Self-esteem is a critical component of a child's life, as it impacts the way in which he treats himself and others, and approaches life overall, note Anne Donley, M.A., M.P.A., and Beth Keen, Ph.D., with the NotMyKid.org website. Children with a healthy sense of self-esteem are emotionally resilient and able to bounce back from hurts and disappointments. Children with low self-esteem have difficulties coping with life's challenges and, as a result, may resort to displaying destructive behaviors.
Kindergarten teachers can choose interdisciplinary learning activities to help children learn about different types of houses around the world. Interactive housing lessons incorporate language arts, math, science and social studies. Children learn about the importance of having a house and explore materials used to build houses.
The kindergarten curriculum often includes a unit about communities to help the children broaden their understanding of the world around them. Hands-on activities give kindergartners a concrete look at the people and places that make up their community. You can incorporate a variety of activity types to engage kindergarteners.
According to The National Center for Learning Disabilities, a learning disability, or LD, is not caused by environmental factors, cultural or language differences or economic disadvantages. It is also not an emotional or behavioral issue. Instead, LDs are categorized as neurological disorders, not to be confused with a lack of intelligence or laziness in secondary school children. Several types of LDs can affect students, and teachers possess methods to identify these disabilities so that students can get help as soon as possible.
Fine motor skills include the intricate movements that the fingers and hands make, ones that involve aspects such as eye-hand coordination and dexterity. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, major fine motor milestones that young children reach include using a pincer grasp by 12 months, scribbling and build with blocks by age 2 and writing letters by the preschool years. You can help your little learner to build and refine these, and other, fine motor skills through an array of easy activities.
Most kindergarten students love role-playing activities and idolizing heroes. Engaging youngsters in such activities as part of a police study unit can be a fun and creative way to combine these passions into a compelling learning experience. Using a combination of crafts, games and hands-on projects, kindergartners can understand the important role police officers play in keeping communities safe.
Though language and literacy development starts well before a child's school years, providing a rich environment can set children up for success. Providing access to literature, opportunities for play, building vocabulary and modeling communication create environments that foster language and literacy development.
Jean Piaget was a child psychologist who studied child development in the mid-20th century. He pioneered the concept of developmental phases and milestones and argued that all normal, healthy children reliably enter certain developmental phases at particular ages. Children between the ages of 2 and 7, according to Piaget, are in the preoperational stage of cognitive development, and this stage is characterized by egocentrism.
Because all children are different, how you react to your child’s naughty behavior can have a significant impact on changing that behavior. Some children respond better to a stern look or firm reminder whereas some children respond better when you immediately enforce discipline. Determining what works best for your child will help you effectively react to his misbehavior in the future.
Simply put, punishment is an ineffective strategy for correcting unwanted behavior. Punishment targets the child instead of the behavior. As a result, children come to believe they are "bad" and don't understand that they engaged in undesirable behavior. This only encourages them to display bad behavior since this is the message they have received about themselves, notes extension specialist Novella Ruffin of Virginia State University. Parents who want to address fighting at school are strongly encouraged to use effective disciplinary strategies that teach their children desirable behaviors.
Parents who wish to raise bilingual children need to make a plethora of choices that other parents don’t. Among them are how and when they will expose their children to a second language. Bilingual children differ from monolingual children in ways that will affect the language development of both languages. Parents making this choice should be fully informed of what’s important in raising bilingual children.
The words we use are only part of the verbal or written message we send when communicating with others. Moreover, verbal and written messages are not the only ways we communicate. Whether through sign language, art or our actions, the way we choose to express our thoughts and ideas directly impacts how our message will be perceived. For children, this can be the difference between making friends or feeling socially rejected. Interactive activities can teach young students about the ways we communicate and allow them to practice these skills, helping to ensure that they will give and receive the intended…
Cardio for stronger thighs involves the careful use of a very specific thigh workout. Learn about cardio for stronger thighs with help from a professional athlete, fitness expert, author, model, and actor in this free video clip.
Language development from infancy to adulthood is a dynamic process during which you might wonder if your child is progressing adequately. Knowing the general landmarks of language development can help you recognize your child's abilities and help you encourage the evolution of your child's language skills.
Teachers must develop techniques and strategies in order to cultivate the wide range of oral language skills present in a kindergarten classroom. Some children will enter kindergarten speaking clearly and possessing a large vocabulary, while others may have a more primitive speaking style. All kindergarten students will benefit from reinforcement and encouragement to improve their oral language skills.
The administering of childhood vaccines is a hotly contested topic among parenting communities. By utilizing medical, religious or philosophical exemptions, most parents can choose whether or not to vaccinate their child, but electing to forego the biggies may meet with resistance among pediatricians and school districts. The list of vaccines that most schools recommend grows lengthier by the year.
Sometimes no tears in an infant can mean that your child is so upset that he or she can't even cry. Learn about what it means when you see no tears in an infant with help from a former family case worker in this free video clip.
Anxiety takes many different forms and is easy to miss if your child has signs like irritability, restlessness and fatigue instead of the more obvious ones such as avoiding social situations and not making eye contact. While they differ slightly in their triggers and symptoms, conditions such as separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and social phobia all share a disproportional response to a potential danger and can significantly affect your child's life. Figuring out how you might contribute to or influence your child's anxiety disorder is one way to reduce the impact the anxiety has on…
The toddler world is changing rapidly, but not fast enough for most toddlers. When a little one wants a toy, snack or even attention, she wants it now. Teaching her to wait, to delay the moment of gratification, helps your toddler learn self-control. According to a study done jointly by Columbia, Smith and Rice universities, children who learn to exercise delayed gratification before their preschool years exercised more self-control and were more goal oriented as older children. This helps children in school, sports and other important areas.
Rumors are ugly, and when your daughter is dealing with rumors, it makes them even uglier. You might understand that sometimes people who aren’t happy with their own lives have nothing better to do but start rumors about others in order to feel better, but your daughter might not be old enough to grasp that concept just yet. When someone starts a rumor about her at school, it helps if you can teach her how to handle the situation with grace and dignity.
Socialization in kindergarten involves more than just playing on the playground and making new friends. Kindergarten social development expectations vary from state to state, and individual schools have individual requirements for children entering and graduating from kindergarten. Parents can help children prepare to enter kindergarten by helping them build basic social and emotional skills needed to interact with peers and teachers. These skills will continue to develop and be strengthened during kindergarten.
Modeling dough is a versatile material that can be used for discovery learning projects and educational activities in your kindergarten classroom. Look for ways to incorporate modeling into your curriculum. A hands-on visual representation of concepts will help improve attention span and fine motor skills, which is especially important for the visual and tactile learners in your classroom.
Children with special needs are regularly included in general education classes. Some of these students may spend the entire school day in general education environments; others may take one or two general education courses and spend the rest of the day in a self-contained classroom.
As your children move from childhood to adolescence, they grow socially and emotionally in a natural way. As a parent, learning about children’s needs and taking a proactive stance can help your child form strong friendships and learn to process his emotions in healthy ways. One way to encourage positive development is to pay attention to your child’s interactions with others and his emotional responses to stress. If you notice anything that concerns you, address these issues right away. This can ensure that your children develop in the healthiest way possible.
In 2013, Thomas Brazelton was awarded the prestigious Presidential Citizens Medal by President Barack Obama. For more than 40 years, Brazelton has provided education and resources for parents, including over 20 books on everything from feeding babies to helping them sleep at night. Brazelton also developed the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale, which has become a standard clinical assessment for newborns. Although Brazelton has also written books on the toddler years and early childhood, most of his work concerns the changes that occur during infancy.
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that teaches discipline, respect, and a strengthening of mind and body, along with fighting skills for self-defense. Translation of the Korean “tae kwon do” means, “The Way of the Hand and Foot.” This martial art involves learning precision blocks, kicks, stances, punches and forms, and encourages basic physical fitness and strength development. Taekwondo can help a child’s physical and mental development by increasing his fitness level, discipline and self-confidence.
Even though your baby is not articulating words yet, she still is communicating with you. According to Education.com, the amount of conversations that adults have with infants and toddlers directly affects how children learn to talk. During the first year, infants are developing language and it is important for parents to support and encourage that development by talking, reading and listening to babies.
Watching your child's language development is an interesting and rewarding experience. During his first three years, your little one will go from the sweet coos of a newborn baby to the endless chatter of a busy toddler. Each stage will bring with it new speech milestones involving language awareness and understanding.
Cognition is the ability to think and understand. The study of a child's cognitive development focuses on her emerging perceptual, language, problem-solving and information-processing skills. While it was once believed that children had no ability to think or have complex ideas until they began to talk, it is now clear that babies are ready to learn and explore from the moment they are born. Parents and caregivers should be aware of certain issues that can affect a child's cognitive development.
Urethane caulk is a great caulk for those spaces that like to expand and contract. Learn about working with urethane caulk with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video clip.
"We're Going on a Bear Hunt" is a staple of kindergarten classrooms everywhere. Learn about a great kindergarten activity based around "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" with help from the director of CHALK Preschool of Venice in this free video clip.
You can not plug the toilet by keeping a few very helpful tips in mind. Learn how to not plug the toilet with help from a Foreman for Lighty Contractors in this free video clip.
The HP Dreamscreen and the Android platform both have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Learn about the HP Dreamscreen versus the Android with help from a Microsoft certified technology specialist in this free video clip.
The Samsung Android is a very powerful device in a number of different areas. Learn about the Samsung Android with help from a Microsoft certified technology specialist in this free video clip.
Getting your kid's affection back is something that can actually help teach the kids about mending a relationship. Get your kid's affection back with help from an experienced parent coach in this free video clip.
Choosing a new hairstyle for heading back to school always requires you to make a few special considerations. Get tips on how to choose a new hairstyle for back to school with help from a New York City-born hairstylist and makeup artist in this free video clip.
No matter how hard you try, you just can't get shoelaces to last forever. Learn how to properly replace shoelaces with help from a closet organizing, SHOE-loving, DIYer in this free video clip.
Certain major factors are at work during adolescent development that you're going to want to know about. Learn about the major factors at work during adolescent development with help from a practicing therapist in this free video clip.
Homework can be frustrating and stressful for both parents and their children. As students advance into higher grades, the work they bring home reflects the increasing complexity of their studies and you may find yourself feeling rusty and out-of-practice when asked for help. Turn to the Internet to find many excellent resources that help fill in the gaps where your own memory or skills may be lacking.
Conflict is the key element of drama. Learn how to format dramatic scenes with help from a filmmaker and freelance editor in this free video clip.
If you're looking for some really cool technology to take to campus this year, you'll be happy to find plenty of developments that go well beyond just cell phones and computers. Expect to see a lot more tablets and cameras, environmentally friendly keyboards, cool kitchen gadgets in dorm rooms, and high-tech return to paper and pen.
Empathy is being able to put yourself in one's shoes. Learn about the relationships and differences between child empathy and intelligence with help from a family case worker in this free video clip.
How a toddler perceives the world might be a bit different than you think it is. Learn about the perception of a toddler with help from a family therapist and child development specialist in this free video clip.
Mathematics has a variety of different real world applications that you can use to make your life easier. Find out what skills you can learn from math with help from an experienced mathematics educator in this free video clip.
Grading a film refers to how you can control the film's colors. Learn how to grade a film with help from a professional filmmaker in this free video clip.
A number of different problems can crop up with your toilet backup if you're not careful. Learn about toilet backup problems with help from an experienced construction professional in this free video clip.
You can critique a movie on a number of different topics depending on your preferences. Learn about the different topics to critique a movie on with help from a professional and experienced filmmaker and editor in this free video clip.
E&O insurance is a professional liability, errors and omissions coverage. Learn about E&O insurance with help from an insurance professional in this free video clip.
Assessing cardiovascular strength requires you to take an honest look at a few different things. Learn about assessing cardiovascular strength with help from a strength and conditioning coach in this free video clip.
You can tell if certain mathematics solutions are incorrect just by looking at the remainder in the division aspect. Learn to tell if the answer is wrong by looking at the remainder with help from an MIT Masters Candidate in Aero/Astro Engineering in this free video clip.