There was a story that Fred loved to tell about a carpenter asking a potential apprentice if he ever made a mistake. “No, sir!” he said, sure that would help him get the job. But the carpenter answered, “Then there’s no way I’m going to hire you -- because when you make a mistake, you won’t know how to fix...
Read MoreThere’s a real concern that teaching has become “asking a question so you can get the right answer.” But think about how much more you’re “teaching” when you stimulate critical thinking skills by asking questions that require deeper thinking…that don’t have a right or wrong answer…that can’t be answered in a word or two… that help start a conversation. Questions...
Read MoreWith the holidays just ahead this month, I want to give a special thanks to everyone and anyone who works with young children, including the people who support them -- directors and other administrative staff, higher ed professors, resource and referral staff, trainers and other technical support people. It does take a village to raise a child. [q_button type='normal_button' size='medium' text='Read...
Read MoreA while ago, I was observing a group of preschoolers, and I was amazed at how long they stayed at a task. What was so engaging? They were making something rather ordinary and kind of “old-fashioned” -- paper chains. As they worked on this project, I could see why they were so involved. They wanted to make a chain that...
Read MoreWhen I was growing up, I loved dressing up in costumes for Halloween. But my Halloween memories don’t go back much earlier than when I was about 6 or 7 years old, and I’ll bet yours don’t either. For young children, Halloween can take on very different meanings. And depending on their temperament and developmental needs, some children in your care might...
Read More“Kindergarten Social Skills Hold Key to Success.” That was the headline for a USA Today article a while ago about a 20-year study published in the American Journal of Public Health which followed more than 750 children. The researchers found that kindergarteners with the highest scores on “social competence” were more likely to graduate high school on time, earn a...
Read MoreNow that the school year has started -- or is about to start, and you’re trying to get to know a new group of children, I thought you might appreciate a quote that I heard in an early childhood workshop: “We all have one mouth and two ears. Why don’t we use them in that proportion!” That quote reminds me...
Read MoreIt seems that most people associate Fred Rogers’ work with social-emotional development, but I think of it more as dealing with the whole child -- or should I say “the whole neighborhood,” including people, nature and things. In fact, I would often say that Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood offered three basic messages: “helping children feel good about themselves, get along with...
Read MoreI will never forget a lesson I learned when I was observing in a classroom. The children were asked to draw something they did over the wintry weekend. Most drew snowmen or sleds or snow-covered trees. But one girl’s picture was just a murky mixture of colors. To me, it looked like a mess, like something done without much thought. Was...
Read MoreNow that we’re getting close to the end of the “school year,” I hope you can take some time to appreciate how much forward progress the children have made in your care. You invest a lot of your time and energy to guide and support the children, and it can give you a good feeling to think about how much...
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