Spring brings newness no matter where you are in the world. Shaking off Winter, Spring is the season of a new fresh look. It’s time to grow, to blossom and bloom. Spring Bulletin Boards can bring spring into the classroom. It may inspire a fresh start, an eagerness for the next semester. Here are 30 Spring bulletin board ideas from teachers around the world that you can use in your classroom. Also Check Out: Back To School and Fall bulletin […]
Category: Preschool
Top 11 Musical Instruments for Kids With Rhythm
Music teaches kids lots of skills. Learning to play music requires commitment and discipline and if you splash out on an instrument, you need to know your child is going to put time and effort into practicing their skills. Children can learn rhythm, beat, pattern recognition and even math from music. Musical instruments for kids can also help to cultivate social skills while collaborating to make music together. Parents rarely have to be convinced of the merits of teaching their children the alphabet […]
SMART Goals Template
The below ‘S.M.A.R.T.’ template is published under Creative Commons. Feel free to share on your own blog, school site or social network. Over a 150 years ago, Abraham Lincoln said “a goal set properly is halfway reached.” However, it’s harder to set a actionable goal rather than express a feeling or dream about the future. The attached SMART Goals Worksheet can be used to help set a goal that is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time bound. Utilizing this framework, […]
The Best 15 Books to Raise Children’s Emotional IQ and Teach Empathy
One of the best tools to raise your children’s emotional IQ and empathy are books. Reading a story with your children gives you ample opportunity to talk about the story, the cause of the emotions and what is the best way to act and react in a similar situation. Help your children improve their coping mechanisms by raising their emotional intelligence. Improve your child’s ability to interact with others by making him aware of his own emotions. Emotional intelligence helps […]
What Board Games Teach Children In An Electronic Age
When we see how much time kids put in playing with their iPad or XBox One, you might wonder if there is anyone under the age of thirty that still plays board games. Good news! People still enjoy a night of gaming around the table. While everyone can benefit from playing board game favorites, young children especially should spend time getting hands-on time with real-world games. Not only are playing with the best board games fun, but they help in […]
11 Horse Toys Kids Will Love
From plastic figurines to the classic rocking horse, horse toys have long been a favorite for children of all ages. Nothing inspires imaginative play like riding a rocking horse and pretending you’re in a rodeo or setting up a set of plastic horses for a pretend race or horse show. Horse stuffed animals are the cuddly version of a beautiful, majestic animal kids love and dream about. My own daughter is a big fan of horses. This has led to […]
Adding EdTech to Your Classroom? 3 Non-Negotiable “Old School” Components to Include in Every Lesson
Educational technology: it’s the hottest movement out there in education, and has been for some time. In fact, there seems to be a rather non-discriminating admiration for anything edtech among many teachers today. You can’t open an educational journal, print or online, without being bombarded with ads and articles extolling the virtues of the “latest and greatest” technological tool for the classroom. And many of these tools are great, but we have to be careful anytime we decide to add […]
Leading In And From the Classroom
The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it’s to create a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel they’re valued. ~Sir Ken Robinson I am a middle child and relished the role of “leading” my younger brother. He, however, wasn’t a very cooperative follower. :) While I was somewhat shy as a child, I could organize my group of friends at recess like it was my job. I lived in the country without […]
The Student-Teacher Relationship Matters More Than You Might Think
Quality instruction isn’t the only factor that determines students’ academic achievement. Students’ sense of belonging to the school community is also significant to student achievement. A growing body of research shows the sense of belonging or “connectedness” to the school community also has positive educational outcomes for all students. “Sense of belonging” is defined as the extent to which students feel valued, respected, safe, and welcome in the school community. It is positively associated with high academic achievement, high school graduation […]
7 Amazing KidKraft Kitchen Playsets to Get Your Little Chef Cooking
Is there a little chef eagerly waiting for their turn to stir a pot each and every time you prep a meal? Well now, you can continue to feed their “inner” chef with a KidKraft Kitchen! A KidKraft kitchen can come in an array of interactive designs and impeccable attention to detail are guaranteed to excite the little chefs in your household! 7 of the Greatest KidKraft Kitchen Playsets 1. Ultimate Corner Play KidKraft Kitchen The Ultimate Corner Play KidKraft Kitchen is perfect for […]
13 Questions to Consider When Choosing a High Quality Child Care Center
Selecting a quality child care center is difficult and requires a lot of research. With over thirty years working in the early childhood field, I know quality! Here, I’m going to outline some of the most important things to look out for when you’re making your decision. Children Benefit Research documents the importance of quality child care. In addition to social skills, children gain cognitive, motor, creative, and emotional skills by experiencing a quality childhood setting. A child’s brain is […]
Fading or Thriving In Sport? The Mental Approach That Shapes Healthy & Happy Champions Of Tomorrow
Over the past few years, there has been an increase in visits to my office by parents with young athletes between 11–13 years of age. At first, this seemed like a positive movement, perhaps motivated by a desire to introduce mental skills training to help their children get ahead. However, there is one glaring dilemma across all these cases that is not so positive. These children are not thriving. Parents describe this as a change from enjoying their sport and […]
Marbotic Smart Letters and Numbers Review: Tech Toys With A Soul (and Major Fun Factor!)
The Product Marbotic offers wooden letters and numbers that work with six apps (free with the purchase of the letter and number blocks), which together allow your child to practice number- and letter-recognition, addition, subtraction, tens and ones units, spelling, and early reading. You can get the wooden letters and numbers as separate items or as a bundle on Amazon or through other retailers. The Concept Marbotic smart letters and smart numbers combine tech with physical toys, or, as they put […]
A Future Artist May Be in Your Preschool Classroom—Some Things to Consider When Setting Up Your Art Centre
The art area in a preschool child care center can be one of a child’s favorite spaces. Just imagine, mounds of crayons, boxes of colored pencils, markers in every color, plain paper, glue, plastic scissors, magazines for cutting or tearing, construction paper, examples of 3D creations, art displayed, paints of all kinds, clay, easels, smocks, photos, and many other selections. All the items are an invitation to create. Let Children Explore Children love to experiment with colors and textures. It […]
Exclusive Interview: Author Teresa Ann Power and The ABCs of Yoga For Kids Around the World
The following is an exclusive interview with Teresa Anne Power, internationally acclaimed children’s yoga expert and bestselling author, yogi, and advocate for the health benefits of yoga for children. Her first book, international hit The ABCs of Yoga for Kids, launched an empire of resources including CDs, DVDs, flashcards, and an informational website for parents and educators. Teresa’s newest book, The ABCs of Yoga for Kids Around the World is a fantastic resource for introducing children to yoga and world […]
Selecting a Communication System for your Non-Speaking Child
When my son, Isaac, who is diagnosed with autism, was three years old, he went to a therapeutic school which was focused on teaching sign language. He caught on pretty quickly and had about a half dozen signs by the time he left the school at age four. We transferred him to a behavioral school because we wanted him to benefit from Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), a method that the previous school refused to use. The director of the new school […]
Why Early Childhood Educators Shouldn’t Avoid Leadership Roles
When I was in the fifth grade I became the student council president at my elementary school. I had my campaign speech, with various promises for improving our student council and bettering the lives of our student body. When I was elected to this position at the age of eleven, I became quickly aware of what politics could be, even for a fifth grader. Even though I had participated as a fourth grader, the experience was very different once I became “the […]
7 Superb Shape Sorters to Engage Your Little One
We all remember our favorite childhood toy or toys. Perhaps it was a telephone with googling eyes, or a toy vacuum so you could “help” with chores. We never realized that many of the toys we played with had some educational value as well. These shape sorters are a great toy to allow your child the opportunity to have fun while learning, and not even realize it! Each of these seven shape sorters offer something a little different, but all are sure […]
The Benefits of Reading to Children—More Than Just Quality Time Together
“The more rich and multifaceted the learning experiences, the more neurons are fired. What fires together, wires together.” —Dr. Betty Rintoul (NC Infant Mental Health Association, Baby Steps, Fall Newsletter, 2013.) This is a great quote that I have used during presentations when talking about the number of benefits of reading to children. First, there is a strong correlation between reading and school success. Beyond that, loving books and reading are the attributes of life-long learning. Recently, I read the following […]
Preschool Learning Centres Provide a Basis for Lifelong Learning
According to research, learning centers in preschool provide the tools for learning all throughout life. The early childhood classroom (ages 2–5) is a huge factor in children’s development. Classrooms are usually set up so that children can be engaged with exploratory activities. Materials Purposefully Planned In an ideal setting, the materials are purposefully planned, changes are made often, the schedule allows large blocks of time. I recommend an hour in the morning and the afternoon. The classroom teacher’s role is […]