Berardi Family Childcare

Watching Ravens, Contemplating Clouds, and Picking Dandelions IS Education National Park Service Ravens are found pretty much everywhere. Their "success" has to do with their intelligence and adaptab...

Intellectual goals vs academic goals. This is what so many don’t understand or just ignore.

"Selected Standards from the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics Grades K-3: My Reasons for Not Supporting Them" by Dr. Constance Kamii

https://dey.org/publication/constance-kamiis-critical-look-at-the-k-3-common-core-state-standards-for-math/

Always worth a reshare!

Amen. Rushing childhood is one of the biggest causes of anxiety and depression. Pushing older skills on to younger and younger children does NOT improve academic performance. Studies show that, by the time of fourth grade, children who have spent their early years (before age 6) playing, particularly outdoors in a quality environment, surpass their peers academically.

MOVEMENT: ONE OF THE GREATEST DRIVERS OF DEVELOPMENT

Movement is far more than exercise or physical activity. It is one of the primary ways young children build their brains, bodies, and understanding of the world.

Research has consistently found that movement supports:

• Brain development and neuroplasticity
Physical activity contributes to changes in brain structure and function that support learning, memory, and cognition.
(Hillman et al., 2008)

• Executive functioning
Children who engage in regular physical activity often demonstrate stronger working memory, inhibitory control, attention, and cognitive flexibility.
(Best, 2010; Donnelly et al., 2016)

• Learning and academic success
Movement and motor development are associated with school readiness, language development, cognitive performance, and later academic achievement.
(Diamond, 2000; Cameron et al., 2012)

• Emotional well-being and mental health
Physical activity has been linked to improved mood, stress regulation, and overall mental health outcomes in children.
(Biddle & Asare, 2011)

• Healthy sensory development
Movement helps organize and strengthen sensory systems responsible for balance, body awareness, coordination, and attention.
(Schaaf & Mailloux, 2015)

• Physical health and lifelong wellness
Regular movement supports cardiovascular health, bone development, motor competence, and overall physical well-being.
(World Health Organization, 2019)

One of the most important findings from developmental science is that cognitive, physical, social-emotional, and sensory development do not occur in isolation. They are deeply interconnected.

When children climb, crawl, run, jump, spin, balance, carry, push, pull, roll, and explore, they are simultaneously developing the skills that support learning, regulation, problem-solving, confidence, and health.

Movement is not a break from development. Movement is one of the primary engines that drives it.

Process vs. Product 💖