“Pigs in Pajamas” by Maggie Smith One of my schools recently had a Pajama Day, and it was so much fun! The children all looked very cozy and it was a great day to read “Pigs in Pajamas!” Penelope Pig is having a sleepover and all her friends come – in their pajamas, of course! […]
I’m excited to announce that I’m presenting a webinar for early childhood professionals at edWeb.net through my publisher, Gryphon House! The webinar is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. It’s titled “If You’re Learning and You Know It: Music Activities to Promote Language, Math and More!” You’ll learn: – the amazing […]
A couple of years ago, I experienced one of my most exciting moments as a teacher. I was playing a game with a group of three-year-olds, when a little boy named Christopher raised his hand and said, “I have an idea!” What made this moment so special for me was that in the eight months […]
“The Five Days Old Song” by Laurie Berkner available on iTunes Okay, so Laurie Berkner is awesome and if you haven’t heard her songs yet, stop reading this immediately and take a listen – it’ll brighten your day and give you a gazillion ideas for fun things to do in your classroom. I’ve used several […]
“Stop That Pickle” by Peter Armour Looking for something a little different to read to your threes, fours, and fives? Something a little wild and crazy and totally hilarious? “Stop That Pickle” by Peter Armour is for you. A variation of the well-worn “Gingerbread Man” theme, this story shows how a very fast and determined […]
On Saturday I presented a workshop, “Music and Movement Activities from Around the World,” at the “Kenyon at Kean” Conference in Union, NJ. What a terrific experience! I presented to two groups, and both groups were filled with energetic, fun, creative child care professionals who came ready to move to music! Working with teachers of […]
“Little Snowflake” by Super Simple Learning available on iTunes This song, by Super Simple Learning, is a lovely, peaceful song. It’s lilting and a bit slow, and the words and tune are repetitive and predictable (of course, these are good things in the world of early childhood). It’s sung by a child, which I usually […]
Little Wolf’s Song by Britta Teckentrup A few weeks ago, when we were making totally different animal noises with a different story, one little boy asked me if they could howl. Of course I said yes and we had fun howling for no reason (do you need a reason to howl?), but it reminded me […]
Jingle-Jingle by Nicola Smee Last week I shared one of my favorite “non- denominational” holiday picture books, “Polar Bear Night.” This one is quite different in tone, but equally lovable. The animals in “Jingle-Jingle” (the same crew featured in her earlier story, “Clip-Clop”) are wearing Santa hats, but there’s no mention of Christmas or any […]
(This piece appeared in slightly different form in my book “Teaching Creativity.”) As teachers, we often assume that praise will boost children’s self-esteem and confidence. And for encouraging appropriate behavior, or reinforcing tasks like learning to tie shoes, praise can be a helpful teaching tool. But when it comes to developing children’s creativity, praise can […]
Music (and Science) For Young Children 