Watching 2 Natural Playgrounds Part II

Earlier this week I spent some time at the newly openned, professionally designed natural playground. Kids have been exploring and enjoying it for about two weeks now. While I was there, a group of toddlers and their teachers were enjoying an unusually mild November day.
Several kids were huddled together in a large tunnel which makes the hill it is carved [...]

It’s About Helping Every Child to Learn

This fall I began working with a local child care center that agreed to use the WoW Kits Terrific Topics curriculum materials to promote language and social skills in a small group of children with a variety of developmental delays. The group is made up of 8 children who are pulled from their regular classrooms [...]

PreK Funding Up Nationally, Despite the Economy

Good news! Across the country states are realizing the value of supporting preschool programs. According to an article in Education Week, 27 of the 38 states that providing funding for preschool have either increased or maintained previous funding levels for 2010. Even better, there are two states, Rhode Island and Alaska, currently working on new [...]

The Positive Side of “No”

Parents and teachers often get ruffled when a child tells us “no”. We tend to interpret it as direct disobedience or a challenge to our authority. Over the weekend I attended a conference which gave me a different perspective and changed my opinion.
The keynote speaker was Bill Corbett of Cooperative Kids. He stressed the importance [...]

When Three’s a Crowd

Three is always a tricky number when it comes to kids and their friends. Inevitably, someone feels left out or ganged-up on. Despite the pains I take to try to avoid a group of three at the house, it happens…a lot. So I was thrilled to come across the article, Three Friends and a Meltdown, [...]