I just taught my first session of training classes based on my ebook, Parenting with Positive Guidance: Building Discipline from the Inside Out. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions we had and hope the group is enjoying it as well.
Whole Child Development
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills 4 Comments
I just taught my first session of training classes based on my ebook, Parenting with Positive Guidance: Building Discipline from the Inside Out. I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions we had and hope the group is enjoying it as well.
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized 31 Comments
I attended a staff meeting recently where we discussed the prevalent zero-tolerance policies in schools today, and the trickle down effect it has on preschools. We had read some interesting articles in advance (which you can find here, here, and here) and used those as a springboard to talk about the variety of policies schools implement to address difficult behaviors.
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Uncategorized 17 Comments
I hear it a lot. “They’ll do X later, so we might as we’ll have them start now.”
Standardized testing starts in third grade, so we’ll start “practicing” in kindergarten.
Children rotate through teachers in junior high, so we don’t need to worry about issues like continuity of care in the early years. They’re just getting ready.
We need proficient readers by the end of second grade, so let’s start using flashcards with babies.
I was sitting in a meeting recently where early childhood professionals were discussing this trend to push down curriculum, expectations, and standards and these were the types of answers they would get when they questioned practices that weren’t developmentally appropriate.
They’ll need to do it later, so let’s start now.
The backwards logic was striking to me. They’ll do it later because that’s when it’s appropriate. So I made this suggestion,“How about this. The next time someone offers that as their reasoning, ask them if they want one of their preschoolers to give them a ride home. They’ll probably need to drive later anyway, so we might as well start now.” [Read more…]
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills Leave a Comment
I’m over at my amazing friend, Angelica’s place today, New Latina, sharing a post about back-to-school separation anxiety. (Coincidentally, this is also my son’s first day of first grade. I could probably use some of my own advice right now!) Get a taste of the post below, and then head on over to New Latina for all the flavor.
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills 5 Comments
My friend, Mandi Ehman, is running a great Back to School series over at Life…Your Way, and I’m flattered to have been invited to contribute. Check out my post as well as all the other great resources she’s sharing. You can get a taste of it here:
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills 4 Comments
Two great questions this month: How to use positive guidance without being permissive, and how to talk with administrators about standardized testing in KINDERGARTEN. (You can also view this video here.)
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP 4 Comments
Thank you for your thoughtful comments on the State of Education stats graphic. You brought up great points, questioned conclusions, and looked at the issue from many different perspectives. It’s clear that education has many areas that could use some rethinking and some reworking. It’s a complicated topic and it’s easy to feel like the problem is bigger than we are. But there’s always something we can do to make a difference. Here are just a few ideas: [Read more…]
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP 16 Comments
I received this stats graphic recently and found it very interesting. If there’s one thing that I learned from grad school, it was to ask questions, and stats like these bring all kinds of questions to my mind. Questions about the sample, about correlation vs causation, about significance and the almighty “if so, then what” question. But I want to hear from you. What did you find here that made you go hmmmm? What do you think about the state of education in the US (or in other countries for that matter)? Is the system broken and if so, how do we start to fix it? Did you make doodles like these in high school? (OK, maybe that last question is less important.) Check these out and then chime in in the comments section (then come back Friday to see where we go from here):
Via: OnlineEducation.net
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills 21 Comments
This Friday’s Q&A is a hot topic. In response to a reader’s question about handling weapon themed play among preschoolers, I’ll discuss the importance of fantasy play for children and how we can come up with reasonable, enforceable boundaries. Of course, this is a question with answers that come from a variety of perspectives, so please respectfully share your insights in the comments as well. Here’s the video (also found here), followed by excerpts and links to some interesting resources on the topic :
by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Positive Guidance and Social Skills, Uncategorized Leave a Comment
I’m trading my usual Wednesday post for a Tuesday post to let you know about a couple of guest posts I have out there in the blogosphere right now.
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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