Child Development
5 Ways Immigrant Parents Support Children’s Home Language Learning
It is important to preserve and develop a child’s home language for their cultural, linguistic, and social development. Yet, languages other than English are often not welcomed or encouraged the way they should be in classrooms. Here are 5 important ways that immigrant parents pass along their important linguistic, cultural, and social knowledge to support children's home language learning.Gross Motor Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers
During the early years, children need to be exposed to many activities that strengthen their large motor muscles. As babies, it begins with their trunk, neck, and head control, and then they strengthen their legs and feet. As preschoolers, once body control is achieved, you can help them work on throwing, running, and climbing! It's important to intentionally integrate fun, physical activities that kids can do to strengthen these muscles into your program. And since most gross motor activities center around physical fun, it won’t be hard to get the students excited about them! Here are some examples of ways to enjoy gross motor activities with children.Math All Day: 14 Ways to Teach Young Children Math Skills During Daily Routines
Getting young children ready for long-term math success requires more than a great preschool teacher. For young children, developing a strong foundation of basic math concepts is easier when their families join in too, finding fun and creative ways to slip little math-related lessons and challenges into everyday activities. Here are some specific ideas for infusing math into a typical day’s schedule with a young child.25 Ways to Have Big Fun in Small Spaces
Small spaces don’t have to equal small fun! Here's a list of 25 ideas to share with parents to help them get the kids moving in small spaces.Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)
There are many ways that families of English language learners (ELLs) can support language and literacy at home. Colorín Colorado has a beautiful new series of 8 posters and reading tips for families - and they are available in 16 languages so you can easily share them with parents!Encouraging School Readiness Skills in Preschoolers
The early years are a time when we can help children develop the tools they need to succeed before heading to formal K-12 schooling. Developing these school readiness skills help prepare children for optimal learning throughout their educational journey. This article takes a closer look at some of the school readiness skills that children can work on before they head off to kindergarten!Fine Motor Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers
We all know that fine motor skills are important, but are we making sure our curriculum integrates them enough into our early childhood activities? They are not just helpful for writing, but they are essential for everyday activities like feeding, dressing, and other hygiene activities.Here is some fine motor fun you can implement into your curriculum or home to strengthen those muscles that control your child’s hands, fingers, and thumbs.