 Learning a second language has proven to be very beneficial for children. As a childcare professional, you can provide opportunities for children to expand their cultural awareness and improve their cognitive development by teaching them another language. Whether through song, dance, counting, etc; no matter which method you choose, you will be creating an environment that encourages children to explore diversity. Below are some questions and answers that may be helpful for you as a childcare professional to implement Spanish in the Early Childhood Classroom. Question: Is it true that bilingual children begin speaking later than children that speak one language? Answer: This is an interesting observation and I hope I can help to answer your question. I cannot say definitively whether this is common or just a coincidence. I think it’s important to consider language acquisition and the speaker’s native language versus second language. Think about the time and effort needed to feel confident enough to speak your native language to others who don’t also speak it. Also, consider how it might feel to speak a new language when you are not confident quite yet. Children are very social and will communicate in many ways, even with a language barrier, but children learning a second language could possibly take a bit longer for several reasons. This also isn’t considered typical or atypical. Consider the individual and document your observations and communicate with parents as well. Question: How can I get parents involved in learning a second language? Answer: You can send home a newsletter or worksheets stating the words that you are working on. Depending upon the ages of your students I would also consider doing something more involved. Ask them to go home and teach one family member a new word in Spanish. Ask children to interview parents or other family members about their foreign language abilities. There are many options that can extend this even further. Question: How and when is a good time to start integrating Spanish into our curriculum? Answer: Many Early Childhood Educators begin introducing Spanish to young children during calendar time or circle time. They often combine Spanish and English and continue to build on known words throughout the school year. Another option is to begin with greetings or departures. Use the same phrase in Spanish to greet the children each day either when they come to the center or join circle time. In addition to these suggestions you may find that songs in Spanish are a great tool for teaching the language. For example singing the Spanish version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star is a fun version of the song that gets children learning new words in a new language! The important thing to remember when introducing a new language to young children is to keep building more and more, and to stay consistent in practicing acquired words and adding new ones to your lessons. For more information on Spanish in the Early Childhood Classroom, register for our one hour course: https://www.cdastars.com/store/p254/Spanish_in_the_Early_Childhood_Classroom.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below...
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Children are natural observers and have an innate sense of curiosity. From watching a caterpillar crawl along the ground to making mud with water and dirt, children are naturally interested in watching the world around them at work. As a childcare professional, you should provide safe, fun, and age appropriate science activities and opportunities for the children in your care. Below are some questions and answers that may help you incorporate scientific type activities to the children in your program. Question: Can you provide science activities that I can do with a classroom of 18-24 month olds? Answer: It is important to keep in mind that mostly what children in that age range do naturally is scientific exploration. You can simply provide the opportunities for children to do the explorations. Here is a link to our resource website for specific lesson plan ideas: http://www.lessons4learners.com/toddler.html Question: What kind of science materials would you recommend for a toddler class? Answer: There are tons of objects and materials that you can use for toddlers. As with all things in child care please be sure to exercise caution with your choice of materials and make sure that none provide a choking hazard and that proper supervision is always given. Consider existing materials paired with new materials for scientific exploration. For example, blocks and some natural materials are a new way to explore. Sensory bins and other sensory materials are a common material in many programs and is a wonderful scientific exploration! Consider rotating the sensory materials to fit current curriculum and focusing on scientific concepts such as curiosity and discovery. Here are some links to ideas about toddler science materials. Please be sure to use care in considering these materials and provide proper safety standards at all times. Question: Can you provide more resources for infant and toddler science project ideas? Answer: We provide a resource website with tons of lesson plans that you can access and use in your classroom. Here are two links that may be helpful: http://www.lessons4learners.com/young-infants.html http://www.lessons4learners.com/mobile-infants.html In addition to the information found above we recommend taking our training course Simple Science for Infants and Toddlers which also provides Lesson Plans throughout the training. Here is the link if you are interested in registering for the class Simple Science for Infants and Toddlers: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p453/Simple_Science_for_Infants_and_Toddlers.html Question: How do I make science fun for all ages? Answer: A very simple way to make science fun for every age is to pay attention to what interests your group and make it student-led. For infants and toddlers there are some limitations especially where safety is concerned but if you plan the lessons carefully you can ensure safety and fun where science is concerned. Here are some resources that you may find helpful: For more information on Simple Science for Infants and Toddlers, register for our three hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p453/Simple_Science_for_Infants_and_Toddlers.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below...
 Although you may not sit down and teach math to young children as a structured activity, they are constantly exposed to math concepts in their environment. From stacking blocks to sorting colors, these different activities allow them opportunities to expand their minds in order to learn new concepts. Allowing time for these activities is essential for a child's growth and development. Below are some questions and answers that may help you as a childcare professional in regards to exploring math in the classroom. Question: Will labeling an infant’s surroundings help them develop math skills? Answer: Yes, this can support a language and text rich environment for infants, and as they grow and become more aware of these words and labels they will absorb them more and more. The other important thing to realize about math is that there are many vocabulary words that labels and print rich environments can help with. The more you can expose children to the language of math, the better situated they will be for developing those number skills. Question: How do you encourage math exploration when the children do not seem interested? Answer: It is important to realize that math exploration is included in almost every activity that an infant or toddler participates in. The block building area is a prime example, even if the children are not counting or sorting the blocks, they are still experimenting with spatial awareness and concepts of size and position. Try adding colored blocks to the block area or different types of blocks to add more math concepts. Another suggestion is to add more math concepts to activities that your group really likes. Do they love singing and music? The rhythm in the songs has a pattern and repetition to it that supports math concepts. Try a fast or a slower song. Let them listen to the beat and help them clap along.  Question: What are some good resources to help toddlers learn to count? Answer: Toddlers differ in their amount of fine motor control, so objects that can be sorted, classified, and manipulated easily are great places to start with counting. Some resources that you may find useful are: Question: How are colors connected to learning math skills and concepts? Answer: We provide several categories of mathematical concepts that can include colors in our course Math Exploration for Infants and Toddlers. Though this is not an exhaustive list by any means it gives you an idea of some of the ways color is represented through math. If you are interested in enrolling in the course, please use this link to register: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p450/Math_Exploration_for_Infants_and_Toddlers.html For more information on The Math Learning Center, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p552/The_Math_Learning_Center.html For more information on Math Exploration for Infants and Toddlers, register for our three hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p450/Math_Exploration_for_Infants_and_Toddlers.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below...
 Sign language can be a very useful tool to incorporate into your classroom. Teaching young children simple sign for words such as "more" and "please" is a great way to start exposing them to a form of communication that helps them to express what they want, especially when they have not yet developed their words. Below are some questions and answers that may help you integrate sign language into your everyday activities. Question: Can you provide more resources for basic signs with pictures and some common songs or videos? Answer: There are many options for picture books and posters and other resources regarding ASL. Here are some of my favorites:
Question: What are some other resources that have slower signing and more explanations so that I can practice and understand more? Answer: Here is a link to one of our resource websites that includes the videos from the training: You can access the videos in the future to keep up with your Sign Language practice. The videos were designed to go at a very slow pace for beginners to follow and pause and rewind if needed. You can also make the videos full screen by clicking the full screen icon on the bottom right corner of the video window. This is an option within the training course as well. Sign language is usually learned by actively mimicking and repeating the motions as they are seen. As it is a visual language it is more appropriate to show the signs and give participants the opportunity to repeat them. You may find some success with finding YouTube videos that explain the hand and finger placement a bit further. I haven’t been able to find any quality videos from trusted sources in my search for resources. You may also prefer a sign language book instead of videos.  Question: Can I use cards to teach sign language to toddlers? Answer: There are many sign language curriculum products that are sold online and in many stores. I have not personally used any so I cannot recommend them, but a Google search yields a lot of results. In my experience, children learn sign language better and faster when seeing a person actually use sign language. If a teacher can do the signs for them it is infinitely easier to understand than a card with an abstract picture of hands. You see, sign language is about more than just what the hands do and just showing a picture of a movement leaves so much out of the equation. Actual human contact with sign language is always preferred, even if it is a video from a baby sign language curriculum company. For more information on Basic Sign Language in the Classroom, register for our ten hour course package: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p489/Basic_Sign_Language_in_the_Classroom.html For more information on Basic Signs for Babies and Toddlers, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p236/Basic_Signs_for_Babies_and_Toddlers.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below...
 Tummy time provides a great opportunity for infants to develop and exercise their large motor skills. Although some infants do not like being put on their tummies, it is important to have this time available, even if in small increments throughout the day. Below are some common questions and answers that may help you as a childcare professional with tummy time. Question: How do I help an infant that cries every time she is put down on her tummy? Answer: Not all babies naturally like tummy time. As you may already know, tummy time is important because the skills learned while on the tummy are essential for later development. Most of the big milestones in the first year of life involve the prone position in one form or another (such as lifting and turning the head, rolling, pushing the chest off the ground, getting up to hands and knees, scooting, crawling). Tummy time also gives the back of baby’s head a break in an effort to prevent flat spots from forming. Tummy time also contributes to the strength and skills needed in the upper body and hands for school-age tasks such as handwriting. By about 3 months of age, babies should get at least 90 minutes a day of tummy time. Research has shown that, at four months of age, babies who spend at least 80 minutes per day playing on their tummy while awake are able to more successfully reach motor milestones. Here are some ideas to help get tummy time started:
Question: We understand the importance of tummy time in our center so the infants in our care spend lots of time on their tummies, but how do we help parents understand the importance of tummy time? Answer: That’s wonderful that you are mindful of making sure that infants get plenty of tummy time while they are in your care. The best approach with parents is to just leave resources out in the parent sign in area that support tummy time and then leave it to them to make their own choices. You might include an article in the parent newsletter too, about the importance of tummy time. If you use positive communication about tummy time when talking about baby’s day, that will help the parent see it as a positive experience also. For example, on the child’s daily report you could make a note that says “Alex smiled at me while doing tummy time today. He is getting so strong and is starting to lift up on his arms a bit. He even reached for a toy!” Question: At what age can we introduce tummy time to an infant? Answer: The key to tummy time is to do it in a safe and pleasing way for the infant no matter what age. The training course also has multiple suggestions for supporting tummy time in many different ways. Here is a link to purchase the training if you are not already enrolled: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p589/Developing_Minds_and_Bodies_Tummy_Time_for_Infants_%E2%80%8B.html Question: What would be the best sensory toys for tummy time? Answer: You can use a variety of sensory toys for tummy time, from sensory bottles to black and white contrast cards. Here are links to some of our favorites: 1. http://www.lessons4learners.com/fall-leaves-sensory-bag.html 2. http://www.lessons4learners.com/babys-first-sensory-board.html 3. http://www.lessons4learners.com/water-play-for-infants.html Pinterest is also a wonderful resource for finding new ideas as well. For more information on Developing Minds and Bodies: Tummy Time for Infants, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p589/Developing_Minds_and_Bodies_Tummy_Time_for_Infants_%E2%80%8B.html
Have information to share? Please use the comments section below... As children get older they often have more literary choices. A classroom can be a great place for children to explore their literary interests. As a childcare professional, you should be aware of what books and book themes work best in your classroom for the children in your care. Below are some questions and answers that may help you decide which books would be appropriate for the children in your classroom.  Question: Are Harry Potter books appropriate for younger children or are the concepts too complex? Answer: The concepts in the Harry Potter books are intended for school-age audiences and school-age refers to ages 5-12. Depending upon the intended use of the Harry Potter books there are options for all ages. Obviously, a kindergarten child wouldn’t be ready to read the Harry Potter series, but some may enjoy hearing it read aloud. Likewise, you can adapt the reading for slightly older children by using passages from the text. Overall, it is important to know the group of children that you work with and plan accordingly. As with all things in teaching and child care you must make adaptations and adjustments for many reasons. Question: How do I get my kids interested in Harry Potter books? Answer: A great way to get students interested in Harry Potter is to use it during your daily read-aloud time in your classroom. This can be helpful especially if your students are younger and/or not quite ready to read it on their own just yet. If you do work with upper level school age students, you can use Harry Potter in a book club or small group reading. I recommend reviewing the accompanying lesson plans in the training to connect the story to other subjects and in your classroom to enhance learning. You can also look for ideas on Pinterest, if none of those are appropriate for your classroom. Question: How do you keep 4 and 5 year olds interested in Harry Potter? Answer: You will want to decide if the Harry Potter books are appropriate for your specific students. Some children that are 4 or 5 years old have the attention span to handle 10 to 15 minutes of read aloud time. Others do not. You may want to break the story up into more sections than just the chapters that are already there. Also, using props, voices, and varying your tone may help keep them engaged. Question: What percentage of children have difficulty telling the difference between reality and fantasy? Answer: The percentage of children that cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality depends on developmental level. The Hobbit and JRR Tolkien books are obviously not intended for young children but can work as a read aloud for them. In that case I would say the percentage is fairly high however they should be encouraged to use critical thinking skills to sort through any confusion. Caregivers and educators have a responsibility to assist with this as well. If we are referring to the older school-age children that the training refers to then we begin to see a smaller percentage of children who cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality. Overall, it depends on many factors and changes with each group. I taught fourth grade and nearly all of my students knew the difference between fantasy and reality. Even if we were not studying literary genres specific to either category they were still well aware of the difference. Question: Would it be okay to read Roald Dahl books to pre-kindergartners? Answer: You will need to decide if the books are appropriate for your students or not, as you know them better than almost anyone! Some Pre-K students will absolutely LOVE them for read aloud time, and others may not have the attention span to handle longer chapters and books without pictures just yet. Question: Would it be okay to read Goosebumps books to pre-kindergartners? Answer: I would not recommend Goosebumps books for most preschool children, however, it is up to the individual teacher whether or not to include them in their program. There are multiple benefits of scary literature for older children, however, it is important to judge your group on their individual characteristics. Question: What books would you recommend for children under 12 months old? The important thing to consider when choosing what to read to children under 12 months of age is how you read to them and how often. You can really read any books that you’d like, though I recommend picture books and sturdy board books for younger children. It is important to expose children to books and build a relationship with a caring adult through that reading time. If children this young seem disinterested in the actual book, that is perfectly normal. Allow them the flexibility to move on with their activities and come back to the book later if they show interest. We also have a training course that is specific to picture books in the classroom. Here is a link in case you’re interested: https://www.cdastars.com/store/p649/Picture-Books Here are some resources for book lists as well: Question: How do I respond to children who admire or say they like the “bad guy” in a book? For example, one of the children really likes Voldemort from Harry Potter. Answer: It is completely normal for kids to like the villain in a story. They don’t do this because they would rather choose the bad over the good. Or because they want to provoke you. It’s just that they are not fully aware that hurting people is bad. They just know that what the villains are doing is somehow similar to the strong emotions that continue to build up inside of them. When they watch the villains fight, they are somehow glad that what they feel inside can actually be expressed just the way the villains are doing it in the movies or in the story. Children are often clueless as to what actions really mean. They have very little understanding that actions can either be good or bad. What they are aware of, are the strong emotions inside of them that they can’t seem to control. It is actually pretty normal for all ages to be fascinated by supervillains. From a psychological perspective, views vary on why we are so interested in superhuman bad guys. There is an interesting article here on the subject: https://www.wired.com/2012/07/why-do-supervillains-fascinate-us/ In regard to the little one that says they like Voldemort best, I would be supportive of them expressing themselves as long as it is in a positive way. Encourage them to share what they like about Voldemort, and don’t criticize their favor of the character. For more information on Chicka Chicka Boom Boom in the Classroom, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p229/Chicka_Chicka_Boom_Boom_in_the_Classroom.html For more information on Exploring the Magic of Harry Potter, register for our two hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p597/Magic-of-Harry-Potter For more information on Fantastic Mr. Dahl, register for our two hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p600/FantasticMrDahl For more information on Guide to Goosebumps, register for our two hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p601/Guide-to-Goosebumps For more information on Shelebrate with Shel Silverstein, register for our two hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p392/Shelebrate_with_Shel_Silverstein.html For more information on Teaching with Tolkien, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p230/Teaching_with_Tolkien.html For more information on The Wonderful Author of Oz, register for our one hour course: https://www.cdastars.com/store/p602/Wonderful-Author-of-Oz Have information to share? 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How do the children in your care respond when you grab a book off the shelf, are they excited or are they uninterested? Sometimes the way you express your interest can mold a child's response. Do you get frustrated that they aren't participating or do you welcome a little bit of active time when you read? Literacy learning and the expectations of children at different stages and ages, as well as developmental levels can impact how you engage with the children in your classroom. Below are some questions and answers that we hope can help you as a childcare professional in regards to literacy learning in the classroom. Question: What if the children that I read to do not like to sit, are there other ways I can share books with them without making them sit? Answer: Absolutely there are a lot of ways to share a book with a young child besides sitting with them. Some children, especially toddlers, do not want to sit. Some books have words that you can sing, or turn into songs (such as 10 Apples Up on Top). Some books are just pictures, and you can look at the photos and you can encourage the child to point at items in the book they can identify “Do you see the dog? What does a dog say? Can you pretend to be a dog?” Question: Is it okay to read to infants or are they too young? Answer: It is never too early to start reading to children, even infants. In fact, newborn babies will benefit from the social interaction of being read and spoken to. For more information you may enjoy the following resources: Question: How do you keep a toddler interested during reading time? Answer: First, consider the way you are reading to them. Are you keeping a monotone voice and not changing your inflection for events, dialogue, or emotion? Next, think about what you're reading. Is it the same book over and over? Is it a book that isn't interesting to many students? Keep your reading material interesting as much as possible! Question: Can you provide some ideas or resources for rhyming books that would be fun to read to my class? Answer: Here are links to some great rhyming books: http://www.pbs.org/parents/adventures-in-learning/2014/08/rhyming-books-kids/ http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2013/02/picture-books-that-rhyme.html Personally, I LOVE Dr. Seuss books for practicing rhyme with children. Here is a link to our resource blog that has Dr. Seuss lesson plans to accompany the books: http://www.lessons4learners.com/dr-seuss.html Question: How often should I change activities in a literacy learning center? Do I need to introduce the new material each time and if so, when should I do that? Answer: Some teachers may change activities to coincide with curriculum or objectives. Others may make changes based on student reactions and acquisition of skills. It really depends upon your program’s goals. As for introducing the centers, that also depends upon your program. For example, a Montessori program would introduce the centers and activities through a demonstration and then allow the children to use the materials to support their learning. Other programs may have a specific way to introduce activities or centers. In your program you may have a different approach and it is perfectly fine. Here are some links that you may find helpful: · http://learningattheprimarypond.com/reading/how-to-start-kindergarten-centers/ · http://kindergartenlifestyle.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-next-step-in-guided-reading.html · http://mspowell.com/otherwebpages/centerintro.html Question: What are some ways to show the parents what their child is learning? Answer: There are many ways that you can show parents the learning that their child is experiencing. You can document the activities and outcomes using tangible finished products, photographic evidence, or written observations. It is completely up to you as to how you want to show the student’s learning but you have many options to do this. Above all, it should be a priority to communicate this learning with families in a way that honors them and respects them. If they often seem rushed during drop off time, this may not be the best time. Pick up time may be an easier time where you can simply say something like “When I was reading to Jackson, he really reacted to rhyming words. We had a lot of fun repeating rhymes today!” This is a quick conversation that shows parents what their child has been doing at school and how they are learning. If the parents asks for more information, please do give it to them! For more information on Early Literacy for Infants and Toddlers, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p226/Early_Literacy_for_Infants_and_Toddlers.html For more information on The Literacy Learning Center, register for our two hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p557/The_Literacy_Learning_Center.html For more information on Lets Talk Toddlers, register for our three hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p448/Lets_Talk_Toddlers.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below...
Art and sensory activities are just a few of the fun ways children can express their artistic and creative abilities. Most children love to participate in arts and crafts, and there are numerous options available to you as a childcare professional to help provide these wonderful opportunities to the children in your care. Below are some helpful questions and answers regarding exploring art in the classroom.
Question: I have limited time available to work with art and sensory activities, what would you recommend when some of the art activities seem very time consuming? Answer: As with most things in education it is important to know your group. We have a fantastic resource website with many lesson plan ideas and directions that you can access at the following links: http://www.lessons4learners.com/young-infants.html http://www.lessons4learners.com/mobile-infants.html You will also see that you can search for lesson plans by theme or topic as well. I would urge you to try to consider art as a mixture of many different types of lessons and not just a standard procedure with a pretty end product. While these activities do have benefits you may be missing out on valuable learning experiences for your group. Consider sensory activities, open-ended art, and material explorations when planning your art lessons. Give parents “out of the box” ideas about tools and materials to use while creating art. New experiences support positive brain development and you can help to foster those activity ideas. Question: Why are toddlers so interested in art activities? Answer: Toddlers love many activities but art seems particularly satisfying because it is a sensory exploration. Toddlers enjoy using their 5 senses in everything that they do and art typically provides multiple means of sensory exploration. Question: In some cultures, using food for art could be seen as wasting food. How would I respond to someone who brings this up? Answer: You bring up a very valid point in cultural differences between teachers and children. It is important to value and understand cultural differences in every interaction that you have. You may prefer to ask questions as a response to the child’s inquiry. Questions such as “what do you think about using this material for art?” or something similar. In addition to this you may offer an alternative material if you notice that it makes yourself or children uncomfortable or confused. Overall, it is crucial to respect all cultures in each and every activity. Do what you can to learn as much as possible about other cultures and respect them in your program planning. Question: How do I manage art activities that seem to take some children longer to work on than others? Answer: If you know that art will take longer than expected you can adjust your activities or timeframe to fit this. This is a simple solution that you can try to implement. Another option, which may be more developmentally appropriate depending upon the age group that you work with is to include process oriented art as part of a center or free choice exploration. Provide the materials, both conventional and nonconventional in the art center area and allow children to explore them in any way they choose. How you organize and transition from centers is completely up to you, but this gives children a more expressive experience with art and doesn’t require that certain tasks be done in a certain time slot. If you do choose to add art as a center, you can still include the more product oriented art activities but maybe prompt adult assistance from an assistant teacher or adult volunteer to keep things running smoothly. Question: How can I provide art activities for infants and toddlers that are not so messy? Answer: You’re right, it is messy but it is absolutely worth it as I’m sure you would agree. My first piece of advice is to embrace the mess. Communicate to parents that art can be messy and they should feel free to send their children in play clothes or something similar. My next suggestion is to utilize volunteers or assistance teachers when doing art activities. Another adult in the vicinity can help to prevent messes and aid in clean up. Last, but not least, I recommend trying art with small groups of children as opposed to the whole group. This will be a more manageable mess to attend to throughout the activity. As with all things when working with infants and toddlers, be sure to exercise caution in your materials. Make sure not to provide items that are hazardous or irritating in any way. For more information on Art and Sensory for Infants and Toddlers, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p227/Art_and_Sensory_Experiences_for_Infants_and_Toddlers_.html For more information on Art Integration: Exploring Creativity with Young Children, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p235/Art_Integration%3A_Exploring_Creativity_with_Young_Children.html For more information on Making Masterpieces: Art Appreciation for Preschoolers, register for our three hour course: https://www.cdastars.com/store/p449/Making_Masterpieces_Art_Appreciation_for_Preschoolers For more information on Earthworks Art and Nature, register for our two hour course: https://www.cdastars.com/store/p385/Earthworks_Art_and_Nature.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below... Music is a great tool to help support and strengthen a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development. Listening to different types of music, using different instruments, and dancing, are just some ways that you can incorporate music into your childcare routine. Below are some common questions and answers regarding music that we hope will help support you and your classroom.
Question: Why is music important for kids to be exposed to? Answer: Music is important because it encompasses many different components that support several domains of development. From social and emotional to physical and cognitive, music is a diverse element of early childhood program planning to help support development on many levels. Question: I have been working with the same techniques for the past 10 years. What are some new or more advanced ways I can add music into my infant and toddler classroom? Answer: It sounds like you have a wealth of experience with music and movement for the children that you work with! One thing that I like to point out to educators of all kinds is that the ideas in the training can just be a vehicle to inspire you to develop more activities for your group! For example, you may already be singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with your group but you may want to put words to dance or even sign language. This may require some research on your part but it is well worth it to bring those activities up a notch. Consider these techniques for the music and movement in your class! Question: Is it ok to have background music playing all day at my in-home childcare center? Answer: Many centers will use music in varying ways from classroom management to recess to nap time. The answer to your question about having music playing in the background all day at an in-home child care center really would depend upon your program and the children that you care for. It is important to consider these things and how music may or may not work with your goals. Some children will have sensory aversions to extra noise in their environment so background music would be a bad choice for these children. Others will find it soothing and will help them to focus. In addition to this, your program may save music for a daily circle time routine or musical time where children have creative options for their musical expression. Consider these types of things as you make your decision about music. Question: What kind of dances can I teach to a preschool age group? Answer: Dance comes in many forms! You can teach simple dances from many cultures, allow children opportunities to make their own dances, or disguise PE activities as dance! The possibilities are endless! Here are some resources about dance that you may find helpful: Question: Only a few children in my class of 1 to 2 ½ year olds participate in music activities. How do I get all of the children interested? Answer: First, I think it is important to consider the developmental level of the children participating. Children from 1 to 2 ½ years of age are busy exploring their environment and are not naturally inclined to sit still in a group, watching a demonstration or listening to a teacher sing or explain musical elements. This is just one of the reasons that dance is so important to include in a music program! Dancing is an active and engaging activity in itself and would work really well for children between 1 to 2 ½ years old. It is important, however, to consider that their version of dance may be more like movement and play and not necessarily coordinated movements in time to music. Here are some links with more information about music and dance activities for children of that age group:
Question: How can I keep children focused when we dance together? Answer: The wonderful thing about dance and movement is that it gives children an opportunity to be free and experimental with their movements and actions. So long as the children are being safe during their dance times it is completely fine for them to choose new and interesting movements or interpretations. If your dance activities ask children to all do the same movement at the same time and in the exact same way you may consider altering the activity so that children can experience the freedom of movement and dance. Here are some resources that you may find helpful: For more information on Music and Movement for Infants and Toddlers, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p231/Music_and_Movement_for_Infants_and_Toddlers.html For more information on 123 Dance with Me, register for our two hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p377/123_Dance_with_Me.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below... Physical and mental activities are essential in a child's growth and development. Yoga offers a positive way to help children gain great focus and control skills through breathing, balancing, and posing in different positions. Below are some questions and answers that may help guide you in adding yoga into your daily or weekly routine.  Question: How do I gather my 2-3 year olds for a yoga session and get them to pay attention? Answer: You have many options for gathering 2 and 3 year olds for yoga. No matter what you choose it is important to choose something developmentally appropriate for your group. 2 and 3 year olds are not built to stand in a perfectly straight regimented line so consider some alternatives. You can play a slow song and have children dance their way to your meeting space. Alternatively, you can use a chime and ring it softly asking children to take one step toward the meeting space with each chime. There are multiple options and it is important to consider safety, appropriateness, purpose, and movement when planning your transition options. Question: Is there an age limit on when children should start doing yoga? Answer: Children can join in yoga as early as you can support them in that endeavor. Toddlers especially love to imitate yoga poses and movement and will likely enjoy the opportunity to participate. Younger children can also join in yoga by doing simple stretches and movement. Obviously, like all things in education and child care, you will want to adapt the activities for different children with different ability levels. Question: How do I help parents accept the idea of integrating yoga into our classroom? Answer: I have seen many programs use different language and intertwine their yoga programming with PE and exercise programs. It is important to communicate your programming with parents honestly and accurately. Often when benefits are explained and yoga isn’t the only exercise option that is used you will find much more support. Try implementing “yoga and movement” or “yoga and stretching” to create a holistic approach to the program needs and design. For more information on Yoga with Children, register for our one hour course: http://www.cdastars.com/store/p261/Yoga_with_Children.html Have information to share? Please use the comments section below...
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Successful Solutions Training in Child Development
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