Monthly Archives: July 2017

Meeting an Author

Last week I met Eric Carle. Let me say it a little louder, “Last week I met Eric Carle!”  The man, a world renowned children’s author and illustrator, is 88 years old.  His history is fascinating.  So is he. My author … Continue reading

Posted in art, Author interview, Early Education, Eric Carle, Leo Lionni, museums, picture books, storytelling, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , | 73 Comments

The History — and Magic — of Outdoor Play

Photo: Alyssa Haywoode for Strategies for Children ? It’s summer and NAEYC’s publication, Young Child, has a compelling and seasonally appropriate article about the history of outdoor play. Written by Joe L. Frost, an emeritus professor at the University of…

Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments

Guest writer: Jennie Fitzkee – The Spider Story

Originally posted on Sue Vincent's Daily Echo:
“Oh, Sue. I need to tell you “The Spider Story”, one of the ‘Jennie Stories’ for my preschoolers. All true. That’s why children are glued when I say, “It happened like this.”…

Posted in Uncategorized | 17 Comments

Childhood, and Train Whistles, and My Grandmother

Summer evenings on the porch are quiet, except for the occasional  sound of a train whistle in the distance.  I love that sound.  When I was a little girl, a train whistle meant excitement and memories.  I was born and … Continue reading

Posted in Early Education, geography, history, Imagination, storytelling, Teaching young children, trains | Tagged , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Quotations on Reading

Originally posted on charles french words reading and writing:
(https://en.wikipedia.org) “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”                                                                            Ray Bradbury ? (https://en.wikipedia.org) “Reading is the sole means by which we…

Posted in Uncategorized | 18 Comments

The Art Museum

Museums are always a source of wonder and inspiration for me.  I introduce art in a big way to my preschool class, so when I’m inspired, they are, too.  This week I visited the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, … Continue reading

Posted in art, Imagination, Inspiration, museums, Teaching young children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 79 Comments

“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.” ~Charles Dickens

Originally posted on Off The Record:
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Being A Late Bloomer

I was a late bloomer.  It’s a term that is mostly used for flowers today.  Way back when, children who didn’t seem to grow as quickly as their peers were often called “late bloomers”.  I struggled to read.  I sucked … Continue reading

Posted in Diversity, Early Education, picture books, reading aloud, Teaching young children, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 44 Comments

Childhood and Summer, Then and Now

On summer evenings my greatest pleasure is sitting on the porch and reading.  My porch has soft lighting and wood everywhere; bare wood and rough wood.  The ceiling is the roughest wood of all, and my husband wants to paint … Continue reading

Posted in Early Education, Imagination, storytelling, summer camp | Tagged , , , , , | 79 Comments

Meeting our Sergeant Pen-Pal, At Last

Our pen-pal returned home from Afghanistan! It was quite a reunion.  After many months of corresponding with each other- sending giant letters, pictures, drawings, and care packages- Sergeant Curran walked into my classroom to meet the children.  They were so … Continue reading

Posted in Early Education, military, patriotism, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 80 Comments