Much as I don’t like the cold February weather here in Pittsburgh, one evening I found myself looking at a wintry scene with new eyes, thanks to Fred Rogers. As I was walking to my car in the parking lot, I noticed that the snow was especially beautiful. It was sparkling like diamonds. Normally, I would just keep walking and...
Read MoreWhen I hear all the concerns these days about self-regulation and self-control, I am reminded of something that a mother once told me. She said she learned her most helpful parenting lesson from Mister Rogers. It was such a simple and clear statement: “It’s okay to be angry, but it’s not okay to hurt.” That’s such a great way to use...
Read MoreAs I was thinking about what to offer this month, I was thinking about some of the wonderful guests we had over the years. Memories are so much a part of holiday times. I remembered this video -- it’s a delightful visit with the legendary Tony Bennett. ...
Read MoreWhenever there’s tragedy in the news, like the recent shootings in Pittsburgh and California, I worry about how young children interpret (and misinterpret) what they hear -- not only from the news but also from the conversations of the adults around them. And I’m concerned that we get tangled in our own emotional reactions, and that makes the news even...
Read MoreIn early childhood we work hard to help families deal with the transition at the beginning of the day, but there’s another transition time that needs our help, too....
Read MoreI’ve heard elementary school teachers say that one of the most important qualities that children need to succeed in school is the willingness to take risks. They’re talking about “safe risks,” like the willingness to offer ideas in class discussions, ask questions, try new things, or tackle problems that seem challenging. No wonder that’s important! You probably know some children who...
Read MoreThe other day I heard a child singing “Row, row, row your boat,” and I couldn’t help thinking of the delightful version of that song that Fred wrote for King Friday –Propel, propel, propel your craft… gently down liquid solution. Ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically, existence is but an illusion! Fred loved introducing his viewers to “big” words. Yes, he did speak in...
Read MoreIt’s summertime, and that usually means more outdoor time. But I keep thinking about Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv, and I wonder if “outdoor time” today has come to mean “playground time” with swings, monkey bars and slides. I’ve been thinking about how much different that is from outdoor time with nature. In his book, Louv reminds us...
Read MoreEver since I started presenting workshops on Fred’s approach to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math), I’ve kept my ears open for stories of children’s questions about the world around them -- and for the way their teachers respond. So I was especially delighted with what I heard when I was observing my scientist friend Elaine offer her...
Read MoreI heard a teacher offer a reassuring note -- and a math lesson -- when she told a three-year-old that it was time for her group to go to the bathroom. She said that she’d put the stuffed animal the child was holding “up high on the shelf so no one would get it.” The teacher told me no one would...
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