What do children need physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially in order to grow and develop? Students brainstorm ideas and share their knowledge of children’s needs to raise awareness and show others the responsibilities of parents and caregivers as they create their own “What Children Need Silhouettes”.
Do you have students that find it difficult to put themselves in another’s shoes and see things from someone else’s perspective? Have they ever judged someone without really getting to know them? My guess is you have; we all have! This lesson explores empathy as students practice applying empathy skills in order to strengthen their emotional intelligence which will help them as they move forward in life.
While shopping for a baby gift, I noticed the variety of rattles available for infants. There were rattles that were simple, plush, noisy, colorful, interactive, chewable and even battery operated….so many to choose from! I had a difficult time choosing one to add to my gift and it got me to thinking that new parents must feel the same way. Do infants and babies even need rattles? What is their role in infant development? It was then that I decided to add a lesson and project about rattles and how they affect development to my infant unit!
Teach a Teen Living course and looking for current materials? Be sure to check out Pat Papazoglou of Beloit, Wisconsin. In this post she shares her Teen Living website with us which focuses extensively on middle school curriculum. Her outstanding website covers a lot of different topics from money management to textiles and sewing to child care and family!
Teaching students about self-esteem is important at any age, but it’s super important to emphasize how critical it is to a child’s development. In this lesson I share some ideas and activities that help students understand what self-esteem is, the difference between positive and negative self-esteem, how it’s developed, why it’s important and who/what helps to influence it. So, read on to learn more about this lesson!
Hands down…teaching about literacy and all that it entails is one of my most favorite concepts to teach in child development! Maybe it’s my love of reading, my love of great children’s books or my love of seeing children engaged in reading great children’s books! Either way, it’s an engaging and fun unit to teach and share with my students. In the past I’ve shared many posts about literacy and reading to children, but I have never shared my lesson on evaluating children’s books. Read on to learn more about this lesson!
Until recently, I wasn’t aware that the parenting styles affected anything other than how children are treated in regard to following rules, handling misbehavior and discipline. Well, it turns out that parental feeding styles can also be applied to the way that eating patterns and habits are managed with children. This lesson incorporates this information and has students researching strategies to help children develop a healthy relationship with food. So, read on to learn more about how you can teach this concept and theory in your child development, parenting or nutrition classes.
I remember watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood on PBS when I was a child! I had no idea then that I would grow up and become a child development teacher, nor did I fully realize the influence and impact this man had on children’s programming, education and development! The following lesson is a tribute to this man and contains a variety of activities that can be used all together or completed individually depending on your time and classes. Even if you don’t use this lesson, I highly recommend watching the documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” if you grew up with Mister Rogers like I did!
Always wanted to do a breakout but didn’t have the locks or boxes to do so? Now, thanks to Sahvanna Mease and Mary Mullikin of Colorado, you can do just that using Google Forms! How cool is that…less prep, less expense, but just as fun! Even cooler, the same materials are used as in the original version of Human Reproduction & Anatomy Breakaway! Thank you for the adaptations, ladies!
After teaching about P.I.E.S: The Areas of Development, I move directly into the characteristics of development because they tend to go hand in hand. This concept seems to be a bit more difficult for my students to wrap their brains around, so to help them better understand, I have interactive stations set up throughout the room that they work through, completing activities that mirror each of the characteristics. Students must utilize their notes to help discern between the answers. Students enjoy completing the activities and after discussing correct responses and showing the connections, most students have an easier time with the practice scenarios that follow.
