ECE Solutionary Membership Resources for Month 9
This month, I've hand-picked solutions from the categories of the power of play, professional development, self-regulation, and quality indicator solutions. Each solution is provided to help you go deeper into the "how" behind helping children thrive in school and in life.
Click here to download this month's at-a-glance handout
As always, each solution includes a brief description and hyperlink to a PDF, YouTube video, blog post, podcast, and/or website. For those who end up feeling like the solution was TL;DR (too long; didn't read), I provide an at-a-glance tip you can put into action immediately. Each tip is signified by a purple hashtag (#prektip).
Power of Play Solutions
This article provides specific tips and actions families and caregivers can use to support a child’s development and learning by distinguishing between wants and needs [link]- written by me
#prektip: The primary way to tell the difference between a want vs. a need is to consider the child’s age or developmental level (click here to tweet this!)
This article describes how materials such as loose parts can be offered to children in order to embed meaningful learning opportunities [link] - written by Sally Haughey
Want even more? Check out my Pinterest board [link] about teaching “with” loose parts
#prektip: The best materials focus on what the child can create – not what the materials can do! (click here to tweet this!)
Professional Development Solutions
This podcast discusses three tips for how to use your superpowers in the face of resistance. In specific, caregivers should ensure strong and trusting relationships, work from a place of hope, and know what you have control over [link]- recorded by me
Want even more? Check out this infographic [pdf] for a visual reminder of the three tips shared in the podcast.
#prektip: When facing resistance, seek to reduce stressors, find calm, and build reliance and trust so that positive change is possible (click here to tweet this!)
This blog describes the importance of self-reflection as a critical element of the change process [link]- written by me
Want even more? Check out the following complimentary resources:
- LinkedIn version of this blog [link]
- Handouts with prompting questions that facilitate self-reflection [pdf], or the Self-reflection Framework by Laura Fish [pdf]
- NM PreK Video Library focused on reflective practice [link]
#prektip: Understanding the “why,” or the conceptual underpinnings, of your next steps will help you move from first-order change (temporary) to second-order change (lasting change) (click here to tweet this!)
Quality Indicator Solutions
In this podcast, fellow ECE {r}evolutionaries Jen Davis, Jolene Chavez, and Alicia Frost explore the “timely” topic of calendar time [link]- recorded by me with special guests
Want even more? Check out these tips for improving traditional calendar time activities [pdf]
#prektip: Promoting a concept like calendar as a common outcome promotes memory but not higher-order thinking skill; instead, choose a more open-ended outcome conducive to exploration and individualization such as “Question of the Day” (click here to tweet this!)
This document identifies a small set of research-supported literacy instructional practices that are specific to the classroom level (as opposed to school- or systems-level practice) [link]- developed by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators General Education Leadership Network Early Literacy Task Force
#prektip: Within daily opportunities for dramatic play, provide, model the use of, and encourage children’s engagement with appropriate literacy artifacts (click here to tweet this!)
This article describes the results and implications of a British research study that found that children who participated in gross motor movement activities while engaged in language-related learning activities learned at twice the rate of peers who did not participate in movement activity [link]- written by Lauren Vinopal
#prektip: Pair movement and academic activities to support and improve learning (click here to tweet this!)
In this research-based Ted Talk, Dr. Lara Boyd describes how neuroplasticity gives you the power to shape the brain you want [link]- speech by Lara Boyd
#prektip: The primary driver of change in your brain is your behavior (click here to tweet this!)
Self-Regulation Solutions
This blog talks about what is meant by the “red train” (e.g., meltdown mode) and how it differs from everyday frustrations or emotional reactions [link]- written by me
#prektip: Recognizing the difference between typical emotional reactions vs. emotional responses beyond a child’s control requires a shift in mindset that allows us to benefit from our knowledge about early development (click here to tweet this!)