Since I had my babies long ago, people have developed really interesting things to hang on strollers. We were lucky to have working harnesses so our babies didn’t fall out onto the street. Nowadays, folks hang all sorts of stimulating and educational things from the tops of their strollers to keep their children’s attention and […]
You know how you have one friend who played a huge role in your life at a very specific time, in a very specific way? Well, Cathy has done that several times for me. We first met when I was in graduate school and she was my teacher. She was all of 90 pounds and […]
We were introduced to Dwarves and Dice when we visited family friends at their home in Michigan. Their child, who was the same age as Noah, was obsessed with this game. We played all weekend, and never won a round because not only was he obsessed with this game but he was really, really good […]
so says Kamii in the first paragraph of the 3rd chapter of Number in Preschool & Kindergarten. She argues that the development of logico-mathematical knowledge is learned indirectly – and therefore, taught indirectly. Kamii lays out her 6 Principles for Teaching Number broken down into three categories. The first principle of teaching number is about […]
This game by Selecta Spielzeug is called “Presto Pippo” and is great fun. We received this game as a birthday present when Noah was 3 and we played it for the next couple of years. The premise is this… Pippo, the waiter, needs to clear all of the dishes off of the tables. Children take […]
On a typical day, I answer more questions about child care licensing from students, child care providers,center directors or potential providers than any other topic. Years ago, I taught the Health, Safety, and Nutrition course and used the DCFS 407s as one of the course resources. It was through that course (and many others) that […]
Last week I wrote about magnetic number sets and I described wall mirrors for the classroom. This picture shows how beautiful wall mirrors can be and how even the youngest children can benefit from looking at their own reflections. Using this space as a play area can also be an effective way to encourage children […]
You’ve never actually met anyone as sweet and warm as Annie. She was a young newly-married graduate student when I met her and she is now a mother of 2, an early childhood professional and still the sweetest lady you could ever imagine. You can read in her answers how thoughtful she is about early […]
This board game is one of my absolute favorites for the very youngest children. The company is European (Ravensburger) and specializes in developing beautifully made and appropriate games and materials for children. The Snail’s Pace game is not about winning and losing, there will be plenty of time for that in all children’s lives, it […]
The last few paragraphs of Chapter 2 “Objectives for Teaching Number” describe how children come to understand the representation of number concepts as well as the differentiation of symbols and signs. Kamii writes that once the child has the concept of the number seven, s/he can then learn that the number seven can be represented […]