As an early childhood professional, I think we all ask ourselves: what do children really need at school? What do children want at school? Some would argue with need and want, saying they can’t be the same thing, but they are the same. As I was teaching and saw different teaching styles and the way classrooms were run, I learned a lot about what I wanted and needed to do because of what my students needed and...

In this article, we will reflect on popular interest areas and or centers in the early childhood classroom. It is important to do this because oftentimes, teachers are accused of only having children play. We must ensure that parents understand that play is a child’s vehicle for learning...

When you walk into an early childhood classroom, what do you expect to see? Teachers, administrators, staff, and educational expects probably expect to see something different than parents, children, or community members. Teachers are usually taught in school what is appropriate and needed to have a warm, welcoming, and appropriate environment for each age level. Therefore, hours of thought are put into how their...

When I started teaching, I knew centers were an important part of an early childhood classroom. I knew we learned about them in college, and I had seen them set up in different environments that I had observed. I didn’t fully understand centers and why they were necessary until the second week of school, my very first year...