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The Paradox of Sitting Still in Preschool

March 27, 2019 by notjustcute Filed Under: Child Development & DAP, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement, Uncategorized 4 Comments

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.

[Read more…]

10 Activities for Beating Cabin Fever

December 17, 2013 by notjustcute Filed Under: Music and Movement, Uncategorized 4 Comments

Beating Cabin Fever 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…]

Brain Child or Whole Child? The True Value of Music for Preschoolers

August 12, 2011 by notjustcute Filed Under: Music and Movement 7 Comments

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. 

[Read more…]

Growing an In-Sync Child (Giveaway!)

March 9, 2011 by notjustcute Filed Under: Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement 18 Comments

Growing an In-Sync Child

 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?”

[Read more…]

Take a Trip: A Song, A Graph, and Safety Talk

November 22, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement Leave a Comment

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:

[Read more…]

Let the Music Play

October 5, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Music and Movement 13 Comments

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.

[Read more…]

Let the Seasons Move You

September 22, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement Leave a Comment

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.)

[Read more…]

Five Little Monkey Puppets

June 25, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Create, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement 10 Comments

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.

[Read more…]

Eric Carle Author Study: The Grouchy Ladybug and The Very Clumsy Click Beetle

May 19, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers, Get Outside, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement 4 Comments

The Grouchy LadybugThe 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. 

[Read more…]

Easter Eggs All Around

April 2, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Create, Learning through Play and Experience, Music and Movement 1 Comment

If you’re looking for an Easter activity to do with your children this weekend, here are a few quick ideas.

[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 (2008-2022), Amanda Morgan, All Rights Reserved

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