Charlotte Quiros

Q: Why is it important to study real objects with our children? A: In order to be excellent at something you must explore it, practice it and gain knowledge of it.  This is true no matter what the object or topic is.   Examples: You won't learn how to take care of plants by playing with plastic plants.  You need real plants. If you want to be excellent at playing the piano you need to explore one, practice playing and gain knowledge of musical notes, melodies, rhythms, etc. To become an excellent chef you need to cook with real food. Can you imagine the gifts we can give our children by exploring real objects with them! Go explore!!!

People are born with a set of temperaments, we didn't choose them.  Children have a set of temperaments that they were born with.  Understanding temperament can help you understand your child's behavior and reactions. Temperament: Active to Still Active:  Some people are born with an active temperament.  It is hard for them to sit still for very long and they love to keep moving.  They are sometimes referred to as "hyper or overactive". They become very active adults who may choose work that requires them to be physically moving or traveling. Still: Others are born with a more still temperament.  They can be found doing quiet activities that do not require a lot of movement.  They are sometimes referred to as couch potatoes, unmotivated or lazy.  They become adults who may choose work that is more sedentary or tedious.  When raising and teaching children it is our responsibility to find the strategy that works for each child (person) ...

Stay Safe and Blessings to Your Family

Reggio Emilia Distinctive Traits Include Collegial and relational-based provocative experiences The importance accredited to environments and spaces Intense co-participation of families Affirmation of competencies in children and adults Educational documentation Listening Progettazione North America Reggio Emilia Alliance https://www.reggioalliance.org/

Q: I hear a lot about talking to preschool-aged children using open-ended questions what are they? A: Open-ended questions are about having a conversation.  Closed-ended questions are more like a test to get the answer. Open                                                                                   "You used a lot of purple in your drawing, can you tell me about your picture." "Thank you for helping me set the table for lunch. How did you decide how many bowls to put on the table?" Closed "Is this a purple tree?" "What color is your banana?"  "How many bowls are on the table?" Think about open-ended questions as how you typically talk with your friends.  We don't ask our friends constant yes/no questions (closed-ended).  If we did they probably wo...

Q: My 20 month old is throwing everything he can get his hands on.  No matter how many times I tell him to stop he keeps doing it. A: The behavior might be telling us that he wants to work on his throwing skills.  Instead of telling him what he can't do, tell him what he can do (throw balls outside, toss cotton balls into bowls).  I made bean and rice bags with my children to throw while they were practicing this skill. They threw them into a laundry basket or large mixing bowl. They also enjoyed throwing recycled paper made into balls. Another possibility is that your child is frustrated.  Throwing things is something humans have done forever.  Talk to your child and find out what is frustrating them.  Then teach them a replacement behavior.  Instead of throwing what you are frustrated with you can walk away, take a deep breath, put it aside until later, etc.).  Young children will act on instinct and do what they have seen their family or tea...

Free Online Books For Kids Oxford Owl.  Ages 3 to 11   https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/ Storyline Online .  All ages   https://www.storylineonline.net/ International Children's Digital Library.  All ages   http://en.childrenslibrary.org/ Open Library.  All ages  https://openlibrary.org/ Barnes & Noble Free Nook Books for Kids. All ages  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/free-ebooks/nook-books/kids/_/N-ry0Z8qaZtu1

Should I make my 3 year old share his toys with his younger brother? A: To answer this question we must first look at where your children are in their social and emotional development. Below is the development progression for sharing (you can find the entire development planning tool under the resource tab).  Since they are still at either exploring later or building earlier you shouldn't expect them to share at this time. This is a time to teach them to ask if they want to play with each other's toys.  If the answer is no (which it usually is) then you will need to support your child when they become disappointed and upset that they cannot take a toy from their sibling.  I know this is very stressful for you as a parent, however, this is a critical stage of development.  You can model saying, "You really wanted his red car, I can tell you are upset."  Then gently find them a similar or duplicate toy.  You want your children to grow up re...