Summary: If you can’t find the perfect preschool, at a minimum, choose a school where teachers are warm and nurturing. If possible, find a program where a teacher has a BA in early education or has extensive early education training. There is an enormous amount…
The first thing to go during school budget cuts is often music or art classes. Children are also playing significantly less during their preschool years. This is highly unfortunate as one of the most important skills your child can have is creativity. Creativity brings joy…
Scaffolding/Providing Support to Your Child According to developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky, a child should be helped within the zone of proximal development. This means you support a child doing a task that is “challenging for the child, slightly above his or her independent level of…
Is your child being bullied? Is she too passive with others? How can you make sure your child is not someone else’s doormat? Is your child bullying others? How can you teach them to rein in aggressive tendencies so they don’t hurt or alienate others? Teach…
Is my child OK socially? What should she be doing at this age with her peers? You are in luck. NAEYC, an early education organization and the largest education group in the world, has figured this out for you. The following checklist will help you…
Self-regulation is a deep, internal mechanism that underlies mindful, intentional, and thoughtful behaviors of children. Self-regulated children can delay gratification, stop themselves from doing something inappropriate, and consider more appropriate alternatives. There is a big difference between children who behave well because they are controlled…
I believe parents should limit their children’s screen time. Please see the article “Kids and Video Games”. ~ Computers Exposing your young children to limited computer use can have positive outcomes. Children can use text-to-speech programs when learning to write, read interactive books, and write…
BLOCK PLAY OVERVIEW Block play is a central activity in many preschools because it is well known that block play is helpful to children in all areas of development (Wolfgang 2009). Block play has a beneficial impact on problem solving skills, initiative, and construction of…
Summary: Offer your children a wide range of toys that encourage creativity, imagination, and active play. Offer your child a variety of toys to support different types of development and thinking. Make sure the toys match the child cognitively. Also, avoid toys that may be…
There are many benefits of play that contribute to a child’s healthy development. Jean Piaget said that a child’s ability to play cognitively changes during early childhood. Stage 1: Practice or Functional Play (birth to two). Children play using senses and motor functions. They kick,…