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How Can We Make Our Schools Better?

September 25, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP 9 Comments

Improve our schoolsI was in a discussion recently with a friend of mine who is also a public school administrator.  As we bantered back and forth about what could be done to improve schools — increased teacher pay, which would rely on increased accountability for teachers to be high quality, a determination which shouldn’t rely on standardized tests especially for young children, and round and round and round — it quickly became clear that a simple request like “improve our schools” can be a tangled, and very opinion-filled process.

That shouldn’t be a surprising realization, since education reform or school improvement seems to be a perennial hot topic.  But what struck me in the conversation was when my friend, in obvious frustration said something like, “It’s hard to figure it all out.”

[Read more…]

Teaching Your Child to Talk…There’s No App for That

September 24, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience 18 Comments

5 ways to build early language skills (and set up kids for future success!)

You might be surprised how simple it is to support language development…..and set the stage for even more advantages in the future!

[Read more…]

Building Strong Boys: Avoiding Parental Abandonment

September 10, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Uncategorized 9 Comments

Building Strong Boys: Avoiding Parental Abandonment

As I read through many accounts of troubled boys, such as those in the book Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them(*affiliate link) by Dr. James Garbarino, there’s a heart-breaking, recurring theme.

[Read more…]

Art Therapy Every Child Could Use

September 9, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Create, Learning through Play and Experience, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 6 Comments

Curious about Art Therapy?  I have been!  A huge thanks to Faige Kobre of EduArt 4 Kids for sharing her expertise in today’s post. 

2 kids coloring at home

Many of us have the vague feeling that art is really good for us. We know it makes us more creative and stuff like that. However, research shows that doing art is not only for creativity but, it actually increases the levels of serotonin in the brain which is what is used to help lift depression. Art also helps people learn to like, accept and control their feelings. Feelings of anger, fear, jealously and aggression.

There is even a whole field that uses art to help children and adults heal from painful and abusive situations. This discipline is called art therapy. [Read more…]

First Friday Q&A: How Do I Help My Child to Be a “Good Loser”?

September 6, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 2 Comments

First Friday Q&A from Not Just Cute.  How do we help kids lose gracefully?  Who couldn't use this?

No one likes to lose.  But when kids losing a board game or a round of kick the can evolves into kids losing their tempers, throwing tantrums, and dissolving into tears, there are some things we can do.

[Read more…]

Enthusiasm

September 4, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP 2 Comments

2012-04-231

Jacob Barnett has been given a lot of labels.  Brilliant.  Genius.  Autistic.

[Read more…]

Creating Rhythm at Home

September 3, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Uncategorized 2 Comments

Creating Rhythm and Routines

I truly enjoy summer vacation.  But I have to admit, I love the routine and rhythm the school year brings my family.  It always takes a bit of work right at the beginning to find where all the needs and wants are going to fit in that 24 hour pocket we call a day, but the reward is a much smoother day filled with intention.

[Read more…]

Read Along Series: Last Child in the Woods (Parts 5 and 6)

August 22, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Get Outside, Uncategorized 5 Comments

Read Along 5 6

As I prepare to launch back into full-speed blogging, I realize I’ve got a few loose ends to tie up.  One of those is the Last Child in the Woods Read Along.  I’ve really enjoyed going on our many summer adventures with the wisdom of this book mulling about in my mind.  I’ve been able to see experiences in a different light, pay more attention, and try not to take things for granted.

[Read more…]

Healthy Body Image in a World with Chronic Dysmorphia

August 6, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Uncategorized 19 Comments

Belly Shot

Thanks for your patience while I have been buried in the moving process.  I had planned on jumping in and trying to catch up with the series I’ve been working on.  And I will get there.  The Building Strong Boys series as well as The Last Child in the Woods read along will have new additions soon.  But in the meantime, another new addition caught my attention.  And I had to write.

[Read more…]

Hanging in There…

July 26, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Uncategorized 3 Comments

sold

I apologize for the paucity of posts as of late.  My family has moved over the past week or two and it has been much more grueling than we had anticipated.

[Read more…]

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I’m Amanda Morgan. Here’s what I’m about…

In early education, there is too much distance between what we know and what we do. I bridge the gaps that exist between academia, decision-makers, educators, and parents so that together, we can improve the quality of early education while also respecting and protecting the childhood experience.

Content Copyrighted (2008-2025), Amanda Morgan, All Rights Reserved

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