Congregation Beth Shalom Early Childhood Center

04/17/2025

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🎨Jessie Willcox Smith

04/02/2025

Children are wired for play, yet we keep pushing early academics instead. What if giving kids a strong foundation has less to do with when they start school—and more to do with how they spend those early years? What if research supports this?

A major study of Tennessee’s state-funded pre-K program found that by third grade, children who attended were performing worse academically and behaviorally than their peers who didn’t enroll. Short-term gains in kindergarten disappeared, and in some cases, turned into setbacks.

Meanwhile, in Finland—where formal academics don’t begin until age 7—students consistently outperform U.S. students in reading, math, and problem-solving. Finnish early childhood education prioritizes play, exploration, and social-emotional development, rather than early instruction, and the long-term outcomes speak for themselves.

The problem isn’t just when children start school—it’s how they spend those early years. Early childhood isn’t just preparation for “real” learning. It is learning. And the best foundation isn’t rigid instruction and early academics—it’s play.

Lipsey, Farran, & Durkin (2018) – A study on Tennessee’s state-funded pre-K found that by third grade, children who attended performed worse academically and behaviorally than their peers who didn’t enroll. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.07.002

Sahlberg (2015) – Research on Finland’s education system shows that delaying formal academics until age 7, with a focus on play and social-emotional development, leads to stronger long-term learning outcomes. Finnish Lessons 2.0.

03/03/2025

02/05/2025

❄️ Weather Alert: Two-Hour Delay & Remote Learning Today (Feb. 5) ❄️

Due to snow and hazardous road conditions, all Seattle Public Schools will be in remote instruction today with a two-hour delayed start. There will be no in-person instruction, and no preschool and Head Start.

What to expect:
✅ Students should check for instructions from their teachers.
✅ Make sure SPS devices are ready for learning.
🚫 All morning/afternoon activities and athletic events are canceled.

Stay safe and visit www.seattleschools.org for more information and updates!

01/31/2025

When Your Child's Anger Triggers You

"When my child shouts at me, it really pushes my buttons. I just can't help it. I always end up shouting back, or worse."

Many parents tell me that when their child gets defiant, they "can't help" losing their tempers. And yes, your child will definitely figure out how to push every button you have.

But if we can't stay calm when we feel provoked, how can we expect our children to do so? After all, their brains are still developing. We're supposed to be the role models.

When you live with children, you can expect childish behavior. It's our job to calm the storm, not escalate it into a tsunami.

Research shows that children and teens who are routinely yelled at are more likely to develop depression, anxiety and behavior problems, including physical aggression. Maybe you were yelled at and came out okay, but what would your life look like if you had zero self-esteem issues, zero tendency to anxiety or depression? Breaking the cycle of yelling is a huge gift to your child.

And, since your child will learn compassion and patience from you, it's also a gift to your grandchildren.

Here's how you can model self-regulation and emotional intelligence instead of drama and tantrums, even when emotions get hot.

1. When you first notice your temperature rising, use your Pause Button.
Your Pause Button is "Stop, Drop (whatever your agenda is at that moment, just until you're calmer) and Breathe!" Remind yourself that it isn't an emergency. You can't avoid getting triggered, at least sometimes. But you can train yourself to notice when you're losing it, and to step away from the heat.

👉 Continue reading: https://www.peacefulparenthappykids.com/read/angry-child-triggers-parent-control-self

01/31/2025

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2jds7nY/

1.6M followers, 481.8K likes, 11K comments

12/04/2024

YES. THIS. 100%!

This is so often misunderstood. Thank you for this message, Hand in Hand Parenting!

11/04/2022

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-education-open-house-tickets-444864691267

09/24/2022

09/24/2022

Shana Tovah!