PLAY is the WAY children learn during the early childhood years. How fortunate that is for parents, caregivers and/or their teachers! Because when PLAY is the basis for learning activities it makes learning not only fun, but something that happens naturally. Plus, as an added bonus, it also creates a desire to continue to want to learn! Focus on the Senses: Provide as many opportunities for your kiddos to engage their senses—and if they use more than one for the same activity all the better! … [Read more...]
Children & Mother Nature Are Meant to Be Together
Children and Mother Nature--I’ve said it before and I’ll said it again: Children are supposed to BE in and amongst Her! Here’s just a brief summary of some of the benefits of children and Mother Nature: ● Just as PLAY addresses all developmental areas in children, so too, does being in Nature by... ◦Supporting Problem-Solving and Creativity ◦Increasing Children's Ability to Focus ◦Improving Social Relations ◦Supporting Physical Development ◦Improving Impulse Control and … [Read more...]
Why Nursery Rhymes are Important
If you’ve been following Play & Grow for any time you know I’m fond of rhymes for children. It doesn’t matter if they’re traditional nursery rhymes, action songs or fingerplays. Have you wondered why I’m so insistent children learn these? See below for just some of the benefits! Language & Reading: ● Nursery rhymes and/or fingerplays help children develop an ear for language! The rhymes and rhythms highlight the sounds and syllables in words. Repeated exposure to nursery rhymes or … [Read more...]
Traveling and Away from Home–Working Parents Added Challenge
Working parents want and NEED to stay connected to the everyday happenings in their children's lives--and that's especially true when parents are traveling for business. Rather than bringing back trinkets or gifts from various countries--which kind of has the feel of trying to buy your child's love and/or assuage your guilt--parents can DO something with their children instead! Yes, there's a little bit of pre-planning involved, but instead of a business trip taking time away from your child … [Read more...]
Keep Talking, I Want to READ!
Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors, said: "Books make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them." If books make great gifts, then certainly the gift of reading is priceless! Children begin the process of learning to read long before they actually read. Laying the Foundation to Read Talking, or more formally oral language, is critically important for future reading skills. Immerse children in language by engaging with them: in everyday speech, reading aloud, singing, … [Read more...]