I am so pleased to introduce the Early Math Counts readers to our guest blogger of the month – Ms. Stephanie Forsman. Stephanie is one of my oldest friends. We met while serving in the US Peace Corps in West Africa in the early 90s and have remained close friends ever since. We have followed […]
posted by Alison Balis Hirsch Cooking with kids offers a wonderful array of learning opportunities for young children. It provides practice in language arts (vocabulary and “reading” a recipe), science (chemistry and exploring the senses), and developing social skills (cooperation and turn-taking). The kitchen also provides a range of math practice such as counting, measuring, […]
posted by Alison Hirsch Balis There are many reasons to provide “jobs” for children in the preschool setting. A job shows the importance of the child’s contribution to the group and his/her affect on the social fabric that is the class community; it provides practice in children’s developing social skills, such as speaking in front […]
by Alison Balis Hirsch or·der ˈôrdər/ noun: the arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method an authoritative command, direction or instruction verb: to put into a methodical, systematic arrangement to bring about order One of the first learning experiences I recall as […]
Following a daily routine at school provides stability for children, allowing them to feel more secure in the classroom setting. The schedule should not be rigid; in fact, the ideal schedule is flexible and adapts to both the needs and interests of the kids, allowing for spontaneity within the structure of the school day. A […]
Hello readers! Today, I am pleased to introduce you to Alison Balis Hirsch: my friend and colleague. Over the years, I have mentioned Alison in several of my own posts as I have always looked to her as a model for exceptional teaching and parenting. This month, Alison is writing about setting up classroom systems that support early […]
Attention! Attention! Early Math Counts Readers! I am pleased to tell you that our blog is changing course a bit. Over the past 4 years I have been blogging for Early Math Counts and have enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. After over 700 posts we all thought it might be nice for a change. […]
Did you know that infants as young as 6 months old, have a rudimentary understanding of number? When babies hear two voices they will look for two people and when they hear three voices they will look for three people. This was discovered in a study that presented infants with pictures of two and three […]
Did you know that babies respond more to the “rhythm” of speech than the words themselves? It is a natural impulse to speak to babies with a higher-pitched-than-normal voice, a sing-song lilting quality to the words, and a repetition that is particular to these interactions. Throughout my career, I have had students and new parents […]
When our first child was born, my husband was studying special education at the University of Illinois-Chicago. He became very interested in using sign language to communicate with non-verbal students so he began studying it. When Noah came along, Larry was convinced that we could communicate better with him if we gave him “language” before […]