Showing posts sorted by relevance for query child development. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query child development. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query child development. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query child development. Sort by date Show all posts

Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

Early Childhood Development: Learn with Sensory Play


The psychology behind a child's ability to focus academically or follow rules can be positively influenced by the environment. Parents and caregivers can help children with ADHD, sensory processing disorders or developmental issues ease into everyday activities with simple games and activities. 



Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

(This post contains affiliate links.)

In the past, we co-hosted a play based learning linky party with Nikki at Spectrum Psychological. Sensory play is a sneaky tool to help your child learn important motor skills, early literacy skills, and cognitive thinking skills.


Child Development Psychology Building Block Towers: Play Based Learning
Play Based Learning: Building block play is beneficial to the brain.


If your child suffers from a child development disorder, you may want to consider alternative education options such as Montessori or Online Public School.  If one option doesn't work, keep trying until you find the right fit or your family.


Sensory Play Based Learning with Building Blocks for Motor Skills and Patience
Keeping a tower from toppling is a lesson in patience.

We have been fairly successful with Online Public School. I have two very different gifted children. One enjoys learning, the other one does not. As she approached second grade, she struggled with what was once only considered age appropriate hurdles. Her continued transposing of b's, d's, g's, 5's , and 3's was being considered as a form of Dyslexia. Compound words are transposed, numbers and letters reversed, and she read from right to left.

She has now been diagnosed with ADHD, Visual Processing Disorder, and within the Autism Spectrum. The public online school aided in the diagnoses with an evaluation with various specialist including a school psychologist, a speech pathologist, and special ed teachers. To my surprise, she was evaluated as gifted in several subjects and learning disabled in mathematics. We were given an IEP (Individualized Education Plan,) and she has special accommodations when testing.

In this case, we struggle with everyday writing tasks. As the learning coach, it is my responsibility to find ways to make school work fun. The easiest way is to avoid writing anything down on paper. Of course this isn't always realistic, so we supplement with less frightening activities. 


Using a dry erase board can make the daunting task of writing seem like a privilege. Alphabet magnets on a door turn the chore of spelling tests into a game. Just changing the media alleviates some of the stress making it easier to get started on school projects. 



Dyslexia Sensory Disorders Use Letters and Blocks to spell Writing Woes
Magnetic Alphabet Letters add a sensory element to writing lessons.

Gifted children face child developmental issues too. While one struggles with learning, the other faces many different challenges. The brain is busy soaking up knowledge, but gross and fine motor skills seem less important- think absent minded professor. His need for perfection not only stifles his creativity, it also frustrates him to the point of melt downs.


So, what is child development psychology? It is a combination of child development and development psychology meaning the study of physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout our life cycle or in this case throughout childhood. Piaget describes Early Childhood Development as children behaving as little scientists. 


Children focus all of their time and attention on learning, be it through play or studying and mimicking others. Sensory play is essential to child development. Children play to learn- Let them!


Aid your child's development by encouraging sensory play with homemade play dough, oversize blocks, a costume trunk and mirror, and educational sensory bins filled with colored sand or rice embedded with fabric or block letters. 


Teach them it's okay to get messy with edible finger paint or let them make mud pies. Turn your no into yes, and forget about the mess. Focus on can-do to build self-esteem and positive emotional development.




Recommended Reading:


Autism Awareness Programs

Early Intervention Games: Fun, Joyful Ways to Develop Social and Motor Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum or Sensory Processing Disorders

Early Childhood Development

Emotional Development


Early Childhood Teacher Study Online

10 Things ECE Teachers are Studying Today



What are early childhood teachers studying today? Curriculum for ECE teachers is constantly evolving to keep up with the latest topical trends and innovations. Young children live in a world where computers, tablets, smartphones, music players and gaming devices are readily available, including in their classrooms. Anyone studying to become an ECE Teacher needs to keep up with these trends in technology. The best way to do that is to get your ECE training online and we highly recommend getting your professional development training at ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI.)


Early Childhood Teacher Study Online


This post contains Affiliate Links.



ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI,) the industry leader for online professional development, offers courses that cover the latest in everything from technology and STEAM to bullying, attention disorders and more. Every early childhood teacher and their staff can benefit from the online ECE training at CCEI. Here at Kids Creative Chaos, we've taken several courses and enjoyed each one of them, including CCEI122: Active Learning in Early Childhood course! Check out our review, here. We’ve also reviewed CCEI's online professional development for early childhood teachers in these past articles: Professional Development for Preschool Teachers and ECE Continuing ED Online. No matter how long you've been teaching, you'll discover something new and have an “a-ha” moment during CCEI’s course training.

Personally, I’ve taken many courses online and offline receiving certificates and credits toward my ECE (Early Childhood Education Certification) and CCEI is the best! ChildCare Education Institute offers certificate programs and coursework that meets the requirement for national credentials including the CDA. CCEI also has online certification programs for Director and Early Childhood Credentials. CCEI, a Council for Professional Recognition CDA Gold Standard™ comprehensive training provider, is nationally accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and is accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET.)



 online professional development for ECE Teachers Early Childhood Preschool


Below, is a list of the most popular things ECE teachers are studying. What are you most interested in studying? After you’ve taken a look at the list, let us know your thoughts in the comments below the post.



Technology and Digital Media in Early Childhood Preschool



10 Things ECE Teachers Should Study


Here’s a list of TOP 10 trending topics that ECE teachers are studying today (that teachers wouldn’t have studied 10 years ago), according to CCEI:





  • Trauma Informed Care: ECE providers work with diverse groups of students from all walks of life. Statistics show that 26% of children living in America will experience some sort of trauma in their life prior to the age of four. CCEI offers SOC108: Establishing Trauma Informed Practices in Early Learning Environments which focuses on ways to incorporate trauma informed practices into the environment and interactions with children. 

  • Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices can prevent instances of undesired behavior, increase focus and engagement and promote a feeling of ownership and empowerment for children. As an additional benefit, classroom communities tend to be more empathetic and kind. CCEI offers SOC106: The Value of Mindfulness in Early Childhood which explores calming and reflective approaches when working with young children.

  • Spirituality: CCEI’s CHD109: Supporting Spiritual Development in Early Learning Environments is based upon the work of Deborah Schein, author of the book titled Inspiring Wonder, Awe and Empathy – Spiritual Development in Young Children. The course explores what spiritual development is and why it is important to overall development. Participants will also learn how to create moments within their learning environments that promote spiritual development in young children.

  • Caring for Allergies: Child food allergies are on the rise in the United States and continue to be a public health concern. CCEI’s CCEI119: Food Allergies in the Early Care Setting online course provides an overview of food allergies and basic safety principles to employ in the early care setting. Upon completion of this course, teachers will be able to provide a safe environment for children and staff who suffer from food allergies, identify the eight major food allergens, list the theories associated with the rise in food allergies and identify the importance of food labeling and packaging.

  • Dual-Language Learning: In some areas, non-native English speakers may make up the majority of a classroom. It is important for all early childhood educators to be prepared to meet the challenges of guiding a child toward English fluency while maintaining fluency in (and respect for) their home languages and cultures. CCEI offers CHD102: Dual Language Learning in the Early Childhood Environment to provide early childhood professionals with strategies and tools for helping young children develop language and literacy skills in English.

  • Attention Disorders: CCEI offers courses like SPN102: Attention Deficit Disorders to help child care providers understand the symptoms, subtypes and common treatment strategies associated with attention disorders.

  • Diversity and Inclusion: CCEI’s CCEI640: Creating a Multicultural Environment online training course helps teachers define the goals of multiculturalism, plan and implement an anti-biased classroom, incorporate multiculturalism into learning centers and other classroom activities and promote cooperative social skills in diverse classrooms.

  • Bullying in the Classroom: Although bullying has been around for years, today’s teachers are more proactive about reducing bullying. CCEI’s GUI100: Bullying in the Preschool Environment online course helps teachers bring empathy and compassion to the classroom as a way of reducing bullying behaviors.


Bullying in Preschool Classroom ECE Teacher Tips


As you can see, CCEI’s course offerings are full of valuable information that keeps up with the latest trends in early childhood teacher study online. Whether you run a daycare from your home, homeschool preschool, or teach in a public early childhood classroom, CCEI has courses for you.



Early Childhood Teacher Study Online




CCEI has over 35+ certificate programs offered in both English and Spanish! They’ve graduated over 15,000 early childhood professionals from its CDA and other certificate programs -- with over 5 million online coursework completed. Its web-based coursework is available 24/7/365. You can see a full list of certificate programs on their website here, but below are just a few of them:

● NAC (NECPA National Administrator Credential® Certificate)




Early Childhood Teacher Study Online




Becoming a preschool teacher or caregiver is a rewarding experience, but it takes patience and perseverance. Not everyone is cut out for such an important career choice. When this is your calling in life, you want to be the best teacher possible for your students. Keeping up on educational trends is key to providing your preschool class a positive experience that will pave the way for their future educational endeavors. It's important to find a balance between fun activities and the solid building blocks of education. We always try to make learning fun.

If you're in need of continuing education for your early childhood program or for a new career in early childhood education, start here with our review of ChildCare Education Institute. CCEI offers many amazing continuing education courses for professional development in early childhood education. Their extensive course list is full of lessons that are relevant and current for today’s ever changing ECE programming. 

I encourage everyone involved with childcare and early childhood education, whether you work in a brick and mortar environment or a virtual environment, to sign up for a course or two. And for new CCEI users, you can take a trial course a NO COST!  To stay current, be sure to follow the recommendations on the top 10 things ECE Teachers are studying today. I love that they offer so many course options and each course is informative and easily applicable to your lesson plans and teaching technique. Check out CCEI today!


For more preschool and early childhood activities, follow us on Pinterest.


To read more about our experiences with CCEI's online professional development for early childhood teachers read these articles: Professional Development for Preschool Teachers and ECE Continuing ED Online.

Becoming a preschool teacher or caregiver is a rewarding experience, but it takes patience and perseverance. Not everyone is cut out for such an important career choice. When this is your calling in life, you want to be the best teacher possible for your students. Keeping up on educational trends is key to providing your preschool class a positive experience that will pave the way for their future educational endeavors. It's important to find a balance between fun activities and the solid building blocks of education. We always try to make learning fun.


fun preschool activities blog




Recommended:

Preschool Activities from Kids Creative Chaos



39 Easy Games for Circle Time for Kids Creative Chaos



Child Psychology: Alternatives to Traditional Discipline: Clare Cherry


Child Psychology and Development Alternatives

Are you frustrated with traditional discipline methods that aren't working for your child? There are many alternatives to traditional discipline. We're sharing some of our favorite Child Psychology advice from Clare Cherry.


Child Psychology: Alternatives to Traditional Discipline: Clare Cherry
Add caption"Please Don't Sit on the Kids" by Clare Cherry.



Clare Cherry is a well known educator located in San Bernardino, California.  The Clare Cherry School was established in 1954. Ms. Cherry came up with this wonderful list for alternatives to punitive discipline. For more info click on the link above to purchase her book from Amazon.com or ask your local library for a copy. All parents and child caregivers should become familiar with this Magic List of Alternatives to Traditional Discipline Methods. The list works well with autistic children too.


Child development: Alternative to traditional discipline.
Child Psychology: Alternatives to traditional discipline.



The Magic List
  1. Anticipate trouble.
  2. Give gentle reminders.
  3. Distract to a positive model.
  4. Inject humor.
  5. Offer choices.
  6. Give praise and compliments.
  7. Offer encouragement.
  8. Clarify messages.
  9. Overlook small annoyances.
  10. Deliberately ignore provocation.
  11. Reconsider the situation.
  12. Point out natural or logical consequences.
  13. Provide renewal time.
  14. Give hugs and caring.
  15. Arrange discussion among children.
  16. Provide discussion with an adult.
I find all of these items very helpful. When working with other people's children, overlooking small annoyances and deliberately ignoring provocation do wonders for me psyche.  As for my own kids, injecting humor, distracting to positive activity, and hugs are my go to fixes.

How do you deal with discipline? Switching to a sensory activity is also helpful. We've outgrown time outs and are too young for grounding, so we need this list!


Recommended Reading:

Child Development Sensory Play Aids in Learning

Activities for Children with Sensory Processing Disorders

Creative Art for the Developing Child: A Guide for Early Childhood Education

Parents Please Don't Sit on Your Kids (Fearon early childhood library)

How To Prepare Your Child For A Standardized Test

So, It's Time for a Standardized Test...

Standardized tests are a common strategy applied to gauge a student’s learning capability and the school’s or teacher’s performance. There is a common misconception about standardized tests among parents that these tests are designed to evaluate school performance and don’t necessarily judge students' abilities. 
However, standardized tests are an important part of a student's academic life. In some cases, standardized tests are essential for grade promotion, graduation, or even securing a driving license. As a parent, it is your duty to prepare your children for this test, so they can deliver their best.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

How To Prepare Your Child For A Standardized Test
How To Prepare Your Child For A Standardized Testing: Relaxing the day before is always a good idea!

What Is a Standardized Test?
A standardized test is a testing system that is based on a standard approach. In standardized tests, the question is the same for everyone, the duration of the test is the same for everyone, and even the evaluation process of answers remains the same for every student. 
Independent school entrance examination (ISSE), California achievement test (CAT), Secondary School Admission Test  (SSAT), Preliminary scholastic aptitude test (PSAT), and General Educational Development test (GED) are some commonly-known standardized tests.

Why Standardized Tests Are Used?
A standardized test is a tool applied to evaluate the effectiveness of institutional practice.  It provides a uniform platform to measure the performance of schools and students. A standardized test can gather information about the state education system, a school program, or the performance of a single student. It helps to determine a student's strengths or weaknesses and to certify their ability.

Different Methods of Standardized Test
Standardized tests are designed to evaluate the aptitude of a student. Unlike the regular tests that measure the subject-specific knowledge, the standardized test evaluates creativity, verbal ability, abstract reasoning, and mechanical ability. There are different methods of standardized methods. The most common methods adopted by schools are true or false questions, multiple-choice questions, and essay questions.

What Should Your Child Bring to a Standardized Test?
There are different rules for different tests. If students are allowed a calculator, you should check whether the model is approved by the authority. If your calculator is not approved then you should check out a smart site with good reviews for buying another model of calculator. Pen, Pencils, watch, water, and other essentials should be with your child while attending a standardized test.

How Do You Prepare Your Child For Standardized Tests?
Parents can play an important role in preparing a child for a standardized test. There are a number of ways that you can take an active role in your child’s preparation for a test. Let’s read on to know more about them.

Know About the Test
Usually, teachers notify parents before a standardized test. You should know the purpose of the test and whether the result will affect your child or the school. Also, make sure you know the exact schedule of the test and whether you need to prepare your child for the test.
Communicate With Your Child
Communicate with your child about the test. Try to find out if he/she is prepared for it. If there is any area or subject that they are less than confident about, try to solve the issues with them. If necessary, go through the previous mistakes and review them. Practicing more will boost their confidence.
Build a Positive Mindset
A positive mindset can make a huge difference in test performance. As a parent, you should try to build up your child’s confidence. Try to convey the message that you are 100% confident about them. No matter how the result is, you would be glad if they try their best.
Go Through the Test Instructions
Review the test instructions with your child. Make clear how much time will be provided and how many questions are to be answered. Try to convey the importance of that particular test to your kid; it will instill a ‘can do’ attitude within them. Tell them they should try to answer all the questions, even if they are unsure about the answer, as it will build their confidence and critical thinking skills.
Follow a Healthy Routine
A good night's sleep can have a huge impact on test performance. Try to get your child to bed early so that she can be relaxed on the test day. Most of the time, students' bad performance on a test can be tied back to the reason they lacked a good sleep the night before. Also, follow healthy eating habits that will ensure your child’s physical well being.
Build a Relaxing Atmosphere on Test Day
On the test day, stay cheerful and relaxed. Make some nutritious breakfast that will provide stamina throughout the test. Avoid foods that can cause any digestive issues to your child. Overall, follow a regular routine that your child follows for any regular test. Give some words of encouragement to them, so they feel confident.
Debrief After the Test
After the test, go through the parts that were tough for your child. Talk to your child about how they feel about the test. Try to get an insight into how they dealt with the problems they faced. It will help them process her own strategies and do better the next time.

How to Deal With Pre Test Anxiety
Some students develop anxiety over facing a test. Needless to say, extreme anxiety should be treated so that it can't have any negative effect on the test. If your children feel anxious about the test, then you have to put things in perspective for them. Tell them no matter how they perform, you will be proud of them just for braving the test.
On a final note, while standardized tests are not high stake tests, they can have an impact on your child’s studies. So prepare for the tests on a regular basis by checking your child's homework and their study progress. Be an active part of their academic life, so she feels encouraged. Your involvement in their studies can make a big difference to both their academic performance and personal growth.

Recommended:

Pin it!

What is a Standardized Test? How do you Prepare your Child?
What is a Standardized Test? How do you Prepare your Child?