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…]
Checking Out Preschools? Here are a Few Things to Look For…
It’s that time of year again. Parents everywhere are standing behind one-way windows or sitting on child-sized chairs, trying to peek in on preschool classrooms and hoping to ascertain whether or not it’s the right fit for their children.
It’s First Friday!
Well here it is! There were so many great questions and so little time! I’ve supplemented with some links below. Please add your links and input in the comment section as well!
High Quality Early Education: Dollars and Sense
Let me start off by making one thing clear. Young children deserve a high quality early education because it is our responsibility as adults to care for them and give them what they need. It’s a matter of moral responsibility. Children need quality experiences to be whole and healthy and to meet the outer limits of their grand potentials, both as children and as adults. That said, there have been a series of interesting articles recently, coming from unlikely sources. It’s not NAEYC or Zero to Three issuing these papers, it’s economists and business leaders.
Spiders Vs Insects- Breaking it Down for Preschoolers
Spiders and insects are often lumped together, but there are some significant differences that even young children can begin to recognize. Noting the difference between insects and spiders isn’t just important for discerning between the two “in the wild”, but the act of comparing and classifying is perfect for practicing logic, reasoning, and science skills.
Eric Carle Author Study: The Grouchy Ladybug and The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
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.
Butterfly Noodles
Isn’t it funny how children are much more interested in eating something when it’s has a fun name? I have a hard time getting my children to eat Farfalle Alle Erbe Panna Rosa (a tasty little recipe from my sister-in-law you can find here), but if I call it “Butterfly Noodles”, they’re all over it!
Eric Carle Author Study: The Very Busy Spider and The Very Lonely Firefly
Eric Carle’s The Very Busy Spider will always be one of my favorites because it was one of the first books I regularly read to my first son. It’s a simple story of a spider slowly building a perfect web as the barnyard animals come one by one to invite her to play. By the end of the story, the web is finished, the pesky fly has been caught, and the spider is ready for a good night’s sleep. The patterned text is great for reading with young children – invite them to join in with you!
Everybody Does the Monster Boogie!
Laurie Berkner has a great monster song that just compels your little monsters to get up and dance! You can download Monster Boogie on iTunes, and you can listen to it with a little animated video on YouTube here. One of the great things about Laurie Berkner’s music is that you almost instinctively know how to dance to it just from the elements she uses. At the beginning, the music is staccato, and so we march with our scariest monster faces. Then during the boogie/wiggle chorus, we dance and wiggle as only a silly monster would. Often the roar at the end is the favorite part! Music and movement activities are great for transitioning, building large motor skills, as well as enjoying the creative and interpretive aspects of music. As an extension, you can have the children create drawings of a monster party with all their favorite monster characters boogying down!
For more favorite fall activities, click here!
Welcome, Children! Get Your Children Ready by Following the 5 I’s.
Making a strong, positive connection with each child is a fundamental part of preparing for a great new year. When children know first that they are loved by you, it is much easier for them to learn from you! Building that kind of relationship takes time, but a positive first meeting is a huge step in the right direction! Here are some ideas for your child orientation meeting. [Read more…]