Hutchinson Community College - Early Childhood Education Program

04/10/2026

02/18/2026

02/15/2026

We are worrying about the wrong thing when it comes to “kindergarten readiness.”

Many adults are concerned with whether a child can read, write, and meet "academic expectations" by the time kindergarten begins. Those questions feel responsible. They are also incomplete.

The more important question is this: Am I willing to compromise my child’s ability to regulate, attend, and remain emotionally available for learning in exchange for early academic exposure that research shows does not improve (and can undermine) long-term outcomes?

Kindergarten has shifted from a developmental bridge to an academically intensified environment. Increased sitting, constant direction-following, early benchmarks, and reduced play are now treated as normal. Developmentally, they are not.

Self-regulation, attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility are still wiring in early childhood. These systems develop through movement, play, autonomy, and co-regulation—not through pressure or performance demands.

When academics are pushed before these systems are ready, stress increases, regulation stays external, and learning becomes fragile. Any early gains fade, while the long-term costs show up as disengagement, weaker executive functioning, and poorer academic persistence.

This is why research on delayed kindergarten entry consistently finds stronger self-regulation, attention, and emotional readiness for learning. Not because children missed academics, but because their brains were given time to build the foundation learning depends on.

In our upcoming webinar, How Early Academics Backfire, we break down the research, the brain science, and what actually supports long-term learning—without sacrificing development.

📅 Wednesday, Feb. 25 (12:00 PM EST)
🎥 Free recording sent to all registrants

FREE REGISTRATION: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__wzssxv6SzyAmv_YFdOQ6w #/registration

WITH CERTIFICATION: weskoolhouse.com/store-webinars

02/07/2026

The Gruffalo books are some of my favorites!

Is anyone else as excited as me? Over 20 years on from the original release - Julia Donaldson reveals new character and title for third Gruffalo book.

Gruffalo Granny - the third in the popular series about the fictional monster and his family and friends - will be released in hardback and audio book on 10 September.

The only line from the book which is known so far is:
“The Gruffalo said to his daughter one day, ‘Your Gruffalo granny is coming to stay.’”

Available now for preorder

https://amzn.to/4qzzxZq [ad]

02/06/2026

What do you see when a child is at play? Running, building, creating, pretending, these are the moments that catch our eye. But just beneath the surface, something much deeper is happening.

Play is where children develop adaptability, confidence, and problem-solving skills. It’s where they learn to navigate risk, build friendships, and trust their own ideas. It’s where their brains and bodies work together, shaping the skills they’ll carry for life.

The next time you watch a child play, remember, what’s visible is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much happening underneath!

02/01/2026

02/01/2026

It matters.
It always will.💛

01/31/2026

One of the hardest things for adults to do is nothing.

We see children struggle, collide, argue, or get frustrated, and our instinct is to jump in right away. But the truth is, children need those exact moments. They need the chance to wrestle with frustration, to feel the sting of conflict, to test their strength and balance, and to work through big emotions without an adult smoothing the way every time.

This chart is not just about knowing when to step in. It is a reminder to pause first.

Most of the time, there is no need for immediate intervention. If a child is safe, your silence and presence are often the most powerful tools. Every time we snowplow through the challenge or mediate conflict at the first sign of tension, we rob them of the practice that wires their brain for self-regulation, resilience, and problem-solving.

Children cannot build frustration tolerance if we never let them feel frustration. They cannot develop conflict resolution skills if we swoop in before they have a chance to try. They cannot grow confidence if we rescue them from every risk or setback. And we cannot follow them into adulthood putting out every fire they face, nor should we. That path creates fragile children who grow into fragile adults.

The role of an adult is not to eliminate every struggle but to allow the normal, healthy ones to unfold. It is in these micro-moments of struggle that the hardwiring for resilience, problem-solving, confidence, and persistence takes root. When we step aside and allow children to sit with challenge, we give them the greatest gift of all: the belief that they can handle it.