I am firmly in the learning through play camp when it comes to preschoolers and early academics. Done in a good way, this doesn’t mean just let them play and they’ll be ready. It means thoughtfully providing academic experiences in fun, engaging and play based ways. Early Literacy Skills to Keep in Mind – Early … Continue reading Providing a Foundation for Academic Success in Preschool Friendly Ways
Perspective taking is very limited in young children. Like, how two-year-olds close their eyes to hide when playing hide and seek. The thought is, ‘if they can’t see themselves, you can’t see them.’ Three-year-olds stand in front of you and don’t realize you can’t see through them. Even four years olds get confused when you … Continue reading Teaching Kids How to Take Another’s Perspective
I teach parenting workshops on positive discipline often. At least weekly, I am reviewing the language of I messages, empathy, positive intent, choices and natural and logical consequences. This language is meant to provide parents with a framework for managing children’s behaviors in the moment. It is a flexible and effective approach for shaping behaviors … Continue reading Coaching: Encouraging Behavior Change a Few Minutes at a Time
Whether your child is starting at a new preschool or elementary school, the first day can be daunting. There are several things you can do over the summer months to help prepare for the first day. Visit the school’s website – Explore the website with your child. Point out pictures of happy children and read … Continue reading Starting at a New School this Fall?
Asking hypotheticals to teach social skills means asking children open-ended questions and discussing answers based on their scenarios. In our house, we call this the “what if” game. Let’s say you have a four-year-old that is always taking small things that don’t belong to them from preschool and playdates, asking hypotheticals would be asking what … Continue reading Hypotheticals to Teach Social Skills
Many studies site that children have an average of a two month academic loss over the summer months. With a little effort, you save their hard gained knowledge and may even help them make gains! Here are some ideas to support them while still having fun: Practice school skills in real life – If your second grader … Continue reading Ways to Avoid Summer Academic Loss
Chapter books can be a great addition to your read aloud time as early as three to four years old. If you already read picture books before bed, the easiest way to introduce chapter books is to finish your picture book and tuck them in like normal. Then, when you would have been turning out … Continue reading Ideas for Introducing Chapter Books
Emotion language provides children a tool for managing social exchange. By the time they get to Kindergarten, I want children to be able to look at their friend and say, “I am mad at you. You took my block,” rather than clobber them. There are many ways to teach children emotion language, here are a … Continue reading Ways to Teach Children Emotion Language
The start of Kindergarten is an exciting time! If your child is starting this fall, there are many things you can be doing to get them ready. Preview the school – Spend some time this summer playing on the school’s playground. Visit their website with your child to view pictures and videos. If there is … Continue reading Tips for Starting Kindergarten
I think learning to share starts with learning to take turns. Taking turns is more concrete than sharing. The child knows, “I have this to myself. When the timer dings, or you tell me, it will be their turn. If I ask nicely and wait, I will get another turn.’ This can make sense as … Continue reading Teaching Them How to Share
Parenting by Dr. Rene 