Let Them Play!

Playing IS Learning.
Playing IS a child's work.
They are never too old to play.
Imagination and creativity are key!

Lots of times kids grow up too fast. They give up what people may call childish things way too soon. Time can fly. Time passes. Children need all the time they have to be children. They deserve to have the time to just be kids. It is their right. It serves them well into their adulthood.

Kids should not be forced to give up their toys and games once they reach a certain age. Toys can fuel their imagination. Games can foster their creativity.

Children should always have access to school and arts/crafts supplies. Different types of papers, markers, paints, glues, pens, pencils - and more! These are seemingly basic tools that give a child endless possibilities to express themselves. After all, art is life.

Another thing children should always have access to is a library. They need to be surrounded by books. Books of all types and genres. Books that will inspire them and ignite their inner desires. An unlimited supply where they get to choose what they want to read and when. Public libraries are amazing. All kids should have a public library card.

Of course children need responsibilities but they should never be expected to give up their childhood to rush into things that we have and need to be doing as adults. They have the rest of their lives to do these things. Lets teach our children not to rush time. Not to wish the days aways. Not to have the desire to grow up and be an adult. Childhood is short. It does not last long. We should value all the time we have with our children being little.

Children are not little adults. They are simply children. They still need to be respected and valued. Their voice needs to beard. They are not less but they are also not just little adults. We have to let that sink in. We should never underestimate children but allow them to soar beyond what we can ever imagine possible for them. We must supply the tools. They look up to us. Children need them but you know what? We need them too and many times more than they may need us. That is the truth.

Children value the time we spend with them. Let them know that we love them and not only by our words but more so by our actions.

So, get silly and have fun. Make new memories. Take lots of pics and enjoy life. Kids are our treasures, for sure.

xxoo,
Dany

Learning is in Everything...

Learning is in everything. It is important to let children have creative expression. It is up to us to tech children to love learning. Learning never ends. It is vital that children engage in everything they do with passion and excitement about what is to come. Hands on, Sensory, dramatic - ALL, EVERYTHING. Learning by Doing. Playing is a child's work. Playing is learning. Encourage it - everywhere.

Making. Learning. Fun.

I am dedicated and passionate about making learning fun. I wish for all children to develop a healthy, strong love for learning. My philosophy is - learning is best hands on and using all senses so children get the optimal experience.

Constructive Learning

Things have been going great at Loorducation. We have been very active. This past week we made many different sensory bags. We also used kinetic sand and cornstarch mixed with water for great sensory fun. These experiences went very well. After all the hand son activities, JJ wanted to play school. Without being prompted, he started to write spelling words and continued to write and draw. This was excellent. The sensory activities calmed him down and worked up his fine motor skills to prepare his hands for writing - willingly. I loved it, we went with it. We played school. He was the teacher. He even had to put his glasses on. He gave me a spelling test and corrected it with a star and happy face. He was so excited. This was great. He was really into it. He loves school and loves to learn. I am very blessed. His writing skills are coming along well. By giving him options and well needed breaks in between homework from the school week, he feels more secure and less pressured. Thus, causing him to be engaged and engrossed in spontaneous learning activities. Which, in turn, will gear him up and ready him for the next week of school academics. When children feel well, they will learn well. That is the bottom line. The well being comes first.



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PLAY

  Who wants to play? Young children want to play. Play is a child’s work. It is what they do. Play is what a child needs and desires for a healthy development. Playing is learning. Children are very tactile, that is how they learn and explore the world around them. Children are movers. They are sponges absorbing information from everyone and everywhere. In order for optimal learning to take place, a child must have the freedom to move about the learning environment using all of their five senses. Young children are very hands on, so giving them opportunities to express themselves in Kindergarten is ideal and beneficial for their growing minds. This is why a curriculum based on constructivism is necessary.

Constructivism is a philosophy of education that is based on experimental learning through real life experiences and hands on activities that will construct and condition knowledge. During the early years of school, children need to play and make sense of the world around them. It is desirable for children to be in an environment where the philosophy of education is aimed at the ultimate benefit of the child. An early math and literacy curriculum for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, where children are free to learn from hands on experiences is beneficial. Children are natural movers and explorers, and therefore it is only natural to prepare a curriculum for them that is based on their needs, desires and interests. The philosophy of constructivism is a solid foundation for productivity and growth in young children. A Constructive-play based curriculum encourages discovery, hands on, experimental and task based learning. A curriculum that is based on constructivism is something that children naturally depend on in order to succeed in their environment.

Play

            Who wants to play? Young children want to play. Play is a child’s work. It is what they do. Play is what a child needs and desires for a healthy development. Playing is learning. Children are very tactile, that is how they learn and explore the world around them. Children are movers. They are sponges absorbing information from everyone and everywhere. In order for optimal learning to take place, a child must have the freedom to move about the learning environment using all of their five senses. Young children are very hands on, so giving them opportunities to express themselves in Kindergarten is ideal and beneficial for their growing minds. This is why a curriculum based on constructivism is necessary.

Constructivism is a philosophy of education that is based on experimental learning through real life experiences and hands on activities that will construct and condition knowledge. During the early years of school, children need to play and make sense of the world around them. It is desirable for children to be in an environment where the philosophy of education is aimed at the ultimate benefit of the child. An early math and literacy curriculum for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, where children are free to learn from hands on experiences is beneficial. Children are natural movers and explorers, and therefore it is only natural to prepare a curriculum for them that is based on their needs, desires and interests. The philosophy of constructivism is a solid foundation for productivity and growth in young children. A Constructive-play based curriculum encourages discovery, hands on, experimental and task based learning. A curriculum that is based on constructivism is something that children naturally depend on in order to succeed in their environment.

Across the Web

Hello everyone, thank you for being a part of Loorducation. Lately I have been preparing for my state exams. Got one down : ). As well, I am always working on projects, activities, posts, updates and all things early childhood education. It is my passion. For a while now I have owned www.loorducation.com and have many ideas for the site. I just have to get it all organized. It is very exciting to think of all the wonderful possibilities. For now Loorducation is all across the web, of course in blog form. A big thing for us right now is www.facebook.com/loorducation. That is where I share my ideas, pics, activities and other things education related. I hope you all stop by and give my page a like and follow if you do not do so already and if you do, I ma hoping you can share with some friends. I also do a lot of autism advocacy and awareness/acceptance on my facebook page. What you see on that page is a part of what I intend Loorducation.com to be. A place where ideas can be shared. Facebook is a great tool to "get out there". The community I have continues to grow with more support all the time. I am excited that people are excited about what I have offered this past year on Loorducation, and still there is so much more to do and learn. About this wordpress blog in which I started because of an M.Ed. program requirement has become a forefront to share my son's autism journey and it has opened doors to help others. Yet, this is only the beginning. In order to spread awareness and enlightenment, I started www.loorducation.blogspot.com back in April. For the most part, I just copy and paste what is here, give it a different title or what have you. Sometimes I may add a unique touch. This was to branch out and gain a bigger audience, to spread my messages and share my passion. Loorducation is on www.instagram.com/loorducation where I use it as a virtual photo album to share experiences of teaching, learning and education. I like to call it education in pictures and i hope you can check it out. I take great pride and passion in creating my photos in which I take my self and edit them. They are all so special and mean a lot. They come from the heart and are captured in a natural state, no staging. Seeing my photos will give you a look into what I love to do and the outcomes of my work and journey. I have also used Flipboard to make some flip magazines for Loorducation. It was something fun and I used it as another tool on the web to get the name Loorducation out there and to learn differnt ways in which i may present my craft. Let's not forget about www.twitter.com/loorducation. It is a positive community where you never know who you are going to meet and inspire or who may inspire you. I have www.facebook.com/loorducation posts automatically connected to it, so whatever I post on FB will go right there. A great, faster, effective way to get your message and voice out there. There are many things to learn and a good thing to be a part of too. On www.pinterest.com/loorducation, you can see some things that are of my interest, pics of things I love and care about, arts and crafts, etc. I use it sparingly until I have some created some more products and/or activities to share. For a project, when I was in grad school, I have created www.constructivekinder.weebly.com
I invite you to check it out and take a look around all of the different pages that I have put together. It will give you an idea and show you what my pedagogy is.
I appreciate you for reading and being a part of this wonderful journey. Hope you all keep in touch and spread the word. Bigger things to come in the near future. Thank you for your time and I hope you come back and check out all things that Loorducation has to offer around the web.
www.loorducation.wordpress.com

Yours Truly,
Dany
www.facebook.com/danielle.loor
Danielle Loor - BSCS M.Ed.

My Boy: Part 45

Jorge Juan had karate class today and he just was not into it. He did all of his high kicks and did his jogging around the mat but each time he kicked, he would fall down, on purpose and crawl to the back of the line. Waiting in line for his turn, Jorge would zone out, stare into space and do a little flapping of the hands, jumping in place and other ASD type movements. Overall, class went okay and he got his tiny lollipop at the end, but he just was not focused. He slept well and all. He still enjoys going to karate but I am guessing it is like when we were younger and would kind of waste a day in class or at school because we were day dreaming and could not remember most of the day.

He was very happy today because we went to my sister's house today for lunch. She has a dog and Jorge loves to play with him. Actually he loves all animals and is very loving but was very excited to play with Buddy because he gets to run around and chase him unlike George and Zebra, his guinea pigs.

Jorge is becoming more independent. Tonight at bath time, he was washing his body and his hair. I want him to always know that he is capable of doing anything he sets his ind to. Of course I want him to learn important life skills that he is able to do on his own. He has come a long way and is coping very well. He puts on and takes off his own socks and shoes, only sometimes needing help. He can basically dress himself now. He feels good being able to do so too. That is important for children. They need to feel that they are contributors to this world.

Jorge Juan continues to take his vitamin and fish oil, in which he does not object to. He says he is growing stronger and turning into a teenager, as he shows off his muscles.He is getting better with his eating but one day I want to visit him in school during lunch time to see how he eats and interacts. Mostly I want to make sure he is not rushing, wasting food or things of that nature. He has been doing well with homework and I am so grateful that he enjoys school and creating projects. His writing and fine motor skills have advanced and he can cut very well now. He has been reading a lot this past week and is getting excited for Valentine's Day!!

 

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