Whole Child Development
It’s hard to believe, but another school year is on its way! Whether you’re teaching a class or your own little ones, as you sit down to map out your year, what are some of the topics and themes you look forward to exploring? I’d love to hear about your ideas, and would appreciate the opportunity to bring more activities here that you could use!
It’s hard to believe, but another school year is on its way! Whether you’re teaching a class or your own little ones, as you sit down to map out your year, what are some of the topics and themes you look forward to exploring? I’d love to hear about your ideas, and would appreciate the opportunity to bring more activities here that you could use!
Have you ever overheard someone talking to an infant, and they use that high, sing-songy voice? That’s called “parentese” and it’s been shown in research to support language development in infants.
It’s a beautiful summer day and my boys are antsy to go play in the fountains at the park! Enjoy this repost from back in the olden days – Feb. 2, 2009!
It could be all this writing about imaginative play that has got me thinking about pirates. Or maybe it was my 4-year-old’s comments about “the pirate species”. (“You know mom, guys with eye patches and swords – the pirate species!”) Either way, I thought I’d share some pirate fun with you!
“Sharing” is a vague concept for young children. Most understand that everyone should share with them. Their egocentric minds interpret their happiness as everyone else’s. Learning that making others happy can actually help them as well, takes practice.
“Sharing” is a vague concept for young children. Most understand that everyone should share with them. Their egocentric minds interpret their happiness as everyone else’s. Learning that making others happy can actually help them as well, takes practice.
It’s a sunny Monday morning, and time for a giveaway! Thank you to all of you for your comments, and a huge thanks to Sarah Baldwin of Bella Luna Toys and to Sarah Lee of Sarah’s Silks! Please check out their beautiful, high-quality products for children!
In Vivian Gussin Paley’s book, A Child’s Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play, she mentions the opportunity to use fantasy play as a tool for classroom management or child guidance. I found this interesting, and it caused me to think about that premise, the ways I have used it in the past, and the ways I could use it to smooth out difficult situations.
As she states, “Conversations with children may arise out a ‘last straw’ annoyance, in other words, or from a sense of dramatic flow. They can come from concerns over decorum or from respect for our imaginations. Both approaches will manage a classroom, but one seems punitive and the other brings good social discourse, communal responsibility, and may have literary merit.” (pg. 74)
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