March 20 would be Fred Rogers’ 88th birthday, and I wanted to celebrate his life by sharing with you the tribute video that PBS produced shortly after his death in 2003. As I listened to the words “Feels Like Home to Me” on the song they chose, I thought about how much we all have learned from Fred about the simple,...
Read MoreI recently observed 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. I could see why they were so involved. They wanted to make a chain that would go all the way across the floor. Anything so big has...
Read MoreWhen most people think of Fred Rogers' puppets, they think about his Neighborhood of Make-Believe stories. But there's another way he used puppets--a way that can help us learn about children's thoughts, feelings and concerns. Fred was always enamored with puppets, so when he was a graduate student in Child Development, they were a natural tool for him to use with...
Read MoreAt this gift-giving time of the year, we usually think about presents that come in a box. But for this newsletter, I wanted to give you a "gift" of one of our favorite Neighborhood videos that has a great example of thinking "outside the box." It's Fred's visit with author-illustrator Eric Carle, who has given us such wonderful books as The...
Read MoreAs I'm getting ready to attend the Annual Conference of NAEYC (the National Association for the Education of Young Children), I've been thinking about the first time I was there. It was 1983, and not only was I presenting my first workshop at a national conference, but I also had the privilege of watching Fred inspire an audience of thousands...
Read MoreI wonder if you've heard of "meta-cognition"? It's a relatively new concept in education, and it literally means "thinking beyond" or "thinking about what you're thinking." People are just now starting to talk about it in early childhood, but I'll bet you've been encouraging it without realizing it. The focus in education used to be about asking questions to get children...
Read More"Kindergarten Social Skills Hold Key to Success." That was the headline for a recent USA Today article 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 college degree and hold full-time jobs. Think about all the time and energy you...
Read MoreThere's an intriguing sign at our Pittsburgh airport: "Kids who get science get jobs." When you think about it, "getting" science starts way back in the early years. Children are natural scientists. They're curious. They're fascinated by things in the world around them. And you have many ways to support their interest in the sciences -- through the activities you offer,...
Read MoreThere 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 MoreI came back from this month's NAEYC Professional Development Institute with a renewed appreciation for open-ended questions, after hearing a number of speakers emphasizing them in all kinds of situations -- for story time, for STEM concepts, and for social-emotional development. There's a real concern that teaching has become "asking a question so you can get the right answer." But think about...
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