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Mind in the Making: Q&A with Ellen Galinsky

May 11, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 1 Comment

I hope you all enjoyed the Mind in the Making Read-Along series.  I’m so glad that I read it, and I’m quite confident I’ll be going back to it again and again.

I’m also thrilled that Ellen Galinsky has offered to answer some of the questions you had about the book, and offer more insight into how the book came about, and the hopes she has for its influence.

I found her comments fascinating, and I hope you will too.  The Q&A is broken into three parts (you’ll find them linked below).

Here are some of my favorite excerpts:

On the writing process…

“And then there was my feeling about the way many parenting books do guilt us. Some books that I had read in college and graduate school and had loved before I had my own children, felt different after my children were born. I remember literally throwing one book into the fire because it was such a guilt-trip book.  Who needs that? We want to be inspired, not blamed. We are (unfortunately) far too fast to blame ourselves without needing anyone else to do it.” [Read more…]

More Mind in the Making: Your Questions for Ellen Galinsky

April 21, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Uncategorized 4 Comments

I hope you enjoyed reading Mind in the Making. I know I did!  What an amazing resource!  It’s a book I hope all parents and early childhood professionals will take the time to read, and more importantly, implement.

[Read more…]

Mind in the Making Chapter 7

April 18, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 6 Comments

I was captivated by this chapter from the introductory paragraphs.  As Ellen Galinsky writes about comparing two contrasting images — that of an ever-curious infant, and that of an apathetic middle to high schooler — I thought of my own experiences with these contrasting groups.  Her pointed questions on page 298 are similar to those I’ve asked myself, “What happens to extinguish that passion?  What happens to dull their eyes?”

[Read more…]

Mind in the Making: Chapter 6

April 10, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Here we are at Chapter 6 of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs.  Grab a copy and read along!  In a few weeks I’ll be asking for your questions about what you read, which Ellen Galinsky has graciously offered to answer!

[Read more…]

Three Parenting Secrets

April 2, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 2 Comments

I am really excited to get started with the Parenting with Positive Guidance classes this Wednesday!  I can’t wait to start sharing and discussing some of the best tools for guiding behavior and building internal discipline in our children.  It’s not too late to get signed up.  Slide on over here to get all the details and get your spot. But before you do that, I wanted to share a little bit of what I shared with Kristina at Toddler Approved:

[Read more…]

Mind in the Making: Chapter 5

March 27, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

As I was reading chapter 5 of Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, I began to make a new connection.  As Skill 3 addressed communication as the foundation for real language and literacy development, and Skill 4 focused on making connections as the essence of math sense, following suit, Skill 5 showed critical thinking as the root of real scientific understanding.  I have really enjoyed seeing how these larger essential skills have woven in the “academic” skills, not ignoring their importance, but highlighting them with the proper perspective within a larger framework of true knowledge and understanding.  Here are some of my favorite takeaways from this chapter:

[Read more…]

Mind in the Making: Chapter 4

March 20, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Have I mentioned how much I love this book? Have I mentioned that I love how it simultaneously opens my eyes to fascinating, new information, but also reconfirms some of my most closely held philosophies and beliefs?  Well, now I have.

[Read more…]

Mind in the Making: Chapter 3

March 13, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Child Development & DAP 2 Comments

With each chapter, I find myself wondering, “How am I going to whittle down all these things I’ve starred and underlined (and underlined twice) into one concise post?”  And then I remind myself that you are hopefully reading along as well, with stars and underlines (and double underlines) as well.  I’d love to hear what caught your eye.

[Read more…]

Mind in the Making: Chapter 2

March 6, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 5 Comments

I came across a quote from Aristotle recently, that sums up Chapter 2 of Mind in the Making.  “It is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.”

[Read more…]

First Friday Q&A for March — Is it OK to Let Them Cry?

March 2, 2012 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 8 Comments

What a great question from Elexa, a caregiver in a toddler grouping.

(And I’d like to say those stacks of books behind me are waiting to be shelved because I’ve been such a voracious reader lately, but they’re actually left out after being used as weights for some fantastic fort building….)

(This video can also be viewed directly on YouTube.)

[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.

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