Self’s Family Child Care - Lisa Self

09/11/2026

Summer days coming to an end soon (I hope!)
Excited for sunny Fall weather and days! 🍂☀️

09/06/2026

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A child can chant the alphabet without understanding that letters represent sounds. They can count to twenty without understanding quantity. They can name a triangle without recognizing one when it is rotated or embedded within another
Young children develop those abilities through meaningful experiences: discovering cause and effect, comparing quantities, building and redesigning, negotiating with others, solving problems, and engaging in pretend play.

These experiences strengthen working memory, cognitive flexibility, impulse control, planning, language, spatial reasoning, creativity, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.

That is the difference between recognizing an answer and being able to think.
We should celebrate what children know. But we must stop confusing rehearsed performance with superior intelligence or accelerated development.

A toddler reciting letters, numbers, colors, or shapes may be demonstrating memory and exposure. That is a skill. But it is not a reliable measure of intelligence, nor does it necessarily demonstrate genuine understanding.

A child can chant the alphabet without understanding that letters represent sounds. They can count to twenty without understanding quantity. They can name a triangle without recognizing one when it is rotated or embedded within another shape.

Recitation tells us what a child can repeat. Deeper learning is revealed through what they can understand, apply, connect, question, create, and transfer to a new situation.

Young children develop those abilities through meaningful experiences: discovering cause and effect, comparing quantities, building and redesigning, negotiating with others, solving problems, and engaging in pretend play.

These experiences strengthen working memory, cognitive flexibility, impulse control, planning, language, spatial reasoning, creativity, emotional regulation, and problem-solving.

That is the difference between recognizing an answer and being able to think.

Rote drills are persuasive because they produce fast, visible results. We can hear the alphabet, count the numbers, post the performance, and call it “advanced.” Meanwhile, some of the most consequential development happening in early childhood is far less performative and much harder to display.

- You cannot photograph cognitive flexibility.
- You cannot hang self-regulation on the wall.
- You cannot ask a child to recite curiosity.
- You cannot reduce imagination, reasoning, or resilience to a flashcard.

We should celebrate what children know. But we must stop confusing rehearsed performance with superior intelligence or accelerated development.

The goal is not to create toddlers who can produce impressive answers on command. It is to protect the conditions that help children become thoughtful, capable, curious human beings who know what to do when the answer has not already been given to them.

08/15/2026

We went out to play early this morning to try and beat the heat today. After a couple of story books and finger plays, they were ready to sit down and paint pictures of their families. It was strange not having the chatter of the 3 kiddos that moved on to PreK!

08/07/2026

Happy small group. They didn’t mind skipping outdoors today, because of the rain to get extra play-dough time. The 2 girls are going to be pros at rolling out and cutting homemade egg noodles by winter, lol.

07/24/2026

It’s getting that time of year again. Some of my kiddos are growing up and going to school. I’m going to miss seeing her and her family every week. Funny lil” photo bomber in background on the slide. ♥️🤣

07/15/2026

Smaller group this week, then nice morning weather today has had us out early for a walk, painting, making playdough creations and back outside to play and explore all the places Rolly Polly’s travel. 🐞🐛🐜

07/09/2026

We love water play days.

06/21/2026

You can't skip the foundation and expect the structure to stand.

Play, movement, relationships, and exploration aren't distractions from learning. They're the experiences that build the brain, body, and skills that make later learning (including academics) possible.

That sequence is not optional. It's not outdated. And it's not negotiable.

Please trust the process (and beauty) of development.

04/15/2026

Just children enjoying what they do best. ♥️
🛝🧸🚲🏃‍♀️🖍️🍼

04/07/2026

Sweet girl loves the wishing flowers. ☀️🌿🌼