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Often our busy lives seem to be full of many distractions. With the hustle and bustle of everyday, do you feel like you don’t have time to do what you need to do as a parent, or that your skills as a parent could be improved? Here are some thoughts about being a more purposeful […]

“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” ~ Elizabeth Lawrence As parents, we want our children to become caring and responsible citizens, as well as resourceful and resilient adults. So how do we influence our children in […]

Literacy is an amazing thing. It helps us read the instructions on a shampoo bottle (wet, lather, rinse, repeat) and make sense of the latest e-mail “good luck” chain (send this to 10 people, or else). As I have discussed in previous posts, oral language, reading and writing all come together in this idea of […]

Create Time to Enjoy The Experience of Childhood With Your Child Many of you may have seen the movie The Bucket List. In this movie, two men realize that they have limited time left on this Earth and decide to make the most of it. They make a list of everything they have always wanted […]

Learning Care Group When my niece was six years old, she spent a week with me. Her favorite game was to write random letters in a line, push them in front of me, and ask, “What does this say, Aunt Shelle?” I would string the sounds together into a nonsense word that would send her […]

Learning Care Group I remember the day that I considered my son an official “reader.” He was in second grade and we were visiting Santa Claus at a local mall. There were banners detailing the history of Santa strung along the path on which we waited. I watched in utter amazement (and with a flash […]

I, like most parents, want my children to have all the tools they need to be successful in this world. And, what we know, is that literacy is so important in both academic and life pursuits. As a parent, and an early childhood educator, I know that we need to support children in becoming strong […]

Battling back-to-school worries?  This time of year, parents have many questions – from how to transition from a laid back summer schedule to a busy school time routine, to concerns about discipline, behavior, and potty training.  Take a deep breath and take out your calendar.  Join a back-to-school live chat presented by Learning Care Group […]

It is back-to-school time for you and your children again, or maybe for the first time! In the summer, we sometimes give children a break from routines. So getting ready for school again, and returning to consistent schedules, can sometimes bring on stress or anxiety for your family. Take steps now to make this transition […]

Separation anxiety is real. Babies, children of all ages, and even adults can feel it. Wikipedia describes it as: “…a psychological condition in which an individual experiences excessive anxiety regarding separation from home or from people to whom the individual has a strong emotional attachment (like a father, mother, grandparents, and brothers or sisters).” Though […]

We’ve united with Nickelodeon and Dora’s Beyond the Backpack to bring you even more great tools to nurture literacy development and prepare your child for Kindergarten. Nickelodeon uses the ever-popular children’s heroine, Dora the Explorer, to help ensure that your little one is ready for school when the time comes. Nickelodeon’s Beyond the Backpack program […]

Yes, Summer is here with you and your children enjoying long Summer evenings! Your older children are free of homework; your smaller ones have been staying up later, and playing outside more. It seems like Fall, with schoolbooks and camps ending, is far away. But is it? Some of you are starting to think about […]