developmentally appropriate
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Easy Portfolios and Assessments for Early Childhood
It’s almost spring (I’m trying to be optimistic here…), and in many places that means that it’s time to think about finishing up assessments and portfolios for the end of the school year. If you’re about to jump into that, let me help! I’ve got another video for you today that walks through why I created my own assessments, and how you can take advantage of this for your program – they really do make life so much easier! If you want to read more about these assessments and some of the different ways they can be used, then this post is exactly what you’re looking for!
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Free Developmental Screening Tool
Yesterday I shared some checklists that you can use to introduce families to developmental milestones, today I have a great way to complete developmental screenings. I just found out that Easter Seals has a wonderful program called Make the First Five Count, and part of that program is to make sure that families have access to developmental screening. Parents can go to their website and complete an Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). Within a couple of days the results of the questionnaire will be sent directly to their email. They can also print a hard copy of the screening tool so that they can fill it out and share it…
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Understanding Developmental Milestones
One of the most common questions that I hear from parents is “when will my child be able to…” I usually don’t have the answer right off the top of my head because that’s a lot to remember, but I always know where to refer them. Whenever someone asks me about developmental milestones I give them the information for the CDC’s Developmental Milestones Checklists. These one page checklists are perfect for including in your newsletters or reviewing at conferences because they are easy to use and understand. They are available in English and Spanish, and the website also has photos and videos for each milestone so that families can see…
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What Thanksgiving means to a preschooler
Now that it’s November we can talk about Thanksgiving. When teaching preschoolers about Thanksgiving the key is to make the entire concept relevant to them. They can’t understand Pilgrims and Native Americans because they don’t have a grasp on our past or the history of our country, so I focus on three concepts that do play a role in the average preschooler’s daily life – food, family, and thankfulness. These three concepts are something that young children are familiar with, but Thanksgiving provides the perfect opportunity to dig a little deeper and build understanding in all three areas. Food: There are so many foods that are traditionally eaten during the…
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We all need to play
This amazing quote has been on my radar since I found it on Pinterest a couple of weeks ago (have you noticed my obsession with Pinterest yet?!). I finally tracked down the original source, it is from U46 Early Learners Curriculum Blog. I teach preschool, so these words are not news to me, I experience them every day. The understanding that young children need to move, try new things, be loud, explore new places, and use their entire bodies to learn things all play a role in my lesson plans. I would, however, love to print this out and send it home to parents at different times throughout the year.…
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Easy Portfolios and Assessments for Early Childhood
