March 2024 - Nurture with Yally

March 24, 2024March 29, 2024

The Timeless Beauty of Rose Water

For thousands of years, rose water has been revered for its exquisite floral aroma and remarkable skincare properties. This ancient elixir has stood the test of time, tracing its roots to the royal palaces of Persia, the fabled gardens of Morocco, and the lavish harems of the Ottoman Empire.

In the ancient world, rose water was a prized possession of queens and nobility. The legendary Cleopatra was said to bathe in rose-infused waters to preserve her stunning beauty.

The allure of rose water lies in its natural, gentle power. Extracted through steam distillation of fresh rose petals, it captures the vibrant essence of the rose – rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and therapeutic compounds. A true multi-tasker rose water offers an array of benefits for the skin:

Hydration : Rich in nutrients, it provides deep hydration without leaving an oily residue, plumping and reviving dry, tired skin.

Soothing : The anti-inflammatory properties help calm irritation, redness, and puffiness, making it ideal for sensitive complexions.

Radiance : Its mild astringent nature helps tone and tighten pores, restoring a fresh, radiant glow.

Anti-Aging : Antioxidants combat free radical damage to prevent premature aging and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Healing : The natural antibacterial and antiseptic qualities of rose water promote faster healing of blemishes and acne.

Perhaps rose water’s most sublime benefit is its heavenly fragrance that captivates the senses. The soft, floral aroma induces feelings of calmness and serenity – a simple pleasure that has been cherished across cultures for ages.

Rose Water

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Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Ingredients

- 1 cup fresh rose petals about 20-25 petals, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 cups distilled water

Instructions

Remove the white portion at the base of the rose petals as this can make the rose water bitter.
2.Place the rose petals in a saucepan and pour in the distilled water.
3.Bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and allow the petals to steep for 30 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat and allow it to cool completely.
5. Once cooled, strain out the rose petals using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Gently press on the petals to extract all the rose-infused liquid.
6. Transfer the rose water into a sterilized bottle or jar and seal tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

To Use:

After cleansing your face, pour some rose water onto a cotton pad and gently wipe over your face and neck. Allow to air dry.

You can also add rose water to your moisturizer or face masks.

Rose water has anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe irritated skin.

Soothing Rose Water Baths

Rose water makes an excellent addition to baths because it imparts a light, relaxing floral scent. The vitamin C provides antioxidants it soothes and hydrates skin. It can help relieve stress/anxiety

So many ways and benefits to using rose water, let me know how you like using yours?

March 20, 2024March 20, 2024

The Importance of Understanding Developmental Milestones of Your Children

Why is it so important to understand our children’s developmental milestones? We all reach a lot of significant milestones throughout our whole lives, but the beginning first few years of our lives are the basis for all.

Those first few years are magical. In the blink of an eye, a newborn transforms into a young child – bouncing, questioning, exploring the world around them. With every passing month, incredible developmental leaps happen before our eyes.

Yet, this rapid fire of growth and change isn’t just delightful to witness. Having an awareness of the pivotal stages of child development is profoundly important for ensuring we provide the supportive experiences all children need to thrive.

Understanding Normal Developmental Milestones

Knowing what is typical at different ages and stages allows parents, teachers, and caregivers to have appropriate expectations for children’s abilities and behavior.

These milestones encompass various areas such as physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. For instance, infants typically reach milestones like lifting their head, rolling over, and babbling, while toddlers may start walking and saying words.

However, it’s essential to remember that each child develops at their own pace, and minor variations are normal. Regular monitoring and open communication with healthcare/education professionals can provide reassurance and guidance throughout a child’s developmental journey.

Early Identification of Delays or Disabilities

A parent being aware of developmental norms makes it easier to recognize if a child is struggling or falling behind in areas like language, cognitive, motor, or social skills.

Awareness will help us seek early intervention if needed.

Supporting Children's Needs

Knowledge of the different stages of child development enables adults to tailor their interactions, activities, discipline strategies, and teaching methods to be responsive to the child’s current capacities and needs.

A 2-year-old is going through a normal stage of desiring independence and autonomy. Knowing this, parents avoid battles over menial things like clothing choices and instead provide limited options to allow the child to feel in control (“Would you like to wear the red shirt or the blue one?”).

Fostering Growth

Understanding developmental concepts guides how to create enriching environments and provide stimulating experiences that nurture children’s overall growth in domains like language, cognitive abilities, emotional regulation, etc.

For a 4-year-old child, caregivers know this is a prime age for developing language skills. To nurture this, they create a print-rich environment with labels on objects, have plenty of age-appropriate books, and engage the child in frequent conversations – asking open-ended questions, introducing new vocabulary words, and expanding on what the child says.

Building Strong Relationships

Knowing what children can comprehend and communicate at different ages promotes better attunement and bonding between children and their caregivers. For a 9-month-old baby, caregivers understand this is a stage where the baby is becoming more socially engaged and attentive to faces/voices, but has extremely limited verbal abilities.

For a 9-month-old baby, caregivers understand this is a stage where the baby is becoming more socially engaged and attentive to faces/voices, but has extremely limited verbal abilities.

Instead of trying to engage the baby in lengthy monologues, the caregiver gets down on the baby’s level, makes warm eye contact, and uses exaggerated facial expressions, gestures, and simple baby talk phrases like “Hi baby!” and “You’re so smiley!”

Promoting School Readiness

Awareness of developmental progressions in areas like pre-literacy, pre-math, attention, etc. allows for better preparation for the transition to formal schooling.

Preschool teachers are aware of the key pre-literacy and pre-math skills that are precursors to academic learning.

Teachers also work on skills like listening, following multi-step directions, taking turns, and persisting at tasks – all critical for school readiness.

In essence, being knowledgeable about child development empowers parents, educators and society to optimally support and nurture children through their vital early years of growth and learning.

This developmentally-appropriate tailoring based on age allows the child to understand expectations, engage meaningfully, and feel supported rather than frustrated in all ascpect of their young life.

What milestones is your little one on?

March 19, 2024March 19, 2024

What Big Feelings Are Telling You: A Tip To Regulate Them

Emotions and our physical body are intrinsically connected. Have you ever had something very positive, exciting, and exhilarating thing happen to you? You have those feelings for days, you feel light, weightless almost like you are floating, and everything is bright.

On the other hand, have you ever gotten bad news or gone through a bad experience? All sorts of negative emotions flood inside you. You feel heavy, your visions are dull and there is a tightness in your chest or gut that just won’t go away. Well, life is filled with ebbs and flows, the highs and lows.

Just like grown-ups, children experience a wide range of emotions – both positive and negative. Emotions are a normal and healthy part of life for people of all ages.

The positive emotions like joy, excitement, and happiness usually feel really good. When children are positively emotionally engaged, you’ll see their faces light up, their energy increase, and genuine smiles or laughter. These uplifting emotions help motivate them and make meaningful connections.

However, children also face negative emotions like sadness, anger, fear, and frustration at times, just as adults do. These harder feelings can manifest through crying, shouting, withdrawing, or acting out behaviors. The intensity of children’s negative emotions may seem bigger simply because their emotional regulation skills are still developing.

The degree to which a child experiences emotions can vary greatly depending on their age, temperament, and the situation itself.

Negative Emotions are Your Friends Too

Negative emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, or fear are often seen as something to be avoided or gotten rid of quickly. However, these emotions actually serve an important purpose – they are signals that something isn’t right or that a need is not being met.

Rather than shunning or suppressing negative emotions in children, we should validate them and use them as cues to explore what boundary may have been crossed or what underlying need requires addressing.

For Example – child is exhibiting anger , it may indicate a boundary around their personal space, possessions or choices has been violated in some way.

Sadness may signal a need for more nurturing, comfort or connection that isn’t being fulfilled. Frustration often means the child is struggling with a challenge that exceeds their current skills and capabilities.

Fear can be an indicator that the child feels overwhelmed, overstimulated or unsafe in their environment. Rather than minimizing it, we need to make them feel protected.

Instead of shutting negative emotions down, we should lean in with empathy and curiosity to understand the message behind the feeling. It’s providing valuable feedback about what that child requires to feel balanced and secure.

Some Facts About the Brain and Anxiety

We can not and I repeat we can not effectively deal with anxiety or any other negative emotion by shoving positivity down our throat, the key to dealing with those emotions is to PRESENT not POSITIVE. Positivity has its place and time. But when your brain is really, really anxious that means it’s at a heightened emotional state and in that moment your brain doesn’t care about positivity or postive affirmations it cares about keeping you alive.

Recognize – Notice and name the emotion you’re feeling without judgment. Become aware of how it’s affecting your thoughts, body sensations, and behaviors in that moment.

Regulate -Use coping strategies to consciously manage and soothe the intense emotional and physiological responses. This could include deep breathing, movement, mindfulness, or other self-soothing techniques.

Reframe– Once you’ve created some space from the intensity, reevaluate the situation through a more balanced lens. Reframe your perspective in a more constructive way that reduces emotional reactivity.

Recognize allows you to identify what you’re feeling.

Regulate helps you defuse the intensity and regain control.

Reframe enables you to look at the situation with a cooler mindset.

This 3 R’s process helps bring the rational brain back online when the survival brain has taken over due to distressing emotions.

Books to read for more insights into the 3 R's and emotional regulation

"The Whole-Brain Child" by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson

This insightful book delves into 12 revolutionary strategies for nurturing your child’s developing mind, navigating everyday parenting challenges, and fostering a thriving family. Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, it provides practical advice to help you understand and support your child’s emotional and intellectual growth.

"Permission to Feel" by Marc Brackett

Focuses on the RULER technique (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, Regulating emotions) which aligns with the 3 Rs framework. Marc Brackett, a professor at Yale University’s Child Study Center, shares a remarkably effective plan for improving the lives of children and adults.

"The Mind and Emotions" by Matt McKay, Patrick Fanning, and Carole Honeychurch

This book covers cognitive-behavioral strategies for recognizing thoughts/emotions, regulating, and reframing. Rather than addressing individual emotions like anxiety, anger, shame, or depression separately, it tackles the root of emotional suffering as a whole.

"The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook" by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley

DBT skills like mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation map onto the 3 Rs process. Distress tolerance skills help you manage crises without exacerbating the situation. They allow you to maintain clarity even when faced with intense emotional distress.

Here is a little mindful body scanning activity you can do with your children

Click and watch the video

My Voice will guide you for the first session, you can help guide your children or discuss the processes so they can do it on their own depending on how old your child/children are.

Emotions are not good or bad they are signals

Overall, the key takeaway is learning to make room for and listen to our emotions, both pleasant and unpleasant, with curiosity rather than judgment. Our feelings contain valuable data about our internal experiences and needs.

With self-awareness and regulation skills, we can mindfully respond to emotions instead of unconsciously reacting. It’s an ongoing practice of mind-body connection.

March 7, 2024March 7, 2024

Delicious Napa Cabbage Kimchi At Home

My daughter’s favorite food at the moment is Korean kimchi and Japanese Sushi, it has been for a while. We like eating Kimchi as a side to anything Korean, Japanese, or Chinese we make at home. Come on let’s make this probiotic superfood! Save it in a jar for when you need it. It lasts a long time.

Kimchi is a very versatile and flavorful Korean fermented vegetable dish, so it can be eaten with many different foods.

It is a staple banchan (side dish) served alongside a bowl of steamed white rice. The tangy, spicy kimchi complements the plain rice perfectly.

Kimchi goes well with grilled or pan-fried meats like bulgogi (marinated beef), jeyuk bokkeum (spicy stir-fried pork), or grilled fish. A small amount of chopped kimchi is often added to enhance the flavor of stews like kimchi jjigae (kimchi stew) or soups.

Chopped kimchi is a common filling for mandu (dumplings) or dduk bun (rice flour buns). There are so many more cuisines that Kimchi is a part of.

Napa Cabbage Kimchi

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Total Time 2

Cuisine Korean

Ingredients

1 large napa cabbage (about 2 lbs), quartered lengthwise with cores removed
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup water
8-10 large garlic cloves, minced
1 piece fresh ginger (2-inch), peeled and grated
1/2 cup Korean chili powder (gochugaru)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
10-12 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup julienned carrot
1 small daikon radish, julienned (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, salt the cabbage quarters by sprinkling salt between the leaves. Add water, then weigh down the cabbage with a plate to keep it submerged. Let stand for 1-2 hours.
2. Rinse the cabbage under cold running water to remove salt and drain well. With your hands, gently squeeze out any excess liquid from the cabbage. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, make the kimchi paste by mixing the garlic, ginger, chili powder, fish sauce, and sugar.
4. Using your hands, gently squeeze out any remaining liquid from the cabbage. Transfer cabbage and any liquid to a large glass or ceramic bowl.
5. Add the kimchi paste, green onions, carrot, and radish (if using). Using your hands, massage the vegetables with paste until evenly coated.
6. Pack the kimchi tightly into a glass jar or fermentation crock. Press down to remove air pockets.
7. Cover with fermentation weight or airtight lid. Let ferment at room temperature for 1-2 days before transferring to cold storage.

Notes

The actual hands-on prep takes around 1 hour. But you'll need to factor in the 1-2 hours for letting the salted cabbage release liquid as well.

So in total, you need to allocate 2-3 hours from start to finish to prepare this authentic kimchi before it can begin fermenting. Eat fresh or allow to ferment further, refrigerating for up to 1 year. Let it ferment further for increased sourness.
Enjoy!

March 5, 2024March 5, 2024

The Benefits of Social-Emotional Books for Early Learning Development

As children develop, they learn to identify and gradually regulate their feelings. With the help of language, they can talk about their emotions instead of just acting on them.

With adult support and their own growing awareness, children also develop an understanding of other people’s feelings and emotions and how they defer from theirs.

The social-emotional aspect of child development plays a crucial role in a child’s overall growth and well-being. It encompasses the ability to understand and manage emotions, develop healthy relationships, and navigate social situations effectively.

Social-emotional books can be a powerful tool in supporting the early years foundation of a child's social-emotional development.

These books often feature relatable characters and scenarios that children can connect with, helping them to understand and process their own emotions and experiences.

By exposing children to stories that explore themes such as friendship, empathy, self-awareness, and conflict resolution, social-emotional books can provide valuable lessons and strategies for navigating the complexities of social interactions and emotional regulation. You can also incorporate literacy activities based on a specific book and expand the learning experience.

For example – using the book “When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry ” by Molly Bang:

Activity : Exploring Emotions and Coping Strategies.

Objectives : Identify and name different emotions

Understand the importance of expressing emotions in a healthy way

Explore coping strategies for managing strong emotions

Materials :

Book: “When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry” by Molly Bang

Emotion cards or pictures representing different feelings (e.g., happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised)

Paper and art supplies (crayons, markers, etc.)

Introduction:

Start by reading the book “When Sophie Gets Angry – Really, Really Angry” to the class.

Discuss the different emotions Sophie experienced throughout the story and how her anger escalated.

Activity:

Emotion Identification: Show the emotion cards or pictures to the children.

Ask them to name each emotion and share a time when they felt that way.

Sophie’s Emotions: Revisit the story and have the children identify the emotions Sophie experienced at different points in the narrative.

Coping Strategies: Discuss the coping strategies Sophie used to manage her anger, such as going for a walk, kicking a tree, and eventually calming down.

Art Expression: Provide each child with paper and art supplies. Ask them to draw or create a representation of a time when they felt really angry or upset, and illustrate how they coped with that emotion.

Closure:

Have children share their artwork and discuss the coping strategies they depicted.

Emphasize the importance of expressing emotions healthily and safely, just like Sophie did.

Encourage children to use the strategies they learned from the book and the activity when they experience strong emotions in the future.

Extension Activities: In active learning, every subject matter can be connected and incorporated into the other learning areas.

So extensions can look like creating an art project that will last more than a week so, you can continue to discuss and reinforce the importance of Identifying emotions and coping with emotions healthily.

We once made a Big Sophie tree out of wood in art. It was placed on the wall of the library. Children used it as their claiming corner.

Create a classroom “Calm Corner” with books, stuffed animals, and other calming tools for children to use when they need to manage big emotions.

Introduce mindfulness and deep breathing exercises as additional coping strategies.

Invite children to share their own experiences and strategies for dealing with emotions like anger or frustration.

This activity promotes emotional literacy , self-awareness , and healthy coping mechanisms by using the relatable story and characters from a book.

Here is a list of Social-emotional books I personally like to read and/or incorporate into activities.

Grumpy Bird is a delightful children’s book written and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard . In this charming tale, Bird wakes up feeling grumpy—too grumpy to eat, play, or even fly.

It’s a heartwarming story that reminds us of the power of friendship and how even the grumpiest days can turn brighter when shared with loved ones. 🦜🌟

The Feelings Book by Todd Parr is a wonderful exploration of emotions for young children. In this vibrant and engaging board book, Parr celebrates the wide range of feelings we all experience.

From feeling silly to feeling brave, the book playfully captures the ever-changing and sometimes nonsensical emotions that make us human. The bold, bright colors and silly scenes make it accessible and relatable for kids.

My Many Colored Days is a children’s book written by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss . Accompanying a manuscript Geisel wrote in 1974 was a letter outlining his hopes of finding “a great color artist who will not be dominated by me.” Geisel saw his original text about feelings and moods as part of the “first book ever to be based on beautiful illustrations and sensational color.”

Over the years I have taught so many litercy and social-emotional activities using this book. In this rhyming story, each day is described in terms of a particular color, which is associated with a specific emotion. The vibrant illustrations and unique approach cover a range of moods and feelings, making it a wonderful way for parents and teachers to talk with children about their emotions.

I Was So Mad is another one written and illustrated by Mercer Mayer . In this classic, funny, and heartwarming story, Little Critter experiences quite a grumpy day. The Critter family keeps saying “no” to just about everything Little Critter wants to do. Whether it’s keeping frogs in the tub or helping paint the house, Little Critter’s frustration grows. But will his bad day be salvaged with a little help from a friend? ‘Little Critters series are all gems’ 📚🦔

I Hate Everything! A book about feeling angry is another awesome children’s book written by Sue Graves and illustrated by Desideria Guicciardini. In this engaging story, Sam is having a bad day, and nothing seems to be going right. His dad is too busy to play with him, he dislikes his lunch, and even Archie’s party doesn’t bring him joy. But can Aunt Jen help him manage his anger?

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller is a heartwarming picture book that beautifully illustrates the power of kindness. When Tanisha accidentally spills grape juice on her new dress, her classmate contemplates how to make her feel better and what it truly means to be kind. From inviting the new girl to play to standing up against bullying, this moving and thoughtful story explores the impact of small acts of kindness.

Each gesture, no matter how small, can make a difference in someone’s day—or at least help a friend.

Lama Lama Mad at Mama is a delightful and rhythmic phrase that captures the playful emotions of a child. It’s like a little poetic chant, expressing a child’s frustration or annoyance with their mother. The repetition of “Lama lama” adds a sing-song quality, making it memorable and endearing. ‘Love all Lama Lama book series by Anna D. ‘ 🦙💕

Grumpy Monkey Says NO! is a fun children’s book written by Suzanne Lang and illustrated by Max Lang . In this original board book, Jim Panzee, the grumpy monkey, seems to have a penchant for saying “no” to everything. Whether it’s going for a walk, having a playdate, or even eating a banana, Jim’s default response is a resounding “no.” But can he ever decide to say “YES” instead?

A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a heartwarming children’s picture book written by Philip C . Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead. In this delightful tale, we meet Amos McGee, a friendly zookeeper who has formed deep bonds with the animals he cares for. Each day, Amos visits his good friends at the zoo, ensuring he meets their unique needs.

A heartwarming tale of friendship, compassion, and the joy of caring for others, all wrapped up in the cozy world of a zookeeper and his animal friends.

How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? is an intersting children’s book written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague. In this playful and relatable story, dinosaurs exhibit various behaviors when they are angry. From sticking out their tongues to throwing tantrums, the dinosaurs’ antics capture the range of emotions associated with being mad.

But fear not! The book also teaches young readers how to handle their tempers—whether through counting to ten, taking a timeout, or practicing calm breathing. All of the ‘How Do Dinosaurs’ book series’ are my favorites.

Big Feelings is a powerful and uplifting picture book written by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman . In this heartwarming story, a group of children navigate their neighborhood, experiencing a range of emotions—both big and small.

From anger and frustration to hope and inspiration, the children learn to see the world from different points of view. The book celebrates diversity, kindness, and the importance of acknowledging our feelings

The Way I Feel by Janan Cain is a wonderful children’s book that uses strong, colorful, and expressive images to help children connect words with emotions. In this beautifully illustrated book, kids learn useful words to name their feelings, just as they name all things in their world.

I Like Myself! by Karen Beaumont is a delightful children’s book that celebrates self-acceptance and self-love. In this joyous rhyming tale, a little girl embraces everything about herself—inside and out. Whether she has messy hair or beaver breath, she knows what truly matters. The book’s sassy and soulful text, paired with David Catrow’s wild illustrations, encourages kids to appreciate their uniqueness and feel good about who they are.

Some Days by Karen Kaufman Orloff is a moving and delightful exploration of a child’s shifting feelings. In this rhyming picture book, readers follow a year in the life of a young boy and girl as they experience a wide range of emotions—joy, fear, anger, jealousy, excitement, pride, disappointment, loneliness, and contentment.

From “angels in the snow days” to “need my mommy now days,” children learn how to cope with both positive and negative feelings. The book encourages open discussions about emotions and helps kids understand that it’s okay to feel different things at different times.

Last but definitely not least, Love You Forever is a touching children’s picture book written by Robert Munsch and beautifully illustrated by Sheila McGraw . The story centers around the enduring love between a mother and her son.

When I first started teaching and I used to Read this Book to my Pre-K group, I used to bawl my eyes out. Teaching moment I suppose.

In the end as a parent or a teacher, reading stories/books that explore diverse experiences and perspectives can foster empathy and understanding your children.

Many social-emotional books present characters facing challenges or conflicts, providing opportunities for children to learn effective problem-solving strategies.

Books that model healthy coping mechanisms and emotional regulation can help children develop these important skills.

Stories that highlight positive social behaviors, such as sharing, cooperation, and conflict resolution, can encourage children to apply these skills in their own interactions.

CLICK HERE

Check out my other blog post 5 ENGAGING WAYS TO INSPIRE YOUR KIDS TO LOVE READING

March 2, 2024March 2, 2024

Nurturing Essential Skills in Early Learners: A Play-Based, Child-Led Approach

Approaches to learning looks at how children acquire knowledge and skills. It includes the set of skills sometimes referred to as ‘critical thinking’ or ‘executive function’. Having a positive attitude towards learning is essential for children to engage with school and succeed in life as adults.

From infancy through the early primary grades, children approach learning in different ways. They bring unique temperaments, habits, and preferences to how they explore, discover, and draw conclusions about the world and the people in it.

Curiosity and initiative taking

Children from birth show their eagerness to learn by choosing to participate in activities that they find interesting and personally meaningful.

An innate drive to examine objects, ask questions, and experiment with cause and effect lays the foundation for scientific inquiry and problem-solving.

They explore their environments through their senses, movement, play, and social interactions. That is where active play-based learning comes in. Teachers facilitate and nurture that curiosity.

For example – Luke, age 4, was playing outdoors when he spotted an ant hill. He crouched down and watched the ants scurrying around for a few minutes. “They’re so busy!” he remarked. Luke then grabbed a stick and poked it into different areas of the anthill to see how the ants reacted. The ants swarmed around the stick, some crawling onto it. “Why are they crawling on my stick?” Luke asked the teacher. Not waiting for an answer, Luke then said “I’m going to move some over here and see what they do.”

He gently dragged the stick with clustering ants over a few feet away from the original spot. Luke observed the ants wander around seemingly disoriented for a bit, before forming a line to march back over to their anthill. “They know how to find their home!”

Persistence and attention span

Children differ in their ability to focus attention and persist on relevant tasks. Open-ended, engaging activities in line with interests and learning styles best promote focused investigation.

For example – Anna is a 4-year old girl with a lot of energy and curiosity. She easily loses interest when activities require sitting still for more than a few minutes at a time. When her teacher leads activities involving worksheets or listening to long stories, Anna starts fidgeting, looking around, or attempting to chat with peers.

Her teacher observes that Anna becomes deeply focused when playing in the block center. Over multiple days, Anna works diligently on an elaborate castle, carefully selecting the right-sized blocks, and building multiple towers.

In contrast to the paper-pencil tasks Anna abandoned within 5 minutes, self-directed and creative activities like block building help channel her curiosity, energy, and interests into focused investigation.

Her teacher then incorporates the Literacy or numeracy aspect of the teaching by sticking letters or numbers on the blocks she likes to work on, so she can absorb what she needs to learn in a fun way.

Having autonomy over the experience and using her hands seem to enable Anna’s persistence, attention span, and task completion abilities that emerge inconsistently otherwise.

By providing more time, space and materials for these absorbing activities tailored to Anna’s open-ended style of learning, her teacher nurtures investigation, self-direction and other learning to learn skills.

Confidence and willingness to take risks

Environments, where mistakes are embraced rather than punished, encourage healthy trial-and-error. At ages where self-concept emerges, positive reinforcement builds confidence to venture answers.

Positive reinforcement looks like:

Praising effort over outcomes “I see you worked so hard to build that tower even when it kept falling. Good work!”

Embrace mistakes warmly “Oh that didn’t work as planned! Why do you think it fell over this time? What could we try differently?”

Encourage peer support Build a collaborative classroom culture where children coach and help each other. “If you work together you can build a bigger tower.”

Be patient with thinking time Rather than expecting instant answers, give children ample processing time, ask open ended questions, and restate ideas to validate thinking.

Provide non-judgmental feedback Steer away from evaluative language – rather than “wrong approach”, reframe as “let’s test this another way!”

Spotlight risk taskers Occasionally highlight children who showcase persistence amid challenge – this shows all efforts, even those not immediately successful, get recognized.

Discover learning style inclinations early Children have unique needs – help tactile learners embrace manipulatives, and let highly social learners co-investigate.

The goal is to make the classroom a safe launchpad for venturing ideas, testing theories, and making adjustments. This encourages both autonomous pursuits as well as group cooperation and communication. This mindset fuels engagement, resilience, and accelerated learning.

Executive Function

Foundational cognitive self-regulation skills are needed to set goals, control impulses, retain and apply new information. Play and integrated learning activities exercise these “learning to learn” abilities.

You can facilitate "Learning To Learn" abilities by:

Talking through your own thinking process step-by-step as you complete tasks. Use think-aloud to externalize problem-solving, planning, and organizing thoughts.

Providing hands-on supports like visual schedules, checklists, and timers to guide children through the steps of exercising goal-setting, working memory, and self-control. Then gradually remove the supports.

Implementing learning centers – Areas for specific types of play promote focus, resisting distraction, and impulse control to follow designated rules. Rotate materials to sustain novelty.

Offering choices – Within defined parameters, choices boost goal-oriented behavior and decision-making skills. Adapt choices based on the child’s capabilities. Choosing boards in learning areas encourages independent and confident thinkers.

Encouraging self-talk – Foster verbal mediation skills through modeling and questioning – “What is your next step?” “How will you stay focused?

Recognizing diligence towards learning goals. The process is more important than outcomes when building executive function.

Revisit instructions, asking children to restate key info in their own words. Repeating back taps working memory & attention. Planning and recall time before and after activities will strengthen the memory of the learning that was done.

What I love about active learning is that it provides opportunities – directly and subtly embedded into activities and exercises mental flexibility and self-regulation skills and overall executive function skills which are essential in the foundation stage of any kinder learner.

Cooperative Disposition

From parallel play to collaborative experiences, young children build skills in communication, compromise, and negotiations – laying the groundwork for cooperative inquiry.

Verbally work through conflicts, Setting expectations but allowing choices. Engineering natural opportunities for peer collaboration through activities needing multiple players. Use language emphasizing community over individual “Our classroom” “Let’s work together” “Our friends”

Facilitate peer discussions allowing children space to listen to each other respectfully. Praise not just outcomes but efforts towards teamwork. Provide opportunities for differentiation and interdependence.

In conclusion cultivating positive approaches to learning across these dimensions is essential for success in any early learning stages as well as enabling lifelong learning and adaptive skills.

Approaches to learning sets the stage for future academic and lifelong success. An effective early childhood environment nurtures curiosity, persistence, cooperation, and other learning-how-to learn proficiencies via developmentally appropriate hands-on, integrated activities tailored to children’s innate hunger for exploration, discovery and collaborative inquiry. Assessment and instruction should focus not just on content objectives but also process goals that strengthen burgeoning work habits.

Equipping children with essential cognitive strategies and motivational mindsets ensures learning readiness now and learning agility for the future. I have always and will always believe in the impact and positive influence that active learning has on young children.

What learning method are you passionate about? I would love to hear from you.