June is National Potty Training Awareness Month. Along with a child’s parents, day care providers can be important partners in successful potty training. […]
Successful Potty Training Takes Time and a Team
Communicate, Collaborate, Coordinate and Cherish: The Four Keys to A Solid Parent/Child Relationship During COVID-19
Due to COVID-19, many parents have been scrambling to fill the role of teacher and create curriculum on the fly while balancing new work from home duties. But it is in these times that there’s a unique opportunity to step more fully into an approach that works for everyone: that of communicating, collaborating, coordinating and cherishing. And it is through this approach that everyone benefits. While each family is presented with unique challenges and circumstances right now, these general guidelines are intended to be helpful in any way you see fit. Communicate As a family unit, it’s crucial as parents […]
Four Ways to Better Cope During the COVID-19 Pandemic
With the constant transitions and upheaval to life as we’ve known it because of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is on edge. […]
Creating a Sense of Belonging for Children
When children feel a sense of belonging, they develop confidence and self-identity. A Sense of Identity Experiencing belonging–knowing where and with whom you belong –is integral to human existence. Children belong first to a family, a cultural group, a neighborhood and a wider community. Belonging acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become. A child learns and develops a sense of identity […]
November is Child Safety and Protection Month
National Child Safety and Protection Month is an entire month dedicated to recognizing the unique potential dangers many children face in their everyday lives and taking tangible steps of prevention against those challenges. Taking safety measures can help reduce the number of unintentional injuries and deaths. In honor of Child Safety and Protection Month, we encourage you to take precautions to keep children safe. Talk to them about potential dangers and teach them what to do in case of an emergency. Infant Safety For children less than one year of age, two–thirds of injury deaths are due to suffocation. It […]
Using Nature as a Learning Lab for Children
Fall is a wonderful time of year to go outside and explore nature. Going on a nature walk with children is an excellent way to inspire love and appreciation for the natural world. Nature provides more stimulation than indoor play. It activates the senses – you can see, hear, smell, and touch outdoor environments. Taking a nature walk with children doesn’t have to include a specific activity. Just take a walk and let learning find you! Allow children lots of unstructured time to explore and discover. What you can help your students understand is that the discoveries they made while […]
The Importance of Goal Setting for Children
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins Why Goal Setting is Important As teachers and parents, we are always encouraging children to make and reach goals; whether it’s a child taking his tentative first steps to a preschooler’s success at tying his shoes. Teaching children to reflect and set goals is an important lesson that needs to be taught starting at a young age. Preschool and early childhood education teaches young children the core social skills that prepare them for kindergarten and beyond. These skills boost children’s confidence, increase their ability […]
Celebrate National CACFP Week March 17-23, 2019!
CACFP Week is a national education and information campaign sponsored annually by the National CACFP Sponsors Association. The campaign is designed to raise awareness of how the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program works to combat hunger and bring healthy foods to the table for adults in adult care centers and children in child care homes, centers, and in afterschool and summer feeding programs across the country. The purpose of the National CACFP Week is: 1. To educate parents and the community about how the CACFP helps child care providers serve well balanced, nutritious meals, 2. To promote proper […]
Professional Development in Early Childhood: The Case for Life-Long Learning
What makes a professional stand apart from others in his or her field? The educational skills and hands-on experience make these professionals well informed and widely respected in their field. But true professionals don’t stop there. In fact, they never stop – especially when it comes to learning. After all, research is always discovering new things, and trends are always changing. Any good professional will be anticipating and responding to these changes. In the field of early childhood education, continuing your professional development is even more important. As teachers, we all want to grow — that’s why we like to […]
Use the Holidays to Help Children Celebrate Diversity
Talking and thinking about how to help children celebrate diversity during the holidays in early childhood programs can be challenging to adults. There is an increasing diversity of children, families, and staff who make up our programs. Each may have different ideas of how to celebrate holidays. We have the responsibility to meet both the intellectual and social needs of the children with whom we work. How we meet those needs also applies to how we include holidays in our curriculum. Even for adults, the concept of holidays may not be as simple as it seemed when we were young. Working […]