On Tuesdays this month, I am going to explore several ideas about how babies and toddlers begin building early math concepts based on an overarching philosophy that it is never too early. The night we brought brand new baby Noah home from the hospital, Larry and I lay in bed with him all snuggled between […]
This month I am focusing on infants and toddlers, so on Mondays we are going to look at some of the best infant manipulatives out there. Now this is not based on any real scientific evidence, just my opinion. But it is my blog, so I get to say what I like best. The Bucket […]
To hear more from Marian Wright Edelman as Black History Month comes to a close, watch this short video. Nobody says it better than she does.
One of the most important ways we can help parents understand the role of assessment in their children’s education is to include them as much as possible before, during and after assessments take place. That means, if you conduct regular assessments as a part of your daily routines, parents should be made aware of that. […]
I really like children’s books that honor cultural diversity in meaningful, fun and engaging ways. Another opportunity to compare and contrast book themes with your children would be to choose a couple of books that celebrate similarities and differences between people. Hairs/Pelitos by Sandra Cisneros is a beautiful bilingual book about a family – and their […]
This link will take you to the page on the NAEYC website associated with Curriculum, Assessment and Program Evaluation. Here you will find position statements that outline best practices, current concerns and recent trends in early childhood assessment. I often go to the NAEYC website to see what our national professional association has to say […]
There is a lot of pressure on teachers to account for their time, for what they do, for how they do it, and what results because of it. My friend Cathy quoted her friend Sandy (by all accounts, a spectacular teacher) who recently said, “We used to spend all of our time thinking about what […]
This kit has all sorts creative ways to think about size and comparison. I don’t think everyone has to run out and buy the kit, but you can get some great ideas to create your own materials that support these mathematical concepts. In order for young children to be successful in comparing sizes, they need […]
This 2-page handout might be interesting to share with parents if you are using authentic assessments in your program. Written in easy-to-understand language, it describes how we use authentic assessments in early childhood programs, why we use them, and how parents can benefit from understanding them. Check it out here.
I know that I have written about my love of Eric Carle in the past but this month’s theme of comparing and contrasting using children’s books reminded me of a wonderful interaction I observed last year while visiting one of my practicum students. The children in her classroom had been studying Eric Carle for a […]