Most children, I have found, love music. They do not tend to be shy about dancing or jumping about when a tune with a good beat is projected throughout the room. My own children have a long list of favorites to which they love to sing and dance. You may also have a collection of songs you can remember enjoying during your own childhood. There is probably a longer list stored in your memory from your teenage years when music is often a central topic. Can you remember the words to any of these songs? My guess is you can.
Since music is typically very enjoyable as well as memorable, it can serve as a terrific medium for teaching children (and adults, for that matter) new concepts. It is easy to include throughout your day at home or in the car. You don’t even have to come up with the songs on your own since there is a plethora of music available online or at your local library.
Another benefit is that you can find music on just about any topic relevant to preschool education. My three-year-old frequently confuses opposites. Instead of saying, “I’m hot” when it is 95 degrees outside, he will say, “I’m cold.” I was able to find a CD with nothing but songs about opposites. We have only listened to it a few times, but he is already starting to sing along.
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Written by Laura on July 26, 2010
One of my favorite aspects of creating pictures with watercolors is the blending that occurs as the pigments touch each other on the paper. New colors are sometimes formed as the paints blend together. At other times, the paints simply swirl and form a beautiful rainbow effect. These are experiences I have had simply by engaging myself in the use of artistic materials. As a parent, you can pro
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Written by Laura on July 14, 2010
When children are learning new information, making connections to knowledge they already have helps them to better remember the new information. These connections can be made by simply asking questions and by using any of a large variety of graphic organizers. Here is an example of how you can help your child recall what he already knows about a topic using a picture to organize thoughts.
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Written by BRWI Staff on June 2, 2010
Imagine listening to a speech where every sentence had one word in it that was spoken in a language you did not know. Although you may be able to use context clues to figure out the meaning behind some of the words, overall the speech would be difficult to comprehend. This is precisely what happens when young children are read a story about which they have little background knowledge.
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Written by BRWI Staff on April 21, 2010
As a teacher, I have been taught to provide activities that engage prior knowledge before continuing with a lesson. The purpose being to make sure students have the background knowledge necessary so that they can relate to the new concepts being presented. It may seem as though providing prior knowledge activities would be more complex at the high school or college level. However, the opposite
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Written by Laura on March 15, 2010
Making the transition from books that simply label objects on a page to books that tell a story can sometimes be a difficult transition for both the child and the parent. Young children tend to have very short attention spans and interest is often lost quickly. Making connections to real-world experiences can help, however, to keep your child’s attention because he will be thoroughly engag
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Written by BRWI Staff on February 24, 2010
Not many people have studied and are able to speak or understand the Greek language. This is what makes the phrase, “It’s all Greek to me” so appropriate when we don’t understand a topic, especially when referring to a set of terms which apply to a certain field. For example, as an early childhood educator, I easily understand the meaning behind words and acronyms includi
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Written by Laura on January 27, 2010
Although young children are consistently egocentric, when it comes to describing their own physical features, they may be at a loss for words. Help your preschooler get up close and very personal with her own image by simply handing her a mirror. Ask her questions about what she sees. Have her name her eye color and hair color. Ask her to describe the shape of her nose, lips and ears. Then, m
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Written by BRWI Staff on November 13, 2009
When you think about your own activities throughout the day, you may be able to relate to your child when you consider how difficult it can be to rapidly change from one activity to another when mandated to do so by time, a boss, or any other restraint. Sometimes we must take a moment or two to think about the task that is currently at hand in order to absorb the purpose of the activity. The sam
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Written by BRWI Staff on August 5, 2009
“The perro hid the hueso in a agujero in the jardin.” This sentence is pretty confusing if you don’t speak Spanish. However, this gives you an idea of how a beginning reader can feel if they don’t understand the words they are reading or listening to. If possible, you should skim through a book you are going to read to your child to search for words of which they may not
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Written by BRWI Staff on June 3, 2009
