Month: February 2017

Tot School: Play-based Assessment

leslie February 25, 2017 2 Comments
Assessment.That word used to give me the heeby-jeebies when I taught public school.Now assessment means something totally different.Play-based and present observation.When I assess Sweet Pea and whether or not she knows a skill, I just observe her playing.  Playing! As a former public educator, playing in the classroom is not something incorporated into curriculum or worksheets....

Tot School: Valentine’s Day

leslie February 20, 2017 0 Comments
Valentine's Day is such a fun day to celebrate with kids!My husband and I don't celebrate Valentine's Day at all, which is fine by me;however, I do want Sweet Pea to know what the day is about and why.I still want to make it special for her, but I didn't want to spend money. My desire was to spend some really good quality time talking and making things special for our Love day.Mother Goose Time...

MGT: Manipulative Monday Giveaway!

leslie February 13, 2017 0 Comments
Are you ready for a giveaway?There's a million great things about Mother Goose Time, but one of our top 5 things we love is the new manipulatives we get each month.  Manipulatives are hands-on objects children use to work out problems.  They manipulate objects to learn. Mother Goose Time sends us 2 new sets of manipulatives each month. One set is usually some kind of counter or...

1, 2 Buckle My Shoe

leslie February 11, 2017 0 Comments
1, 2 Buckle my shoe3,4 Shut the door5,6 Pick up sticks7,8 Lay them straight9,10 Do it again!We are absolutely LOVING this month's Nursery Rhyme Unit from Mother Goose Time!Each day we learn a new little rhyme with motions to go with it.This rhyme was on our 2nd day, but Sweet Pea keeps coming back to it- she loves to act it out. My teacher guide gave some great examples of what to do with...

Creative Academy for Kids

leslie February 3, 2017 0 Comments
I have a dream y'all.  I think it's pretty good, but it would take more than me to pull it off.  This dream is not about me, but about the future- all of our futures, because this dream centers on kids.The Dream:Do you craft?  If you do, I can only imagine what your space looks like... probably a lot like mine. Surfaces covered with paper, scissors, all sorts of markers, pens,...