What a wonderful adventure I am having in Copenhagen. This is a beautiful historic city filled with massive buildings, canals, and blooming flowers. Each day our class, “Learning Environment and Quality in Early Childhood Education” meets in the morning at Aarhus University. These sessions are filled with information about the importance of the environment, the […]
In August, Dr. Christy Isbell and I will be teaching a class at the University of Aarhus, in Copenhagen, Denmark, ranked as the country where the happiest people in the world live. Our focus will be on “Learning Environments and Quality Places in Early Childhood Education.” Dr. Christy Isbell and I will be discussing how to […]
New CD Available: Songs Too Good To Miss with Dr. Isbell and traditional American Music that every child will enjoy! The Story: There is an explosion of new information and research about the positive impact that music can have on young children’s brain development. Many articles have identified the “window of opportunity” that makes young […]
We have just returned from a two week tour of South Africa – an amazing adventure. It is a diverse country with pristine coastlines and towering mountains. The national reserves are filled with wild animals: lions, cheetahs, rhino, buffalo, zebra, and my favorite the giraffes. I watched a family of baboons caring for their babies […]
It was wonderful to provide the keynote for the first annual Early Care Early Childhood Conference at University of Texas – Pan American in the Rio Grande Valley on April 26, 2014. The early childhood educators who attended this conference were responsive and joyfully interacted with me throughout the opening session and the workshop […]
Spring has finally arrived! All around us, redbud trees, dogwoods, tulips, and candytuft are in bloom. This is one of my favorite times of the year. All of my hard work in the fall, planting bulbs, is now paying off. The dreary winter scene is being replaced with a colorful spring environment. These changes remind […]
I like to laugh, and many things make me laugh. I have often been told, “I knew you were here because I heard you laughing.” Sometimes I was embarrassed by my loud laugh. My dear mother used to tell me, “Shhh, you are being too loud.” Perhaps I should be more controlled? Research studies continue […]
There is a lot of work to be done in the home and classroom. Sometimes parents and teachers feel conflicted about asking young children to participate in housekeeping activities. Many worry that adding additional work to an already busy young child will have negative consequences. Experts have found that today’s parents and teachers are feeling […]
Importance of Play Play is a major avenue for learning in the preschool years. Many young children, however, have little experience playing and exhibit immature play skills when they enter early childhood programs. A quality environment for young children must provide enriched opportunities for play that will lead to the learning benefits possible in this […]
One of the proven ways to increase the quality of early childhood programs is by providing focused and continued training for teachers. When you are designing professional development opportunities for teachers in the coming months, consider the following elements. What are the specific needs of your teachers? This should include your observations as well as […]