Bedtime: What makes some children resist? Think about life from babies’/toddlers’/children’s perspective: EVERYTHING in their lives is NEW and FRESH and INTERESTING…who wants to stop for bedtime when there is so much to see, hear, do and experience (even if you ARE tired)? All children are different, of course, but practising meaningful and enjoyable bedtime routines can alert the senses that it’s time to wind things down. Doing so can also help some children develop positive feelings about resting. Gearing down to prepare for sleep: For children AND adults, it’s unrealistic to imagine that ..read more

Canada’s 150th has Canadian children across the nation excited about their country–and what better way to celebrate than to sing? TVOKids delights families across the country with a brand new series: The Canada Crew! Bebe, Mo and Gavin are TVOKids’ adorable Canadian explorers in “The Canada Crew”!Bebe, Mo and Gavin guide preschool children around Canada as they meet  Canadians like Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, Darryl Sittler, Sursur Lee and Craig Kielburger. The names of the provinces and territories are FINALLY easy to learn and remember, too, thanks to the show’s catchy theme music, written by ..read more

It’s easy to promote exercise, interact and teach babies parts of the body! All you need is some good songs to sing!Babies benefit on many levels from engaging in active songs. Movement-focussed songs are useful for helping babies become aware of what the parts of the body are called/what their bodies can do…and are a great way to get in a good dose of baby leg squeezing, while you’re teaching! All you need are some good songs and some space for moving around, and you’re all set for some active fun and learning. Let’s take a look at 3 songs that focus on exercise, movement and body awareness t ..read more

Number song and video for teaching counting, identification and subitizing — by Nancy KopmanONE Song and Video for Teaching Counting, Number Identification and Subitizing Counting, Number Identification and Recognizing quantities of objects (“subitizing”) are three very different things that all have to do with learning about NUMBERS. These are some basic (but important) building block concepts that lead to more organized and complex thinking/problem solving. It’s never “too early” to learn about numbers, and there are easy, basic ways of introducing these ideas using fun, meaningful, memorabl ..read more

“Wonderful You” trains children to have a strong “inner voice”.“How we talk to our children becomes their inner voice”–You may have seen this celebrated quote from author Peggy O’Mara as you scroll through your social media feed. What does it mean to you? How does it make you feel as a parent/educator? Peggy O’Mara reminds us that our words are impactful.When do you rely on your OWN inner voice? Whose voice do you hear when you need to dig deep for strength and reassurance? Asking ourselves these questions might remind us of the less-than-desirable inner voices that came from adults who may ha ..read more

If you are teaching English Language Learners (ELL), music is such a useful tool!   Changing a word or two within the structure of familiar songs is a great way to make  new words meaningful and extend learning. During the early stages of my teaching experience, I worked with toddlers in a preschool that was predominantly populated by children whose families spoke Russian at home, so I regularly welcomed toddlers who spoke little to no English into a fully English-focused environment. I did my very best to learn as many key words in Russian as I could, and incorporated what I learned into lit ..read more