Music is both a social and cultural construct and a mighty powerful force in human lives. Since the beginning of recorded history, there is evidence of music in the everyday lives of people. Imagine the world before IPods, CD’s, record players, and radios, before recorded music and electricity. Music existed inside homes and communities […]
When my children were little the Melissa and Doug company didn’t exist, or if it did, I was not aware of it. My friend Alison (Holla!) in California has young children and when I visit her, I marvel at the beauty of her Melissa and Doug puzzles. To browse through the selection, you can click […]
A friend posted this link on my Facebook page last week, and I LOVED it. This is a really nice and thoughtful blog… These Ten Commandments should be turned into a poster and hung on the walls of all child care facilities.
This month I am going to write a bit each Tuesday about the new Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards in Mathematics. For each of the “Goals” there is an accompanying “Learning Standard” followed by a set of “Benchmarks” that are then described by “Example Performance Indicators.” The first goal in the Mathematics section is […]
I always try to get downstairs on Sunday mornings so I can read the paper, while I watch CBS Sunday Morning with a hot cup of coffee, pugs at my feet, and a completely quiet house. Yesterday, Mo Rocca presented a segment on the new Museum of Mathematics in New York City. Oh, how I […]
Puzzles are such a great tool/toy/manipulatve for young children. I love to see shelves filled with a huge variety of puzzles, organized so children can access them and find that all of the pieces are there. Since the pieces of puzzles need to be manipulated in order to fit into the right spot, they really […]
We have looked at all sorts of ways to “Focus on Families” over the past 8 months- but I haven’t really addressed the special concerns you might have in working with diverse families. During the month of March (and perhaps into April) I want to look at strategies for working with diverse families. Today, I […]
Recently, I visited 2 Chicago Public Schools, one on the north side and one near Wicker Park and I have got to say, Math is alive and well in CPS. When I arrived at Mr. G’s 4th grade classroom, the children were on the edge of their seats. They were clearly divided into 3 equal […]
During the month of March, I want to take a look at the new Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards on Tuesday Teacher Talks. So…. Here they are. Take a look and see what you think. We will be focusing on the Mathematical Standards, so look deeply there.
This morning, when I was walking my pugs, I passed by Timeless Toys, our local toy store. There in the window were several sets of Magformers- a new take on MagnaTiles (maybe not so new, but definitely new to me). I knew it was only a matter of time before the fabulousness of MagnaTiles would […]