Helping Kids Understand Symbols
Symbols are all around us, but sometimes they can be hard to understand. We need to know something about their cultural…
MorePosts tagged: Language
Helping Young Children Connect Actions with Consequences
As preschoolers, my kids love playing with story blocks. Our set consisted of wooden tiles depicting various…
MoreCommunity-Building
School buses are back on the streets and pumpkin spice lattes have returned to coffee shops. Children’s backpacks are…
MoreExploring Diversity & Community with Luli and the Language of Tea
Children from several nations gather in a playroom while their parents learn English as a Second Language next door.…
MoreCharacter Rocks
I keep a small stone on my desk with the word ‘breathe’ painted on it. It’s a reminder to slow down, find my…
MoreLanguage that Builds Community
“This is a story for Amelia,“ announced the adult leading storytime. “It’s a story for Marcus, and a story for…
MoreStarters That Support Well-Being
“Can’t I just be 10 minutes late?” pleaded my daughter. We were driving to her Brownie troop meeting and I could…
MoreBeing Antiracist with Kids
As a white researcher and teacher, I know I am susceptible to implicit bias. Even though I am committed to antiracism,…
MoreCueing Spiritual Language
When my son was learning about lower case letters, he got into an argument with his preschool teacher about the letter…
MorePlease Don’t Praise the Kids
“You’re so smart!” These three words come easily to mind when children do or say something that demonstrates…
MoreEmoji Spirituality
Kids love emojis. As fun visual substitutes for words, they help children share how they’re feeling and communicate…
MoreBeing Gender Inclusive
I started transgressing gender norms with my children when they were babies. I dressed them in colors and styles…
MoreWhy Children Confuse God with Santa
Santa is everywhere these days. Well before Thanksgiving, store displays and commercials were selling products in his…
MoreHelping Kids Appreciate Facts
What is a fact? One basic definition is that facts are things that we know to be true because of experience,…
MoreAvoiding Seductive Details
Drawing children into learning activities can sometimes feel like Sisyphus rolling an immense boulder uphill. Just when…
MoreDeveloping Spiritual Persistence
I am often so excited when I begin a new spiritual practice, I expect to see immediate benefits. In my enthusiasm, I…
MoreWays to Check Understanding
A common way to check whether children have understood something is to give a test. But even in schools, teachers are…
MoreLearning to Forgive
Sibling squabbles were a daily part of life when my children were preschoolers. They erupted when one child would steal…
MoreLetting Go of the ‘Main Point’
It’s often the first thing a teacher or group facilitator looks for in a lesson plan: a line near the top that…
MoreCollective Spiritual Conversations
Often our interactions with children center around questions like “What did you learn? Or “How did that happen?”…
MoreHow Labels Undermine Spiritual Identity
“Where are all my helpers? It’s time to clean up our room for storytime.” Many adults use the title 'helper'…
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