Creative Preschool Teaching

Managing preschoolers is often perceived as an easy task, but on the contrary, it is hard and challenging. There are a lot of trials like unreasonable complaints, slow learners, hyperactive kids and the like. The school has to balance all of these things to maintain its good reputation. Every school aims to develop the student's skills and the way they relate with others. The school is one of the agents of socialization and is branded as the child's home. It is a venue for the child to express his feelings freely and to explore and discover new things. The teachers are there not just to facilitate but to facilitate creatively, because the child cannot cope easily without the creativity being one of the ingredients in teaching.

Thinking of ways to give the best learning experience to children involves a series of steps--- steps that are carefully planned, tested and developed. All schools have their own means of creating modules that can be instruments of a child's development. Let's take for instance, the math subject, which is said to be one of the more difficult subjects in school. It may be, but if it is taught creatively in preschool, the pupils, as they grow older, will definitely love studying Math. Of course, not all kids will turn into math geniuses but that's not the point. The keyword is fun, and there are lots of ways to have fun with math.

Here are some techniques in teaching math creatively:
1. Let the kids sing math songs. Songs are the best means for them to learn more easily. There are counting songs and addition songs. Be sure to let them sing those songs every day before the lesson starts.
2. Rhymes are also memory boosters. A teacher can teach classic counting rhymes or create her own.
3. Do the body math. Preschoolers are fascinated with their bodies. Count the child's eyes, and then add them together: one eye plus one eye equals two eyes. How many ears, legs, arms, elbows, knees or feet does he have?
4. Encourage four preschoolers to notice written numbers, street addresses, license plates or the numbers on the calendar. This not only offers experience reading numerals. It also reinforces the fact that numbers are a normal part of everyday life.
5. It is also effective to make use of blocks. Math is not just about numbers, it is also about area, size, space, dimension, shape and comparison.
6. Try "Match 'em up" games. Math requires the ability to distinguish similar and different attributes and to put things into categories. To build these things, preschoolers should be motivated to group items by certain attributes like clothes by color or plates by shape.
7. Show the child how to use the ruler. Let him measure his desk or notebook. Talk together about comparative length.
8. Experts still recommend dominoes to help kids learn to recognize whole amounts without having to count dot by dot. Pick a number between 1 and 20 and give the child a few chances to guess the number, offering "higher" or "lower" as clues.

Maureen Amberg is an author, entrepreneur and children’s advocate for MEA Online Edge Inc., with emphasis on the self esteem and positive inner confidence of children; including teenagers.  Caring for Kids is my current life focus.  I strive to be kind, tranquil, serene, and compassionate.  Hopefully, this translates into peaceful, calm and helpful.

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Variation in the Behavior of a Child Due to Day Care Centers

The percentage of working mothers is increasing day by day, as a result of which daycare centers are in massive demand. Children spend more than half of their day at such centers and therefore these centers affect the behavior of such children in an enormous way. A day care center not only help the mothers by not letting their child interrupt them while they are at work but also brings about a great change in the attitude of a child.
Socializing:
Interacting with new children and unknown faces is very difficult for a child. Therefore, socializing is one of the biggest advantages of a day care as a child learns how to interact with other children and adults. Children who are unable to join day cares find it difficult to interact with other kids at early stages of their kindergarten. Children at day care learn the meaning of sharing. They know how to make friends and are not afraid of crowds.
Reduces fear:
As compared to a kid who has never been to a daycare, a child who has spent a lot of time in a day care is very much relaxed and extrovert. Children are happy to be in their age group if they are habitual of it and if not it becomes very difficult for them to start up with their early education. Children who have never been to a daycare, if you leave them and go out they might feel that you may not return which will be very stressful for them. Whereas children who have been to day cares know that you will come back as this is not something new for them.
Prepared for kindergarten:
Children who are left at day cares start their education at an earlier stage as compared to a child who has never been to a day care. Therefore, learning in kindergarten is not stressful for them as their basics are strong. The younger the child the quicker it learns. Therefore, such children are able to sink in more in school as compared to those who have started their learning process in kindergarten only.
Children must spend a lot of time with kids of their own age, as spending a lot of time with adults at home brings a very mature behavior in them and snatches their innocence. They start talking and acting like their adult which is not fair to them. They must react according to their own age as having a very grown-up attitude is not a very positive sign. Therefore, those children who spend their time in day care are able to interact with children of their own age and are able to maintain their innocence.

Maureen Amberg is an author, entrepreneur and children’s advocate for MEA Online Edge Inc., with emphasis on the self esteem and positive inner confidence of children; including teenagers.  Caring for Kids is my current life focus.  I strive to be kind, tranquil, serene, and compassionate.  Hopefully, this translates into peaceful, calm and helpful.

Building Kids Self Esteem

Building Kids Self Esteem is extremely vital these days. Our kids are faced with so much more than we ever were. Severe peer pressure, bullying, drug and alcohol addictions just to name a few.
Many of our kids have been brought up with cell phones, ipods and computers and have access to sales ads promoting expensive clothing, shoes, accessories, gaming devices etc..
Are we allowing society to raise our kids in a materialistic way giving them a false sense of security and happiness?
The Internet, magazine ads, radio and television are overloading our kids with media on the “how to’s” of changing themselves with what they feel is unacceptable in today’s society.
For example, some young girls want to change the color of their hair, lose weight to wear a size 1 outfit, just to look like the models they want to emulate…while young boys want to build muscles to look like the “ultimate fighters” they watch on television and are portrayed in video games.
Unfortunately, with both parents now having to work to make ends meet, our kids may be lacking the necessary means of building their self esteem through tangible items instead of learning the basic foundation from within.
A new study shows that kids who feel good about themselves are less likely to be materialistic and more realistic than those who don’t.
As parents, we have an obligation to build their self worth and confidence. We need to listen, really listen to what they are saying about themselves, while taking note of their actions.
Taking the time now to ensure our kids develop positive self esteem and a positive self image, will carry them through their teenage years and adulthood, being successful and enjoying life the way it is intended.
Starting at a very young age, kids interpret life’s experiences either with a sense of pride or shame. Their self worth whether positive or negative, will lay the basic foundation of how they view themselves and impact their lives and decisions in later life.
Parents, grandparents and close caring adults all play a major role in building our kids self esteem. We must not only encourage and express positive feedback, but also nurture, provide love and apply a considerable amount of patience and understanding.
Think about it. Our kids are our future. Building kids self esteem doesn’t happen over night. Providing a positive, “safety net” in the home, allowing our kids to express their feelings openly without negative ridicule, is the beginnings of positive interaction our kids can rely on to guarantee their success.
We need to build our kids positive self esteem and confidence from the inside very early on. Material items should be something earned through completed chores, good grades and helping others. If we as role models succeed in teaching morals and values, our kids will be sure to succeed as well.
We owe it to our kids.

How Grandparents Can Help Build Self Esteem

by Maureen Amberg

Raising healthy and happy children is not always the sole responsibility of the parents. Many grandparents also play an active role in raising the child, and they can help to build the self-esteem of a child from a very young age. When they do this, they not only help them to be able to get through their difficult younger years, they assist them in growing to be healthy and productive adults as well. Here are some ways for you to instill confidence in your grandchildren.

Grandparents are in a position that, in many cases, lends itself much more to this ability than the parents. The reason why that is the case, is because many young grandchildren see their grandparents as being knowledgeable and they generally provide a comfortable place for them. The parents, although well-meaning in many cases, may be busier with the day-to-day activities that are necessary for raising a family. They are seen more in an authoritative way by the children, which is not necessarily a bad thing. By promoting the help of the grandparents and working together with them, the combination can really be one that is beneficial to everyone involved.

One of the things that grandparents can do is to make sure that they always provide a comfortable environment for the children. This is not only true of the physical environment that is being provided, it is also true of the mental environment that is available. Grandparents are in a unique position in this way, and they generally have additional time that is available to provide this for the growing child. When the child comes to understand that they have this safe place available to them, they will often gravitate towards it in order to feel comfortable with themselves.

If there is one thing that every child needs, it is sincere praise. This is also something that can be given to the child from the grandparents. It is important to make sure that you are balanced in this regard, as children are often able to see through any phony praise that may be given to them. Be supportive, and be there for them whenever something important is happening in their life and they will respect you for it.

Finally, make sure that you get to know your grandchildren as individuals and make sure that they know you in much the same way. Grandparents are often in a unique position where they are able to talk about past experiences and most grandchildren readily will listen. You can guide them through various trials that they may be going through by giving them your experiences and how you handled them when you were younger. This not only will assist them in getting through it, it will help to build an even stronger bond between the two of you.

Although times have changed since we were younger, human nature has really remained the same in many regards. Allow your grandchildren to grow on your experiences and always provide them with the comfortable place that they need. In doing so, you will see them grow to be happy adults.
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Helping Your Child to Deal with a Bully

by Maureen Amberg

One of the more difficult problems that your younger (or older) child may be going through, especially at school, is problems with a bully.  As a matter of fact, this is something that if it is not addressed and corrected, may follow your child around for the rest of his life.  The difficulty is, most parents do not feel equipped to be able to handle this situation and it certainly is something that needs to be dealt with gingerly.

Perhaps the most important thing is for you to be able to identify the signs that your child has a bully.  Depending on the type of bullying that is taking place, this can vary from physical evidence to psychological issues, such as frequently going to the nurses office or perhaps wanting to stay home from school regularly.  It may take a little bit of gentle prodding in order for you to find out whether a bully is involved or not, but there are also times when  the child will outright tell you that there is an issue.

You must convince your child, immediately upon finding out that they have a bully that they are not the one who is at fault.  Along with that, you're going to want to make sure that you speak consolingly to the child and that you don't react out of anger, which you will no doubt be feeling.  Make sure that the child's boundaries are also respected, as they are probably right that the bullying will get worse if the bully finds out that someone else knows what is going on.

There are a number of things that can be done in order to stop bullying, or to reduce it. Most of the time, it is beneficial if you speak to the parents of the bully, but you may want to do so in a proper setting, where an official can mediate.  You should also speak to the teach or counselor about the issue, but do so privately in order to respect your child's wishes.  Although it may take some time, and calm patience, handling it in this manner will generally yield better results than going aggressively at the issue.

When Teasing Becomes Bullying

This is a serious matter.  Watch carefully what is going on in your
kids lives!

Most kids have been teased by a sibling or a friend at some point.
And it's not usually harmful when done in a playful, friendly, and
mutual way, and both kids find it funny.  But when teasing becomes
hurtful, unkind, and constant, it crosses the line into bullying
and needs to stop.

Bullying is intentional tormenting in physical, verbal, or
psychological ways.  It can range from hitting, shoving,
name-calling, threats, and mocking to extorting money and treasured
possessions.  Some kids bully by shunning others and spreading
rumors about them.  Others use email, chat rooms, instant messages,
social networking websites, and text messages to taunt others or
hurt their feelings.

It's important to take bullying seriously and not just brush it off
as something that kids have to "tough out".  The effects can be
serious and affect kids' sense of self-worth and future
relationships.  In severe cases, bullying has contributed to
tragedies, such as school shootings.

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Always Caring for Kids,

Maureen Amberg
Http://MEAOnLineEdge.blogspot.com

Great Book to Raise Your Kids

1.  How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
    by Elaine Mazlish
2.  The Magic Years:  Understanding and Handling the Problems of
    Early Childhood
    by Selma H. Fraiberg
3.  Take Back Your Kids:  Confident Parenting in Turbulent Times
    by William J. Doherty
4.  Your Baby and Dhild:  From Birth to Age Five
    by Penelope Leach
5.  The Irreducible Needs of Children:  What Every Child Must Have
    to Grow, Learn, and Flourish
    by T. Berry Brazelton

Always Caring for Kids,

Maureen Amberg
http://www.MEAOnLineEdge.blogspot.com

P.S.  You can check on Amazon or your favorite book store for these
first rate and very helpful books.

Protect Your Kids From Online Ostracism

by Maureen Amberg

 

As if you didn't have enough to be concerned about, along comes Online Ostracism!  I actually believe that children who are subjected to the effects of "OO" tend to have lower levels of self-esteem .  By the way, ostracism means "purposefully ignoring others".

 

I have read previously about how cyberbullying influences children, but the studies had stopped short of looking at actual ostracism. The data used for the research was collected by analyzing players of online computer games, who are very likely to exhibit this kind of behavior often.

 

For the purpose of the investigation, the researchers looked at how adults, children and teens handled being ostracized.  The scientists wanted to catch a glimpse of how these feelings differ among age groups, and what consequences the behavior of others triggered in the test group.  The participants were all playing computer games at the time of the study. 

 

Online ostracism affects all age groups by threatening their basic needs for self-esteem, sense of belonging, sense of meaning and sense of control.  It also lowered their mood, showing that social exclusion online is very powerful.  The test group consisted of 41 children between eight and nine, 79 teens between the ages of 12 and 14, as well as 46 adults that were twenty years old.

 

Adults might be skilled at finding a relationship in which to be included after having been ostracized, but it could be a bigger challenge for children.  This suggests that parents and schools need to be vigilant in case children in their care are experiencing sustained ostracism.

 

Who knew? 

 

Maureen Amberg is an author, entrepreneur and children’s advocate for MEA Online Edge Inc., with emphasis on the self esteem and positive inner confidence of children; including teenagers.  Caring for Kids is my current life focus.  I strive to be kind, tranquil, serene, and compassionate.  Hopefully, this translates into peaceful, calm and helpful.

 

Raising Your Children To Be Confident Adults

by Maureen Amberg

Some young children are so withdrawn and shy that sometimes we want to cry for them.  They have no sense of self confidence nor do they believe they have any value.  You do not want to see your own children this way.

It is not only important to make sure that your children have the confidence that they need to help them through the difficult younger years, but it is that very confidence that is going to assist them through the rest of their life. Your positive influence and nurturing will insure a child's successful growth to adulthood.

By the time a child is 18 months old, he is an individual and has a separate identity from those around him.  He will need lots of love and encouragement, praise of his abilities and recognizing his strengths from infancy.  His eventual temperament will be predicated on how you recognize him as an individual early on.

Your child will grow up to be an active and balanced adult under your invaluable supervision of boosting his self confidence.  Getting a child through their childhood years will be a challenge, but so well worth it.  You will find valuable help along the way, if you are pro active at seeking it.  I encourage you to do so.

Perhaps one of the most important things that you can do is to allow your child to achieve on his own.  Watching a child struggle at something is hard, but you can give support where needed, while still allowing the space necessary for individual achievement. Balance is a key ingredient here.

You should also make sure that even the smaller accomplishments do not go unrecognized.  This can do a lot, not only to help boost their self-confidence now but to give them the desire to continue trying.

One other thing that you can do is to stick with your child during the entire process of growing up.  Although it can be frustrating for a child to struggle with something, when they have your support available, it makes it much easier for them to work their way through anything.  It is not always the end of the race that wins the prize, it is running the race that makes one stronger.  When you assist your child in running, yet give him the opportunity to run on his own, you really have helped him to be confident in himself.

What a wonderful sense of accomplishment when we manage to do something ourselves.  That is especially true for children.  Always look for ways to boost self-confidence in your children!

Maureen Amberg is an author, entrepreneur and children’s advocate for MEA Online Edge Inc., with emphasis on the self esteem and positive inner confidence of children; including teenagers.  Caring for Kids is my current life focus.  I strive to be kind, tranquil, serene, and compassionate.  Hopefully, this translates into peaceful, calm and helpful.