As we celebrate Black History Month and the lives and legacies of icons like Dr. Martin Luther King, we have a marvelous opportunity to share the stories of historic figures with young children in a way that is accessible, meaningful and lasting. That mechanism is called read alouds with children’s picture books. When you’re standing…
Tag: #literacy
Parent Collective: Pool Those Resources!
If you’ve ever read the children’s story Stone Soup you understand the principle that no matter how little we may have individually, if we all add what we have together, it will be enough to go around.That same principle can be aptly applied to parents who join together to pool ideas, information and resources for…
Do You Need A Parent Collective?
🏝 Are you a preschool parent who feels like you’re marooned on Gilligan’s Island? _ 😩📝 Are you struggling to keep up with endless worksheets disguised as homework and stressing when your preschooler rebels? _ 😥 Do you find yourself unable to name one other parent in your child’s class? _ 📲 Do you wish…
Parent Power in Action
I came across a very interesting statistic the other day while researching the greatest concerns of preschool parents. While parents over all were concerned with issues like separation anxiety, transitions from home to school, their child’s abilities to get along and make friends, as well as academic expectations (in other words could they keep up),…
Your Children Will Take You Places You Never Dreamed You’d Go
My father used to say this to us years ago and weight of his words revisited me this past week as I toured northern Italy with my children and grandchildren. For those of you who tuned in last week, I shared my first impressions of arriving in Venice, the floating city. I was awestruck. I…
Making Christmas Count – Part 3
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 It didn’t work out for my husband and I to spend Christmas this year with our kids and their families. But one of the great things about being retired is that we can come and go as we please (and as our budget allows). So we spent a…
Making Christmas Count – Part 1
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 👩🏾👨🏾🦱👩🏽🦱🧒🏿👧🏽👩🏽🧔🏾🧑🏾👨🏾I come from a family of nine kids. Yes, that’s right. There were nine of us. Six girls and three boys. 🤵🏾👩🏽💼🙏🏾 I don’t know how my parents did it but with faith in God, hard work and lots of prayer we all made it out of…
Family Stories and Traditions
When I think of family stories and traditions one of my fondest memories is that of my mother-in-love and her afghans. She made some of the most beautiful blankets you’ve ever seen. She made one for both of our children when they were first born. She even made one for me and my husband early…
Shoutout Saturday-Back Home
It’s Shoutout Saturday! Let me tell you about this very special gem from my collection by @gloriajeanpinkney entitled BACK HOME. _ 👨👩👦👨👩👧👦👴👵 Living far away from extended family can make it tough to build and maintain bonds that help young children build their identity. _ 🚙👨👩👧👦 This book reminds me of the many road trips my husband…
Throwback Thursday-Family Matters
📸 Have I got a Throwback Thursday for you all today! _ 🚚 Moving can be really hard on young kids because it can mean long periods of separation from extended family. _ 👨👩👧👦 My husband and I come from large families with lots of brothers and sisters and even more cousins, aunts and uncles. We made every…
Guess What’s In the Big Box?
Grab one of the last 15 Dr. Marta Big Boxes of 2019 for the young learner in your life. Featuring Dr. Marta’s Tool Kits, the Big Box gives parents and educators the tools they need to get kids ready to start school. A veteran early childhood educator of over 40 years, Dr. Marta provides easy…
We ALL Need Great Teachers
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” Romans 10:14 NIV This one goes out to all of my brothers and sisters who have taken on…