"Mama, please remind me to say, 'Good Morning' to the birds tomorrow." - Penelope, age 5 Our Window Bird Feeder was one of the best $6 spent last year. When the first signs of Spring arrived in our neck of the woods in upstate NY, Penelope started inquiring about The Burgess Bird Book for Children. I love that [...]
With Spring here (and around the corner because we live in upstate NY), spring related topics naturally pop up in conversation and in play. Penelope has been asking questions like, "When will the tulips bloom?" "Is Spring here yet or not?" The Reggio Emilia Approach values these questions and observes children as they play, as well [...]
On our way home from an errand, Penelope looks out the back carseat window and yells, "MAMA THERE'S A RED BALLOON IN THE SKY!" The girls talk about the balloon all the way home. "Whose balloon was it?" "How did it get in the sky?" When we get home I ask them, "Do you want to [...]
My heart feels lighter the moment I hear, "THIS is the library I was talking about!" as a beaming 4 year old skips into the library entrance. My biggest Take-Away from my Masters in Literacy program was to instill a love and passion for reading, for that is the foundation to creating a lifelong Reader. How this [...]
The Reggio Emilia Approach is based on an Inquiry approach to learning. What does that mean exactly? The big picture is this: We want our children to know their questions are valuable. They are not only worthy of our attention and praise, but they establish a mindset of becoming lifelong learners. With a child's question, [...]
The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking. A hundred, always a hundred ways of listening of marveling, of loving, a hundred joys for singing and understanding a hundred worlds to discover a hundred worlds [...]
Some books change your life forever. When I was at Nazareth college obtaining my Masters in Literacy, I will never forget the impact this book had on me. I loved it so much that I would purchase copies and give them as baby shower gifts to my friends! I believe this book influenced me to read [...]
