This year has been a busy year in the world of ECE. The ongoing pandemic has brought economic and organizational challenges for early childhood educators, as well as new support needs for young children and their families. In 2020 and 2021, Good2Know Network article topics reflected these changes and challenges. This week we are posting links to the most popular Good2Know articles from the past two years, in case you didn’t get to see them the first time around.
Educators and caregivers work hard to create high-quality and engaging environments for the children in their care. We hope that our articles have been supportive throughout the past year, and will continue to inspire you in 2022.
10 Tips to Make Virtual Learning Engaging for Preschoolers and Young Children. | 10 Consejos para motivar el aprendizaje virtual en preescolares y niños pequeños.
Because young children learn best in the context of supportive relationships with caring adults, online learning presents real barriers to early learning. This article includes 10 quick tips for setting up an online environment that is engaging and developmentally appropriate to help children continue to learn and maintain connections with teachers and their peers. The article is available in English and in Spanish.
A warm, welcoming environment helps to build relationships between families and caregivers that offer meaningful benefits for teachers, parents, and children. When parents feel recognized and valued, a positive bond forms, which makes children feel safe and cared for. This article includes a list of helpful tips for setting up a classroom environment that is welcoming for families when they enter.
This article explores challenging behavior in early childhood and shares how reflective practice and relationship-building can support educators as they navigate these sensitive interactions.
Early literacy is regularly discussed in conversations about early learning, while early math skills are often not given as much consideration. Similar to writing and learning letters, basic concepts in math are important for children to understand when they enter elementary school. This article explores foundational math skills and is available in English and in Spanish.
Process art and open-ended experiences allow children to engage in creative expression that emphasizes exploration rather than the final product. This article explores the many developmental benefits of creative experiences in ECE environments. It is available in English and in Spanish.
This article explores what emergent curriculum is, the benefits of it in early childhood classrooms, and how Toddle, a local, Menlo-Park-based preschool is using this model to build engaging and learning-rich experiences for young children.
This article was shared in October of 2020, as the country was nearing a pivotal election. Although the election has since passed, this article is still relevant for introducing conversations to young children about what it means to vote and some of the basics of the government.
Looking for a fun, new activity to try with the children in your program? How about a pizza party? This article includes three of our favorite simple recipes to make with young children. Each recipe is quick, budget-friendly, and requires only a few ingredients to make. This article is available in English and in Spanish.
A necessary skill that children will need to be successful in kindergarten is writing. While writing might seem like a skill for older preschoolers, learning to write begins early and is built upon foundational pre-writing skills, such as learning to hold and control a pencil. This article looks at writing and pre-writing skills and explores a few simple activities to support children in their practice.
We hope that you found these articles to be informative and supportive. If you have suggestions for upcoming article topics, we would love to hear them. Please feel free to reach out to us. We are always eager to hear from you!