September 21, 2023
"Leaves are falling, leaves are falling, to the ground, to the ground. Red, orange, yellow, red, orange yellow, green and brown, green and brown." That’s the song my children would sing on the way home from preschool almost daily in the fall. Autumn leaves are amazing! Splashes of color; rich, rustling sounds; crinkly textures of raised veins and curling edges. Of course they captivate children! They probably captivate everyone.
August 22, 2023
In March, Better Kid Care launched the course "Find Fun and Meet Standards with Emergent Curriculum." It has been fun for our author team to hear from educators around the globe about what is emerging in their minds as they have worked through the course.
June 21, 2023
The right mindset and helpful tools can help to recharge and support optimal problem-solving practices with young children. Author and educator Ann Gadzikowski shares, "our work as teachers and caregivers for children requires us to find light and joy in broken places" and that "the actual process of solving problems is where we find that light and joy" (Gadzikowski, 2022, p. 1). The wonderful thing about problem-solving is that it includes space to connect unlimited curiosity, meaningful learning, and continued hopefulness.
June 21, 2023
Coercive patterns occur when a child engages in an undesirable behavior, a caregiver responds in an overly harsh manner, and the child responds by escalating their undesirable behavior. This cycle does little to address the behavior or prevent the behavior from occurring again in the future, and instead reinforces the undesirable behavior.
June 7, 2023
Webinar recording, handouts, and slides from the presentation on May 31, 2023.
May 23, 2023
Outdoor exploration and play are excellent ways to promote physical activity among the children in your care all year round. As we move toward summer and the weather warms up, it's a great time to think about specific activities that you can incorporate into your daily routine.
May 19, 2023
According to Dr. George J. Thompson (Thompson & Jenkins, 2013), author of Verbal Judo: The Gentle Art of Persuasion, there are five universal truths of human interaction:
April 13, 2023
"The social and emotional domains have a central position in the developmental process. Educators' culturally sensitive and responsive relationships with young children make effective, positive behavioral guidance possible" (NAEYC, 2022, p. 116).
March 29, 2023
Webinar recording, handout, and slides from the presentation on March 22, 2023.
March 20, 2023
It's spring! Lots of things are "emerging"—bulbs are sending green shoots up through the mulch in flower beds, insects are hatching, and birds are migrating and nesting. It's a great time of discovery.
March 16, 2023
March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is "Fuel for the Future." This annual nutrition education campaign is sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics with the goal of focusing attention on the need for developing sound nutrition and physical activity habits at all ages. Early childhood is an ideal time to instill an appreciation for the consumption of a variety of healthy foods.
March 8, 2023
"Relationships that are reciprocal, attuned, culturally responsive, and trustful are a positive developmental force in the lives of children" (Learning Policy Institute & Turnaround for Children, 2021, p. 2).
February 16, 2023
Kids love wheels! It is a common sight to see tots riding various types of ride-on toys at preschools, daycares, or parks, but not all ride-ons are created equal. While many families already intuited it, emerging research is beginning to reveal the benefits and advantages of a specific type of ride-on toy, the balance bike.
January 19, 2023
Assessment data is so valuable. Most QRIS programs require educators and directors to assess children and programs. This takes a lot of time and is sometimes met with resistance and exhaustion. In a 2020 article in Exchange, Holly Delgado, an early childhood assessment specialist, urges programs to reuse assessment documentation in other ways.
December 14, 2022
For a long time, child-development experts trumpeted the phrase "best practice" or "best practices." Things are changing. In the fourth edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) authors decided to purposefully no longer use the phrase "best practice." Instead, they often choose the wording "effective practice."
November 10, 2022
November is associated with gratitude. As we reflect back on 2022, we remember the loss of someone very special to us and the early care and education community, Dr. James (Jim) Van Horn, educator and founder of Better Kid Care.
October 20, 2022
As an early childhood educator, you have a unique opportunity to create a safe and welcoming learning environment for children. All children, regardless of family background, race and ethnicity, gender, and cognitive and physical ability deserve to feel they belong and that their teachers care about them. To promote these feelings of belonging and support the relationships you have with children in your care, it is important that you embed practices that support inclusion in your classroom environment and your teaching practices.
October 17, 2022
Facilitators' words are powerful models for children.
September 7, 2022
Childcare programs play a critical role in helping young children get sufficient physical activity, and childcare providers are instrumental in supporting active play for children.
September 1, 2022
Are you noticing that the children are playing with blocks a lot, but they are doing the same things over and over again? Having repeat experiences with the same materials is very important for children. They can get much joy from lingering in familiar play schemes, but sometimes children and teachers need a jump start to unsettle their play and their thinking.
June 24, 2022
Earlier this year, a large manufacturer of infant formula, Abbot Nutrition, recalled some of their powdered infant formulas after some babies got sick from drinking the formula.
June 24, 2022
June marked the end of a year-long celebration of Penn State Extension, Better Kid Care's On Demand distance learning platform. Thank you for celebrating and growing with us.
May 17, 2022
Active Play for Preschoolers with Autism—WE PLAY
May 16, 2022
#10: You never stop learning.
April 19, 2022
"Always be curious! Cherish your questions, question your answers, and take on learning for the long-term." That's a thought from the recently launched course "School-Age Youth Programs: Commit to Quality and Lifelong Learning."
April 18, 2022
#9: You seek practical ideas
April 18, 2022
School-Age Youth Programs: Commit to Quality and Lifelong Learning
March 15, 2022
Early math skills are foundational for school success and have been shown to relate to a whole host of later academic outcomes.
March 14, 2022
#8 You crave diverse content
February 16, 2022
Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills contribute to the process of creating, welcoming, and sustaining a diverse policy team that values and seeks the knowledge of each team member.
