I recently keynoted an early childhood conference in Greenville, NC. The topic was literacy and young children. I think it’s fairly common knowledge among those who work with young kids that there are those who mistakenly want to push explicit literacy instruction into earlier and earlier ages. The problem is that many or most children’s …
Here are the promised handouts from sessions at the ELSA 2019 conference in March. Please download as you need. Thanks for attending the conference. It was my pleasure to be there. Stuart singing the words handout beyond nice handout tableau handout
As part of the residency mentioned in my previous post, we’ve now written the words and learned five songs about butterflies. One is Butterfly Wishes by Sarah Pirtle. I’m not including that here. One is adapted from Butterfly Dance by Joanie Calem. The other three are Butterflies, Long Way Down to Mexico, and Changes in …
Here’s another great article from my friend Wendy Strauch-Nelson about Arts Integration. more at Resources Article 5: Why Arts Integration Arts Integration: The Impact on Teachers by: Wendy Strauch-Nelson One of the characteristics of ArtsCore that sets it apart from most other educational initiatives is that our focus is on teachers rather than students. It …
Mindful, creative and kind. It’s a new mantra for me when I think about education. It also has a nice rhythm. Mindful, creative and kind (oh my!) We talk about preparing children for the future, and there have certainly been enough pundits, educators, parents, politicians, and civic leaders who have bemoaned the lack of focus …
I lead a lot of storytelling workshops in the course of a year. Mostly for teachers, through the Kennedy Center or early childhood trainings or district in-services. I have a constant refrain in these workshops – storytelling is a powerful and accessible tool for teachers. It has huge implications for classroom engagement and environment, it …
The first thing I learned is that Rotorua, a town that is at the center of Maori culture and is also the site of the training I am doing, smells. The seismic activity that New Zealand is known for has created thermal springs. Maori people used them to cook over, and tourists come here for …
Two good ideas for EC teachers. One: A board where teachers can add the cute things kids say. You hear them all time, and maybe you remember them or maybe you don’t. This is a way to bring humor, to connect, and to sharpen everyone’s sense of listening for those great little moments. Two. A …
I spent this morning touring the Zurich International School Early Years Campus. It’s in a beautiful setting, located in a 200 year old villa on the shores of the Lake Zurich. The school has seven classrooms of kids aged 3-5, and it’s impressive, not just for its setting, but for the educational attitudes and approaches that …
Today is Happy Provider Appreciation Day, sponsored by the Family Support Center. I work with a lot of childcare providers, and I have so much gratitude and appreciation for the work they do. It’s vital, challenging, and rarely given the respect it deserves. Here’s a song in honor of their work on behalf of our …