Many years ago, the Morton Arboretum held a contest for designers, architects, landscapers, contractors and artists to design unique tree houses. Those who were chosen, received funds to build their tree houses at the Arboretum which then stood as a special exhibit for about 6 months. My husband, who is a landscaper and his best […]
Simple subtraction, often called “take-away” by teachers of young children, may be best reinforced through finger plays and songs. Children who get the most from these sorts of activities are most likely in the concrete operational stage of development. That means using fingers or objects to illustrate mathematical operations is an appropriate way to support […]
As I sit here and write this, I can only hope that when you saw the title of this post you did NOT think about stickers as rewards. I can’t stand when children are rewarded with stickers or other small items for doing what they are supposed to in school. Remember, we don’t praise expected […]
Mother Jones just published this article: 10 Poverty Myths, Busted. I am reposting as a reminder that we shouldn’t make assumptions about the families we serve, or buy into the nonsense that the national media would have us believe. 1. Single moms are the problem. Only 9 percent of low-income, urban moms have been single throughout […]
No extensive study of bugs would be complete without the books of Eric Carle. For today, pull out your copy of The Grouchy Ladybug and read it with your children. Ask your children what they notice about the ladybug on the cover and then as she moves through the story. Once the children notice that […]
Did you know that you can visit the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and see all kinds of bugs and insects? The museum offers a variety of programs for young children including a large butterfly house where children can get up close and personal with hundreds of beautiful butterflies. Check it out here. […]
I have avoided talking a lot about counting on this blog because I have not wanted to reinforce the idea that counting is the way that we do math with young children. In fact, I believe that counting will eventually be important, but it certainly isn’t where we start working with young children and math. […]
Sometimes just having the right manipulatives at the right time can make all of the difference when planning your curriculum. This container of plastic bugs will not only delight your kids, but can be used for all sorts of fun and engaging math activities while you study bugs this month. As always, introduce the new […]
Last week, the Illinois Early Learning Project posted an article about the importance of maintaining children’s home languages while in childcare. This practice leads to greater success in reading in English later on. Check it out here.
Using newsletters as a means of communicating regularly and officially with families is one tried and true system that works, when it works. Good newsletters can set the tone for ongoing, reciprocal interactions between the world of child care and the world of home. Bad newsletters can make parents feels isolated, reprimanded, unsuccessful at their […]