Meghan Cahill's Learning Page

01/24/2022

Hi Everyone- thanks so much for following my learning page! I made this page in efforts to help families with learning at home during the pandemic. Being that we (in Colorado) have been in person learning this year, my main focus has been meeting my students needs and teaching to my best potential - while the responsibilities change often due to COVId. This means- I needed to step back from social media and make sure that my priority was my classroom, my students and our Stone Creek community. With this- I am going to keep my learning page active- however, there will not be much new content. Thanks for your understanding and I wish you all well ❤️.

Please feel free to PM me directly on any questions you may have. I am always happy to help in any of these areas (and more): Social & Emotional Development, early literacy, behavior management, kindergarten readiness, letter and number formation (handwriting & fine motor), ideas for activities/ crafts/ projects, open ended learning, the importance of play- the list goes on! I’m here for ya 🙂

09/22/2021

Check this out!! I am currently furthering my education and enrolled in this amazing program offered through CU Boulder- Cultivating Compassion and Dignity in Ourselves and in our Classrooms. I’ve really loved what I have learned so far and truly believe that what this program is trying to provide to others will make this world a better place.

This is a FREE conversation on cultivating compassion and dignity in our schools, with some pretty incredible humans- all you have to do is register :)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has spoken for many years about the importance of educating the heart. For educators and young people, this message has never been more important. Today, young people carry both tremendous stress and incredible capacity for agency and action. Hence, there’s a need for c...

05/09/2021

Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mama’s out there. I’m not a mother, but I do know it is one of the most challenging jobs out there. Today I am reflecting on all of the Moms I get to work with, the mothers of my students, all the Moms who have played a role in my own life, and all my friends/family members who have become beautiful mothers. I am so thankful for you and the love you give to your little ones ❤️

03/31/2021

That quote- “if everything is your priority, nothing is your priority,” rings true this year. I am sorry I haven’t been able to keep this page as updated as I would have liked to. My main focus has been on my classroom and students as well as my continued education, and that has been my priority. I have missed posting and sharing all of the things I deeply care about in education, to others. SO here I am and ready to dive back in.

Let’s talk social/emotional development. Here is a photo of our feelings chart in our classroom. Many times, children are unable to verbally articulate what they are feeling, and what they need to help them in that moment. This chart has worked so well for us. The child can pick the correct emotion picture that belongs with their current feeling/mood. After, they can clip which tool will help them- water, snack, space, a book etc. This helps me better understand how they are feeling and how I can help them, without them having to find the words to explain themselves. Once they are calm- we usually talk it out more 🙂. There are many resources online- please PM me if you would like to hear more on where to find emotional regulation charts such as this one.

12/03/2020

I wanted to pass along this resource from Early Childhood Partners (See attached). They offer free classes for parents with children ages birth-8. I thought this might be helpful for any parents who could use some extra support at home. They offer free consultations and are a wealth of knowledge for any parents who might be interested.

Side note- there is no shame in needing extra support at home, we could all use some extra support these days ❤️.

11/07/2020

Multi-sensory learning!! We worked on spelling sight words correctly in shaving cream. You can also to do this with letter sounds and names, numbers, CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words and sounding words out.

10/30/2020

All you need is glue, broken peeled crayons and a hairdryer. Careful- the wax does splatter everywhere so be sure to have paper covering anything important. These turn out so neat every year and the kids love it!

10/09/2020

It is so important find the “right fit,” books for your children to begin reading. Many of the books labeled at the book store as “level 1,” are simply too challenging for beginner readers. I love Bob Books because they are disgned to teach reading skills with a foundation on phonics methods, and each level adressses a single stage (accurately) in a child’s reading development. Bob books are filled with the most frequently used sight words that we study in kindergarten and first grade. They also include many predictable and easy to decode CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words such as hat, cat, mit, mop etc. Bob books are developmentally appropriate books for early readers. I always recommend that when you read with your little ones- allow them to pick one story for you to read to them, and encourage them to also pick one Bob book (or a book that is a right fit for them) to try to read to you on their own. Other great early readers include: Eleplant & Piggie books, scholastic leveled readers, Eric Carle books, sight word books.

10/05/2020

More fall projects! Watch the read aloud story of “Leaf Man,” by Lois Ehlert: https://youtu.be/bqW-j3WV6g8
Or rent the book from your local library- most libraries are still open, you just have to request the book and pick it up 😊.

Collect beautiful fall leaves. Make your own creations just like the story. These turned out so cute!

10/01/2020

I have not been posting a ton on here because I have been so busy- teaching both online and in person takes up time 🙂. Anyways- here are some super easy and really fun fall projects. This one is so easy! You just use packaging tape- go on a nature hike and fill a bag up with special things that you found outside. Then place them on the sticky side of tape and place another piece of tape on top. These made for adorable book marks that last!