Articles

Many kids come to school excited about learning to read, but it can be tricky to maintain that early momentum. We’ve collected 24 of our favorite ideas to keep kids motivated in those early stages of learning to read.Read more: We Are Teachers

Adults can help children develop strong language skills by incorporating music into everyday routines and activities. Musical activities can help children develop an awareness of sounds that may help with phonological awareness, or awareness of sounds found in speech. Singing and listening to songs can give children an opportunity to practice using and listening to words. Musical activities may also enhance children’s language development since they can provide an opportunity for dialogue between teachers and children. Read more: Frank Porter Graham…

Reading books to children is one of the most effective ways to provide children with opportunities to develop their language skills. Books often contain words that children may not commonly hear in everyday conversations, along with pictures that help illustrate their meanings. Adults can use books to start discussions with children about the stories and pictures presented and connect the stories and pictures to children’s lives. - Read more: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute

Effective communication is essential to create strong teacher-parent relationships and parental involvement. Students need the support of both teachers and parents in order to succeed academically, physically, and emotionally. Read on as I provide you with a few tips to help establish a strong relationship with your most powerful ally: parents. To teach well, we must know children well, and parents can help us do that better than anyone. It is important you communicate often with your students' parents. Here are…

There are countless methods and approaches to teaching, but it is clear that children learn best when engaged in authentic and relevant activities. Two well-known approaches, project-based learning and STEM-based learning, hold to the common philosophy that true education inspires and motivates children to be lifelong learners. The Project Approach offers children open-ended experiences as the basis of the curriculum. STEM programs focus on expanding a child’s knowledge and interest in the science and math domains. What happens when these…

As the weather begins to warm up, there’s no better time to bring your students out in the sunshine. In fact, according to a study published in the June 2015 Pediatrics, outdoor activities are important for preschooler’s healthy growth and development.  Here are five activities you can do with your preschool class outside this spring. 1. ReadingTeaching your students how to read doesn’t need to be confined to the classroom. Find a shaded spot and gather your students together for…

More and more teachers are learning that much of the curriculum learned indoors can be expanded through outdoor play. Art, language, science, math, and more can all be taught outdoors. Look at your own curriculum and think of innovative ways to use the natural environment as an instrument for teaching young children. The following ideas will help you create an outdoor classroom full of learning possibilities.Read More: Early Childhood News 

How children feel about themselves, their self-worth, is one of our greatest responsibilities and one of our biggest challenges. People who have a positive sense of self feel they have something worthwhile to contribute and a sense of internal worth. They are able to venture out into the world, work toward attaining their goals and welcome life with anticipation and pleasure. This self-concept develops very early in life. From the very beginning, a baby learns from how people respond to…

Have you ever sent home a note to a parent requesting extra clothing or supplies for her child's cubby? The next day, when the child arrives without the supplies you requested, you were probably thinking: Did the parent read my note or did she simply forget? Sending a note home can sometimes be an ineffective way to communicate with parents. Here are 10 proven ways to communicate with parents in your center -- they're sure to work every time!Read more: Early Childhood…

A top priority for early childhood educators is to teach children to read. Using developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) while incorporating foundational concepts into lessons help teachers differentiate instruction, engage students in the learning process, and increase achievement of all children. While students are treated as unique individuals, all practices should be appropriate to the child's age and developmental stage and build on previously taught concepts. The purpose of this article is to explore teachers' experiences as they implement DAP into…