Meaning Matters

Written by Kim Turgeon

Having children pass out Valentines in the classroom can be a tremendous amount of work for teachers. For years I dreaded the month of February, knowing that I had to manage the distribution of over 400 Valentines. Then one year a colleague helped me think about the value in using a mock post office to distribute Valentines. Combining this idea with the value of dramatic play has brought about a fun and meaningful month of February in our classroom ever since.

Written By Kim Turgeon

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them! Ways to Bring Writing To The Block Area

As I push back against some of the academic changes that have been forced upon early childhood classrooms, I often find myself thinking of ways to connect learning with a student's interests.  During work board time in my classroom there is often a waiting list to get into the block area, but it is rare that I ever see a waiting list to get into the ABC center...

Written By Kim Turgeon

Different types of writing make writing attainable and inviting to different students. As teachers, it is our job to engage our students in experiences with writing: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc. One type of writing that I have found to be the most powerful in helping struggling writers excel and take risks is labeling.

Struggling writers often find the idea of transferring their thoughts to writing as a daunting task. Labeling is a safer entry point th...