A very important video. Please share with others.

Take a moment to watch this short video and share it with other people who need to understand the importance of high quality early childhood education.  Thank you all for supporting your children, the teachers and United Services during Week of the Young Child and every other day your child walks through the doors!  We love you and appreciate all you do, here and at home.

Blogging for parents

I found this blog on Facebook.  I subscribe to many different early childhood and educator lists, and this came up on my Facebook page tonight.  I LOVE THIS.  It got me to thinking, maybe some of you parents would like some suggestions for momcblogs or dad blogs or parent blogs.  These are blogs that are made by dads, moms, parents that are age appropriate, have ideas by other parents about how to have fun and educate your children at home, and can help connect and expand the community of early childhood educators (and yes parents/grandparents/friends and family, you are THE MOST IMPORTANT EDUCATORS EACH CHILD HAS!). 

So, I am going to start a new section with blogs by parents for parents.  Let me know what you think.  I hope you find it helpful, informative and fun.  The first one I want to highlight is KINDERPENDENT.  You can find it here at http://kinderpendent.blogspot.com/.  Go and check it out.

Education for the Real World | BrainWorld

If I could beg, plead, mandate, or force each of the parents of every child I have ever taught or ever will teach to read just one thing about how their child's brain actually learns this would be the article.

Theses are scary time for education. 100 teachers and administrators laid off. Huge budget shortfalls for states leading to unimaginable cuts in early childhood, elementary, secondary and special education. Larger classrooms. Smaller budgets for education. Fewer resources for special education. It is critical for parents to know how their child's brain learns, what the latest research shows is best practice for education and how to advocate for the best possible education in these financially tight times.

It is also more important than ever that parents take their role as their children's first and most important educators seriously and support their child's education at home. I think this magazine does a great job of putting education and brain research into plain, enjoyable and easy a to understand language for parents and educators to understand. It also has many practical ideas to use with your children both in the classroom and at home.

PLEASE read this small article and come and talk to me about it, email me a short little message about what you thought about the message or just drop me a note about what you learned or tried at home. Educating your child is a team effort, we do this together, in tandem. It is dance. We take turns leading and following with your child. The old African proverb "It takes a village to raise a child" is very true and very much alive in our classroom philosophy. Email me at cdleading@yahoo.com when you read this. I am looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Enjoy your long weekend. Do something fun with your child. Below is the direct link to the article. Just click on it and away you go!

Education for the Real World BrainWorld

Storm Fest - Free Event To Learn About St. Louis Weather - KTVI

Storm Fest - Free Event To Learn About St. Louis Weather - KTVI

As we continue with our unit on science many of our students are showing a great interest in weather. I found this great event I think several of our students would really enjoy. Click this link to learn more about Storm Fest, a free event to learn more about weather. We have been learning about tornado's, flooding, snow and ice so the students have been exposed and show a great interest in the subject of weather. This would be a great day out with the family, a wonderful way to enhance their natural interest in this topic, a fun free way to spend time together and a great hands on way to !