Mindfulness means being aware of the present moment without judging it. Research shows that focusing on the “here and now” has many benefits for all of us, no matter our ages or the settings in which we interact with children. I’ve been on a mission to be more mindful, and I have been sharing encouraging quotes […]
7 Benefits of mindfulness for children and adults – and Classrooms, too! Read More
The most important thing adults can do for children is to provide them with a warm, caring relationship. Be their attachment figure, the special person they can turn to with trust that their needs will be met. Whatever role you play in the lives of young children, you are making an impact both now and
8 Inspirational Quotes about Adult-Child Relationships Read More
Here are 15 tried and true positive guidance strategies that have been used successfully for decades and are still relevant today. These “Guides to Speech and Action” were developed by Katherine Read Baker over 70 years ago. She wanted adults who work with young children to better understand themselves as well as the children, focusing on the feelings and
15 positive guidance strategies that work – and teach! Read More
Watching the 2020 Olympics, I was inspired to postpone my planned guidance post so I could share some ideas for promoting active physical play for preschoolers. Have you been watching the amazing feats of the Olympic athletes? It’s incredible what these young people have accomplished through years of hard work and dedication to their sports!
An Alphabet of Marvelous Movement Activities for kids! Read More
What is the most challenging part of your job as an early childhood educator? If you are a teacher of toddlers or preschoolers, chances are the answer is managing their behavior. You may feel like you could spend more time teaching if your children’s behavior was better, but here’s another way to think of it:
The Power of Positive Guidance – It’s Within You! Read More
Playing with Infants and toddlers is the best way for us to support all their learning and development, including language. Through play, young children are learning how to communicate. They learn how the world works. They learn to put their thoughts into words. They begin to understand that words are symbols that stand for real objects or
5 Playful practices that Support Language and Literacy for Infants and Toddlers Read More
During the preschool years, children’s language is developing most rapidly, especially from birth to age three. Children are learning to understand language (receptive language) and to use language to communicate (expressive language). Children’s language abilities affect their learning and development in all areas, and they begin at birth, as babies use cries and body language
How Language Develops in the First 5 Years – and how you can help Read More
Play is vital for children for many reasons. It supports all areas of development, building their language and thinking skills, contributing to physical health and development, and helping them learn about themselves and one another. Play is the most powerful learning tool there is! In this post we’ll look at one area of development, children’s
4 Social Skills children learn from Play – and how you can help Read More
Playing with your children is good for their developing brains, even when we aren’t trying to teach them anything. Research shows that close relationships with caring adults are the most important thing affecting children’s healthy brain development! Relationships actually shape the brain’s architecture, especially during the child’s early years. They help form and strengthen the connections between
As adults who care for or teach children, we recognize the value of play for young children: It is the most natural and effective way for them to learn about the world, themselves and others. We may not realize that we adults need play, too. Play improves many aspects of our lives, such as
Adults Need Play, Too! The 8 adult play personalities Read More