Executive function skills are cognitive skills such as impulse control, multi-tasking, following multi-step directions, remaining focused, and avoiding distractions. Executive function (EF) is a trait that begins in infancy and continues to
On Friday June 12 we ended our school year with a beach bonfire at Doheny State Beach. The kids and parents surprised me with a song. One of the dads played the guitar and the kids gathered around me and sang a song to the tune of “The
Dear Parents, ~ An Oak Tree does not grow in a year.~ Growing an oak tree takes time, and having a mature, adult tree after one year is an unrealistic goal. The same goes for children. I have been thinking about the “oak
Dear Parents, Over spring break I took a little bit of time to organize some of my files. I came across a folder on a workshop/training I took two years ago. I never had a chance to talk or write about my experience. After looking through the
When my kids were small they wanted to play with me all the time. Now that they are all grown up I often think back to the days when they were young. I often ask myself these questions, “Did I give them enough of my time? Did they have the
I think its fair to say that at Serra Preschool one of our goals is to build a positive school community. We want our interactions with each other and the children to be playful, fun, rewarding and engaging. Most of the time it is, but then
The kids in the 3-day class have been busy creating in the creation station. Last week many of the kids decided to make guns. I sat back and watched and thought about how I was going to handle this. I wondered if I should allow it. I do know
By Shael Polakow-Suransky & Nancy Nager October 21, 2014 WITH the introduction of universal pre-K in New York City, we have created a new entry point into our public school system. This raises a key question: What do we want our children’s
That’s a tall order for today’s teacher. With all the pressure and worry about preparing kids for the future, the next grade level or even next week’s test, can make it very difficult to focus on what is happening right now. While it is
I have a few thoughts on the kindergarten readiness and the movement to universal TK. Though much of the fervor to give our kids a solid start in school comes from the feeling that they must compete in a global world and perform well with high
