By Alli Zomer These days it is hard to escape the flood of political news all around us. And unfortunately, it can often feel chaotic and divisive. But what if we acknowledged this moment in time not by thinking about politics, but by thinking about democracy?...
Every child is, by nature, an intellectual being--a curious, sense-making person, who is continuously seeking to understand his or her physical and social environments. ...
by Angie Williams We’ve relied on the wisdom of Fred Rogers quite a bit in recent months, and it seems we aren’t quite done with it yet. It is hard to be a human right now. We are in the midst of very stressful times; we...
by Alli Zomer A typical morning at our house: we load up the bags, head out to the car, forget a bag, rush back inside, then finally settle into the car heading to school. Just about the time we back out of the driveway, the debate...
by Angie Williams The entrance of a new year is a natural time to reflect on our lives and our hopes for the future—both individually and collectively. One of my desires for my family is that we can look for ways to build community in a...
by Angie Williams I grew up watching Mister Rogers. Perhaps some of you did, too. But I have not reflected on the lessons of his television show until recently. Ahead of the movie, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, there have been several excellent profiles about the...
by Angie Williams Last month I had the opportunity to attend a community meeting at which two high school students provided opening statements. I was impressed by their confidence in front of a large group of adults as well as the articulate ways they expressed themselves....
DeeAnn Besch, VP of Operations Alli Zomer, Director of Operations For several decades, Especially for Children has used The Creative Curriculum® as the foundation of our early childhood programs. The Creative Curriculum® is a play-based learning curriculum that focuses on interest areas and fosters creativity in both...
Angie Williams, Director of Marketing and Finance As I approach a milestone birthday this fall, I have a greater awareness of the changes that come with the middle-age stage of life. Recovering from long runs takes more time than it did a decade ago, and there...
Alli Zomer, Director of Operations In the world of early childhood, one gets used to clever wordplay when it comes to books and resources: The ABC’s of Love, Eye See You, or 1-2-3 Magic. But when I recently picked up the book The First R: How...
My late uncle loved to tinker. At his beloved cabin you would most often find him in the garage amongst his tools, trying to figure out (often with success) how to repair any number of broken items: lawn chairs, doorknobs, kitchen utensils, and more. While...
“A person who grows up getting too frequent rewards will not have persistence, because they’ll quit when the rewards disappear.” Dr. Robert Cloninger, Center for Well-Being --- Happily, it is now the season for pulling out bikes and scooters; heading to the park, field, or playground to play;...
Last week as my husband and I were preparing dinner, our 6-year-old brought me her latest artistic creation. It was a baby momento that she had discovered in the scrapbook paper box and colored on. I was upset and disappointed, and my response to her...
Sundays are cooking days at our house. My husband loves to use the weekend as an excuse to simmer, roast or slow cook. With weeknight mealtimes often feeling a bit chaotic (serious understatement), we both relish the opportunity to slow down a bit. And mostly...