When is it developmentally appropriate to have young children start doing chores and what should they do? Young children can be given chores as soon as they are physically capable of navigating around their house safely. These should be simple and fun so that the momentum of helping out continues. Example:         Putting rolled up… Read more

We all adore our children, but let’s be honest, sometimes they behave in a way that just makes you want to tear your hair out. Screaming, whining, flailing on the ground when they don’t get their way… these are probably familiar to all of us. But, what to do about changing these behaviors?? Here is… Read more

Why it is Important to Listen to Children’s Repeated Grievances as if Each Was the First Have you ever experienced your child repeating the same complaint over and over and don’t exactly know what to do to either stop it, or understand it better? “He’s mean!”“My tummy hurts!”“I don’t like going to school!” Gunilla Dahlberg… Read more

Just recently my younger son, Jack, was assessed by his school teacher. When the results came in, she was surprised that he had done poorly in the math component because she knows that Jack LOVES math; he brags that it is his “best subject.” She explained to me what had happened, her concern, and asked… Read more

“Back in the olden days” educators focused much attention on the FIVE fundamental senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. These were always pretty straight forward and easy for children to identify, but as the field of early childhood development has grown and research has deepened, two additional senses have taken their respectable place in… Read more

What’s the Difference Between Crème de la Crème’s Gymnasium and Creative Movement? How do the Learning Objectives Differ? A fundamental part of early childhood is moving and being active. Brain research suggests that being active stimulates cognitive growth as well because when energy is exerted, children can focus better, sleep better and stay on task… Read more

When children are fighting, keep in mind that it is in the nature of the young, across species, to challenge each other in some kind of physical fashion. Although humans are more cognitively advanced, children will have that same instinct to explore and challenge their peers physically and verbally. When a challenge is evenly matched,… Read more

I have always tried to make reading and language exciting to my own sons and students by describing literacy as “breaking the code.” The reason I describe it that way is to build excitement around the seemingly endless prompts to “say this, say that, repeat after me…”, and to let them understand the vast rewards… Read more