Play has a very vital role in the normal development of animals and humans. This lesson was brought home in a myriad of ways in the book, “Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul” by Brown, S.L. & Vaughan, C.C., (2010), NY, NY; The Penguin Group. Here are some of the salient points from their book about the importance of play in our lives; it just may make you want to drop the work you’re doing and run outside and play! Have you ever hea

Recently I listened to a webcast presented by Dr. Victoria Molfese, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Interim Associate Dean for Research, Chancellor Professor and Co-Director of Early Development and Learning Lab on the research she and others have been conducting for about forty years on how children develop the ability to read. She joked that even though they have been studying this for forty years they still don’t know the answer; she said they are getting close but they st

This week a local parenting home visiting program invited me to present a short program on feeding infants and toddlers to a group of teen parents. The topics requested included“picky” eaters and family meal times. I was asked to keep the program short and to the point. I decided to turn to a trusted resource for feeding young children. I first became aware of Ellen Satter’s work through my involvement in the Head Start Programs years ago. What I like about her research,

It’s time to start thinking about getting your family ready to go back to school. As time allows in the next weeks before school, there are things we can do to make the transition easier for adults and children. Below are some strategies from Nebraska’s Department of Education in response to families commonly asked questions about preparing for, and entering kindergarten. Separation Anxiety If you have a young child entering kindergarten, even if they have attended preschool