How many times have you used counting while singing children’s songs? Did you know that children who participate in music or learn instruments are often more proficient in mathematics? Do your children march to their own beat? Whether you realize it or not, mathematics and music are interwoven and benefit one another. When children are […]
As an early childhood educator, I have witnessed the complicated nature of children’s development and learning. Child development does not exist in a silo. Instead, child development exists as an interwoven fabric of interactions, skills, relationships, knowledge, experience and action. I have found it interesting that as teachers, we have developed the pedagogy of teaching […]
Trips to the museum are fun, thrilling and can be educational, but most activities tend to be geared to children over the age of five. To further a study of Lions in our classroom, we took a trip to the Field Museum. It was the winter, it was too cold to go to the zoo, […]
November means many trips to the grocery store, getting food for Thanksgiving, buying extra snacks and dinner for out of town guests. And on top of that, the kids are home for break. A quick or long trip to the grocery store can be a great learning experience for children of all ages, not just […]
Most children know how to navigate Ipads, cell phones and Youtube, but very few children understand how these systems actually work and the processes behind typing in “Johnny, Johnny” and seeing a list of videos pop up on Youtube. Our school system also does very little to prepare children for this type of thinking or […]
Cubetto is coding toy that was donated by a staff member at my school. We got an early version of the toy before it was even on the market! Our Cubetto came with an interface board, directional buttons, a bag for the buttons, Cubetto (the robot), two floor maps and three books to accompany the […]
For my kids, there is nothing more fun and exciting as playing with yardsticks, rulers and measuring tapes. These objects provide endless hours of fun in our household, namely, because my kids have discovered limitless uses for these tools of measurement. I am often astonished by my kids’ engagement and inventiveness when exploring in this […]
Learning math should be fun, should happen anywhere (and everywhere), and should incorporate new as well as familiar objects. It should also foster an environment of inquiry, exploration, analysis, and investigation. For us parents, educators, and caregivers, finding ways of accomplishing this, whether at home or in a classroom, can sometimes feel cumbersome. Of course, striving […]
We all like to feel capable and challenged, especially young children. Little ones typically want to try what bigger ones are doing. Their brains are similar to little sponges, soaking up all this new knowledge, and trying new things aligns with this idea. I definitely see this play out when my children want to participate in […]
When participating in a game or activity with my two young children I am continuously modifying directions and steps for each of my learners. Often times I refer back to my days as a Special Education Teacher, and the strategies I used to best help my students succeed. Of course, as parents, caregivers and educators […]