Let’s double-down on how to translate *growth mindset* into something tangible with your child. We’re focusing on how to teach...

*YET* – 3 letters that may change your child’s life. Thanks Janelle Monae and Sesame Street for making it memorable!

A simple tip sheet for how to praise your child. Something more than “Good job” or just commenting on process and...

Our Top 10 favorite conversation starters can give you insight into what matters to your child, and deepen your connection...

“Gratitude is not just a feeling outside your control that arrives willy-nilly. It’s more like a radio channel: you can...

Mindfulness…for kids? Yes, indeed! How can you help your child practice it naturally? Tune in….

Help your child to control their thoughts by making Mindful Minutes a routine. Your step-by-step guide.

“Empathy is when you’re able to understand and care about how someone else is feeling.” -Mark Ruffalo, Sesame Street

A classroom favorite for cultivating empathy, kindness, community membership and awareness of others. What’s a real superhero? Someone who helps...

Teach your child to *THINK* before they speak. A helpful mnemonic to remind your child that words are powerful. 

Watching a child turn to you crying for the first time because “A friend said ‘I can’t play’”, is a...

Social exclusion is a main theme in a child’s development and there are many reasons why it happens. Empower your child to...

When your child starts demonstrating behaviors that show they are trying to “fit in” or wants to “belong to a...

Imagine a magical world where children are internally motivated to be kind and generous. It’s doable!

Acknowledge and promote positive behavior….*Plinkit* with a Marble Jar! You’ll be amazed at the twinkle in your child’s eye each...

Answers to our most popular questions on a heavy subject. From ‘How to explain…’ to ‘How do I teach’ –...

Tricky topic that’s filled with layers of good intentions and ambitious learnings. It takes effort from both you and your...

Race is a tricky topic to write and talk about – for both young children and grown-ups. But we’re tackling...

Questions and comments from children about other children’s challenges are normal; they illustrate the broad spectrum of learning, ability and...

Speaking with children about death is an important, impactful, and often dreaded, teachable moment. Whether prompted by an actual loss...

There are times when it becomes necessary to speak to children about people in their lives who are very sick....

Trying to figure out what to look for in a preschool and which questions to ask when visiting schools? Learn...

Are you in the midst of visiting preschools and trying to decipher what to look for in a classroom and...

“Executive functioning” is a phrase often cited when talking about child development. But what does it really mean and and...

Nuts + bolts; let’s get tactical. Now that we’ve baselined the 3 primary processes of executive functioning, let’s look at...

“Is my child ready for Kindergarten? What does that even mean?” Here’s my high-level perspective as a parent + teacher...

“OK, I think I have a sense for Kindergarten readiness, but how can I support my child to get there?” Read...

ABCs, colors, numbers, sight words…parents have heard of the “push-down” of academic skills – that Kindergarten has a lot of...

Some children are naturally drawn to learning letters, while others may not begin to learn letter identification until they’re a...

Take every opportunity to count…anything, everything! It may feel common sense to us grown-ups, but fluency in talking about numbers...

Learning to count may seem simple, but it’s critical to learning well. Let’s learn to do it playfully! The concept...

Many of us are eager for our children to learn to write. It takes practice but it also needs to...

Is writing letters backwards OK, or is it an early warning sign of a learning difference? Let’s tackle this very...

Easy things you can do every day to encourage your toddler to use more language. *Note – Suggestions in this article...

We’re often asked, “How do I know if my child needs speech therapy?” First, listen to your instincts.  If you...

Book selection is key in helping your child learn to read. Parents of emergent and early readers are often tempted...

“Does it make sense? Does it look right? Does it sound right?” is a helpful cueing system to help your...

Increase critical thinking and curiosity when you read aloud. Take story time to a new level.

If you’re looking for a didactic list, here’s a theoretical, academic sequence for teaching your child to read. Just remember...

“It’s not about how smart you are, it’s about how you are smart.” -Howard Gardner

How do you know if your child is experiencing a developmental “bump”? How do you know if it is time...

“What is a good resource to understand milestones for my child? At what age should they learn colors? Learn numbers?...

“Sensory processing development” is vital to understanding how children learn. It’s deeply studied among early childhood experts, but not widely...

Simply saying “Share!” holds little meaning for children. Young children are egocentric and concrete thinkers. Their experience of the world...

Conflict is natural for preschoolers who are just learning about peers and group settings – it’s expected, healthy and natural....

While some children inherently understand how to socially interact with others and are comfortable with basic social skills, others need more...

We teachers have the good fortune of learning and playing with a wide range of children in class and are...

Tattling is very common but it can be shaped by our responses to their tattling. Teach your child this simple rhyme to work...

As parents and teachers of young children, we encounter “power play” in a variety of ways – some children like...

Taking time to connect with nature has a long lasting impact on our health, learning and emotional well-being. Here’s what...

Our Top 10 favorite conversation starters can give you insight into what matters to your child, and deepen your connection...

Watching a child turn to you crying for the first time because “A friend said ‘I can’t play’”, is a...

Social exclusion is a main theme in a child’s development and there are many reasons why it happens. Empower your child to...

When your child starts demonstrating behaviors that show they are trying to “fit in” or wants to “belong to a...

“Empathy is when you’re able to understand and care about how someone else is feeling.” -Mark Ruffalo, Sesame Street

A classroom favorite for cultivating empathy, kindness, community membership and awareness of others. What’s a real superhero? Someone who helps...

Empower your child with a valuable life skill – teach them how to express their emotions and desires during conflict.

Help your child learn how to resolve a social conflict on their own with this framework – WHEEL OF CHOICES.

Teach your child to *THINK* before they speak. A helpful mnemonic to remind your child that words are powerful. 

What do you do with your kids when they’ve got a big chunk of time and you’re looking for fun...

Simply saying “Share!” holds little meaning for children. Young children are egocentric and concrete thinkers. Their experience of the world...

While some children inherently understand how to socially interact with others and are comfortable with basic social skills, others need more...

Help your child learn how to resolve a social conflict on their own with this framework – WHEEL OF CHOICES.

Our Top 10 favorite conversation starters can give you insight into what matters to your child, and deepen your connection...

In the heat of an emotional meltdown, it’s hard to remember what to do. So we use *SKOR* for quick recall....

Make a Cozy Corner or Helper Green Basket to help your child recover from an emotional meltdown – proven techniques...

There are times when it becomes necessary to speak to children about people in their lives who are very sick....

Children experience emotions just like adults, but they need support and guidance to: 1) Understand their emotions; and 2) Make...

“The way we talk to children becomes their inner voice.” -Peggy O’Mara

Try having ‘Family Agreements’ instead of having ‘rules’. Family Agreements can be powerful yet simple tools for encouraging baseline behavioral...

Acknowledge and promote positive behavior….*Plinkit* with a Marble Jar! You’ll be amazed at the twinkle in your child’s eye each...

Learn the Montessori approach to learning language and how to apply it every day.

*YET* – 3 letters that may change your child’s life. Thanks Janelle Monae and Sesame Street for making it memorable!

Social exclusion is a main theme in a child’s development and there are many reasons why it happens. Empower your child to...

Here’s a practical tool and script to support your child’s self-regulation and emotional awareness – it provides a shared language to signal...

Taking time to connect with nature has a long lasting impact on our health, learning and emotional well-being. Here’s what...

“Is my child ready for Kindergarten? What does that even mean?” Here’s my high-level perspective as a parent + teacher...

Discover how discipline and punishment differ in practice.

Watching a child turn to you crying for the first time because “A friend said ‘I can’t play’”, is a...

Create your own magical land. Comes with everything you need – real branches, twine, shells, moss and glue gun. Imagine...

The ultimate app-enabled invention toolbox. Designed by MIT graduate and TED Senior Fellow Ayah Bdeir; featured at the MOMA and...

Road trip adventures from the comfort of home. Clever patchwork and embroidered details (like awning and curtains) bring play to...

Imagination + fine motor skills + history; so rare! Unlock your child’s imagination.

There’s a hero in all of us. Outstanding details in this playset. Or, go (almost) larger than life with this...

Make & play a classic arcade game. Ready to amp up skill and coordination?

(Beautiful) bingo with a twist. Bonus fun – it’s multilingual! And for those times you can’t stop having fun with...

A truly universal gift. Bilingualism of any language (whether signed or spoken) enhances cognitive processes – like higher executive function,...

Physical and mental dexterity required. Teach your child’s brain and body to work together.

Clever new take on a traditional game. Fun fact: 3D spatial skills are foundational for engineering and design. Just as...

Fuel creativity. Card-swiping machine, scanner, conveyor belt…countless ways to learn and play. Don’t forget your groceries, cart and tote!

Soar to and explore new frontiers! And, for something on a smaller scale.

Part puzzle, part phonics…all fun. Bonus points for developing fine motor skills.

Beautiful. Handmade by Balinese artists in collaboration with a Brooklyn design firm. A fun way of building hand-eye coordination, motor...

A dollhouse you design yourself. Winner of just about every toy award. Why not build the neighborhood too?

Sensory-reinforcement makes learning lower case a little less tricky (say that three times!) And because upper case and numbers are...

“And I’d like to thank the Academy, my parents, my teachers, Plinkit….” Comes with free Movie Maker app to capture...

We all could use a dose of this; this kit makes it so easy. And because great things do come...

Make learning facial vocabulary fun. Great for self-awareness, self-control and self-expression. Another classroom favorite for all mixed feelings.

Experiment with high-flying fun or with simple machines. Another problem-solving goodie for basic physics.