Infant PhD tips.
Recently I did some work with Parents magazine about the importance of preschool and what a quality preschool looks like. The first topic I was asked to address is something that I am asked often: How do you “prepare” a child for preschool? My answer is always to remember three things: Talk to them, Read to them and Let them PLAY. Continue reading “How to Get a Child “Ready” for Preschool”
On May 24th our family happily welcomed Baby M. The past 3 weeks have been wonderful as we watch him get acclimated to the world, our family and especially his big sister Miss H. Every day I am reminded of both how amazing infants are and how important it is to meet their needs . When we meet infants needs and understand them, they learn to trust the world. This trust is the building block for the rest of their learning and development. Continue reading “Some Tips for Understanding and Responding to Newborns and Young Infants”
Before children are even using writing utensils to attempt to write letters, they are making them with whatever they can find. Here are a few basic items to have in your classroom that children can use to explore the shapes, sizes and structures of letters for the first time: Continue reading “First Explorations with Letters”
Before becoming a college professor and developing my Early Childhood Education program, I was privileged enough to teach infants, toddlers and preschoolers at a Reggio Emilia-inspired laboratory school at Virginia Tech. While a teacher at the school, I worked deeply with the Reggio philosophy and was able to see what can happen when teachers listen to children and follow their lead in their learning. Continue reading “Make-Your-Own Light Table (and add some Reggio Emilia to your life)”
Sensory Play Week! Make your own sensory tables with different size/height plastic bins. What have you filled them with?
Continue reading “Sensory Play – Using Sensory Bins and Tables”
It’s PUZZLE time! Buy your puzzle rack when your baby is born and add puzzles as they grow! I’ll tell you what puzzles to introduce at what ages and what you can expect your infant, toddler and preschooler to do and learn from them.
Keeping reading and retelling stories with your infants, toddlers and preschoolers. After reading a book go one step further and retell with manipulatives. Try these for Jan Brett’s “The Mitten.” Great as masks or as felt board pieces.
There are different types of books and literacy materials that you can introduce as children grow from infants to toddlers to preschoolers.
Continue reading “Books and Reading with Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers”
Magnetic letters are for all ages AND are cheap and easy to find.
Have a infant? All you need is a floor and a blanket. Lay them down and let them explore the most interesting “toys” they have – their body parts and their environment! You can do this from day one – each day your baby will lay down longer and longer…