These days we are moving away from the fixed structures of the 2000s and back into more ‘natural’ surroundings including trees, boulders, logs, etc. I agree with this move as traditional playgrounds do not lead to imaginative play anywhere near as effectively. In my opinion, it is better to use natural surroundings (e.g. going into [...]
I would strongly discourage the use of video as a substitute for a teacher. However, I do agree that short videos can be an effective teaching aide to support learning in certain areas. These topics are typically areas where you can’t get out and see the real thing; for example, space or the ocean. Videos are for [...]
Puzzles address many essential learning outcomes for preschool children, including cognitive, physical, social/emotional and language skills. The beauty of puzzles is that the level of difficulty can be scaled according to the abilities and progress of each child. This ensures engagement and challenge for the individual child. For example, start with a simple peg puzzle [...]
Choosing preschool backpacks ahead of the preschool year is exciting and can make children feel very grown up. Over 35 years of preschool teaching I have seen a LOT of preschool backpacks to say the least! Below you will find my most important tips for choosing a backpack for your pre-schoolers: It is very important [...]
Creating preschool lesson plans by themes is one of many ways of shaping a preschool learning environment. If you would like to read more about the other ways of lesson planning and my favorite style, please click here. If you are following thematic lesson plans, then the following activities need to be addressed: fine motor gross motor [...]
