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Hey Reader! Summer is often a time that is a little more easy-going than the school year in our classrooms (or at home)! Let’s take a quick look into how we can support building some independence in our preschoolers during these summer months. Why does cultivating independence even matter? Well…you are nurturing their confidence, problem-solving abilities, and sense of responsibility. Isn’t that what we want our children to develop? Here are some practical strategies to help along the way: 1….

Hey Reader! When was the last time you sat on the floor in your classroom and looked around? This was the advice Dr. Mimi Larson gave as we talked in a recent podcast conversation about the importance of creating an intentional early childhood space for children to flourish. Many of you are in a church building sharing classroom spaces and you may not have as much autonomy as you’d like. Something that really struck me about our conversation is when she talked about the explicit environment…

Hey Reader! For many of you, the school year is winding down and you’re looking forward to a little break. For some of you, the end of the school year just means the beginning of a summer program! At ECCN, we recognize that you pour out a lot of energy, love, and time for your students and their families. It’s also important for us to remember a fundamental truth: caring for yourself is a vital part of caring for others. In the hustle and bustle of tending to the needs of children, it’s easy…

Hey Reader! Playdough is an amazing tool that can be used with almost all ages of young children to teach a variety of skills and benefit in development. I had a fun conversation with Sarah Scrivens recently about all the great ways we can use playdough to meet learning goals in every age group. Listen in HERE. Fine Motor Skills – as children squeeze, pull, pat, roll, push, poke, and pinch playdough, they are building all of the muscles and joints in their fingers, hands, wrists, forearms,…

Hey Reader! I recently came across THIS ARTICLE and there were a couple of quotes that really jumped out at me: “In our drive to constantly prepare students for what comes next, we ignore the fact that they’re children.” If I’m really honest with myself, this has been my mindset in my parenting, in my classroom, AND in my leadership roles. Admittedly, I can be hyper-focused on productivity and getting the “next thing” started because “we have a lot to accomplish” all the time! I am a…

Hey Reader! “Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder…” Did you just finish the song in your mind? (or maybe even out loud?) “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the …..” Again..did you finish the song? Most likely, you did. Music is a powerful tool in the classroom for so many reasons! We’ve shared a lot of fun tips for using music in your classroom over these last couple of weeks, but I wanted to share one more thing… I had a podcast conversation recently with Patty Shukla about how she has…

Hey Reader! How does music affect infants and toddler development – maybe even before they’re able to talk? Let’s examine a few things today. Several of today’s ideas came from THIS article from zerotothree.com which includes LOTS of info on development and music including a fantastic chart with musical ideas for various development domains by age group! Young children begin to learn self-regulation as a loving caregiver gently holds a baby close and rocks or sways to the beat of a gentle…

Hey Reader! What if I told you that there is a really easy and fun way to foster connection, collaboration, and emotional regulation in your classroom and you don’t even have to buy anything? It’s MUSIC! Keep reading to see how music actually help you do all of these things! (Hint: You don’t actually have to be good at singing. Preschoolers don’t really care if you can carry a tune!) Building Connection: Music provides a shared experience that crosses language and cultural barriers, making it…

Hey Reader! A few children in your classroom are chasing each other on the playground as super heroes trying to “capture the bad guys”! There is lots of discussion during centers about policemen putting the bad guy in jail. Or maybe you’ve even overheard conversations about super heroes or policemen killing the bad guys? Before we all gasp and call parents…let’s examine what’s happening here: Remember that young children, both boys and girls, starting around age 3 make sense of their world…

Hey Reader! In a recent podcast conversation with Dr. Beverly Alford of Curating Play, we talked about NOISE in our classrooms. When children are engaged in lively, active, age-appropriate play…there’s probably going to be some noise involved. Would you agree with that? How do you feel about noise in your classroom? I think we have various levels of noise tolerance based on our own life experience. For example, I raised three very active, rambunctious boys so what I consider “too loud” is…