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Finding Joy in the Cold

Happy,Funny,Marshmallow,Snowman,Are,Having,Fun,In,Snow

Leah Zabari

During the spring and summer months, I enjoy hiking, camping, and paddling on the lake. Last summer, I decided I was going to start visiting as many of the state parks in Pennsylvania as I could, explore hidden gems of our state, and start enjoying the outdoors even more than before. Each weekend I dedicated myself to finding new places to hike and if I wasn’t hiking, I was sitting under a tree with a book (yes, an actual book) or at the lake daydreaming while watching sail boats go by. I always feel better in my soul when I am outside breathing in the fresh air, feeling the warm sun on my face, and wandering through the woods. However, when the weather turns cold, my feelings of doing anything outdoors changes. I find myself feeling envious of hibernating bears during this time of year! This year, though, I made it a goal to brave the cold weather and continue my outdoor adventures.

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ECERS-3ECERS-RPre-K CLASS

Creating Your Own Sorting and Counting Games

Plastic,Bottle,Caps.,Put,Correct,Amount,Pom,Poms,In,Cups.

Kitty Syster

Sorting and counting are great activities for preschool-age children, but children can lose interest in the activities when the items they are sorting and counting are always the same. Although there are plenty of commercially produced items available to purchase, they can seem repetitive in style and be costly. So, why not make your own? I have seen this accomplished with great success in multiple early learning programs over the years. You can create different sorting/counting activities with just a little bit of creativity and prep work.

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ECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASS

Let’s Take a Walk!

Group,Of,Diverse,Kids,Playing,At,The,Field,Together

By Aimee Currier 

Are you looking for something different to do with the children in your care? Maybe you need a new way to reinforce or teach math concepts, language arts or nature/science. You might be hoping to find a fun way to get children involved in creating art. Believe it or not, a walk outside can help you to accomplish all these things. 

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ECERS-3ECERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSSACERS-U

Encouraging Learning by Asking Questions (a/k/a My Trivia League)

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By Amy Hoffman

I love trivia. I love learning random facts and attending trivia events, and I even developed a love of hosting a virtual trivia league last year; I’ll share more about that league later. Maybe my love of trivia is part of what made me enjoy teaching 3-year-olds. Not only did my students love to ask questions (and believe me, they REALLY loved asking), but they also loved hearing answers and finding out answers on their own.

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ECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSSACERS-U

Cinco de Mayo

Young,Girl,With,Maracas,Wearing,A,Sombrero,On,Cinco,De

By Kelli Harris

Cinco de Mayo is a time when Americans celebrate Mexican culture, mostly through food and drink, either at home or at their favorite local Mexican cantina.

But the real history goes something like this:

Cinco de Mayo, which translates to the 5th of May, is always celebrated on that day and is a celebration of Mexican heritage. It commemorates the date of the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is also known as Battle of Puebla Day. Following the Mexican Civil War, an economically struggling Mexico did not have sufficient funds to make payments on Mexican debts to foreign governments. The country was then invaded by the United Kingdom, Spain, and France, who sought repayment of the outstanding debts. The United Kingdom and Spain signed treaties with Mexico and returned home. The French, however, did not withdraw. They engaged Mexican troops in a battle near the city of Puebla. The French were defeated and withdrew from the area. The victory was a large morale boost for Mexico which had fewer soldiers and military resources than France.

The U.S. celebration of the holiday began in California in 1863 as an expression of solidarity with Mexico against the French. By the 1930s, the holiday spread and was considered an opportunity to celebrate Mexican identity, promote cultural awareness, and build community.

Some fun facts about Cinco de Mayo:

  • Although tacos are consumed the most on this holiday, mole poblano is the official dish of Cinco de Mayo.
  • According to the California Avocado commission, around 87 million pounds of avocadoes are eaten on Cinco de Mayo in the United States.
  • The holiday is celebrated in other countries besides Mexico and the United States. For example, Vancouver, Canada, hosts a “skydiving boogie” with aerial acrobatics. The Cayman Islands puts on an air guitar competition!
  • To celebrate in Mexico, people dress up either as French and Mexican soldiers or in colorful outfits to participate in large parades.

Some ways you can celebrate in your classroom:

  • Have children create sombreros or flower bands to wear.
  • Make some Mexican food specialties for snack time in which children can help – guacamole, salsa, homemade tortilla chips, etc. This is also a great opportunity to incorporate some math skills and talk into the activity (measuring, looking at print to follow a recipe, etc.).
  • Add a taco bar for lunch.
  • Read a story about the Mexican flag and decorate your room in red, green, and white.
  • Teach children Spanish words (encouraging children to use language and adding new vocabulary).
  • Make maracas out of recycled materials and sing and dance to Mexican music.
  • Help the children create a classroom pinata (starting several days before the holiday), fill with treats, and let them use a plastic bat to crack it open.

https://nationaltoday.com/cinco-de-mayo/

https://www.parents.com/fun/parties/special-occasions/fun-facts-about-cinco-de-mayo/

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Infant CLASSK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSToddler CLASS

All About CLASS®: An Interview with a Program that Uses It

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Erin DelRegno

A bit about the person interviewed:

Greetings and salutations! (I am a Charlotte’s Web fan!). My name is Paula Schroeder. My mother told me that my unofficial teaching career began at age 5 when I taught my 3-year-old sister how to read. I have been a PA and NJ certified educator since 1982, teaching a variety of subjects from K-8 in Camden, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. Living abroad for 7 years, I taught both kids and adults in Mexico, Honduras, and Venezuela. After returning to the states, I continued my teaching career and am currently a certified principal and director of a 421-child preschool in Philadelphia for the last 11 years. We have risen to a STAR 4 status using ECERS, but in the last year felt challenged to switch to utilizing CLASS to measure and improve our instruction.

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ECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-RInfant CLASSITERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSSACERS-UToddler CLASS

World Storytelling Day – March 20th

Storytelling,Symbol.,Wooden,Small,Wooden,Circles,With,Word,’storytelling’,On

 Aimee Currier

You very likely read books to the children in your care daily. We use books for many purposes: education, entertainment, even some physical activity at times. My Kindergartners would get so excited when the Bookmobile would come, and they would have the opportunity to have books read to them by someone who wasn’t me! They were giddy with joy over getting to choose their own books to keep in our classroom for a month. Books were a central part of everything we did in class.

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ECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSSACERS-U

Container Gardening with Children-Even in the Winter!

Mixed,Asian,Girl,Planting,Seeds,Into,Eggshells,,Eco,Gardening,,Homeschool

Kelli Harris

As an avid gardener, I start thinking about next year’s spring planting while I’m harvesting my sweet potatoes and the last of my other fall vegetables in late October. Over the winter months, I peruse seed catalogs and develop a plan for what I want to plant the following spring. I am fortunate to have a large space to plant a variety of vegetables and flowers.

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