Summer is coming to an end and, even if you are in year round childcare, back to school time brings new changes to your classroom. New faces, new personalities and new opportunities are all a part of the beginning of the year routine and the first weeks are spent creating a classroom community where everyone […]
Let me tell you a story about two little boys. At the time they were five and six years old, and they loved to take apart their toys. As a self-taught mechanic himself, their father understood the importance of nurturing this hands-on approach to self learning and encouraged them to explore how things work. One […]
Children need to have plenty of outdoor play time every day, but what if it’s too hot to go outside? How do we create a safe (and cool!) outdoor environment for our students? The benefits of outdoor play throughout the day are enormous for children! Not only does playing outside provide growth benefits such as […]
Boy, do I love how brains develop and the beautiful way little ones begin to make sense of their world. Meet Cadence. Twenty-two months old. She’s got lots and lots of language; she talks all the time! Those around her can decipher about 15% of the meaning of her ongoing dialogue. One consistently distinguishable word […]
Children don’t care how you sing, just that you sing! – Ann McKitrick Infants and children LOVE music! Whenever music starts playing or someone starts singing you are bound to see a child nodding their head, babbling along with it or even succumbing to full blown dance mode! Not only is music fun but studies have […]
This month early childhood professionals celebrate “Week of the Young Child” (WOYC), sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The purpose is to raise awareness of the needs of young children and their families – and to celebrate those who work diligently to provide the very best for all children. Early […]
Developing a healthy, effective communication style between parents and the early childhood staff is essential to maintain and ensure that your childcare center is running smoothly, with the best interest of the child put first. Like many who have chosen a career in early childhood education, I tend to be easy-going and “nice” to people. […]
We are thick in the middle of cold and flu season, which lasts from September to April. Does your child care center have healthy habits? What Actually Makes us Sick? Since most people get sick in the winter, is it the cold weather that makes us get sick? Or is it our response to cold […]
Diseases spread at an accelerated rate in the childcare setting because of the nature of the environment. Toys are constantly being shared, fingers are going into mouths and children are in close contact with one another. It’s our job to supervise children as they play and teach hand washing, hygiene, and ways to minimize the […]
Positive Reinforcement We all have our day to day hardships when we are working in a classroom full of small children, often the biggest struggle I have seen is our inability (or constant struggle) to get our students to obey. The most effective method of managing behavior is through the application of positive reinforcement. When […]