Whether your child is starting school for the first time, entering a new classroom, or in a year-round program,back-to-school time is a good chance to connect with your child’s teachers. Here are some tips for supporting your child in school.Connect with teachers • Establish relationships with your child’s teachers—it confirms to your child that his teachers are important adults in your life as well as his. Let teachers know how to contact you and that you are interested in w

StartFragment Are morning routines in your house already getting the best of you? Instead of nagging, reminding or yelling your way through the morning schedule, consider implementing “When-Then Routines.” A When-Then Routine is a tool to help your kids stay motivated to get everything done in the morning—even the “yucky” stuff like brushing teeth and getting dressed. It structures your morning so that all the not-so-fun tasks are completed before the most desirable part of t

Strategies to help kids become more responsible Although self-discipline is one of the six most important life skills that we should be teaching children, it’s often overlooked. There are many reasons why kids need to learn self-discipline. It is a great skill that will greatly help them throughout their lives. Teaching self-discipline should be an ongoing process throughout a child’s life, and there are several different ways in which parents can promote self-discipline skil

Many early childhood educators, myself included, believe that every classroom should have a full set of unit blocks, assorted props tied to children’s current interests and experiences, open storage shelves, and plenty of space and time to build and rebuild invented and familiar structures. I canvassed NAEYC staff and Young Children consulting editors to ask, “What do you think children learn through block play?” Here are some responses: Problem solving. Sometimes it is inten