Quotes About Early Childhood Education

"The best way to improve the American workforce in the 21st century is to invest in early childhood education, to ensure that even the most disadvantaged children have the opportunity to succeed along side their more advantaged peers"

~ James Heckman (Nobel Laureate in Economics)

"Early education is most certainly the next wave of educational reform...the U.S. is simply playing catch up with the rest of the industrialized world."

~Dr. Donna Shalala ( Former Secretary of Health and Human Services)

"Effective preschool raises achievement levels for all children, and it offers real hope for closing the school-readiness gap."

~ Jack O'Connell (CA State Superintendent of Education)

"Ensuring that children have positive experiences prior to entering school is likely to lead to better outcomes than remediation programs at a later age, and significant up-front costs can generate a strong return on investment."

~ Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University

"Children who participate in (high-quality Early Childhood Education) programs are more likely to have the necessary skills-such as abstract reasoning, problem solving and communication-to meet the demands of tomorrows workforce."

~Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America



Child Development Theorists That Help Us Teach

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Bowlby, Skinner, and Dr. Spock all have major contributions to child development theories we use today. We found a great cheat sheet video we can use when parent conferencing or simply providing a great scientific foundation for why we teach the way we do in our classrooms.

Dr. Spock has the #2 Best selling book globally!

We like to always be ready to have an answer next time anyone make the comment that all we do is play all day.

We know, if anyone really knew how hard teachers actually worked they wouldn't call it play at all.

For all you hard working teachers out there...

We understand.

Building Skills in Early Childhood Education

" It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." 

~Frederick Douglass

Fostering a positive environment in the child's home proves to be a great foundation for success.
Nobel laureate, James Heckman, discusses how skills build upon skills, which makes it easier to acquire skills for success in future years.  Improving the workforce of next century starts with us building these soft skills up in our children. Starting at the earliest ages birth to age five has been the main course of study.

Soft Skills Show Hard Effects

 Soft skills and Executive Functioning are some terms that have been thrown around a bit in early childhood research. Really it is about getting kids to socialize and develop in ways where they can be their absolute best. I have always tried to stay on board with what is going on with the latest research and development regarding our children. There is more of an emphasis on this now because of the times we are living in.
Being a well rounded in my own education to me means I how what is going on outside the bubble of my own classroom. As are curriculum it means staying cutting edge and working on getting out kids and families in grounded in the skills they will need for success in life.

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A Fragile Piece of Blu

“No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement.”
~Florida Scott-Maxwell

I had met some of the parents during pick up time after school. I make sure to give them charming anecdotes about their kids…then…I noticed something strange about ‘Stacy’s’ dad, Corbin. He would reach into his wallet at times…sniff something…and go about his merry way. E-GADS! Drugs? Goodness-gravy…how could I be sure? I mean the man was always neat as a pin and never showed any sign of anything. I went to my director and asked her how to go about the situation.
My director was on good terms with the family…the dad actually went to the school when he was a boy. The next day I was summoned in the director’s office with the dad, my director, and Nana…Corbin’s mother. Everyone was smiling and laughing.
I sat down beside Corbin.
“Oh! So glad you’re here Ms. Barbra, Corbin has something to show you-hee-hee” Giggled my director.
“Yes, what’s left of it…” Nana laughed, slapping her knee.
Out of his wallet, Corbin pulled out a small square of robin’s egg blue fabric. It was badly tattered around the edges…it looked like a portion of a child’s blanket.
I looked…squinted at it, and looked at everyone….(was this a joke?)
Nana socked Corbin in the arm. “Well, tell her its name…you’re a grown man, and this is a fine mess you’ve gotten us in-You’re lucky she didn’t call the cops on ya!”
Corbin blushed, “Uh…yeah…Ms Barbra, this is, ‘BLU’.”
“Excuse me?”
“Blu…what’s left of my old blanket I had as a kid…”
Nana interrupted, “He never could let go of the darn thing-had it since he was three! Didn’t even want me to wash it way back then …AND this is where it has led us. He likes to give it a sniff every now and then…”
“Ma!” Corbin said putting his hand to his forehead.
I bit my lip……..HARD.
“Nana taught here at this school, you know.” My director whispered to me as their conversation continued.
“…Oh anyway, love you, Corbie… I’m glad you don’t take the drugs.”
“I love you, too, Ma…and it’s, ‘DO’ drugs, Ma.”
“…Huh? Well how would a nice boy like you know that?!”