When considering literacy, like any topic in early childhood education, we want to make sure we are planning playful and engaging activities. Language and literacy has evolved quite a bit in early childhood education. Educators who have been working in the field for many years may remember a time when early childhood curricula encouraged flashcards … Read more
Play is a NECESSARY part of childhood. Children learn best through play, for a variety of reasons, including: How can teachers encourage this inherent curiosity? By providing children with stimulating, hands-on, child-led activities. A thoughtfully planned dramatic play area supports opportunities for children to try out new language and vocabulary, develop social skills, improve motor … Read more
When it comes to children the old saying goes, “It takes avillage to raise a child.” But what does that village actuallylook like when it comes to early childhood education? Thevillage starts within the early childhood education programand includes the children and their families along with theprogram’s educators and staff. Through partnerships, thevillage can extend … Read more
Active play is important for the physical development of young children. Skills such as gross motor, depth perception, and visual-motor coordination are enhanced when children engage in physical education. Physical activity also helps to prevent childhood obesity. However, there are many more benefits to active, physical play that extend beyond physical development!
Understanding emotions is one of the most important parts of the human experience. Our emotions are intertwined with every facet of our lives including our individual well-being, relationships, and work. Gaining an understanding of our own emotions and the emotions of those around us begins at an early age, thus making social and emotional skills … Read more
While traveling along your early childhood education journey, you may have come across the phrase “multi-age learning environments.” A multi-age learning environment is defined as a classroom or learning space with children of different ages or grade levels. Typically there is at least a 2 year age span. For example, in a typical Montessori preschool … Read more
Circle time is a well-known concept in the early childhood education community. It is also the subject of many debates in our field. Our hope with this article is to shed some light on the purpose of circle time and how to use this time effectively. Circle time is said to have originated in Great … Read more
Sensory play is what I consider the great “equalizer” of early childhood education. Children of various ages and abilities can enjoy sensory play, and summer is the perfect time for these activities! Outdoor play provides a great opportunity for some of the messier sensory activities. Many activities can also involve water play to help cool … Read more
There are so many layers to working in early childhood education. In addition to educating, caregiving, and running the business side of early childhood education, many programs also serve as a wealth of resources. We should be ready to support the children, their families, and our colleagues in a variety of ways. Many times families … Read more
If you or your program has developed a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) or worked with the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC), you have likely spent some time focused on goal-setting. Setting a goal for yourself or your program is an important part of the quality improvement process. But the process involves more … Read more
DELAWARE INSTITUTE FOR
EXCELLENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
