Whole Child Development
The previous installment of this series on DAP ended with a quote that really resonated with me. It perfectly encapsulates the ironic environment we find ourselves in today. There’s a well-intentioned rush to avoid failure, by putting kids in situations that actually increase the odds of failure.
This is our favorite version of the summer slide!
If you haven’t already seen the catch phrase everywhere lately, you soon will. From the headlines and pin titles, it appears people are working to avoid “summer slide” like it was the next pandemic. So what are the facts about the summer slide and what’s the best approach for you and your school age kids? [Read more…]
My son cut a hole in his t-shirt the other day. Well, according to him, the scissors were just walking on the counter when they walked right over to him and cut a hole in his shirt. Now, you and I know which scenario is most likely true, but does he? That gets complicated.
I’m a boy mom. With four boys ranging from 8 months old to 8 years old, I live in a house filled with legos, light sabers, and a lot of noise. It’s actually a pretty good gig.
Whether you’re preparing to teach your first preschool year or your 30th, a little planning goes a long way. Here are 12 tips and resources that will help you get started right: [Read more…]
It’s occurred to me that I’ve used the term DAP a lot around here lately, and that it’s a term that warrants a full discussion in itself. This is a term you can take an entire series of courses on, but here’s my best attempt to get you the basics — quick and dirty! I’m hoping this will serve as a reference point for more discussions!
There’s something about November that just makes me hungry! Perhaps it’s the time-honored tradition of gluttony, and maybe it’s the fond association with childhood memories of loved ones around a table……or just around a kitchen counter. Food is not only essential for fueling our bodies, it is often a hallmark of culture and a centerpiece of celebration. This month I’ll be posting activities supporting a food theme to be implemented with preschoolers.
Objectives! You didn’t think I would post something without telling you why, did you? That would just go against everything I believe in! So here’s the nitty gritty. A food study provides plenty of opportunities for children to have cooking experiences, the benefits of which I have discussed here. They also learn about the origins of food, ie that lemonade comes from a lemon not a box, milk is produced by a cow, not a factory. There are plenty of opportunities to talk about choosing a variety of foods, trying new foosd, and the importance of healthy foods for our bodies. I also like to take the opportunity to talk about manners a bit and give them the chance to practice and pretend in a restaurant theme. Here are some of the activities I’ll be posting, and then linking back to this post.
Classic Playdough is a staple of childhood! Not only is it fun and creative, but working that dough builds fine motor strength and control. These skills are just as critical to developing young writers as is learning the ABCs. Pushing objects into playdough creates a new type of sculpture and also presents a new challenge to children as it requires them to use the pincer grasp and push at the same time (a skill similar to writing with a pencil). I’ve found that preschoolers love to scatter their creations withtoothpicks, pipecleaners, googley-eyes, feathers and beads. 
Recently, we experimented with a new kind of “push-in”. I gathered accessories from a “Cooties” game as well as our Mr. Potato Head. The kiddos had a great time coming up with all kinds of creatures. 
(It appears I have a budding Picasso on my hands with that face arrangement!)
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