Blog

Young children are naturally curious and often seek to experiment in order to understand how their world works. As a preschool teacher, you can help ignite their curiosity and foster their natural abilities as they develop their scientific thinking by regularly planning science activities for your students. Here are three things you can do to add the wonder of science to your preschool classroom:  Start a Classroom Garden Bring in a variety of different seeds and ask your students to describe…

"Let’s pretend” is a phrase frequently overheard among young children, whether in a classroom; on a playground; or at home with brothers, sisters, and friends. It is through imaginative play that children begin to understand and explore the world around them. By undertaking various character roles, children express their feelings and thoughts in a non-threatening environment. To enhance and encourage the optimum level of dramatic play for children, the environment has to be well planned, equipped, changed, and constantly evaluated. Read More:…

Once upon a time, it was believed that literacy training could begin only after children's brains had matured — at about six years of age. But experts now know that the skills and habits of literacy are gradually acquired during the first years of life (see "Much More than the ABCs: The Early Stages of Reading and Writing," by Judith A. Schickedanz, National Association for the Education of Young Children, 1999). What then can a third- or an eighth-grade teacher…

When I describe the goals of my early childhood classroom to families, I share that social and emotional development is an intentional and significant part of our curriculum.  Families need some information about how helping their children develop social and emotional skills is deeply connected to their learning. Kids need to experience being part of a group, regulating their emotions, and negotiating complex social conflicts in order to truly learn cognitive material like math concepts and early literacy skills.Read More:…

The Beginning Years (Birth Through Preschool) Even in the first few months of life, children begin to experiment with language. Young babies make sounds that imitate the tones and rhythms of adult talk, they "read" gestures and facial expressions, and they begin to associate sound sequences they frequently hear - words - with their referents. They delight in listening to familiar jingles and rhymes, play along in games such as peek-a-boo and pattycake, and manipulate objects like board books and…

One morning while taking my preschoolers to the playground, I learned a valuable lesson. On the same playground stood equipment for both younger and older children. Although my preschoolers had been warned about the dangers of using the bigger and taller slide, Misty a five-year-old in my classroom, climbed the ladder. Making a successful ascent to the top, she immediately prepared to slide down as she had seen the older children do. But as Misty started to slide down, something…

As a preschool teacher, you are a cheerleader for your student’s learning efforts. While teaching your students how to read, let them know it’s okay if they don’t get every word right. Promoting their reading skills while having fun is more important than getting through a book without any mistakes. To help instill a love for reading in your preschoolers, here are three reading activities you can do as a class:  Pause and Talk About The Story During story time,…

Children’s books and other reading materials are an essential part of a young child’s early literacy experience and lay the foundation for a love of reading. But did you know that many other types and uses of print such as street signs, Dad’s shopping list, a thank-you note to Grandma, preschool attendance sheets, and names on the birthday board help contribute to a child’s ability to read? As young children experience different types of print, they learn what all the…

What's the best way to get younger students excited about reading? This teacher discusses why taking her PreK class outside makes learning to read fun. Watch here

As an early childhood teacher are you surprised by the amount of time you spend in caring tasks? Do you ever feel that the dishes you have to wash, the diapers you change, or the noses to wipe are getting in the way of teaching? What if we adopted a new way of thinking about care and incorporated it into our pedagogy. We know that for a young child each moment is a learning opportunity. So each moment of caring…