Art is a tool that can be powerful for any age. It has the power to stretch us outside of our comfort zone, as well as where we might go to seek comfort all at the same time. For young children (preschoolers/toddlers), art can have a profound impact on their comfort as they enter into a new space, and works quickly to build relationships and community…
Some people go nuts over movie stars, sports figures, or political candidates…but there is a select group of folks – and I’m definitely one of them – who freak out when we meet legends and luminaries of the early childhood field…
We must acknowledge the expertise of educators, who have worked with hundreds of children and know a great deal about their development and care. And we must acknowledge the wisdom of family members who are, quite literally, the world’s leading experts on their own children…
Young children are drawn to wrestling, jumping, tumbling, running, and many other forms of physical play. Some of this play can seem risky, or tricky to manage, and parents or early childhood educators may wish to suppress it. However, there are many benefits children gain from these types of play…
Should a classroom for young children be provocative? Maybe not in the sense of being risqué or unsettling, but educators in the schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy do hold a
In-depths are a perfect example of reflective practice enriching curriculum. The teacher must lead even though they don’t know where they are going. They supply the means, not the drive or the inspiration. If they think they know where they are going, then they must hope to be proven wrong, because by making an assumption, they have already closed their minds to many unpredictable experiences.
by Becky Krueger, Educator, Hilltop Children’s Center In my classroom, I used to think of taking a “first group” of children outside at 3:45 as a benefit mainly to the
It’s happening: public awareness in the United States is catching up to the reality that gender identity is neither absolute nor binary. And many people – children included – are finding new freedom to describe their experience and to express their gender identity more accurately.
Each day gives us multiple opportunities to explore justice: how to describe it, how to create it, how to feel it. Teachers know that children learn best when they are engaged in meaningful ways and when we focus on the process instead of the product…
Those of us who work with young children know how critically important our work is. Though we may face the misunderstanding that we are “babysitters” and that our job “must be so fun,” we know that early childhood education is a rigorous, compelling, impactful profession.
