It’s the middle of the school year—there are more hours of daylight; the weather is starting to warm up (ever so slightly); and the weekends and after-school hours are starting to fill up with spring sports on the horizon. Your child’s homework might be the last thing on your mind. If you and your child […]
It’s Never Too Early to Start Reading With Your Child
Albert Einstein once said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” We live in a world filled with miracles. We can see them every day—if we know where to look. A miracle occurred the day […]
Preschool Readiness and The Importance of Play-Based Learning
When working with parents, I am often asked: “Is my toddler ‘ready’ for a preschool?” The next question that follows is: “Will it help or hurt my child in any way?” Every child is different, but research into early childhood shows that even a few hours a week in an intentionally prepared environment with age-based […]
Questions To Ask of Potential Preschools
If you’ve got a toddler, you may be wondering about preschool options. And, believe it or not, now is the time to start planning for enrollment next fall! Before you start furiously scheduling preschool tours, it’s helpful to have a list of questions handy to help ease the process of selecting the perfect preschool […]
Make Time For Everyday Learning Opportunities
Toddlers and young children are constantly asking questions about their world: “Why is the sky blue?”, “Why do we have feet?” As a parent, it can be hard to keep up with their curiosity! But the truth is, you are likely teaching your child more than you even realize through your everyday interactions. From building […]
The Lazy—and Learning—Days of Summer
August has always been my favorite part of summer—first as child and then as a teacher. For many of us, the school-year calendar dictates our schedules and time available to relax and play in the summer sun. My family moved to Eugene 21 years ago from a small town on coastal Maine. Our first summer […]
Step 2 of Positive Parenting: Have a Positive Learning Environment
When your child comes to you for help or to talk, they’re ready to learn. Give them positive attention, even if only for a minute or so.
Full STEAM Ahead – Bringing STEAM into the home
As your child gets to be pre-school and kindergarten age, you might hear a lot of talk about the importance of STEAM or its earlier version STEM. It’s not the steam of a locomotive or the stem of a plant that’s being talked about, though STEAM and STEM are related to all of that! STEAM […]
The Vital Role of Good Vision in Child Development
How much and how well our children learn throughout life is determined largely by the variety of beneficial experiences in which they participate in their first few years of life.
Vision impairment, even small irregularities, can have a profound impact on development. Early diagnosis and prevention are the best approach to infant vision and eye health care because most conditions respond best to early treatment, before additional complications arise.