Oxford Early Childhood Consulting

Excellent explanation!

EC professionals do some of the most important work that needs to be done.

Early childhood care: the roots, the deep foundation.

Have you turned on the holiday music yet? Here's Vroom tip. Turn on the tunes and dance. 💃🕺

Want to make storytime more engaging? Check out these tips for reading aloud to your child!

This is interesting. Over 40 years ago, I was taught to teach children to read by beginning with a strong phonics foundation, then adding in sight words and vocabulary with texts that built on childrens’ interests, even if the
content was “above” the child’s tested reading level. This approach didn’t have a “name,” so wasn’t monetized by academics, but I observed its efficacy over the decades with a few hundred children from ages 4 and up. Since I never got a “reading certification,” I was told more than once that I was wrong and that phonics was out.

Guess what? Phonics matters in the earliest stages of literacy development, and now it’s okay because the “expert” agrees.

In the Fight Over How to Teach Reading, This Guru Makes a Major Retreat Lucy Calkins, a leading literacy expert, has rewritten her curriculum to include a fuller embrace of phonics and the science of reading. Critics may not be appeased.

Kids will be what they hear you say they should be. Make sure they are hearing about the positive things.

These kids? They're listening.

They hear us when we complain. They know when we are talking about them.

They're not ignorant. They're not dumb.

They are so smart. They're processing everything we say. They are building their vocabulary, their character, and developing little personalities based on what they hear.

When I say, "He's my stubborn child..." He hears me.

When you say, "She is wild..." She hears you.

I'll never forget the day my oldest told me he was giving his food to his younger brother because "he's the good eater."

My mouth dropped. I probably said my younger was "the good eater" a dozen times.

You guys, they're listening to everything we say.

If you want your kids thinking they're "hard, stubborn or defiant..." keep telling your friends this out loud in front of them.

But in that same vein… If you want your kids knowing they are brave, adventurous, creative and kind, say it for them to hear.

Because they will.

(Art by Amanda Oleander Art)
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😢

From the Eric Carle Team: It is with heavy hearts that we share that Eric Carle, author and illustrator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and many other beloved classics, passed away on Sunday, May 23rd at the age of 91.

When asked why he thinks The Very Hungry Caterpillar has remained popular for so long, Carle said, “I think it is a book of hope. Children need hope. You, little insignificant caterpillar can grow up into a beautiful butterfly and fly into the world with your talent.”

Thank you, Eric Carle for sharing your great talent with so many generations of young readers.

Wonderful activity!

With warm weather on the horizon (or for those living in warmer climates year round), and with so much mobility and social interaction lost in the past year to the pandemic, getting time outside to play together and connect with nature is more important than ever. This article has some great tips to keep in mind when facilitating outdoor experiences, for both early childhood professionals AND families.

https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/aug2019/play-in-grass-quality-outdoor-play?fbclid=IwAR1YXPmc2laYVELDdBfbZIutV8yfvIehbW3krwpFB-aZnC4_VB1y0Vl4iFk

10x: Play in the Grass! Practical Considerations for Quality Outdoor Play | NAEYC This article provides simple tips to enrich outdoor environments so you can ensure all children have time to play in the grass.