Math manipulatives can be ANYTHING that children move, or manipulate, when solving math-related problems. They are most often hand-held items, small enough to be configured into visual representations of math concepts. They can be store bought, teacher-made or found. As children physically move math manipulatives, it broadens their learning from watching and listening to solving […]
Did you know that on the Early Math Counts website, we have developed dozens of lesson plans about math? Each of the lesson plans has an accompanying Parent Letter that describes the lesson and provides examples of how parents can support the math concepts at home. The letters are in an easy-to-use format so that each […]
So what do you do if you are trying really hard to support the Non-Holiday Approach to the holidays and the children in your care want to talk about the holidays? We do what we always do when the children bring their ideas into the room; we honor them and we support them. If, during […]
I’ve thought a lot over the weekend about the events that transpired in Connecticut this past Friday, as I am sure you all have as well. I considered writing something about protecting children from the media, but that seemed too obvious. Professionals who work with young children and parents who live with young children must […]
The non-holiday approach to December is really easy- Just KEEP IT SIMPLE! As children are bombarded from every direction with special days, special treats, special shopping trips, special visits, and special everything, child care can be an oasis of calm in an otherwise really hectic season. Think of one child you know who really struggles […]
The Fisher-Price Company has a pretty cool website that has loads of activities for those of us who work with very young children. This website allows you to choose your age group (1 month, 2 months, 6 months, etc) and then choose the domain you want to support (Cognitive, Social-Emotional, Physical). It then has tips […]
Don’t let our kids fall off the fiscal cliff. Click here to read more.
I often wonder why I hear so much negativity from parents about their children’s teachers? In equal measure, I hear teachers complaining bitterly about parents. Why all the animosity? Are teachers and parents enemies? The parent-teacher relationship is a complicated one. Parents want to love their child’s teachers but they are confused when the teacher […]
It would be too easy and obvious to choose “The Holidays” as our theme for December, and since I have never been accused of being “obvious” or “easy” I thought we could explore the non-holiday approach to the holidays. Not always popular amongst teachers or parents, I still maintain it is the best way to […]
Most early childhood classrooms have something akin to a “birthday board” posted somewhere on the wall for the children to see. These usually consist of each child’s name and their birthdays written out, frequently on a cut-out of a birthday cake as a visual reminder of what these numbers mean. It might be interesting to […]