Category: All

It’s January, and in many families that means time to register for preschool.  I’ve had several readers email me describing the overwhelming task of selecting a quality preschool, and asking for my suggestions.  So I’ve assembled a list here of what I would look for in a quality play-based preschool.  This is my dream list, and you… continue reading

This past week a friend of mine sent me a disturbing thought-provoking article from the Wall Street Journal.  The piece, entitled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior“ is an excerpt from Amy Chua’s new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.  My friend and I have had several discussions on parenting, and she served as one… continue reading

Playdough is a staple of childhood.  It always amazes me how long it can keep a child’s interest, squishing, pounding, rolling, and cutting.  I personally prefer homemade Classic Playdough, because it’s cheaper, better smelling, a bit softer and easier for little hands to command, and I have a little less to worry about when my… continue reading

I was just re-reading this old article  from a 2005 issue NAEYC’s Young Child magazine, written by Susan Neuman and Kathleen Roskos, leading researchers in the field of early literacy.  The emphasis of the article was on the importance of creating meaningful experiences through which children can truly engage in the process of acquiring early literacy skills.  In reference to… continue reading

I’ve got dinosaurs on the brain again, so I thought I’d repost this dinosaur unit from July of 2009.  What are some of your favorite dinosaur activities? There’s just something about preschoolers and dinosaurs.  Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of tiny children that have been on this earth just a few years and the enormous specimen… continue reading

Robert Munsch grew up in Pennsylvania, in a big family with nine kids.  Well, to be more accurate, Munsch specifies that he lived in Pennsylvania when he was young, and that he never really did grow up at all.  The prolific author struggled through most of his schooling, but always had a passion for writing.  He… continue reading

I received a wonderful surprise as a late Christmas gift this year!  Kara Fleck, editor of Simple Kids, invited me to join a wonderful community by becoming a regular contributor to the Simple Kids blog.  I am honored and excited for what this opportunity holds. Today, you can read a little bit about me and some of… continue reading

Is it just me, or did January fly by?  (I have to confess, I still have a few Christmas decorations I missed that are waiting to join their friends in the storage box!)  Today is the last day of the month, and that means it’s the last day to use the code “NewYear” to get a… continue reading

Valentine’s Day is rolling in!  I have some Valentine favorites from the past that I often use, like these Five Valentine Treats ,and the sweet math activityValentine Candy Heart Count , and I always bust out my post office dramatic play area to coincide with the season of love letters.  But I’m always looking for some new ideas,… continue reading

Valentine’s Day has never really been my favorite.  I’m no Valentine’s Grinch, I’ve just always been stumped by the traditional gift choices.   Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy chocolate, but there’s only so much a body can take. Flowers are nice, but I always prefer to get them as a surprise rather than an… continue reading