A few weeks ago, I was in a 3 & 4-year-old classroom working with a teacher. In my role as a coach, I do a lot of observing and here’s a little nugget that touched me… The kids were sitting at the table, eating their morning snack. It was “bring your own snack from home […]
Communication Begins at Birth The task of learning to communicate is supported by meaningful conversations between adults and children. Related: Conversations with Kids A child’s ability to communicate and speak with others begins at birth. Babies learn language as they interact with responsive parents and caregivers, and their ability to communicate continues to grow exponentially […]
There’s something I want to tell you! Thursday morning, 9:00am… Jett: “I have a cut on my butt.” Me: “Ouch! You scraped your bottom? That hurts.” Jett: “Yeah. I did before too. I had two cuts on my butt.” Ariana: “I don’t have any cuts on my butt.” Me: “That’s good!” These are the kinds […]
As Halloween nears, excitement grows… I’m sure you’re hearing lots of conversations about costumes and what children are “going to be” for Halloween. It’s a great day for kids – it combines two of their favorite things – pretend play and candy! And so many grownups join in on the pretend play as well, which […]
Circle Time is Just Plain Fun! Coming up with fun and educational activities that can reach all ages can be a daunting task for any childcare worker. If you are looking to put new life back into your classroom, give circle time a try! Circle time is unique because you have the ability to incorporate […]
Yucky! Childcare centers are notorious for getting people sick! As much as we try to prevent it, bugs and viruses can settle in and wreak havoc before we realize what’s going on. You can stay on the defense with two simple habits: 1. Wash your hands! Everyone, including each child, should wash their hands when […]
With all of the fun and educational benefits of implementing circle time in your classroom, you are probably ready to start your own. If you have never done circle time before, it is a good idea to start slowly as your students may need time to adjust to group activities. Here are a few tips […]
When working with young children you must be observant. Once you’ve observed atypical development in a child, you have to change the way YOU interact and make accommodations in the classroom environment. Here are a few tips for your classroom that can help accommodate a child who has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Create a safe […]
Adding circle time to a classroom’s activities can be a great way to enrich the everyday teaching experience. If you are looking for a way to help boost your students’ imaginations and communication, telling stories as part of circle time can help with that. Research tells us that storytelling is “perhaps the most powerful way […]
Learning how the brain of an autistic child works can give you rare insight and understanding for the children you serve. We have learned that people on the ASD spectrum can have extreme variation in symptoms but there are also some key similarities seen in each person called ¨core cognitive deficits¨. Let’s take a look […]