Category Archives: Teaching young children

The Past Two Weeks – School Then and Now, Part 1

Posted on March 30, 2020 by Jennie

I am missing the children.  I know they are missing me.  Learning will always happen, these tender moments won’t.  In the past two weeks our class has completely changed.  Yet, change can be a good thing.  Resilience is born.  Let … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, geography, Inspiration, Learning About the World, music, preschool, Teaching young children, The Arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 81 Comments

“The Story of Little Babaji” – a Classic Children’s Book

Posted on March 27, 2020 by Jennie

This week I read aloud one of the children’s favorite books on YouTube.  In order to understand the book and its popularity, first let me back up – a long time ago. I vividly remember the book Little Black Sambo … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, children's books, Diversity, Early Education, picture books, play performances, preschool, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 81 Comments

When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade!

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Jennie

It happened quickly.  Schools closed for two weeks.  Teachers went in on Friday to do a deep cleaning, from surfaces to toys, even markers and the cover of every book.  Over the weekend the closings of public places skyrocketed.  On … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Inspiration, picture books, preschool, reading, reading aloud, reading aloud, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , | 140 Comments

Children’s Words, Trees and a Poem – A Finale

Posted on March 11, 2020 by Jennie

I wrote about our Tree Walk on a windy day in Part 3.  This walk was just one part of the blog post on Children’s Words.  Little did I know at the time that the walk, and their words, would … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Expressing words and feelings, Nature, Poetry, preschool, Teaching young children, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 46 Comments

Humor in Teaching

Posted on March 7, 2020 by Jennie

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”  -Charlie Chaplin- Jennie

Posted in behavior, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Inspiration, preschool, Quotes, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , | 55 Comments

Children’s Words, Part 3

Posted on March 6, 2020 by Jennie

In Part 2 I talked about children telling their stories in their own words.  Without a visual or help from a teacher- no crutch, it’s not so easy.  Welcome to the deep end, not the shallow end.  Children wrote and illustrated … Continue reading →

Posted in books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Jim Trelease, reading, reading aloud, reading aloud, storytelling, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

Children’s Words, Part 2

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Jennie

In Part 1, I talked about writing thank you letters to the people in our neighborhood, our community helpers.  As a group, we planned the words, and children decorated the letters. This was fun!  They felt excited and proud. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Imagination, picture stories, preschool, reading aloud, storytelling, teaching, Teaching young children, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 72 Comments

Children’s Words, Part 1

Posted on February 28, 2020 by Jennie

Writing a thank you letter is a favorite activity in my classroom.  First, children ‘write’ the words – this isn’t so easy.  Every writer knows that.  For children, they need to think about who the letter is for, and what … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, preschool, teaching, Teaching young children, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 63 Comments

Miracle On Ice

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Jennie

Today is the 40th anniversary of ‘Miracle on Ice’, when Team USA beat the Soviet Union in the medal round in ice hockey at the 1980 Olympics. This is not a sports story.  This is a story of what can … Continue reading →

Posted in America, behavior, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, history, Inspiration, patriotism, preschool, self esteem, Teaching young children | 40 Comments

Jackson’s Letter, and a Great Book

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Jennie

When a child takes the time to write a letter to his former teacher, that in itself is a wonderful thing. Dear, Jennie I read the book the Chocolate Touch. It was a really fun book even though I Do … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Review, books, chapter reading, children's books, Early Education, Expressing words and feelings, Giving thanks, Teaching young children | Tagged , , , , , , , | 70 Comments