Over ten years ago, I discovered an approach to teaching and learning that would forever transform how I view children, teaching and learning.
As an advocate for the Arts and play-based learning and a lover of inspiring design, the Reggio-Emilia approach to early learning resonated with every fibre of my being.
But what does it mean to be Reggio-inspired, and where did the term come from? And more importantly, how can we - as North American educators and homeschoolers - take inspiration from such an approach, but also remain accountable for the learning outcomes we are expected to teach our children in the context of a public or homeschool education?
Reggio Emilia is a town in Northern Italy, and over 50 years ago at the conclusion of the second World War, a forward thinking phychologist named Loris Malaguzzi re-imagined education for children that would forever change the landscape of teaching and learning in the early years.
Reggio is not a model, or a system that can be rep...
How do we get our kids to solve problems and challenges on their own? We practice through play!
A Reggio-inspired practice honors children's 100 languages of knowing. Play and storytelling are cornerstones of a Reggio-inspired programme, and these child-centred activities are not only motivating, but incredibly powerful teaching tools when it comes to problem solving and navigating themes like sharing, turn-taking, kindness and friendship.
If you’re like me, and you’re starting to climb out of the “Holiday Aftermath” of stuff… you probably have a collection of holiday photo cards from family and friends.
And if you’re also like me, it sort of breaks your heart to throw these away {or recycle them!}
Today, I’m sharing the create way we up-cycle these holiday photo cards into fun learning experiences for your children.
Our children think in concrete ways and make sense of their world through play. One of the best ways we can support o...
As the holidays approach, moms find themselves in the throes of busy-ness: shopping for gifts, gift wrapping, holiday meal planning, baking, orchestrating gatherings, coordinating events…it’s exhausting even typing these to-do’s!
Nevermind the stamina required for teaching kids at home!
Exhaustion can be defined one of two ways:
Do either of these definitions resonate with you?
The phrase, You can’t pour from an empty cup is an adage we acknowledge, but often ignore. When you drain the liquid out of a cup, you empty it. There’s nothing left. How can we give to others when we have nothing left to give?
Holiday overwhelm is a real phenomenon, and when paired with an already demanding day of teaching our young ones, it can be a recipe for total burnout. The extra demands, expectations associated with preparing and celebrating the holidays can leave us feeli...
As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving in the US, and as the holiday season approaches, young families begin to create meaningful traditions with families. Some inherited from previous generations, and some newly forged traditions.
As you begin to imagine setting up your Thanksgiving table, imagine a centerpiece that is not only beautiful, but meaningfully child-made, inviting our children to reflect on what it means to be truly thankful.
In keeping with a Reggio-inspired approach and the hundred languages of children, this invitation to create is grounded in a process-art approach: no set, cookie-cutter outcome is expected of your child.
Rather, the invitation unfolds with dialogue about gratitude, some beautiful picture books about giving thanks, as well as a watercolor exploration and sculptural loose parts tree where their gratitude grows in the form of watercolor leaves.
Ju...
Gratitude is an abstract concept, particularly with young children. So how can we make the concept concrete so that our children practice an attitude of gratitude? These Reggio-inspired, hands-on invitations to create for kindergarteners and early learners are a beautiful way to teach and practice gratitude this Thanksgiving, and throughout the year.
Gratitude feels good! When we feel good, we do good! Having a positive outlook is good for our spirit, body and mind.
Gratitude helps create a positive chain reaction, minimizing our negative perspective: worry, overwhelm, anxiety. When we focus on the good, the good grows! What we magnify with our thoughts and feelings GROWS! Gratitude also builds resilience in us: when we look for the silver lining in dark clouds, when we can find the good - even amongst the negative circumstances (like a cancelled birthday party!), we are able to build a resilient foundation that will serve us when life throws a cu...
Early years teachers have hosted classroom morning meetings for dozens of years. Morning meetings are an opportunity to come together, share, hear stories and connect through fun rhymes, songs, poems and chants.
How might we adapt Morning Meeting in a homeschool environment? How do we keep it fun and engaging, and keep learning intentional?
When I homeschooled our youngest, I had two other children from the neighborhood who came every other day to learn with us. Each day, we met for 15-20 minutes to explore a few rhythms. This helped to take the guesswork out of planning our days, and provided a structure and rhythm for our day that became predictable. Children do best when they can depend on a predictable schedule - their brains feel safe and optimized for learning.
We begin each day by signing in. I offered a template for each child to print their name, and share how they were feeling.
This ritual serves a few purposes:
Getting ready to start homeschooling this fall? Why not start your year off with a BANG!?
Kids LOVE pomp and circumstance {who doesn't}, and in this blog post, I share 5 fun, memorable ways to kick off your school year - in celebratory fashion!
We LOVE a good pancake bar, and with this idea you can fold in all kinds of learning.
Begin by reading Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle. Ask your child to retell the story, and map out the ingredients needed to make pancakes. They can even “write” their recipe in their Idea Book. {check out this post for more information on how to use an Idea Book}
Next, invite them to brainstorm a list of fun, inventive toppings. Let them make a list in their Idea Books, or brainstorm one together.
Make the pancakes, add all the toppings to bowls and enjoy your fully-loaded pancakes! (a little 9am ice cream never hurt anyone right?)
When the rest of the world is in school, parks are wide open for play...
If you’re taking the leap into homeschooling your little one this year, you might be feeling a little overwhelmed with all the moving parts.
Supplies. Schedules. Curriculum. Socialization. Homeschool laws.
In particular, you’re probably wondering about how to plan your days and months for learning - how much, how little - and what a typical day will look like.
Breathe, mama. You got this.
Today’s post is about giving you a checklist and roadmap to make planning a breeze, to lighten your load, and to reassure you that homeschooling in the Early Years can be light, playful and fun {for ALL of you!}, vs. stressful, overwhelming and burdensome.
Once you’ve chosen your curriculum, you’re ready to start planning your days.
In considering curriculum, look for a balanced approach - one that blends structure and important academics WITH playful learning and creative exploration. Artful Teaching. Joyful Learning.® Is a true hybrid curriculum that has just the right amount of academics...
Driftwood has to be one of my favourite art materials. It’s free, beautifully organic, and involves getting out into nature to collect it.
Every spring, I take the girls on a driftwood hunt on the banks of Winnipeg’s Red River. On these nature walks, we usually end up discovering much more than driftwood, which always leads to other investigations and learning.
In my work with children and families in classrooms and child care centres, I have used driftwood on several occasions. Here are a few examples.
The child care centre I was working with was looking to have more colour in their space, but were limited with what they could hang or affix to the walls. Thinking outside the box, we decided to bring colour and visual interest in a unique way.
We also use our texture tree as a puppet-tree - storage for our puppets! I use puppets for storytelling, to engage children in my InspirEd at Home classes, and, when the girls were younger, as a prop for problem-solv...
Curious about what’s under the hood inside this best selling curriculum?
Today I’m sharing some of my community’s FAVORITE projects - unique projects you won’t find on Pinterest - projects that are the perfect mix of art, play and academics
A beautiful way to work as a family on peaceful and collaborative problem-solving, turn-taking, dialogue and story-telling which provides fodder for writing!
An artful way to weave in storytelling, reading and writing! Using a story-sequencing graphic organizer, children retell a story, and then take their "favorite part" to recreate it into a plasticine painting.
These show-stopper, LARGER THAN LIFE, one-of-a-kind pieces are keepsake self-portraits you’ll want to hang in your living room! They are SO dramatic and fun, and I show you exactly how - step-by-step inside one of the BONUSES for this program!
These are beautifully integrated into our “All About Me” ex...
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