Embracing Learning Through Play

 

 A new book encourages playful learning in classrooms for all ages.

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Balancing A Successful Classroom Means Play

 

While teachers are often pressured by high-performance assessments, they must remember that addressing children’s social, emotional, biological, and intellectual needs comes first. There is no better way to do this than giving children the freedom and time to play.

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Connect Kids with Winter on The Five-Senses Walk

 

On the next walk you take with your kids, have them choose one of the five senses, and throughout the stroll, ask them questions about how they’re using that sense.

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Play Can Be Serious Business in Early Learning, Study Suggests

 

Children in the more playful classroom made greater gains in reading and math, suggesting that a play-filled classroom enhances learning.

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Why Play Matters: Quality Time Podcast

 

This podcast explores the importance of play in early childhood education and how it directly supports children’s growth and learning.

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Strategies For Preventing Teacher Burnout in Early Childhood Education

 

There is no hard and fast solution to curing burnout. There are strategies. Strategies take practice, trial and error, and digging deep toward self-reflection.

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Resource Library

 

The Resource Library from Center for Inclusive Child Care contains materials and assistance for early childhood educators and those they serve. Explore their selection of podcasts, tip sheets, websites, documents, and self-study courses.

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What SEL Adds to Our Understanding of Literacy Development in Young Children

 

Teachers can use connections between literacy and social and emotional learning to awaken a love of reading in young students.

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The Anxious Generation: It’s Time to Protect Children Against Social Media

 

Here are three key takeaways and a list of potential solutions to help alleviate “the Anxious Generation.”

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Colaboración Entre la Educación Especial Para la Primera Infancia (ECSE, por sus Siglas en inglés) y Los Educadores de la Primera Infancia

 

La colaboración entre los proveedores de educación especial para la primera infancia y los educadores de la primera infancia es esencial para el éxito general de un niño.

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Práctica Apropiada para el Desarrollo: Creando Oportunidades de Juego Enriquecedoras para Todos los Niños

Una necesidad especial puede afectar la forma en que los niños juegan y hasta qué punto utilizan el juego como medio de exploración y aprendizaje.

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Visual Supports in The Early Childhood Setting

 

We all use visual supports daily often without even realizing it. This same concept applies to making daily schedules, easing transitions, making choices, and working through challenging behaviors.

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Another Look at Relationship Continuity: Strategies For Sustaining Relationships

 

This article is designed to help the adults in early childhood programs for children from birth to age eight work towards creating healthy, supportive and responsive relationships through one crucial strategy sustaining these relationships over time.

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How Do I Know When to Declutter Vs. Organize?

 

It’s common to feel some level of guilt or anxiety at the thought of throwing things away, especially if you’ve had the experience of discarding items that you ended up needing. When this happens, it’s usually a case of over-decluttering and not enough organizing.

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Educational Activities for Preschool Age Children

 

These educational activities from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific are designed to be used with preschool children.

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Forty Birthday Party Activities

 

Having a plan in place is key to a fun and memorable day. Try some of these activities from our super birthday party activity list to keep the kids moving!

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Who Is Responsible for Making Sure My Child Is Physically Literate?

 

Ultimately the responsibility for developing a physically literate child rests with parents and guardians. Just as parents and guardians ensure their children are in learning situations that result in them having the ability to read, write and do mathematics, they must also ensure their children develop physical literacy.

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This National Grant Program Provides Inclusive Play for Kids of All Abilities

 

All children should have the same opportunities when it comes to unstructured free play and developing physical literacy. Unfortunately, a lack of accessible and inclusive play spaces for children with disabilities often limits them from being able to move, interact, and have fun with their friends, classmates, and families.

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Small Hands, Big Ideas: Exploring STEM Through Tinkering, Making, And Engineering

 

In this article, learn about the fundamentals of STEM education, innovative teaching strategies, and actionable ideas you can implement in your early learning setting right away.

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Story Time From Space

 

Check out these space themed books that are read from space.

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6 Active Games Kids Can Play with A Pair of Socks

 

Here are a few simple games with sock balls that kids can play indoors with limited space and equipment—including single-player games kids can enjoy even when a parent or sibling isn’t able to join them.

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21 Easy Science Activities for Preschoolers

 

Introduce science concepts to your preschool classroom with these activities and experiments.

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Typical Sadness or Depression? How To Tell the Difference in Your Child

This chart can help you understand the difference between typical sadness and depression, and how to support your child in both situations.

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Signs Of Depression at Different Ages

 

This checklist includes signs of depression you may see at different ages. Every parent or caregiver will notice a few of these behaviors from time to time. But if your child starts showing many of them, don’t wait to talk to your health care provider

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7 Fun, Family Friendly, Get-Off-The-Couch Indoor Activities

 

The next time your kids complain that they’re bored get them off the couch with one of these fun activities.

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9 Books That Will Get Kids Moving and Exploring-From Toddlers to Teens

 

Check out these books next time your kids need a little movement inspiration.

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How To Use Visual Supports

 

While visual supports have been found to successfully support children with autism spectrum disorder and other special needs, visual supports can be used to benefit all young children regardless of development and ability.

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Let’s Talk, Read and Sing About STEM!

 

These new tip sheets are filled with ideas for STEM conversations that can take place during everyday routines.

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Nature’s Classroom: Why Preschoolers Need More Time Outdoors

 

While some teachers can’t wait for the latest ed-tech breakthrough to engage their students, others point to the majesty of the natural world and its ability to spark our curiosity.

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Using AAC In the Early Learning Classroom

 

This article offers some of the ways AAC, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication, increases participation and inclusion in the classroom.

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42 Time-Management Apps and Hacks That Work for ADHD Brains

 

Here are more of the time-management and productivity strategies that you say keep you on task — and on time.

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Three Playful Ways to Explore Feelings with Kids

 

In this podcast listen to the importance of labeling our feelings, how learning about feeling can be fun, how to play games with your child to figure out what they are feeling, and three games to play.

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3 Ways to Integrate SEL Into Classroom Practices

 

Highlighting and modeling SEL practices can help teachers create an environment where disruptive behaviors are minimized.

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How To Decode Signs of Sexual Cyberbullying and Support Teens and Youth

 

This resource explains how to identify, recognize, and support youth who may experience or engage in sexual cyberbullying.

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Estrategias de Autocuidado para Proveedores de Cuidado Infantil: Parte 2

 

Es importante encontrar formas de manejar sus reacciones al estrés para que pueda sortear eficazmente los desafíos que surjan mientras continúa brindando atención de calidad y oportunidades de educación a los niños.

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STEM In Early Learning: Engineering with The Three Little Pigs

 

This video shows how early childhood educators and families can introduce STEM concepts to young children.

Self-Care Strategies for Child Care Providers: Part 2

It is important to find ways to manage your reactions to stress so you can effectively navigate challenges that arise while continuing to provide quality care and education opportunities to the children.

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Self-Care For Child Care Providers Part 1

 

This podcast shares ways that we as early childhood professionals can develop daily habits that increase our energy and stamina.

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Self-Care for Child Care Providers Part 2

This podcast offers ways to provide yourself with “self-care splashes” each day that will support your social-emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.

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Inclusión: Cuidado Apropiado para el Desarrollo de Todos los Niños

 

Los niños desarrollan actitudes fuertes y positivas hacia las diferencias a través de sus experiencias y sus interacciones con los demás.

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Indicators Of High-Quality Inclusion

 

The Inclusion Indicators help teams implement inclusive practices at all system levels: state, community, local program, and environments where children receive care.

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Grow Into a Tree: Confidence Boosting, Mindfulness Activity for Young Kids

 

Boost your little one's confidence with this quick, fun video activity!  In this video, we use our imaginations to grow from a teeny tiny seed to a big strong tree by nurturing ourselves with all the things we are good at!

Cultivating Mindfulness in Early Childhood Programs and Family Environments

 

Implementing mindfulness in early childhood programs and family environments can have profound effects on children’s emotional wellbeing, cognitive development, and overall resilience.

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Cómo El Juego Promueve El Desarrollo Cognitivo

 

El juego promueve el desarrollo de una multitud de habilidades cognitivas. Cuando los niños participan en el juego y tienen la oportunidad de participarse completamente en lo que están haciendo, desarrollan formas de pensar más complejas.

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Anti-Bias Leaders ECE: A Guide to Change, For Change

 

Families Embracing Anti-Bias Values is a 50-minute documentary about families who intentionally parent with an anti-bias lens, exploring their hopes, fears, strengths, and challenges.

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Does It Matter HOW I Praise My Child?

 

This short article answers the questions does it matter how we praise children.

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Activities For Anxious Kids: How to Help Children Cope with Anxiety Through Play

 

Providing activities for your anxious child is key to focusing their minds on the present moment and giving them a chance to learn valuable coping skills.

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Checking In About Feelings at Home and School

 

Getting children into the rhythm of understanding all emotions and feelings are allowed and accepted. And teaching them it’s what you do with those feelings that matters.

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Interventions For Executive Functioning Challenges: Planning

 

While all executive functioning skills are important in their own way, this post targets interventions specifically for kids who struggle with the ability to plan.

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Leading & Learning with Confidence!

 

Empowering early childhood educators with high-quality resources to nurture and maximize every child’s potential, preparing them for a lifetime of learning.

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What Are Executive Functioning Skills? And Why Do They Matter for Teens?

 

Executive functioning skills are the brain-based abilities we use to accomplish tasks and meet goals. While these are valuable skills for everyone, they play an important role in the success for developing teens.

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How To Use the Feelings Thermometer

 

On today’s episode, I talk about one of my favorite ways to pull together thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and coping strategies with a child - the feelings thermometer. I give a quick overview of how to use it and explain the benefits of this useful resource.

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