Pretty much the entire public school system in Western society (which is the only school system I have personal experience with, hence my qualifier) is rooted in: Adults decide when kids need to know stuff. Adults tell the kids the stuff. Adults test to see if the kids retained the stuff. Adults try to enforce/motivate … Read more
We do not need to decide when our kids “need” to learn to count and write. If they see us modeling counting and writing authentically, they will be interested in it and pursue it when their brains are ready to figure it out. Count things when things need to be counted! Count them out loud … Read more
Most of us who are trying to work in a way that is aligned with our values have so many moments of doubt. Are we actually doing a “skilled intervention” we are billing for? Is the work we are doing truly making an impact on the child’s life? Are we inadvertently causing harm? Is … Read more
A game one of my kids and I made up with my keyboard mat (a gymnastics mat with masking tape on it in the shape of a QWERTY keyboard)… Pick up plastic letters and run, leap off the trampoline, and land on the key on the mat for the letter you have picked up! This … Read more
This post has an audio and video recorded version for those who prefer to learn by hearing rather than by reading. Scroll to the bottom for the video of me reading it. All humans’ bodies develop strength from the core first, then working outward. The core muscles, the muscles that control your trunk, to lean … Read more
“You can struggle for weeks to teach a child to identify colors before they are ready, or you can do it in a few moments when they are ready to learn.” True about colors. True about numbers. True about writing. True about lots and lots and lots and lots of things. (And by “ready to … Read more
It started with a sticky note on a book that someone sold to my husband. My son got really interested in it. I was unaware of this, and when he came asking me for “paper that’s a little paper but it’s sticky but you can take it off and on again” I’ll admit it took … Read more
…I was going to put “play with scissors” and “play riskily” on here, too, but I thought that might freak people out TOO much. 😉 Seriously, though. It’s the start of summer break at the American schools I work at. I know English schools go awhile longer before having more of a break in August, … Read more
This post is a transcript for this one, which has the video. I want to start by asking you to think about learning. What comes to your mind when you hear the word learning? Maybe you think of classrooms…whiteboards…maybe you think of your own high school or college experiences, or of lectures, teachers or professors. … Read more
I had the opportunity to speak about protecting the power of play to childcare providers at the daycare and youth program centers near where I work for my day job. This lecture covers play development and various forms that it takes, explains the step-by-step development of pre-writing skills, and talks about the essential skills … Read more