Based on helping thousands of parents over the years and spending time evaluating children while they interacted with both parents AND teachers, I’ve found that it is common for children to behave the worst while in the care of Mom! As strange as this may seem, it is true. The reason is that in general terms, the mother seems to create a safe environment
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Just like we have done the past couple of years, we enjoy seeing what our top posts were from 2013! It is fun to take a look on Google Analytics from this perspective and see which posts generated the most interest. So here we go, our TOP 5 posts, starting with #1 …. #1: Counting and literacy with PETE THE CAT This was no surprise to
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It’s nearly Christmas and I’m shopping at a department store. A woman in the isle just ahead of me is pushing her shopping cart and begging her daughter to cooperate with her. The little girl appears to be about four or five years of age and is dragging her feet and whining that she’s too tired to walk. Her mom looks very tired and
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Holiday time is a very exciting time for students attending school! Whether they are infants and toddler, preschools, or school-age children, the holiday time is filled with anticipations and tradition. Through my years of teaching, I have had to be conscious and sensitive to cultures and beliefs and ensure that my teachings did not cause anyone to feel uncomfortable. When I taught in a
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I love, love, LOVE the story “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree”! It’s a great seasonal story about how one BIG Christmas tree became a gift for many people and animals. The rhymthic flow of the story is fun to read, and when I read it to my kids or in class, they love how the top of the tree gets a “snip”! Mr. Willowby’s Christmas
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Oh Christmas tree – so MANY WAYS to make a Christmas tree in preschool! From tissue paper to egg cartons, sticks to straws – there are so many different materials that can be used to make Christmas Tree Art projects. And lots of learning that can take place in the process – creative expression, counting, sequencing, fine motor development … so here’s a
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As soon as I saw the nature shadow boxes from Teach Preschool – I just knew we had to do this! The idea of making a shadow box can be adapted to any season (winter, spring, summer, fall or for a certain holiday). Children can collect things from nature, bring in items from home or use collage materials from school. The shadow boxes we made here
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I am delving into murky waters, but there seems to be an ‘elephant’ in the educational theorist’s classroom. There is a tremendous amount of literature about what makes a great teacher. However, there is a surprising dearth of research on the affect good students have on teacher performance. Come to think of it, that is understandable. The influence that a good student has on
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“Opportunity looks a lot like hard work” – Ashton Kutcher, American actor At all levels of education, the interaction between the student and teacher is perhaps the most influential actor in a student’s academic success. Research shows that exposure to effective teachers, over several years, makes a tangible difference in achievement. Alone, this may be enough to significantly narrow the achievement gap. Those gifted
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For years I have been honored to teach youth dance lessons at a local dance studio, our local Y and local recreation department. I teach a ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and tumbling to children ages 3 to 12. I find that no matter what kind of a day I may be having, coming into the dance studio and seeing all those happy smiles
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