Sometimes, I discover a resource that surprises me. First, this comes from the feds – and even though there are so many wonderful public servants who work in government – I don’t always love what they are selling. This page from the Department of Education website comes from the archives, but is still available. It […]
This is the time of the year when I visit my student teachers at their practicum sites. I am so lucky to live in Chicago where there are so many wonderful programs and classrooms for young children. We have every kind of program imaginable; Montessori, half-day Head Start, full-day Head Start, Reggio-inspired classrooms, emergent curricula, […]
Do you ever ask your kids to “read” their patterns? It is pretty simply and using a few simple techniques, you can support the children as they organize and synthesize information by using several different learning modalities. Take a look at the pattern above. Clearly the child who created this understands patterns. Next, ask him […]
I’ve never been a huge fan of “canned” lesson plans- I always found that curriculum that felt more “organic” and “emerging” from the children was better. Now that I am older and wiser, I know that lesson plans cannot only be useful but can create a structure to your curriculum WITHOUT compromising an “emergent curriculum”. […]
Sometimes our very best tools are actually attached to our bodies. I use my feet for all sorts of “opening and closing” needs, and my nose is the perfect choice when I need to turn the page of my ereader and my hands are inside of mittens. Children’s hands are also a great tool for […]
How many of you suffer from “math anxiety” or “math fear”? In my experience, people who do suffer from it may let it really get in the way of their success. I work in a community college that requires students to complete a series of math courses in order to receive their degree. I can’t […]
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has outlined all of the math standards and principles for math teaching and learning from Pre-K through high school. According to its website: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is the public voice of mathematics education, supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality […]
English is a funny language. It is hard to learn and nothing spells the way it sounds. We have more exceptions to rules than we have rules themselves. Our adjectives come before our nouns and our tenses are a hot mess. That is why I thought I should mention the trouble with the English counting […]
The Project Approach to early childhood learning is a specific method of curriculum delivery that allows children to explore a subject deeply, rather than exploring many topics superficially. It is not unlike theme-based learning, where the content areas connect, but different because the Project Approach allows the children to decide what they want to study. […]
I spent a lot of time this summer organizing (or trying to anyway) different areas of my house in an attempt to clean and minimize the accumulations that have built up over the past 20 years. In some ways, I was successful. I finally got rid of clothes from the 80’s (even if they do […]