I try to maximize on the exuberance children exude as Halloween approaches. The late Stanley Greenspan said, “Kids need to become emotionally involved to learn.” No better way to teach challenging skills and concepts than wrapping them in a cloak (no dagger) of intrigue, a touch of “scary” and fun! So I teach kids to […]
An expert in the field of early childhood education, Elizabeth McKenna, joins us to discuss essential elements for success at school. She has incorporated play as a core ingredient to the early childhood programs she has developed. Here are some of her thoughts regarding play in education: In my twenty-five years in the field of […]
I love October. Yes, the trees look fabulous wearing their brilliant regalia, but as a facilitator in early childhood education, the season offers a panoply of themes to build: Fine motor Skills Visual Motor Skills Spatial Reasoning Skills Tactile Discrimination Today I begin with a favorite: Drawing Pumpkins A pumpkin is essentially a circle (or […]
Leaf Collecting is a time honored tradition of childhood. Shuffling though piles of leaves and searching for the most beautiful specimens can be a delight for children. Bending over to pick up each spied treasure and making a bouquet of the collection can easily fill an afternoon. Here are some benefits of leaf collecting: Visual focus: […]
Come Join me in New York! The pages of this website are filled with ideas on how and why sensory motor play helps children learn, behave and generally lead healthier, happier lives. I am happy to announce that I will be giving a day long intensive workshop in NY this November at Bank Street College […]
As schools begin to open for the start of another academic year, I thought it appropriate to discuss one of the key elements to success in school: Nutrition. We have focused on growing healthy food in the Garden Series. I also talk a lot about the importance of movement to help children focus and learn. […]
The more I get to know Jill, the more I find we have a lot in common. For instance, we both have a strong interest in chickens. I have a flock of laying hens in my backyard. We both are convinced that there’s a strong connection between what we feed our kids and their ability […]
Some folks LOVE GOOEY and others HATE GOOEY. I have a colleague who confessed that she wretches just looking at a worm. And yet the children at our community garden love worms. They search for them, hold them, stroke them and carry them around. A little girl placed several on her arm and tilted her […]
As the sultry summer days pile on, I count the number of beach days left. I also begin thinking about cooler days and the chance to start riding my bike with fewer vacationers clogging the roads as they rush to the beach. Cycling has been a life long activity for me. I straddled and began […]
Each year at the Truro Community Children’s Garden, an animal is selected as the featured “pet” for the year. The nascent gardeners learn about them, draw pictures of them and feature them in garden displays as the season draws to a close. Last year the children selected chickens. They learned about the obvious benefit of […]
When discussing our collective experiences in growing a Children’s Garden at the Truro Central School, a second grader summed it up by stating, “I like making food.” The students participated in the process of planting seeds, amending and tending to the soil, weeding and best of all, harvesting delicious food. Along the way, they acquired […]
