Charlie's Cues: Using Your Math Game

February 17, 2021

Two challenges educators face when offering board games is group size and child interest. Playing board games has many benefits, but depending on children's skill sets, educators may need to be more hands-on. Begin by making sure each child is interested in being part of the game. It is important to have their attention before giving directions, so they can understand them clearly. If you have a small group, you might want to include yourself as part of the game, take turns with children, and celebrate their attempts so they can understand you are happy to engage and play with them. For large groups, some suggestions are to sort children by age or interest. You may want to begin by playing with the most excited number of children, and then try gathering the rest of the group at a different time to play and having a much quieter or individualized experience.

6 Steps to Creating a High-Quality Infant Learning Environment

February 11, 2021

Baby Friends Research tells us that every aspect of early childhood development is impacted by nurturing and caring relationships. These relationships begin during infancy when the adults and caregivers in children’s lives set the stage for learning and growing. Much of our work around caring for infants involves a focus on routines—feeding, changing diapers, and managing sleep schedules. It can be hard to step back and think about learning opportunities and implementing unique approaches for addressing each child’s needs. Sometimes the key to individualizing learning and meeting children where they are is to have a supportive classroom setup.

STEAM Series: Starting with S

February 4, 2021

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Many people think that STEAM can only be used with older, school-aged children. However, toddlers and preschoolers are naturally curious and enjoy exploring, discovering, and solving problems. STEAM can be an easy way to incorporate hands-on play and learning. Follow our STEAM Series to learn more about each component of STEAM and some activities to try with your little learners.

Charlie’s Cues: Using Your Concept Cube

January 22, 2021

Twelve years ago, when I was still studying in college to graduate as a teacher and educator, we were asked to create a teaching material that would stand out in some way or that would involve a different way of teaching. With a thousand ideas in mind, I went to a department store and bought different colors of felt, Velcro, hot glue, and fiberfill. I came up with the great idea to create a “concept cube.” I imagined it as a tool that I could use easily by changing the pictures often to work on multiple skills with the children and teach new concepts. The day came, I presented my idea, and it was a success. I saved that concept cube as one of my best teaching tools and used it for years in my classroom.

FunShine Books and Reading Tips

December 2, 2020

As I enter my third year as curriculum manager for FunShine Express, I can safely say that reviewing books for our curriculum is my favorite part of the job. Each fall, I work with our writers to finalize themes for the next year. Once those are in place, I can begin working with vendors and publishers to secure samples of books that explore the subject matter and concepts conveyed in each theme. My background is in writing for children and early childhood education, so I feel especially compelled to find books that are both imaginative and educational. Our offerings over the past few years have covered everything from concept and nonfiction books to retellings of nursery rhymes and books in song. We offered our first bilingual book in the September/October 2020 Buttercups Kit and strive to offer more in the future. This is just one highlight of many.

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