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Mary Binning: Posted on Monday, January 30, 2012 12:33 PM
Came across a good article by Carolyn Tomlin at www.earlychildhoodnews.com. Below is a section that I wanted to share with you. Thought this part of the article gave some good tips for how to work with your kids at home. Mental/Intellectual Readiness Statistics report that a large percentage of what children learn is acquired before five years of age. When parents ask, “What can I do to help my child adjust to school?” the answer is to encourage early preparation. Here are just a few things you can do at home to foster a love of learning in your child. - Storytelling can and should be a part of every day. This stimulates reading aloud and storytelling. A study by Dorothy Alison and J. Allen Watson (1994) showed that the earlier parents begin reading aloud to their children, the higher the children’s emergent reading levels are at the end of kindergarten. In another study, psychologist Robert Thorndike (1975) found that children who have been read aloud to from an early age become the best readers.
- Talk to your child. Then listen. High Scope Educational Research Foundation suggests setting up a “planning period” each day. During this time, talk to your child about what he intends to do. Suggest plans for the morning, afternoon, or bedtime. Plans could include: How do you plan to paint a picture? What will you need? What book would you like to read at bedtime? This type of conversation takes active listening on both sides. Refrain from asking your child “closed” questions that require a one-word answer. Phrase statements or questions so that the child must think about the answer before responding.
- Choose challenging activities. If an activity appears too easy, the child becomes bored. If too difficult, the child loses interest.
- Set aside time each afternoon to discuss your child’s day. Get involved in homework, even if it’s listening to a kindergartner count to 10, name rhyming words, or spell her name. Parents who encourage self-discipline and responsibility keep in touch with their child’s school or child care. It’s one of the best ways to ensure your child remains stimulated, mentally and intellectually.
- Foster Independence. A study by Robert J. Havighurst (1972) shows that specific types of behavior are required if individuals deal successfully with challenges and problems. He defines these as “developmental tasks.” Achieving personal independence becomes a task for the school-age child. Of course, it’s a slow process, which begins in early childhood and continues into adolescence and possibly adulthood. As a parent, it’s important to give your child the opportunity to try new things and to be supportive when she’s not successful on the first try.
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Mary Binning: Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 3:12 PM
The following is found on the Center For Public Education website! For further information, follow the link below. Research indicates that children of all races/ethnicities and income classes can benefit from a high-quality pre-kindergarten program. For many, pre-k can make the difference between struggling through school or doing well in the elementary grades and beyond. Numerous studies have shown both short- and long-term benefits for those who participate in high-quality pre-k. Children enrolled in quality programs not only demonstrate higher academic achievement in the elementary grades, but are far less likely to need costly instructional services down the road and far more likely to succeed in school, both academically and socially, than their peers who did not attend pre-k. Did you know...85% of a child’s brain development takes place by the age of five? |
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Mary Binning: Posted on Sunday, October 23, 2011 12:31 PM
 My son was rather excited last week when our pediatrician told him he would need to take anti-biotics in order to fight his strep throat. He seemed to forget all about his discomfort as he excitedly asked, "Do I get the bubble gum-flavored one?". You see, my son thinks bubble gum medicine is one of the greatest taste treats around! He doesn't much care about the "if, then" relationship of sickness and anti-biotics --- "if I take this anti-biotic, then I will feel better". Nope, he would enjoy anti-biotics as part of his daily intake no matter if he were sick or well. He doesn't fully comprehend that the delicious bubble gum elixer also provides his body with that which is necessary to fight an infection. When I think about early childhood educational curriculum, I can't help but think that the same principles apply. Our children love to play and interact but they don't realize that all this fun is designed to provide them with that which is necessary to help them learn and grow as people. Our curriculum is chocked full of content --- content which the Ohio Dept. of Education has developed to help each preschooler make the transition into formal school. As we design our lesson plans (which our Administrator, Laurie Stark, does to perfection!) we look for ways to incorporate these many standards. Our children certainly are not aware of content standards. All they know is that they are singing fun counting songs, digging in the sand, stomping like dinosaurs, reading stories, making friends, etc.! If you would like to check out the Pre-Kindergarten Content Standards we implement, click here. |
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Mary Binning: Posted on Sunday, October 02, 2011 5:13 PM
My husband's favorite actress is Jennifer Garner. What this means is that I think we've seen every movie and TV show Jennifer has ever been in. Sometimes this is a good thing, like in the case of ALIAS. (Great show produced by a pre-LOST JJ Abrams. If you haven't seen it, get the DVD of the first season and sit back and enjoy!) Sometimes this is an okay thing, like in the case of 13 GOING ON 30. (Maybe two stars?) Sometimes this is not really a good thing at all. (One word: ELEKTRA.) In the case of this interview from last week, it is a very, very good thing! I happened to catch this interview when Jennifer appeared on The Today Show to speak about the importance of Early Childhood Education. She is the spokesperson for Save The Children's Early Education Program, which stresses awareness of the necessity for Pre-K Education. While Save The Children's program focuses on children in poverty, many of the principles and truths apply to children of all socio-economic backgrounds. For any of us who are proponents of the importance of Early Childhood Education, we can appreciate the efforts of Save the Children and, of course, Jennifer Garner, who is using her celebrity to promote a cause she has researched and believes in. If you're viewing this blog posting on an iPad, you won't be able to see the video because of an incompatibility between the iPad and Adobe Flash.
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