Author Archives: Jennie

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About Jennie

I have been teaching preschool for over forty years. This is my passion. I believe that children have a voice, and that is the catalyst to enhance or even change the learning experience. Emergent curriculum opens young minds. It's the little things that happen in the classroom that are most important and exciting. That's what I write about. I was a live guest on the Kelly Clarkson Show. I am highlighted in the seventh edition of Jim Trelease's million-copy bestselling book, "The Read-Aloud Handbook" because of my reading to children. My class has designed quilts that hang as permanent displays at the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, the Fisher House at the Boston VA Hospital, and the Massachusetts State House in Boston.

Fragment of the Day- Harry Potter

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Jennie

May the words I say to children, and the words I write to others leave behind a little magic.

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

A Day at the Art Museum – Inspiring Children

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Jennie

Art and preschoolers go hand-in-hand.  If I want children to feel excited and inspired by art, it must begin with me.  I recently visited the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire and… oh my! Let me back up. … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Early Education, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , | 54 Comments

World Read Aloud Day

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Jennie

Today, February 16th, is World Read Aloud Day. What could be better on this day than finishing reading a favorite book with my library reading group?  We have been reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown since September.  Yes, September!  We … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, reading, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , | 41 Comments

“Katy and The Big Snow”– Geography, a Compass, and Measuring

Posted on February 14, 2017 by Jennie

Katy and the Big Snow, by Virginia Lee Burton is a classic children’s book that continues to be beloved today.  After two major snow storms this week, it was the perfect read.  The book never gets old, children always find … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, geography, Imagination, Math, picture books, reading, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Geography, Africa, and Preschool Immersion

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Jennie

One of our most treasured and well-used classroom books is the Big Book of the World.  We love to look through the book as it shows not only physical maps of the world, continents and countries, but also animals, agriculture, … Continue reading →

Posted in Diversity, Early Education, geography, Imagination, Learning About the World, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , | 32 Comments

Language, Literacy, Imagination, and Reading-Aloud

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Jennie

People often ask why I chapter read.  After all, many of the children in my classroom are are three-years-old.  When we chapter read, the children don’t have an image from a picture book.  They have to make the pictures in … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Imagination, picture books, reading, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , | 49 Comments

Take Time to Read

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Jennie

Originally posted on charles french words reading and writing:
(pixabay.com) “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”                                                                                   Stephen King ? (pixabay.com) “Read, read, read. Read everything…

Posted in Uncategorized | 27 Comments

Literacy and Math

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Jennie

When I was in first grade, I mastered math placement.  Really.  Math is not my strong suit, but my teacher read aloud Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag.   The repeated text in the book is, “Hundreds of cats, thousands of … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Math, picture books, reading, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

When Chapter Reading Isn’t Enough

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Jennie

Charlotte’s Web is a book that has a profound influence on children in the best of ways.  Children listen, often silent because of all the wonder that is going into their brains.  The words alone paint a picture that they relate … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Imagination, reading, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

Why kids can learn more from tales of fantasy than realism

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Jennie

Originally posted on M.C. Tuggle, Writer:
Deena Weisberg is a senior fellow in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her specialty is “imaginative cognition,” which studies how imagination boosts one’s ability to learn. Her research demonstrates that children absorb…

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments