Early Learning - Our Daily Mess

Category: Early Learning

Our Daily Mess > Early Learning

7 Easy Games to Boost Your Preschooler’s Critical Thinking Skills

Posted on March 27, 2019February 25, 2020 by Katie

Your little one is officially a preschooler. She’s making her way out of the impulsive toddler-zone and heading into big-girl-ness right before your very eyes. Every day is a new adventure with so much to learn, see, and do!

The first 3 years of your child’s life are all about gaining the language skills needed to question the world around them. And now that they have all the language they need to ask a MILLION questions a day, your child is ready to spend the next 3 years building his critical thinking skills.

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The Perfect Daily and Weekly 2-4 Year Old Schedule

Posted on October 3, 2018February 25, 2020 by Katie

I’m a newbie stay at home mom, so crafting my 3-year-old’s daily schedule has been an exciting part of the adventure! Having been a preschool teacher for many years, I wanted to make sure that our days at home are balanced with enough play, rest, and active times. Here are some things to consider if you are working on crafting your daily toddler schedule:

Children love predictability and knowing what is going to come next, so it’s important to have a general rhythm to your days. With this said, don’t feel like you can’t change things up for special events and activities. Our schedule is always fluid and changes when necessary!

This is the general “flow” of our daily routine that works really well for us:

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10 First Day of Preschool Books to Help Ease Your Child’s Anxiety

Posted on August 8, 2018February 25, 2020 by Katie

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer here.

Your child’s first day of preschool is almost here! This is an exciting (and scary) time for both you and your little one because for many children, this is their first real experience being away from home.

As a mom, you worry about all the little things that go along with being away from your child… Will they be able to handle the separation from you? Will they play well with others? Will they like their teacher? Will they be able to do things on their own? If not, will they be able to ask for help? There’s so much that goes into becoming a preschooler!

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The #1 Skill Your Child Needs for Success in Kindergarten

Posted on August 1, 2018February 25, 2020 by Katie

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer here.

With back-to-school madness just around the corner, so many parents are looking for ways to ensure that their child is ready for Kindergarten. We purchase workbooks, pull out flashcards, and pour over resources making sure that our child will be successful at this next big step.

But time and time again, research shows that a 5 or 6 year olds success in kindergarten has very little to do with their letter and number concepts, and everything to do with their self-regulation skills.

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5 Things to Look for When Choosing A Preschool

Posted on July 24, 2018February 25, 2020 by Katie

Choosing a preschool can be an extremely daunting task for parents. For many children, preschool is the very first time they are spending time away from mom or dad. While this is an important milestone for little ones, it can also be so, so scary!

As a preschool teacher (and mom) myself, I can speak first-hand to the anxiety that parents feel when they bring their child to school for the first time. Most of the time it’s mom shedding more tears than the child!

My husband and I have been very fortunate to find an in-home preschool for our 2.5 year old where he is thriving with an incredible teacher that we’ve known for years. But for parents in the midst of choosing a preschool for your child, here are 5 important factors to consider:

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10 Kid-Friendly Ideas for Your Tiny Backyard

Posted on June 18, 2018February 25, 2020 by Katie

As the weather warms up, all I want to do is send my toddler outside to play! One of the challenges of having a 300 square foot patio as a backyard has been finding activities that will keep my son entertained (and that will fit!) in our small area.

Since we don’t have space for conventional backyard ideas like playhouses and swing sets, we have had to get creative in finding activities that my son will love this summer. Here are 10 things that my son does every day in our tiny backyard space:

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Top 5 Wooden Learning Toys for Toddlers

Posted on May 4, 2018February 25, 2020 by Katie

As a preschool teacher and mom of a busy toddler, I have spent more hours than I’d like to admit trying to figure out the most useful, sturdy, bang-for-your-buck learning toys. With so many toys on the market, I look for ones that will grow with my child and help him build up his attention span and problem-solving skills. Basic concepts like colors, shapes, letters and numbers are all things that can be learned through play when your child is provided with the right learning materials.

In terms of quality and durability, I have found that wooden toys stand up to the test of time far better than plastic toys. Wooden toys simply last longer and (contrary to popular belief) they don’t have to be more expensive! Here are my top 5 favorite learning toys for toddlers under $25:

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3 Easy Ways to Teach Your Child to Play by Themselves

Posted on April 23, 2018February 21, 2020 by Katie

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclaimer here.

Which of the following describes your child:

A. My child constantly needs my attention, he is unable to entertain himself.
B. My child moves quickly from one activity or toy to the next, not able to focus or maintain her attention for more than a couple minutes at a time.
C. My child doesn’t know how to play with his toys – the toys end up all over the place and he isn’t engaging in sustained imaginative play.
D. All of the above!

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Why Children Need to Take Risks in Play

Posted on April 9, 2018February 21, 2020 by Katie

Are you the laid-back parent at the park that watches your child from afar, or are you the parent that hovers close-by to make sure your child doesn’t take a spill off the play structure?

I’ll admit, I’m the latter.

When it comes to giving my child opportunities to take risks and seek adventure, I err on the side of caution. It takes a major effort for me to stand back and let my son push the boundary on his physical limits.

But early childhood research suggests that taking and managing these risks in play is an incredibly important part of a child’s development, so I’m working on keeping my anxiety in check and letting my son discover his strengths and abilities.

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How to Raise a Child who Loves Reading

Posted on April 5, 2018February 21, 2020 by Katie

Every parent wants their child to love reading. Reading is the foundation of all other learning, and children begin building the skills needed for reading long before they actually start school. A lifelong love for reading starts in early childhood with children’s first experiences with books.

To see the joy on your child’s face when they are hooked on their favorite book…there is nothing that compares. So how do we inspire our youngest, budding readers? Here are 9 easy ways to raise kids who love to read:

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