Call to Action
Is Your Preschooler Playing Enough at School?
by Rae Pica
March 4, 2009
There are so many choices in preschools today, it's no wonder that parents are overwhelmed when making decisions about where to send their children.
In brief, the preschool you choose should be one that respects children’s intellectual, social/emotional, and physical needs. This describes a traditional, play-based preschool, as opposed to the academic-oriented education being touted – and sought after – in today’s superkid climate. So, when you visit ...
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Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist and the author of A Running Start: How Play, Physical Activity, and Free Time Create a Successful Child (Da Capo Press, 2006) and Great Games for Young Children (Gryphon House, 2006). She has shared her expertise with such clients as the Sesame Street Research Department, the Centers for Disease Control, Gymboree Play & Music, and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness & Sports. She is also co-creator and host of "Body, Mind and Child," a radio program in which she interviews experts in the fields of early childhood education, child development, the neurosciences, and more. Listen at www.bodymindandchild.com.
Column Archive
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Cabin Fever Cures
by Rae Pica
February 25, 2009, 12:00 amIs it way too cold or snowy to go outside? Cabin fever getting to you and the kids? Here are a couple of indoor games siblings, or children invited for a play date, can enjoy in the house. The problem solving involved in each game should mean that they'll stay occupied for a while! Read More
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Back to the Great Outdoors
by Rae Pica
February 18, 2009, 12:00 amWe need to consider that young children learn much through their senses, and the outdoors is a virtual wonderland for the senses. There are different and incredible things for the children to see (insects, clouds, and shadows), to hear (traffic sounds, birdsongs, leaves rustling in the wind), to smell (flowers and the rain-soaked ground), to touch (a fuzzy caterpillar or the bark of a tree), and even to taste (newly fallen snow, a raindrop, or a freshly picked blueberry). Read More
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Bullying on the Playground
by Rae Pica
February 10, 2009, 7:19 pmBesides lack of time, the reason most often given by school administrators for revoking recess is that there's too much bullying or bad behavior taking place on the playground during recess. Well, that may be so. But is eliminating recess the solution to the problem? If we were to follow the same logic, we would likewise eliminate math or language arts if students were failing in those topics. Read More
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Listen Up!
by Rae Pica
January 28, 2009, 12:00 amListening well is essential for learning to speak and read skillfully. In fact, Jeanne Muchado, in her textbook Early Childhood Experiences in Language Arts, contends that many children who have difficulty learning to read can't hear the sequences of sounds in words. With that in mind, here are two activities that promote auditory discrimination (the ability to distinguish among sounds) and auditory sequential memory (the ability to hear and recall a series of words, sounds, or instructions). Read More
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Your Words and Actions Matter
by Rae Pica
January 21, 2009, 12:00 amIn my last column, "Lead by Example," I talked about how important it is for you to be a positive role model where physical activity is concerned. I'd like to expand on that here. To put it bluntly: If you want your child to move, you've got to get moving, too. Read More
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Lead by Example
by Rae Pica
January 14, 2009, 12:00 amThere's no doubt about it. If you want to prepare your child for a lifetime of physical activity, it has to start now, while your child is very young. And the most important thing you can do toward that goal is to lead the way by being a role model. As confirmed by research, your influence is considerable. Sometimes it will take the form of words, other times action. But in either case you've got to keep it positive! Read More
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Resolve to Stay Active Through the Winter
by Rae Pica
January 7, 2009, 12:00 amI'm very big on goals and resolutions, and one of the resolutions I love to see families make and keep is to be more physically active. Here are some ideas to keep your family fit during the winter months. Read More
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Getting Exercise Indoors
by Rae Pica
December 31, 2008, 12:00 amBeing outside, cold or not, is beneficial to kids in more ways than I can count. Still, there will be days when, for one reason or another, going outside isn't possible. Does that mean your and your children should turn into couch potatoes? Absolutely not! Read More
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The Hall of Shame
by Rae Pica
December 24, 2008, 12:00 amIs fun reason enough to play games? Sure. But parents can also choose games not only because they're fun, but also because they have something to teach. We may not initially think of games in terms of learning for children, but children learn from all their experiences. Read More
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What's a Parent to Do?
by Rae Pica
December 17, 2008, 12:00 amLast week I wrote about a fitness lifestyle and how important it is that moving be just as much a habit as brushing teeth and bathing. Here are some additional suggestions for how you can promote your child's, and your family's, fitness. Read More
