Subscribe to the Free Spirit Blog
Search the blog:
Categories
- Administrators
- Bullying Prevention & Conflict Resolution
- Character Education
- Counselor's Corner
- Early Childhood
- Educational Technology
- Elementary Angle
- Free Spirit News
- Gifted Education
- Learning Disabilities
- Parenting
- Professional Development
- Publishing
- Service Learning & Volunteerism
- Social & Emotional Learning
- Teaching
- Teaching Strategies
- Uncategorized
-
Recent Posts
- 4 Ideas for Practicing Mindfulness with Children
- Achieving Equity in Gifted Education
- The Social and Emotional Way to a Calmer Classroom
- Seeking Personally Relevant SEL Books for Children and Teens
- How Parents Can Help Kids Develop Self-Confidence
- The 5 Books I Want to Give Every Teacher (and one I had to keep for myself!)
- Simple Mindfulness Activities to Help Students Learn
- Using Growth Mindset to Help Students Overcome Perfectionism
Readers’ Favorites
- 10 Ways to Celebrate National School Counseling Week, Part 1
- 10 Ways Teachers Can Create a Positive Learning Environment
- Oh, the Drama! 11 Scenarios to Help Teens Work Through Sticky Social Situations
- If I Could Change Something About Our Schools . . .
- 10 Scenarios to Get Kids Talking About Bullying
- 9 Real-Life Dilemmas to Get Kids Thinking About Choices
- 8 Ways to Help Teens Make a Difference in Their Communities
Archives
Tag Archives: early childhood development
The Benefits of Messy Time
By Elizabeth Verdick, author of Messy Time When my daughter Olivia was a toddler, her best friend was Will, the two-year-old down the street. Will didn’t say much, so Olivia talked for both of them. He adored trains—his “choo-choos.” All … Continue reading
Posted in Early Childhood
Tagged early childhood development, Free Spirit author, play
Leave a comment
Nature-Based Play and Outdoor Learning for Mental Well-Being
By Molly Breen Nature-based play is not a new thing. We know that getting kids outside for open-ended play and exploration is good for physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. Environmental inequality is not a new thing either. Depending on where … Continue reading
Posted in Early Childhood
Tagged early childhood development, mental health, mental health awareness month, nature, preschool
1 Comment
Activities for Every Day of Week of the Young Child®
By Lydia Bowers, author of We Listen to Our Bodies and Shawn Forster, vice president of Peaceful Schools and artistic director of Peaceful Schools Productions Started in 1971 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Week … Continue reading
Positive Preschool Program Changes That Will Outlast the Pandemic
By Molly Breen January is traditionally a month when we take inventory and prepare for a fresh start. We organize our storage spaces, toss out or recycle the things we no longer need, and evaluate whether the items we put … Continue reading
Helping Young Children Develop Social Skills During the Pandemic
By Molly Breen This time of teaching and learning in the pandemic is, no doubt, historic and unprecedented in our lifetimes. We cannot possibly predict all the long-term effects—good and bad—that this experience will have on our lives. And in … Continue reading