Classroom chores aren't about keeping the room tidy. They are some of the most effective developmental tools a teacher has — and most don't know it. Here's the short version: chores build the physical foundation children need to read and write. The long version is worth understanding, because it changes how you think about [...]
Every day we as teachers make our students uncomfortable. That is our job. It is the discomfort that helps them learn and grow. But if learning and growing means getting uncomfortable, shouldn’t we all be doing it? It may feel uncomfortable to get your kids moving during the day. To stop as Ms Kay [...]
It was circle time one school morning this past spring. All the 4-year-old children in Ms. Kay's class were settling into their spots, but Charlie couldn’t sit still. Not only was he unable to sit still, he was doing donkey kicks at his spot. Ms Kay knew this was going to sidetrack her plan [...]
Fact: Adults who are sedentary, teach the children around them to be sedentary. Fact: 1.8 billion adults are currently at risk from insufficient physical activity. That means, children today are learning from the adults in their lives that sedentary behaviors are the norm. But they aren’t. Sedentary behaviors in childhood set children up for a [...]
Close your eyes and think about what you hear when you are with a litter of brand-new-to-this-world puppies. Tiny little yips and squeals, maybe even a few little grunts. Now think about what they are doing. Likely their eyes are still closed and, if awake, they are crawling all over each other, mostly trying to [...]
Watch a child in active play and what do they do? They jump off hay bales, push friends in swings, pull wagons, and climb the ladder to the slide. They drag heavy items across the play space to build a fort, they dig in the dirt, they hang from the monkey bars. In some [...]
We have been hearing a lot lately about the challenges of physical, big-body play during the school day. Sadly, there are many: time, space, ideas, other adults, and safety. Legitimate challenges. But that is it, they are challenges, and they are not roadblocks. And there are always two sides to every story. Let's take safety for [...]
We would love for you to help us understand your challenges to big-body, physical play in the school day. Our survey is less than 2 minutes and gives us an idea of what your challenges might be. If you have more to say, please feel free to email us at smartfun@pivottoplay.com. We welcome your [...]
As a child, a grassy hill was a slice of heaven. Its location was shared among neighborhood friends and bragged about among schoolmates. A hill meant one thing and one thing only: rolling. Rolling like that is the ultimate in vestibular input and children used to find log rolling down hills among the most [...]
As early childhood educators, we know intuitively that children who cannot settle their bodies and minds cannot learn. They disrupt their classrooms and cause challenges for their teachers and peers. And, this unsettled feeling makes school harder than it needs to be, breeding frustration rather than fostering a love of learning. The best way [...]
