While all children learn at their own pace, one of the earliest developmental milestones for preschoolers is learning numbers and learning to count. According to the U.S. Department of Education, most children entering preschool do so with some knowledge of numbers and counting. They can count up to 5 or 10 and can recognize a few numbers. 

Now more than ever, children are spending time indoors, but that doesn’t mean that they should have less opportunities for movement during the day. As many parents and educators know, getting in exercise during the day isn’t just about keeping kids healthy, but is crucial in getting their energy out so that they can be regulated and productive. Movement also helps fight boredom, improves brain function, and supports children’s emotional wellbeing. 

World Children’s Day was officially established in 1925 to highlight and promote children’s rights, improve children’s welfare and celebrate children as an important part of our society and world. On November 20th, 1959 the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child and that document has since been adopted by many countries as a way to honor children!

Earth Day is an opportunity to not only teach children about environmental stewardship, but also a time to encourage gratitude for all that the Earth provides us. Though we are spending most of this year’s Earth Day indoors, we can still do a lot to celebrate Earth Day and say thank you to our planet, especially during this time, as we give our planet the breathing break it needs.

During this time, with kids home all day every day, keeping the house clean has gotten a lot harder. What better time than now to introduce your little ones to daily chores and to graduate your big kids to big kid chores?  Having more hands around should also mean having more ‘helping’ hands around. Here […]

As a mother of three children and an elementary school teacher, I’ve had my fair share of thinking on my feet. When it comes to providing my children and students with a safe,  engaging and fun environment as well as teaching important concepts,  I’ve always relied on three key pillars: 1. Intentionality, 2. Creativity and […]

As a mother of three children and a bilingual teacher, I know how amazing this time of the year is for familias. Easter for many means spending time together in reflection and eating special meals. It can also inspire shared activities between children and parents. In my home, the Easter bunny brings us baskets full […]

As parents and caregivers of young children, we often focus so much on academics, on whether we are doing enough as role models, as parents and now for many, as homeschooling support. Fostering 21st-century character strengths such as grit and a growth mindset can be pivotal in the continued motivation for children and emerging bilinguals […]

Did you, like many other parents, suddenly find yourself at home with the kids for the next few weeks and don’t know what you’ll do to keep them learning (and entertained) while preschools remain closed? Take a deep breath and get ready to do a little bit of planning. With a bit of preparation you and your kids will get through this - learning and having fun, one day at a time.

It is never too early to start reading to your kids in your native language. By hearing language sounds and pronunciations over and over again, children’s brains, already in the process of rapidly forming, absorb so much more than imaginable. Read to your children every day, let them touch the books, use your finger to show them each word and its meaning, and make these moments a special time full of love and learning. 

It is no surprise that the future is bilingual. And today’s parents have so much pressure on how to set up their children to excel in their adult lives. Relentlessly at the top of that how-to list is the goal many mamas and papas have which is to ensure their baby becomes bilingual, even if they aren’t. With benefits like increased cognitive development, opportunities to compete in the global job market, and enhanced social-emotional understanding, how do we accomplish this at such a young age?