Teaching colors and shapes may seem simple, but it lays the foundation for so many essential skills in a child's development. From boosting vocabulary to strengthening pre-reading and math abilities, learning colors and shapes is an exciting first step for young minds. In this blog post and podcast episode, we'll dive into the "why" and "how" of ...
Teachable Moments
Play-Based Learning Made Easy for Busy Parents
Oh, the mom guilt. Social media is flooded with posts that invite the enemy to sit beside us, whispering, "You're not enough. You're not doing enough." I witnessed this several years ago when my son's doctor, a mom herself, showed defeat in her eyes when talking to my son. She felt like she was failing her own children. I invite you to read this ...
Simple Ways to Encourage Kindness in Your Kids
When my kids were young, we spent a lot of time in the car waiting for various activities to begin or end. Instead of turning on screens, I kept a classic or award-winning chapter book or a Bible in the car to read. One was The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. This very interesting story is about a china rabbit named Edward ...
How to Help Children Overcome Fear
This post contains affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase the item, I may receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). "When God made you, He gave you feelings." How does that sentence resonate with you? Perhaps you wish your preschooler would have fewer feelings, or you find yourself wishing your teenager ...
Teaching Children How to Apply the Bible
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." This verse encapsulates my prayer for my children to not only know God's Word but also to apply it in every situation they encounter, thus ...
Green Eggs and Ham: How to Go Beyond the Storybook
My children enjoyed reading the story Green Eggs and Ham. This picture book is referenced in movies, sitcoms, jokes, and general conversations because of its classic story line. Many can quote sections of this book, including the little rhyme: I do not like green eggs and ham.I do not like them, Sam-I-am. Prior to our 11-year ...
Redefining Parenthood: Focusing on Purpose, Not Just Character
I love asking parents, "What do you desire for your child?" I frequently hear words like happiness, generosity, and courage. Thinking about these responses, I find this quote from my pastor so interesting. "One of the things that hinders us from living courageously is a lack of purpose and calling." I would wager that happiness and ...
How to Teach a Child about Sadness
Teaching children about emotions is an important part of preschool and elementary learning; thus, it is a large part of the ABCJesusLovesMe Preschool Curriculum. While emotions, like joy and excitement, are fun to teach, covering a negative-feeling emotion like sadness can be intimidating. But by naming the emotion and talking about the feelings ...
9 Ideas to Turn Halloween Candy into Teachable Moments
Opening the pantry I was welcomed by the delicious aroma of candy my kiddos collected at our church's Fall Festival. While I love the yummy smells, enough candy and sugar greet me to start a small candy store. The do-not-waste-anything mentality inside of me won't let me throw it away. But I don't want my kids eating all of it. ...
How to Use the 4 Year Curriculum
Discover more in this series on Intentional Learning with the ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum1. Combining the 1 and 3 Year Curricula2. How to Use the 5 Year Curriculum3. How to Use the 3 Year Curriculum in a Preschool4. Intentional Learning with the 2 Year Curriculum So far we've looked at ideas to be intentional with the 1, 2, 3, and 5 Year ...