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Great Resources for Songs for Kids
Each week in my class, we have a circle time where we sing lots of great songs that toddlers love. Circle time is a lot of fun for the children in the room and for the parents, but beyond that, singing...
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Benefits of Multi-Age Classrooms
As fall rolls around, you may be looking for a preschool, or scheduling other activities for your little ones. One thing you may encounter is preschools with a “multi-age” classroom, or activities with...
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Finding a Balance of Learning Methods
Children learn in a variety of ways.Parents and teachers can help them learn by varying our schedule and activities so they have a chance for some guided learning, some self-directed learning and some...
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Schemas of Play
Have you ever known a child who was continuously filling up a basket and carrying it around the room? Or a child who loved to take objects and line them up in long lines? Or one who had a passion for...
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Preschool Choice Time
The holidays are over. You’re ready to sit back and relax. Then suddenly you start seeing ads for preschool fairs, and lectures on choosing a preschool, your parent educator tells you the discussion...
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When should kids learn to read?
The Alliance for Childhood and Defending the Early Years just released a report called Reading Instruction in Kindergarten – Little to Gain, Much to Lose, discussed in a Washington Post article titled...
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Spending 13 years learning how to use a hammer without building anything…
I often love the posts on Teacher Tom’s blog. I’m just going to share some thoughts here on child-led learning from one of his recent posts… and encourage you to check out his blog to read more!...
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Hands On is Brains On
I recently did a presentation at Kidsquest Children’s Museum in Bellevue, WA on how kids learn, titled Hands On is Brains On. It combines information on the basics of brain development, ideas about the...
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What children learn in a multi-age classroom
A year ago, I wrote about mixed-age play and the benefits of multi-age classrooms. Today, I’ll describe what the learning experience is like for different ages of children at my Family Inventors’...
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Process over Product
You may hear early childhood educators say “Focus on Process more than Product.” Let’s explore what they mean by process and product, and some concrete tips on how to stay focused on the process. In...
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Questions Posters
I created a new set of posters for the classroom on “Questions to Ask to Extend Learning.” Educators frequently encourage parents and teachers to ask “open ended questions” as part of a facilitated...
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Preschool Choice Time
For parents of two-and-a-half year olds, ’tis the season to think about preschool. (I know, preschool won’t start till September, and it’s CRAZY that you have to research and make decisions on...
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Academic Preschools – Feel Free to Skip Them
What does your child need to learn during his preschool years? What is the best way to teach her what she needs to know? Would attending an academic preschool have a huge impact on his future...
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Outdoor Preschools
Outdoor preschools are rapidly gaining in popularity. In the Seattle area, just a few years ago, there were only a handful. This Parent Map article now lists over 25 in the Puget Sound region. They...
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Coop Preschools
Let’s talk about cooperative preschools (usually called co-ops). How does a coop work? It varies a little between schools, but typically, if you have a three year old, they would attend two days a week...
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Specialty Preschools
Some preschools have a special focus, such as: religion, language learning, sports, arts, or science. Sometimes this is a special focus that is very important to the family, and they’re willing to...
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Slowing Down to Toddler Speed
Today at the end of year picnic for my toddler class, I had a chance to spend some lovely moments hanging out with some little ones (1.8 – 2.5 year olds) that I’ve known for five months now. It’s such...
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A book about balancing screen time and outdoor time
I wanted to write about the book Dot. by Zuckerberg and Berger. It’s an intriguing book that reviewers on Amazon either love or hate, and it inspires debate about the place of screen time in children’s...
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Great Classes for Kids AND Parents: Parent Education & Coop Preschools
[Update of a post from 2014] Are you a parent of a baby, toddler, or preschool age child? Are you looking for: A place where your child can explore toys, do art, hear stories, sing songs, and make...
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Computer Skills and Kindergarten Readiness
There’s lots of information about the benefits and risks of screen time (TV, computers, video games, etc.), lots of opinions on whether young children should or should not be exposed, and advice on...
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