learning or to their child's school because of endless commitments to work, time constraints, and financial struggles.

It is possible to get involved in your child's education!

Difficult as it seems, it is absolutely crucial for parents to find the time to participate in their child's education. Single parent involvement in child education may currently seem unattainable, but take heart, there are simple things single or working parents can do to further their child's education and ability to learn.

Single parent involvement in child education may be as simple as finding out what your child is being taught in school and asking them about their day. Single parents can try alternative ways to become involved in their child's education, such as quiz your child as you make dinner, have a mock "at home spelling bee" on the weekends or make the most of the morning drive by popping an educational CD into the car stereo when bringing your child to school.

Single parents can set aside time during the evenings to read to or just spend time talking with their children. Single parents should also put together a schedule and set specific times for homework and tutoring to take place. Clearing a space for your child to study will help reinforce the importance of focus while engaging in school work.

If possible, single parent involvement in child education should extend to the classroom. Periodically, single parents can attend parent-teacher conferences, and other school events, or join the PTA.

Enrolling a child in team sports, music lessons or art classes can help boost a child's capacity for learning. Though this may be a big commitment of time on the parent's part, it will pay dividends down the road, as children learn valuable interaction skills and benefit from a more rounded education through active learning.

The Right Education For Children

2010-08-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

In this modern era, everything is become very easy for you. Today, there are many things that you can do if you want to make your children become more successful. You can send your children in the best school or you can find the special education program for your children.

The participation of parent in children’s growth is become very important. If they are educated by their own parents they will be more educated and close with their family. Besides that, it will be very important for you to help them grow in the right environment. Sometimes it is not easy for the parents to educate their children by themselves. If it is happen, today you can try to use educate software child. It is become one of the most popular software that you can use to educate your child. You will get the guidance in how to teach your children. It will be worth it to try for you if you are giving your own body’s to teach your child.

It will be important for the parent to keep their children happy and healthy to bring a better life for them. Parents become the key to help the self-discipline of children and also bring a positive character for their own child.

Parenting Exhortation for your Children

2010-08-27T10:44:00.008-07:00

If you want to make your children become more successful in the future, there are many things that you should do. The most important thing that you should do to make your children growth well is by finding the right education since they are children.

The development of children will be affected by many aspects such as the environment, parents’ education, and the education from their school. Exhortation or education for their parents is become the most important thing that will determines the characteristic of your children. It will affect the growth and the developed of your children to become an adult. Because of development is known as the transaction between your child and their environment, it will be better for you to maintain the growth of your children. The environment will help the children to reach their full potential. Besides that, parents will have the big part of children life to maintain the potential of their children. You should make sure that you will have a time to stay close with your children.

By giving child family development, you can help your children to grow in the right way. By giving the best education for your children, you can help them to reach success in their future.

Early Childhood Education

2010-08-27T10:44:00.007-07:00

Early Childhood Education for your Children

If you have a child, there are many things that you should prepare. It will be better for you if you prepare the right education for your children. It will be better for you if you try to find the education from the basic step for your children. You should find what kind of education will be suitable for your children.

Today, the benefits of early childhood education have been popular since long time ago. Based on a deep research, you will get some benefits if you give early education for your children. Early childhood education is also known as an organization which is practice to educate early childhood. It will be better for you to give the right education at the most vulnerable stages in people’s life. By giving the right education at the first year, you will get help to build the sense of self for your children. Besides that, it will be very helpful to build your children first identity.

It will be the most important part for you if you give early education for your children. You can easily help your children to have a relation with their friends, know more about this world, and find their identity.

Do Kids Really Need Preschool Education?

2010-08-27T10:44:00.006-07:00

It is a common fact that lots of parents send their toddler to preschool at age of 3 or 3.5 years old. However, there’s still a long lasting debate about the necessary of preschool in child education. There are divided opinions about pros and cons of preschool education for early childhood.

The pros of preschool education argue that kids could get benefits from preschool as they can obtain building blocks for their formal education as they are introduced to classroom situation earlier. Kids could also learn about social life as they interact with kids and adults at preschool. Another reason is the fact that most working parents couldn’t give full day care to their kids. By sending their kids to full day preschool child care, they could be sure that their kids are on the right supervision.

The cons on preschool education noted that the fact that early childhood is better spent at home. Kids could build better building blocks on their knowledge and social life as long as their parents committed to their developing factors. However, researches have shown that preschool education could give benefits to adulthood, including their academic journey. Off course, those benefits could only be obtained from high quality preschools with properly educated teachers and class ratio as well as fine quality programs.

If Can Train Toddler at Home Whether Preschool is still needed

2010-08-27T10:44:00.005-07:00

There is still a long lasting debate about the necessity of preschool education. More and more parents are willing to send their children to preschool as they believe their children could get lots of benefits from early education program.

As a matter a fact, most of programs as well as benefits from preschool could be obtained at home. If you are a non-working housewife and spend your day with your kids at home, you don’t need to spend lots of money to pay preschool education. You can give the same education form your toddler. There are lots of toddler education resources you can find from many books as well as from internet. The most important thing is you should give your toddler full attention as well as participate him on your activities. You need to give narrative to all activities to stimulate his language and thinking development. Don’t hesitate to enjoy physical activities with your toddler such as running, galloping, and many more.

There are many different educational books and toys you could buy for your toddler. Off course you need to select the proper ones with his age and off course, it should be attractive and interactive. Since this is the computer era, you can also buy educational software and play it with your toddler. You can also build his social skill by participating him in your social life such as shopping, walking and playing at park, and many more.

Maintain the Development of your Children

2010-08-27T10:44:00.004-07:00

Every child has the different potential in their life. If they want to explore their own potential, there are many things that the parents should do. Giving the right education will become a good choice for you. It will be better for you if you find the potential of your children and you explore it.

Child development is referring to psychological and the biological changes which will occur in every human between their birth and the end of their adolescence. It is become the most important individual progress which will happen in every people. There are many aspects which will be influence people’s growth such as genetic factors, prenatal life, and environment. As a parent, you will have the most difficult task that you should do. You should make sure that your children will have the best education to become successful when they reach their future. Based on that fact, you should follow the development of your children to maintain their growth.

You should know more about the skill of your children. After that, you can support your children to improve their skill. By giving a big support to your children, you will get some pleasure. You can also send your children in a special school which will help them to improve their skills.

Child Care Education

2010-08-27T10:44:00.003-07:00

Becoming Good and Professional Tutor

If you have lots of enthusiasm on early childhood education, you could consider becoming good tutor as your future career. Well, it isn’t like the image of nasal-voiced Fran fine from The Nanny TV series but it is a fact that there is an increasing demand of good tutor today.

The term of good tutor has lots more qualifications than tutor profession years ago. Good tutor needed these days is professionals with knowledge in early childhood care and education or known today as child care professional. This profession offers prospective career opportunity as well as promising income. To become professional on early child care, off course you need to have particular qualifications. College degree in early childhood education will be needed if you are willing to become preschool teachers of home schooling tutors as well as day care facility directors.

But if you are willing to become daycare professionals, college degree isn’t an absolute qualification. There are many child care training programs available with only months of duration. Even you can obtain it from online education without residency program. Don’t hesitate to learn more from National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP) for good qualification on child care as well as accredited education and training programs for early childhood education and day care.

Learning Music and Learning Life

2010-08-27T10:44:00.002-07:00

Music Education for Child

Music is one of the highest expressions of artistry. It is an important part of our life and good music could help us build proper moods. Music is also an important part of child education. It is a huge part of school education in all levels and even since their early childhood.

Lots of studies have shown that music could boost brain development even for babies inside the wombs. We all know Mozart Effects isn’t it? Babies and toddlers are also get benefits if they are exposed with appropriate music. As music could stimulate brain development and function, children could get advantages on math, language, and any creative capacity imaginable. Music education for child should be diverged based on age brackets and educational needs. On early childhood music education designed to combine music, story, movement, and exploration on all musical instruments. At the higher levels, children could be urged to learn music theory as well as playing specific instruments and participating on music ensemble.

There are several well known methods for music education for children. Kindermusik and Music-in-the Box is among the notable music learning methods for early childhood combining music with movement, picture books to encourage language and reading development. Kodaly method is well known for its emphasis on singing for child music education while Suzuki method is focusing on learning specific instruments.

Giving Attention For your Child Development

2010-08-27T10:44:00.001-07:00

There are so many things that you should do if you want to keep your child’s education. Your children will become the most important part for your better life. Every parent is wished to make their own child feels success in their life. If they want to do that, it is better for every parent to give the best education for their own child.

Today, there are many kinds of education that you can find to improve your children’s brain. If you want to give education for your children, the first thing that you should do is find some information about it first. You should make sure that you will give the right education for your children. It will be the crucial thing for you to maintain child development. Development is known as the result of transaction between the child and the environment. Each result will be affected with the development of traits and skills. Besides that, the right frequency, intensity and quality of the interaction between environment and your children will affected the resulting potential of your child.

It will be better for the parents to concern more about what’s your children needs. You can give the guidance for your children activity such as video gaming, internet, music, videos, and many more to maintain their development.

Education For Special Child

2010-08-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Trained Dogs Could Assist Special Education for Autistic Children

There is a rising number of children with autism. Since autism needs special treatments, there is a huge demand of special education for children with autism. One of the latest methods used in special education for autism children is using service dogs to assist them to become independence.

We all know that children and dogs are perfect combination. It is by nature that children tend to love dogs and dogs are willing to take children as their own pack. Service dogs are trained dogs for special purposes and the used of therapy dogs to assist children with reading and speaking abilities are widely practiced. With service dog assistance, an autistic child could give calming influence and security to help the child access different environments independently. Service dog assistance could also prevent autistic child from wandering away and could search and track the child when it happens.
It is also proven by several studies that service dog could prevent and stop repetitive behaviors by nudging the child. Day to day interaction with service dog could also develop social skill and the autistic child will engage more on social activities and social tasks. Although the reasons aren’t clearly known, it is also proven that service dog assistance could help autistic child to focus more on their academic and social tasks.

Developmentally Suitable Fine Motor Skills

2010-08-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you know that I forgot the most important part of the discussion during my last entry about the triangular crayons. The most important part of that issue is not the crayon staying on the table, it is how the shape of the crayon will help young children develop fine motor skills.

During my 30+ years working in classrooms as a teacher and supervisor, I am continually reminded that we push young children into a corner with many activities that we plan and materials that we use. Early in my years of teaching kindergarten I re-discovered a monumental truth taught to me many years ago. Back in the 'olden days' my first grade teacher had it right. She insisted that we use large 'horse-leg' pencils during that first year of school (we didn't do much during the six-week summer preschool they called kindergarten back in the day). Mrs. Conklin seemed to know that our fine-motor skills were still in development. In keeping with that thinking as a teacher, I began using large-size crayons and pencils for the first half of the kindergarten year. Come January, I would slowly transition the children to standard-size instruments.

All I know is that my children consistently wrote, drew, painted and did everything better by the end of that school year. I felt it was one of my contributions to recognizing there are developmental stages to fine motor skills. Can young children write with regular pencils and crayons? Sure. But, I have observed children having difficulty with fine motor control. A child in that situation is encouraged practice. Perhaps instead of encouraging practice the adult should give the child more appropriate materials to use for her developmental level.

Now, these new triangular crayons and pencils can serve the same purpose. They give a slightly larger surface area and great angles for children to develop those skills.

Triangular Crayons

2010-07-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, a product comes along that makes life so much easier. Sometimes it is the simplest of creations, but it changes the way things are done. Think of Post-It notes. A simple thing that changed the world.

My latest thrilling product is triangular-shaped crayons! I know, I know, crayons, markers and pencils that shape have been around for a while, but not very accessible. I'm so excited that Colorations came up with a classroom pack of these beauties. Just think, no more crayons rolling on the floor. These wonders stay where they are placed. I am packaging little bags of the crayons to take with me to restaurants when I take my grandkids. I have already had servers ask me where to get them. They really are the answer for child-friendly food establishments. It will be so nice not to be crawling under the booth to retrieve a crayon which rolled away from your child. That will make the eating experience much more positive.

I also like these for the classroom. I am sure the number of crayons I picked up from the floor number in the millions. I like the idea of having crayons take up residency on the table and stay there. I guess it doesn't take much to make me happy.

To the Left or to the Right way?

2010-07-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I ran into these two signs in Hawaii. One arrow says, "Parking Lot this Way" and the second arrow pointing in the opposite direction says, "One Way." Sometimes life gives us mixed messages so that we are not sure which road to take.

As I have the opportunity to be in many classrooms each year, I often see and hear mixed messages given to the children in our classes. However, I think the mixed message that disturbs me the most is something that I observe on a regular basis. I hear teachers say, "Now, follow my directions and do exactly as I say so that you can get the right answer." Then I hear the same teacher say during a different activity, "Use your imagination, be creative. This is your project." It is no surprise to me that we are unable to get children to be creative and to develop thinking skills. The school system is so busy trying to get the children to conform to school requirements that there is little time and effort given to teach independent thinking skills.

To me, this part of education is a conflict and a mixed message. Being creative and developing thinking skills is like following the parking lot sign which is heading in the opposite direction from the world of education which continually says, "one way."

Creative Art Directions

2010-05-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have continued to get feedback for my blog entry a couple of months ago about disliking coloring books or pre-printed pages. I have been told there is a time and a place, but I'm still not on board with using such creativity-killing materials. I was reminded again this weekend when I was watching my grandchildren paint with tempera paint cakes. I watched the process unfold as I have many times. Creating their own pictures allow children to:
- develop organizational skills
- test experimentation skills
- explore decision-making skills
- be supported in creativity
Children that are immersed in these types of activities jump right into the project when they see what materials are available. Compare these children to those who wait to be encouraged and to see what the adult wants them to do. There is no comparison. Children who can organize, experiment, make decisions and create will always be more successful. They have the ability to think. Thinking is a good thing.

Beautiful Snake

2010-05-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

Snake lovers don't be upset, but I hate snakes. I know you can list all of the wonderful aspects of the reptiles, but I just can't make myself like snakes. I get very agitated and uncomfortable if there is a snake in the room. I have nothing against people who love them, just don't make me get close. I was reminded of this again on Sunday when we had Mother's Day dinner at a relative's home. Her daughter just got a pet snake. Everyone was raving about how beautiful the snake is with it's black and red stripes. Ugh! Beautiful and snake do not belong in the same sentence in my vocabulary. They also mentioned that the snake had escaped from his cage last week and they didn't find him until the next day. If that happened at my house, there is only one thing I would say...hotel.

As an early childhood educator, I want my students to discover everything they can about our natural world. I always prefer taking children to the zoo to see live animals as opposed to the natural history museum filled with the stuffed version. But, I always drew the line at snakes. I assigned that to another adult to supervise. Bessssss...they give me the creeps. I will continue to encourage and assist children in finding out about the natural world. But, for snakes, they can go to my relative's house. Their snake is beaut.... OK.

A Playground on Rock

2010-04-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

We went on a family outing to southern Utah this past weekend. We were able to see Canyonlands and Natural Bridges National Parks. It was a nice adventure and I was very impressed with the Native America Petroglyphs that we were able to see while hiking. Some were off the beaten path away from most tourist spots. Like young children, they were able to tell stories through pictures. A true written dialogue.
In one park we were able to see the ruins of the Anasazi from at least 700 years ago. As we were looking at the homes in the cliffs, I was struck by the thought of how difficult it would have been to allow children to safely play on the sloping rock. We don't even allow slides on school playgrounds anymore and here was an entire village on a cliff. Where was the gate for the top of the stairs? I am happy that we are so conscious of safety in our time, but I wonder if children were more prepared for life when they had to learn how to protect themselves. Perhaps many children in the 1300s lost their lives because of their lack of protection. But, it makes me wonder if sometimes we protect children so much they don't develop life skills. Maybe protect is not the correct word. Maybe it's smother. Just thinking out loud as I wonder how they stayed up there.

I Felt Like a Fool

2010-03-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

I have the opportunity to try out products for Discount School Supply on a regular basis. I was trying out some blocks a year ago and I was getting frustrated by my lack of imagination in creating something with the blocks. I gave the blocks to my grandson who was almost 3 at the time. He immediately set to work putting the blocks together. He was enthralled with the blocks for what I consider a very long time for someone who is 3. He loved them. When I was working with the blocks earlier, I was questioning how valuable they would be for preschool children. My grandson taught me a great lesson. Children know what is best for them. If given a choice, children will play all day. That is what they do. It becomes essential for those of us who work with young children to create opportunities for play. Almost every early childhood skill can be reinforced using play. Since children instinctively want to play, that should be our first clue about appropriate approaches to teaching children. It is through open-ended play the children learn to solve problems, explore the world and make decisions.

Chase Him!

2010-03-10T16:51:00.000-08:00

A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to live in Ireland for a period of time. Having that first-hand knowledge comes in handy at this time of year. When I was a classroom teacher, I always made a big deal about St. Patrick's Day. I used it as an opportunity to introduce the children to the country of Ireland and a little information about the Irish culture. Playing on the spoof of the leprechaun made the activities fun and adventurous. We would go on a Leprechaun Hunt or leave little goodies out for the little guy. In later years, I have seen my grandchildren build leprechaun traps to try to catch the perpetrator who was turning their milk green in the fridge.

I have always looked upon the tall tales of leprechauns as a folktale and true fantasy stemming from the Irish culture. Studies have been done that indicate that children build great foundations from folktales. In fact, folktales and fairytales provide an example of complete fantasy for young children. With virtual reality appearing in games and movies, it is difficult for young children to differentiate between fact and fiction. Folktales provide an opportunity for children to experience something that is complete fantasy. Folktales have no pretence of being real.

So, set up your leprechaun traps and see what happens to the young children around you

Drawing Way

2010-03-01T14:58:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my favorite 5 year-old last week about the projects she creates. I asked her, "How do you know what to make or draw?" Her answer surprised me very much. She said to me, "First you have to start with the sun." When I asked why she started with the sun, she stated it was because it was going to be a 'happy picture' (duh!) Wow, what a life lesson. Anything can be accomplished if you start with a sun. Sometimes it is a bit depressing at this time of year when we are waiting for the spring sun to start shining. My little Kaylee was telling me that sometimes we have to make our own shiny sky. If you begin with the sun, then everything following can be a happier picture.

I saw an old friend of mine this morning at the gym. He always has a smile on his face and the room just seems a little brighter when he is around. I realized he was my sun this morning and it really was like the sun starting out my day. I thought of Kaylee's advice and realized how much joy we can bring to those around us if we just 'start with the sun.' That is exactly how I felt when I was a kindergarten teacher. I guess the day is REALLY sunny with 24 suns!

Finding the Information

2010-02-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

I recently did an online interview with a representative from bizymoms.com. Of course I took the opportunity to visit their site and see what they have to offer. I found a wonderful wealth of information to help busy moms (and others) in these days of information overload.

There is such a monumental library at our disposal when we turn on our computer. I remember telling a group of students in my creativity class this spring that there was no excuse for not having documented information included in an assigned paper. When I was in school, the library was and had to be my best friend. Whenever I needed to find out more information about a subject I had two choices: interview someone who knew more about the subject than I did or go to the library and research the topic. Most of the time, I had to choose both options. I know that there are strong negatives that come with using a computer. But, the positives are so wonderful. It is a joy to type in a word and then see where it takes you in the process.

One of our new supposed-to-be-a-hen young chickens started crowing this week. This is not good as we are not allowed to keep roosters in our city boundaries. I went to the computer and learned that you can actually perform a little surgery on the rooster and take out his crowing capacity. Not that I would or could, but it was nice to know it was a possibility. No, I think that Bluebell...I mean Blue, is going to the bird rescue farm for a life in the country. I'm no surgeon, but it was fascinating to find out that there are several blogs and websites about keeping chickens in the city.

Early Childhood Joke

2010-02-01T16:18:00.000-08:00

I sometimes worry that children in this century are not allowed to really be kids. They are constantly surrounded by adult commentary and much of the television programing contains adult humor. We all laugh when a child on TV says something sarcastic or profound. Statements that in the real world usually don't occur. A college student mentioned to me recently how much she enjoyed the movie Kindergarten Cop when she was a child. I remember that movie well as I was a male kindergarten teacher at the time. The movie was funny and entertaining, but I was dismayed by the fact that most of the things the kindergartners said in that movie would not even occur to a five year-old. Again, adult humor masked as child humor.
I was observing a student teacher working in a first grade classroom the other day. She was reading a joke book (the children's choice) for a few minutes prior to leaving for the day. She told the following joke:
"Knock, Knock."
"Who's there?"
"Mississippi."
"Mississippi Who?"
"She's married to Mr. Sippi!"
The children laughed and laughed at the joke. A simple joke for a child's humor. I love to see children who are able to be children. I wish everyone could have a lengthy and humorous childhood. Maybe adulthood would be a happier experience, as well.
My second grade grandson loves jokes. I think I will go call him and tell him my latest.....

Healthy Children

2010-02-01T11:02:00.000-08:00

It is a known fact that healthy children are able to be better learners in a classroom setting. Recently, an Ultra Healthy Blog titled, “Top 50 Early Childhood Health Blogs" named the 50 top early childhood health blogs. Although my blog was named as part of the list, there are some great resources for helping to keep young children healthy.
Childhood obesity is certainly an epidemic in our country. I think my biggest frustration with this epidemic are the factors that we can do something about, such as outdoor play at school. Schools that limit or cancel outdoor play with the excuse of needing more learning time are not doing anything to help student learning. I think some schools just don't want to deal with any problems that may occur on the playground. To my way of thinking, they are sacrificing the health of the children in their care. I'm still waiting to see documented research that says cancelling recess increases student learning. I think I will be waiting a long time. All the while, young children are getting more sedentary. I think a better idea is to give teachers resources to help children stay healthy.

Coloring Books - It is not My Idea of a Good Time

2010-01-11T16:25:00.000-08:00

Any student who has taken a class from me at the university knows how I feel about coloring books and other pre-drawn images for children. Some adults tell me it is 'relaxing' for children to just color. Coloring books are designed to occupy a child's time. For some adults that is a good thing. If you have ever taken young children on a long car trip or to the doctor with a long wait, coloring books may serve a purpose. If for no other reason than to spread out the time between, "Are we there yet?" questions.
In school, however, color book-type pages are not appropriate, especially for young children. Teachers sometimes use those pages to keep a child busy so they can work with other children. Reading the research of Victor Lowenfeld, we find out that coloring book pages can take almost all creative thinking away from 50-60% of children. The other 40% may be effected as well, but may have been nourished enough to at least maintain some creativity. In fact, if a child continually uses pre-made pages, he may never be satisfied with anything that he draws. He will be upset that his drawings look like a child's drawings, not the adult drawings in coloring books.

There are much better things to give children to occupy their time. Crayons and a blank sheet of paper are much more appropriate. Paints and watercolors are also effective to allow the child to create. One of my favorite activities is to give children construction paper and glue (scissors for 4+ children). I ask them to create a picture of themselves using just tearing/cutting the paper and the glue. This can be done with any theme or activity. Many adults would be shocked at the amazing projects that the children create. So, in my 30+ years working with children, I am even more convinced that coloring books can be the enemy. I want the children I have in my care to be thinkers and creaters, not colorers.

Welcoming to the Table

2010-01-07T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am currently attending the NAEYC Professional Development Conference being held in Phoenix. I attended a wonderful workshop today about welcoming all children to the table in the classroom.

Sometimes 'null' curriculum (curriculum that we don't intentionally teach, but the children still learn) is reinforced as much as the 'explicit' curriculum (core standards). What do children understand about life in the classroom by the way we respond to daily occurrences?
We watched a video of an interview with an elementary child, Mary. Mary stated that when another child asked the teacher why Mary had two dads instead of a mom, the teacher responded, "We are not going to talk about that in this class." Mary felt unsupported and the result was that some children began to taunt Mary at recess. She began to dislike coming to school because she thought she must be a bad person.

While there are many more issues that can occur in the classroom, this episode is an example of when teachers choose not to address something they personally find uncomfortable. That refusal can speak volumes to the children.
Since our job is to support ALL children, we need to be prepared to address null curriculum issues when they happen during the school day. Much like taking a test, if we are prepared, we can address the issue and support the child. I try to ask my pre-service teachers, "What will you do or say if this happens? Or this?" I believe prior thought and understanding can prepare these future teachers to respond appropriately.
As educators, we need to always remember that a child seldom is in the position to choose his religion, culture, lifestyle or family makeup. Even though our values may be different, it is critical to support that child in his educational journey. Not doing anything or refusing to have the discussion is not an option. If the teacher in the video was uncomfortable addressing the issue, she only needed to say, "That is the makeup of Mary's family. Isn't it wonderful that all of our families are different and we can be happy." I like the part of NAEYC's Code of Ethical Conduct which says, "...do no harm."

Surface Graffiti

2010-01-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

I am sure that many educators have done scratch art with a group of children. Whether you use commercially prepared scratch paper or create your own, it is a fun activity. The procedure usually involves children scratching the black covering off a piece of prepared paper. Hidden underneath the black are different colors that are revealed when the black is removed. I love to use this analogy with teachers about discovering the colors that lie underneath the surface of a child. Sometimes it takes a bit of work and creativity to discover those colors, but it is always worth the effort. As with scratch art paper, underneath the black there is a rainbow of colors. Those colors allow the artist to create an amazing picture as the colors pop out of the darkness. Many children come to our classrooms with a layer of dark. It is up to the educator to do more than just scratch the surface, but find the hidden colors and beauty beneath.

Where is the Paradise?

2009-12-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Here we sit in the snow and cold as another winter is upon us. We recently returned for a trip to Hawaii. How glorious it was to experience 'paradise' and get a break from the cold weather (which has been unseasonably cold this year). As the snow was falling today, I found myself wishing I was back sitting on the Waikiki Beach. Then I remembered, as so often before in my life, that paradise is where you are. It is up to us to create our own paradise and be happy with our surroundings. I have always felt sorry for those people who seem to stumble along daily wishing they were at another place in life. One can waste an entire life wishing for different circumstances. As usual, this always brings me back to the classroom where the same thing applies. Are the children sitting there wishing for a different setting, or are they experiencing paradise? It is up to the educator to make sure it is the latter.

Spring in the Autumn

2009-11-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

I was struck by an extraordinary thought the other day as I was raking up leaves. We go somewhat overboard with our yard, so every fall we must clean up the falling leaves and dying plants. It's like a right of passage into winter (whether we want winter to come or not). As I was raking, I thought about how much of our yard will 'sleep' for the winter and come alive again in the spring. Each perennial plant will have another chance to grow and flourish, trying to surpass the previous year. I was thinking about how wonderful it would be for children who suffer an emotional or developmental setback to have a spring, where they could have another chance to flourish. Maybe this time, with the right light, water and nourishment, he just might flourish. Then it hit me that every fall when we begin a another school year, a child may have a new 'spring' in learning. If a teacher works hard to provide the right amount of nourishment, the child can flourish, even more than the previous year. Even as I watch the new trees I planted begin to grow and spread, that same anticipation should be occurring each school year as we watch our students grow and spread their wings.

The Human Family

2009-10-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

I was having a conversation with a coworker recently about supporting children who come from different family configurations. I told him that I really enjoyed using multicultural play sets, or block people, to allow the child the opportunity to build a model of his own family in dramatic play. Even though many of the play people produced commercially come in racial family compositions, I like to get them all and allow the child to mix and match and create her family as close as she can. The make-up of the American family in 2009 has no one model. Families may have a father and mother, bi-racial members, single-parent households, gay parents, grandparents, foster parents, and the list could go on. Our job as early childhood educators is to validate and support every child in our care. Regardless of our own background or value system, we must realize that the child is the most important part of our classroom. Our support and validation is critical to help the child become well-adjusted and resilient.

2009-08-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

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Teaching the Child, Not the Subject

2009-04-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

We recently viewed a video by the creativity expert, Sir Ken Robinson. (http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66) In this video he told the story of the choreographer of "Cats" and other Broadway shows. As a child, she could not hold still in class and her parents were told she had a learning problem. Fortunately, her mother and doctor discovered that she did not have a disability, she was a dancer. A dancer who could not sit still all day in a desk. She was sent to a performing arts school and became very successful in her field. My Introduction to Teaching students tell me stories about their visits to classrooms where the teacher is so structured that there is no room for children with diverse learning styles. In these cases, I think the teacher is only concerned with covering the material, not with turning the light switch of learning on for each child. We can use excuses like class size and high-stakes testing all we want. The bottom line is to be a good teacher is to provide support for learning basic skills through the learning style of the child. It is not impossible, it is just not 'assembly-line' work with dittos. Teachers need to work smarter, not harder. We teach children, not standards.

Intrinsic Rewards

2009-03-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Since I don't have my own early childhood classroom any longer, I sometimes forget the feeling you get when a child learns something new. I was recently watching my excited grandson show me that he had learned to ride his bike without training wheels. He couldn't get enough riding time. He was always asking one of the adults to go outside with him so he could ride that bike. It is such an intrinsic reward (I am helping mankind!!) to see a child accomplish a skill. That is why many of us have devoted our lives to working with the youngest members of our population.

Money for Early Childhood

2009-03-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

I agree with one of the comments from my last entry about the wish that all preschools and daycares can benefit from the stimulus money that has been promised for early childhood. We already know that Head Start and Early Head Start has been promised quite a chunk of the early childhood money. I do hope that there will be grants and child care subsidies that will assist other early childhood programs. At the same time, I hope that there are some checks and balances in place that the money be used to improve the quality of the preschool setting. Research tells us that quality child care and preschools benefit all children attending and it can save the education system around $14 per child. However, we also know from research that poor quality child care can actually be detrimental to young children, especially in social and emotional behavior patterns. So, I do hope that money will be available to good early childhood settings to help them become even better.

Building Those Relationships

2009-02-03T14:51:00.000-08:00

I was recently reading and article called, Building Positive Relationships with Young Children by Dr. Gail Joseph and Dr. Phillip Strain. In the article they were talking about how critical it is to build good relationships with children. That is one of the most important ways to avoid negative behaviors in the classroom. I liked their metaphor of a piggy bank. Every time you engage in positive relationship building with a child it is like making a deposit into their piggy bank. However, when we nag or criticize a child, we make a withdrawal. Teachers and caregivers should ask themselves, "Am I making a deposit or a withdrawal in this child's piggy bank." Turning the negative (a withdrawal) into a positive (a deposit) will go a long way to continue to build that solid positive relationship (a full piggy bank).

Happy Child is Playing Bowling

2008-12-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

We went bowling with the grandkids the other day and it was great. I had forgotten that they have these nifty metal racks for the children to roll the ball down to hit the pins. I wanted one of those (along with the bumper rails!) for my bowling. I'm not a good bowler, but then I only go about every 10 years. As I was watching the children use the bowling rack I was struck with thoughts about the other 'racks' that we can provide for children. Racks that will help children reach their potential. Reaching that potential is just has hard as a small child trying to maneuver a heavy bowling ball. They are much more successful if given a sturdy structure to begin the journey. I think we should all take a minute and go bowling with a child. It is a humbling experience when they get a higher score than you!

School - Money

2008-11-11T11:50:00.000-08:00

We are in such a shaky economic time right now that I worry about the effects it will have on educational funding. Almost 50% of funding for education comes from state money (the rest comes from local taxes and a small amount from the federal government). I knew funding was always a critical issue when our state legislature meets each year, but I didn't realize how much of the pie they must provide. With our current financial crisis I worry what will happen during this year's legislative sessions. Unfortunately, in years past, some of our lawmakers have spent an incredible amount of time debating moral message laws or other non-essential topics (example: Should we really have seat belt laws? What if we have too many children to fit in a car? etc.). Meanwhile, we have children without health care, single mothers without child care assistance and the lowest per-pupil expenditure in the nation. It is my hope in this coming financially-tight year, our lawmakers can concentrate on the humane and important issues. I'm worried because recently a lawmaker expressed concern that we are adding a new area code to Utah. Everyone will now need to dial all 10 digits of make a call. He wants to introduce a bill so that people won't be inconvenienced by needing to dial 10 digits.

Building a Brain Connections

2008-10-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

I was traveling on an airplane this week and I had the privilege of sitting next to a mechanical engineer. He was traveling for work on his latest project, a new medical device for heart patients. I was fascinated by the new procedures he was explaining, but he seemed just as fascinated with my early childhood knowledge. He has two small children and admitted that he and his wife don't always know the best approach for teaching their little ones. Our conversation evolved to a discussion about building capacities in the brain. I told him how critical it was to give young children as many experiences and support as possible so they can build as many brain connections as possible. We know that the connections formed during early childhood will have life long effects. We discussed how his new device might help patients avoid a heart bypass operation, but there was no shortcut to providing young children with positive, supportive experiences during these critical years. Early childhood is the time to build strong brain connections. I continue to admire all of the wonderful people in the world that devote their lives to young children.

Great Preschool Programs

2007-03-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

I recently visited the Coast Episcopal School in Pass Christian, Mississippi. I was amazed at the preschool program that they provide for 3-5 year-old children. Several benefactors had donated money and helped build an amazing little preschool building. The playground was huge with vegetable gardens (planted by the children) and many engaging equipment experiences. But, the most impressive thing was how developmentally appropriate and wonderful the entire program was organized. The teachers were providing a nurturing, skill-based and hands-on program. It was a joy to watch. I was overcome with the feeling that all preschool children deserve this type of support prior to entering kindergarten. Everyone in early childhood should strive to see this happen. The children at Coast Episcopal School Preschool were full of joy and learning. What a wonderful world!

Valentine for Children

2007-02-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

It would be nice if on this Valentine's Day, the legislative groups in all the states would decide to give a special Valentine to young children. Fully funding and supporting early childhood programs would be the best gift children could receive. Giving children the opportunity to have a successful beginning to life! It wouldn't even need to be wrapped up in a heart.