"A person's a person no matter how small"-Dr. Seuss

Video Clip: My little ladybug           This is my favorite personal video of a curious 7 month old child ready to learn about the world.  She explores her voice while she wiggles her body, and feels the various natural textures around her.  And of course, she's a ladybug, doesn't get cuter than that!  I entered the early childhood field with a passion to make a difference in lives of our future generation, and moments like this video clip reinforces the precious gift we are trusted with.          "Children develop strength when they have daily opportunities to activate and use big muscle groups in a variety of ways.  For instance, when babies have plenty of time to be on the ground day after day, they build strength simply by interacting with the environment around them.  They reach for objects, attempt to kick things, push up for a better view, and roll over for a new perspective.  The...

How children are assessed throughout childhood is a controversial topic in our field.   This controversy can become emotional because most required assessments conducted are tied to funding for programs.   This funding comes in various forms: government issued monies, scholarships/grants, or school tuition paid personally by families.   Early childhood professionals are trained to use all sorts of assessments to qualify students and families into categories of need or benefits.   The challenge is to use our knowledge in assessments to support the families we are working with positively, and receive the funding we need to do so.   The problem with required standardized assessments being linked to funding, means the “whole child” is lost in the process.               Research has shown across the decades that children learn through experiencing the process concretely.   Abstract thinking is a ...