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One Tip for Enhanced Communication

Welcome to the December 2021 CCEI newsletter! You may be curious about the title of this month’s edition.  No, it is not a typo. We did not mean to say 10 tips for enhancing communication. This month we focus on just one strategy to improve communication.  It is one of the most challenging strategies you will come across in all of the thousands of articles promoting better communication.  It is also one of the most powerful skills to practice if you want to make a difference in your interactions with others.

This month we are going to focus solely on present-moment awareness. While everyone is different, it is safe to say that as a member of the human race, with an active mind and sensory stimulation bombarding you from all directions, you likely spend a good deal of time outside of the realm of present-moment awareness.

You might not be sure what present moment awareness is, but it is quite easy to identify when you are not practicing it!  Have you ever driven home from work and realized that you were lost in thought the whole way home?  Have you ever read a page of a book and had to reread the entire page because you have no idea what it said? Have you ever needed an item and gone to retrieve the item only to forget why you’re in the room you’re standing in?  Have you ever been in conversation with someone and gotten so lost in your own thoughts about the topic that you have no idea what the other person just asked you?

These are just a few examples of instances of the mind wandering away from the present moment. Sometimes, this is no big deal; you just reread the page.  And other times, wandering out of the present moment can have big consequences. Let’s take some time to explore what present-moment awareness is, how you can build the skill, and how you can use it to enhance the way you communicate with others.

For the article Present-Moment Awareness, CLICK HERE

For the article Building Present-Moment Awareness, CLICK HERE

For the article Practicing Present-Moment Awareness, CLICK HERE

For the article Present-Moment Awareness in Communication, CLICK HERE

Active Play with Staff Members

According to the authors of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2^nd Edition, regular physical activity can help adults reduce the risk of many ailments, manage weight, reduce stress, get better sleep, and simply feel better overall.

Teachers working with young children in early learning environments tend to be more active than people working in other fields, due to the need to keep up with the children in their care. Even with the possibility of higher levels of activity, there could also be extended periods of inactivity in early learning environments so it is important to look for opportunities to encourage employees to increase their physical activity.

Here are a few ideas:

• Take a walk with staff. Have a meeting scheduled with a staff member? Consider taking the meeting outside. Walk around the building a few times while you discuss the meeting topic or brainstorm ideas for your next event.
• Stretch prior to meetings. Spend a few minutes at the beginning of staff meetings doing a few slow, simple stretches. This gives staff a chance to release some of the tension of the day and refocus on the meeting topics.
• Host step competitions. Hold a series of friendly competitions to see who can get the most steps in a day. The recommended number of steps for adults is 10,000 per day. Provide staff with inexpensive step counters (pedometers) to help them track their activity. Award prizes for accomplishments for each day, week, and month.
• Dance breaks. Find opportunities within your day to move your body in a joyful way. Encourage teachers, children, and families to join in the fun.
• Include physical activities into professional development days. Long days of sitting and listening to presenters can be broken up with planned 10-minute periods of physical activity. These team-building and self-care activities will help participants return their attention to the important information being shared.

 

For the main article Opportunities for Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Types of Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for School-Age Children, CLICK HERE

Active Play Ideas for School-Age Children

School-age children enjoy exploring a variety of traditional sports and making up their own games. They create and adapt rules throughout their play. Their cognitive and social-emotional development are better suited for the competition that often accompanies these activities.

Some school-agers also enjoy organizing and creating events and competitions. Other children just want to sprint and tag one another. Follow their interests as they explore their interest in physical activities.

To help children meet the recommendations for at least 60 minutes of active play per day, programs can:

• Invite guest coaches – welcome coaches and players from high school or college teams to visit your program and introduce skills to children.
• Provide sports equipment – after introducing different games, make sure children have access to a variety of sports equipment.
• Offer classes – Work with martial arts and dance instructors in the community to offer classes to the children enrolled in the program.
• Community walks – Take field trips to well-maintained hiking and walking paths.
• Cheering – encourage children to create different school spirit cheers and dances.
• Mini competitions – hold contests that encourage children to jump rope, do push-ups, or do jumping jacks for a certain amount of time or a set number of repetitions.
• Relay races – This resource describes 45 variations of relay races that you could try.
• Yoga and stretching – help children strengthen muscles, improve balance, and build flexibility with kid-friendly yoga and stretching activities. These are great for helping children transition to and from your program in the mornings and afternoons.
• Curriculum links – look for opportunities to link physical activities to curriculum topics. For example, if you are exploring local habitats, take the children on a nature walk.

*When working with children with disabilities, consult with the child’s family and physical therapist to determine the best types of activity for the child and ways to adapt certain activities to meet the child’s active play needs.

 

For the main article Opportunities for Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Types of Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play with Staff Members, CLICK HERE

Active Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Young children are naturally active. They enjoy moving their bodies in new and creative ways. As coordination and muscle strength improve, young children will explore climbing, rolling, and throwing. In the classroom, these activities don’t always align with adult plans or safety standards.  Rather than attempting to change the nature of child development, educators should find safe and fun ways for children to practice their emerging skills with guidance and encouragement.

Generally speaking, toddlers and preschoolers are too young for organized sports. They are still developing the cognitive and self-regulation skills that will help them succeed in these activities in the future.  Here are activities that will instill a love of physical activity that meet children where they are developmentally:

• Follow the leader games – be sure to incorporate bone-, balance- and flexibility-building movements.
• Obstacle courses – include jumping jacks, dancing, crawling, and kicking stations. Older children can help design these activities by making up stations or picking from a stack of activity cards.
• Bikes and trikes – riding toys help children build muscle strength and coordination. Set up different routes for children to follow from time to time.
• Throwing games – beanbags, snowballs, and traditional sports balls can all be used to build tossing and catching skills.
• Climbing – opportunities to climb should be encouraged indoors and on the playground. Indoor climbing areas are especially important during periods of time when children do not have access to outdoor play spaces.
• Movement transitions – as children move through the daily routine, ask them to march, move like butterflies, or tiptoe.
• Tag and relay races – introduce different types of tag and relay races that promote gross-motor and cooperation skills.
• Yoga and stretching games – add a few simple yoga or stretching poses into morning meetings, nap preparation, and transitioning from outdoors to indoors.
• Big body play – explore resources related to big body play (sometimes called rough and tumble play) and determine how it might fit into your program.

*When working with children with disabilities, consult with the child’s family and physical therapist to determine the best types of activity for the child and ways to adapt certain activities to meet the child’s active play needs.

 

For the main article Opportunities for Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Types of Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for School-Age Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play with Staff Members, CLICK HERE

Types of Active Play

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, physical activity is defined as:

Any bodily movement produced by the contraction of skeletal muscle that increases energy expenditure above a basal level.

But did you know that not all activity is the same?  There are different levels of activity intensity:

• Light-intensity activity includes leisurely strolls and light housekeeping.
• Moderate-intensity activity includes brisk walks and yardwork.
• Vigorous-intensity activity includes jogging or shoveling heavy snow.

In addition to different levels of activity, there are also different types of activities that should be included in daily activities. These types of activities include:

• Aerobic activities – sustained large muscle movement that raises the heart rate. Walking, running, swimming, and biking are common examples of aerobic activity.
• Muscle-strengthening activities – repeated movement of muscles moving against a source of resistance. Resistance can be provided by weights, elastic bands, or body weight. Squats, lunges, and push-ups are examples of this type of activity.
• Bone-strengthening activities – movements that create a force or impact on the bones. Climbing stairs, dancing, and hiking are examples of exercises that promote bone strength.
• Balance activities – movements that strengthen muscles responsible for keeping us upright. Yoga, standing on one foot, and using a balance beam help us improve balance to prevent falls.
• Flexibility activities – movements that increase the range of motion in our joints help improve flexibility. Stretching and yoga are great exercises for building flexibility.

There are some activities that fall into multiple categories of activity. For example, walking would be considered an aerobic and bone-strengthening activity and if you add ankle weights to your walk, you will also be strengthening your muscles, too.

These types of activities are important for people of all ages. The Department of Health and Human Services reports:

Physical activity also has brain health benefits for school-aged children, including improved cognition and reduced symptoms of depression. Evidence indicates that both acute bouts and regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity improve the cognitive functions of memory, executive function, processing speed, attention, and academic performance for these children. 

The remaining sections of the newsletter will provide examples of how educators can incorporate these types of activities into the daily routine.

Adapted from Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2^nd Edition.

 

For the main article Opportunities for Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for School-Age Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play with Staff Members, CLICK HERE

Opportunities for Active Play

By now, you have probably heard about the importance of regular physical activity. You are likely aware that establishing strong physical activity habits at a young age increases the chance of maintaining healthy activity levels into adulthood.  The list of benefits of physical activity is long and includes:

• Improved heart health
• Weight management
• Better bone health
• Decreased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer
• Improved sleep
• Reduced anxiety and depression
• Better cognitive functioning
• Improved quality of life

Experts have established recommendations for physical activity that state:

• Preschool children should have opportunities for physical activity throughout each day.
• School-age children should engage in moderate-to-vigorous activity for at least 1 hour each day.
• Adults should accumulate 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, such as brisk walking.

In this month’s newsletter, we will explore ways that early learning programs can help children and adults meet these recommendations and take advantage of the benefits that physical activity provides.

For the article Types of Active Play, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play Ideas for School-Age Children, CLICK HERE

For the article Active Play with Staff Members, CLICK HERE

Math Across the Curriculum

One of the recommendations from NAEYC and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics is:

• Integrate mathematics with other activities and other activities with mathematics.

There are so many opportunities to integrate math throughout the day and the learning environment.  Math is everywhere.  It should not be contained in one designated time of the day or learning center. The pre-math skills that young children explore can be incorporated into all areas and elements of the routine. Here are just a few ideas:

• Discuss the daily schedule or the steps of routines using math-related language such as first, second, third or now, next, later.
• Add a variety of measuring tools to the sensory table.
• Place rulers and measuring tapes in different areas of the learning environment.
• Create math games based on children’s favorite books or stories.
• Encourage children to notice the attributes of objects and materials, indoors and out.
• Provide loose parts or open-ended materials for children to explore.
• Cook with children using simple-to-follow recipes.
• Organize shape scavenger hunts.
• Sing, clap, and move to music.
• Add math-related materials to the dramatic play area.
• Practice deep breathing while counting to ten.
• Ask children to clean up all of the square or rectangle blocks.
• Integrate objects from nature into the math area for children to compare and contrast.
• Create simple shape puzzles using pictures of children and their families.
• Encourage children to complete class chores such as setting the table or watering plants as they count from one to five.
• Ask children to retell familiar stories using felt figures or story stones.
• Count the number of birds at the bird feeder on the playground.
• Plant a garden and collect data on its progress.
• Document attendance on a chart every day.
• Keep a weather journal, including daily temperatures, rainfall measurements, wind speeds, etc.
• Practice weaving and simple knitting.
• Decorate using patterns and talk with children about what they notice.
• Invest in or make your own light table.
• Weigh objects and estimate which items will be heavier or lighter than other objects.
• Provide materials for children to conduct sink/float experiments.
• Include dominoes, dice, and playing cards in different learning centers.
• Create simple riddles that describe shapes and other objects. For example, I am a rectangle and you look through me to see outside. What am I? (A window).
• Create variations of Memory or the magnet fishing game that includes items with different attributes.
• Use an egg timer or other tool to manage turn-taking and advanced warnings for transitions.

This list could go on and on.  There are so many math games and activities that can be introduced to children in the math center or in small group time. Be sure you are looking for opportunities beyond the math center to incorporate math exploration. Not every activity needs to be a long lesson. Sometimes a quick conversation will plant a seed that children explore later. As you can see from the list – sometimes, the teachers’ only involvement is to present materials and allow children to explore in open-ended ways.

Again, take some time to evaluate how math is extended into other areas of your learning environment.  Look for opportunities that you may be missing and work with your teaching team to capitalize on these additional learning opportunities.

For the main article Math in the Early Years, CLICK HERE

For the article NAEYC’s Recommendations for High-Quality Math Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Pre-math Skills in Early Childhood, CLICK HERE

For the article Using the Language of Math, CLICK HERE

Using the Language of Math

One of the recommendations from NAEYC and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics is:

• Enhance children’s natural interest in mathematics and their disposition to use it to make sense of their physical and social worlds.

One way to encourage natural interest is to use mathematical talk as you engage with children. Mathematical talk is using math-related language to make observations and discuss everyday events and materials. Conversations about numbers and mathematics help to build and extend children’s mathematical learning.

ECE professionals should:

• Discuss attributes of objects regularly such as quantity, size, and shapes when interacting with children. Note: discuss means more than simply telling children to recite or label shapes; use open-ended questions to compare and contrast different shapes.
• Use math language casually throughout the day.
• Encourage children to use math language during play.
• Talk to children about their mathematical reasoning using open-ended questions.

Below are examples of mathematical talk that can be used throughout the day:

• “You have two ears just like the teddy bear. Let’s count—one, two.”
• “I have more goldfish than you do. See, I have one, two, three, and you have one, two.”
•  “How long do you want your yarn to be?”
• “Who do you think can run the fastest?”
• “Can you help me find the cup that is the same as this one?”
• “I notice that you made two different shapes with your playdough. Tell me about them.”
•  “What pattern do you see on the wall?”
• “How did you figure out that this container holds more water?”
• “How many children are in the block center? Let’s count: one, two, three.”
• “Would you like to sit at the round table or the rectangle table?”
• “Ms. Jenna is taller than me. She can reach the highest shelf in the closet.”
• “What is the first thing we do when we are finished with our snack?”
• “Tell me why you grouped these items together?”
• “Maybe Rosie can help you find the right size block. Can you describe what it looks like to her?”

For the next few days, pay attention to the conversations that you have with children.  Look for opportunities to add the language of math into those conversations.

For the main article Math in the Early Years, CLICK HERE

For the article NAEYC’s Recommendations for High-Quality Math Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Pre-math Skills in Early Childhood, CLICK HERE

For the article Math Across the Curriculum, CLICK HERE

Pre-math Skills in Early Childhood

One of the recommendations from NAEYC and the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics is:

• Ensure that the curriculum is coherent and compatible with known relationships and sequences of important mathematical ideas.

Long before children learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, foundational skills must be set in place. Like all other skills, children explore and learn these skills at their own pace. In many cases, skills build on previously understood concepts so teachers must work with individual children to promote play and exploration of these important skills.  It is also true that the skills themselves compound to become more complex. Teachers should be sure that the math tasks they are encouraging children to do are aligned with individual children’s abilities.

Here is a look at a few pre-math skills that are common in early learning environments:

• Matching is the ability to identify items that are the same. Children may begin by recognizing that items are the same color, then progress to matching by size, shape, quantity, and other characteristics.
• Geometry begins with recognizing the attributes of and identifying basic shapes.
• Sorting and classifying occurs when children begin to compare and contrast objects and placing them in groups based on different characteristics. Children begin by sorting objects by one characteristic and progress to sorting by multiple characteristics.
• Patterning is the way that children organize objects into designs. Children typically begin by recognizing and recreating patterns they notice around them before creating their own patterns.
• Sequencing is the skill of putting things into a particular order. The observation skills that children learn through less complex pre-math skills will help them recognize attributes of objects. Through comparing and contrasting, children can then organize materials based on size or length. Sequencing also happens during story-telling as children begin to tell stories from beginning to middle to end.
• Estimating is using observation skills to make an informed guess about an object. For example, seeing a pile of blocks, children could try to guess which bin will be big enough to hold all of the blocks. Eventually, children will be able to estimate the number of objects.
• Counting typically begins with rote memorization of the order of the words associated with quantity. You have probably met a child who could count to ten but didn’t understand what “ten” meant.
  • One-to-one correspondence is the ability to assign each object being counted with the correct number. A child may say, “I am three years old” while touching each of the five fingers on his hand. They begin to grasp the skill when they touch one finger for each number spoken, up to the number three.
• Measuring involves using traditional and non-traditional tools to determine details about objects, such as weight, size, length, and amount.

In addition to these foundational skills, children will also come to understand conservation, representation of numbers, fractions, time, and data collection and organization.

For the main article Math in the Early Years, CLICK HERE

For the article NAEYC’s Recommendations for High-Quality Math Learning, CLICK HERE

For the article Using the Language of Math, CLICK HERE

For the article Math Across the Curriculum, CLICK HERE