Whole Child Development
Sometimes, when people picture what learning looks like, they imagine perfectly quiet children in perfectly arranged rows, sitting perfectly still.
Sounds perfect.
But research tells us that’s not always what learning looks like. Especially when it comes to young children.
Winter has a way of causing kids (and adults) to “bounce off the walls” from time to time. Whether it’s a snow day, a sick day, an inside recess day, a bad air day, or just the “we’re-so-excited-for-the-holidays-we-can’t-stand-it” day, there are plenty of times when you need a new, simple activity to shake things up and redirect some energy into a new, positive direction.
Today’s post is sponsored by a new app called Knoala. If you’ve noticed, I’m very picky about taking on sponsors, and probably even more picky about taking on apps. What I love about Knoala (besides the fact that it’s FREE) is that this app is a tool, not a babysitter. Parents can pull up ideas, organized by age, for simple hands-on activities to do with their kids, usually with supplies you already have on hand. It’s perfect for those moments when you just need a playful nudge or a fresh idea. You can find the app at the Apple Store here. [Read more…]
As I work on some projects for the future, here’s a post from the past, originally posted in March of 2009.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Music is the universal language of mankind.” It is a transcendent medium, one that takes on a variety of forms to meet the intrinsic needs of each person. It is enlivening and motivating. This we can all agree on. What has been debated in recent decades is the relationship of music to learning.
Carol Kranowitz and Joye Newman had me interested before I even opened their new book, Growing an In-Sync Child. I was already familiar with the Out-of-Sync Child books, written by Kranowitz as a toolbox for helping kids with Sensory Processing Disorder. I had actually just picked up one of the resources to use with some of the consulting work I do when I was given a copy of this newer book.
The premise of the new book really struck me, and yet seemed so obvious. The work that Carol and Joye had devoted more than 70 combined years to, has been life-changing for children with SPD. But children with SPD are not the only ones who become out-of-sync. We all have our out-of-sync moments. In fact, today’s pace and culture seems often to perpetuate this out-of-sync state. As Joye and Carol question in their book, “Is it the child that is out of sync – or is it the world?”
If you’re exploring a transportation theme, here’s a fun little ditty about transportation I found years ago. (I didn’t write down where I found it, so if you know the original author let me know!) It’s a fun piggy-back song, to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle:
I am a fan of great children’s music artists. Hap Palmer and Raffi are a delightful mixture of musical and educational genius! And so I hope you won’t get me wrong when I say that I don’t think that’s the only kind of music children should listen to.
Fall is certainly creeping in! Celebrate the changing seasons with this music and movement activity using Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. (I originally posted this back in December.)
Here’s a little project you can work on this weekend, though I hope you have some other plans because this one is so easy, it shouldn’t take you long. Build monkey finger puppets out of inexpensive felt from your local craft or fabric store, or from that overflowing box of felt scraps that parents and teachers of preschoolers often have tucked away.
The Grouchy Ladybug always catches me off-guard, because it seems to be missing the “Very”. You know, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Lonely Firefly, The Very Busy Spider, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, and…..The Grouchy Ladybug. I guess he’s just a little grouchy.
Well, this ladybug, who’s feeling a little bit grouchy, lands on the same aphid-laden leaf as another ladybug, who’s not feeling the least bit grouchy. One ladybug suggests they share, the other insists they’re all for him (I’m sure you can guess which was which). The rest of the story follows the grouchy ladybug as he goes from one creature to the next, each bigger than the one before, trying to pick a fight. He ends up trying to pick a fight with a whale, whose tail smacks him all the way back to that same aphid-laden leaf. There, the polite ladybug offers again to share, and this time Mr. Grouchy realizes his life is much easier when he tries to get along.
If you’re looking for an Easter activity to do with your children this weekend, here are a few quick ideas.
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