Erin DelRegno Circle time in many classrooms still looks like this: calendar (month, year, counting the days) and days of the week. Time concepts, however, are abstract to children. They can’t see them, so they are hard for them to understand. To them, tomorrow can mean two weeks from now. They cannot grasp days of...Read More

Missy Littell, Customer Experience Manager, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, Library (formerly a children’s librarian for 12 years) I will never forget the first time I read Eric Veillé’s My Pictures After the Storm to my children. Those laugh-out-loud moments, especially when shared with children, can be tough to beat. Just as play is recognized to be...Read More

Angel Avery-Wright Math in a preschool classroom can be found everywhere, from a math interest center to other play areas. Materials for supporting math can include games, dramatic play props, blocks, musical materials, and more. Incorporating math materials and activities into the classroom are as essential as having blocks and dramatic play and can be...Read More

Beth Simon The term Program Observation Instrument or POI for short is a new term that you will see in the revised Keystone STARS Standards. In case you haven’t heard, the new Keystone STARS Standards went into effect last month. The new standards refer to various “Program Observation Instruments (POI)” that can be used for...Read More

Beth Simon  The above is often a response heard from child care providers when asked, “Do you use sand and water play in your classroom?” Although it’s the typical response, it does not mean it’s the developmentally appropriate response. Sand and water play can be messy and is probably the main reason why child care...Read More

Michelle Long We all know that parents like those cute little pieces of art to hang up on the refrigerator. They like to be proud of what their child made. While it is important to please the parents, it is more important to look at what the child is gaining from that project. What goes...Read More

Michelle Long Picture yourself sitting on bleachers. How is your posture? Are you wishing this game was at a stadium equipped with seats with backs? Picture yourself at a crowded café. The only stool left is missing the rungs. Are you having trouble trying to find a spot for your feet to rest? Are you...Read More

Bobbi Philson The authors of the Environment Rating Scales assess the safety of playgrounds using information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The information is condensed and easily understandable in the document Playground Information to Use with the Environment Rating Scales, available at www.ersi.info. Click on Quick Links for one of the ERS scales...Read More

By Kitty Syster The focus on math has become increasingly important in early childhood over the past few years. Research has led the Environment Rating Scale authors to put a greater emphasis on math. The ECERS-3 scale contains 3 math items. Incorporating math into the curriculum is an important way to help children understand written...Read More

Leah Zabari Mud pies, hide and seek, climbing trees, grass stains, and ripped jeans. Oh! The fun childhood memories when freedom to explore the world through adventures and imagination went on from sun up to sundown. But sadly, with computer, TV and the push for more developmentally inappropriate academics in early childhood, these adventures seem...Read More