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A children’s sandbox is one of the best activity centers you can give to a child and is a great tool for home education. Sandboxes can provide infinite possibilities for your child’s imagination. The sand offers a landscape for your child to explore anyone of their little interests, be it dinosaurs or animals, trucks, transformers, bugs or sea creatures you name it. The sandbox is also a magnificent tool for early childhood education. They are ideal for backyards, daycare centers and provide a landscape for dozens of kindergarten games.

Children need little encouragement to get their imaginations rolling, but there are some things as parents we can do to help them have even more fun. Besides the obvious necessary toys in the sandbox, such as toy buckets, shovels, rakes etc. try letting them play with other toys such as their little rubber dinosaurs, or their toy kitchen stuff. One fun idea is to fill a small bucket with water and then burry it right up to the rim and let the kids pretend it’s a pond or a sink even a great ocean or pit of lava. Another fun thing to do is to create a game such as find the treasure, where one kid turns around while the other hides the treasure then acting as an angry pirate the other kid tries to find the lost treasure. Perhaps you can watch a video on archeology then go outside and carefully unveil some ancient pottery from the sandbox using small shovels and paintbrushes.

A Children’s Sandbox can be instrumental in early childhood development. It offers them an environment in which they are in control. Acting as king of the castle, Salton of the Sandbox or a powerful digger or whatever they play they control the environment and their characters. This is one place in their world where even mommy and daddy do what they say. Its important for a kids early childhood development to experience several types of interaction during play. That is, playing by their self, playing with an adult and playing with other children.

 When a child plays by their self they stretch their imagination greatly, creating characters, story lines, voices, and entire worlds that can appear out of nowhere and can just as easily be destroyed by the very wave of their little magic all powerful hand. This free play gives a child a place to express their self while feeling total secure and in control. This type of play can really be a delight and joy to watch as your child will say the cutest stuff, such as taking his Optimus Prime and T-Rex and making them shake hands saying, “peace be with you.” But be careful not to be caught smiling or laughing as this level of playing can be intense for them and seeing you see them may make them mad.

Playing with a parent makes a child so happy. Try not to be afraid to get a little sand on yourself, kids love it when their parents sit down and play in their sandbox with them. This type of playing really adds to their sense of security and control in their sandbox, mainly because the parent usually does whatever the kids says. What parent takes the T-Rex instead of the Brontosaurus, when their kid wants to be T-Rex? Think about it, you play dead when they tell you to die, you eat whatever pretend food they give you and you are ever encouraging and loving. This type of play is important for self esteem and confidence building.

Playing with a friend is very beneficial and helps to form a child’s social behavior. This is where they learn to share, to think of others as equally important as they are. This is where they learn empathy, and respect, jealousy and bullying. The sandbox offers the perfect environment for children to play in all these ways and its openness makes it perfect for parents to keep an eye or their children making sure they are playing nice.

Children’s Sandboxes are so much more then a place to keep the kids busy. They are a safe wonderful environment providing children with an outlet to express themselves through imagination and interaction. It is a place for them to apply everything they have learned in their short little lives. A perfect tool to support a kids education from home. Watching your child play in a sandbox is truly a delight and comfort.

When choosing your Sandbox keep in mind that it is a part of the landscape in your own yard. Do you want a green turtle sandbox or a pirate ship sandbox? Look around, some sandboxes were actually designed to be raised garden boxes, and after a child grows up can still be used as such. Remember the sandbox is for your child, but you too have to look at it everyday. Your child will be happy with a space to call their own, make sure you are comfortable with how the sandbox look in your yard. Also before installing do a little bit of brainstorming about where your are going to put the sandbox. Sandboxes once filled up are quite heavy and some are impossible to move. Think about where you would like to sit or what you would like to get done as they play in their sandbox. Perhaps you’d like to wash the dishes, make sure the sandbox can be seen through you kitchen sink window. If you would like to read a book on the deck, or fire up the barbeque make sure the sandbox is in site. Also keep in mind the not every grain of sand is going to stay in the sandbox, so unless you want sand in you living room, don’t put it to close to the entrance to your house (make sure your kid stomps his feet, or shuffles in the grass a little before coming in).

Have Fun! And don’t forget your Sunscreen!

If you have background as an educator, a daycare provider, preschool provider, or are an entrepreneur or a business executive that loves children and would enjoy the challenge of making a difference in their educational lives, perhaps a Childhood Education and Development franchise might be the perfect business for you. 

In general, education is one of those industries that people invest in no matter what the economic climate. In fact, in difficult financial times, families invest more heavily in educating their children because they want their kids to have better opportunities than they had themselves, so childhood education is most definitely a recession-proof industry.

Below are some of the features of a Childhood Education franchise opportunity.

*Currently, the child education industry generates about $60 billion in annual revenue and provides more than 3.5 million jobs.

*Normal business hours.  You won’t be working during the evening or on weekends.  Business is conducted during “normal” business hours, so it truly is a lifestyle opportunity. 

*It’s a business you can truly feel good about.  Promoting education, whether via standard teaching practices, or by utilizing a tutoring curriculum, is, in itself, a “feel good” type of business. 

*Most available opportunities feature low start up and operating costs.  Some can be run from a home office.

*State of the art software is provided, which effectively manages all student academics.

*Professional tutors are readily available.  Many franchisees never have found the need to advertise for tutors.

*As the owner/franchisee, your only role is to run the business. You will be managing people and scheduling sessions. You will not be providing the core service, but leveraging the time and efforts of others.

Some Children’s franchise businesses have specific niches and features that they focus on.  They may specialize in early educational enhancement, language education, art education programs, educational technology solutions, and tutoring programs, to name a few.  Your franchise consultant can help you zero in on your skill set, goals, and background to help you determine which opportunity is the best match for you.

Find Your Perfect Business

The importance of an early learning education in today’s world should be considered a crucial part

of a child’s life. Any parent or parent’s to be must realise that with the ever changing technology we have

 today, things such as satellite TV or a world of information published on the internet trying to keep up may

at times seem difficult. Research and studies have proven to a young developing mind it is really quite simple.

Please allow me to share a few extracts from just some of the many research articles and documented facts I discovered searching for ways to teach my child.

This is from     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_childhood_education   it goes on to indentify the child’s “sense of self” and states:

‘Researchers in the field and early childhood educators both view the parents as an integral part of the early childhood education process.

 Early childhood education takes many forms depending on the beliefs of the educator or parent. If a young child doesn’t receive sufficient interaction and stimulus

 during this crucial period, the child may be left with a developmental deficit that hampers his or her success in preschool, kindergarten, and beyond.”

In my view a child learns how to copy and paste at a very early age. Here is another extract and it’s a bit more hard hitting: “Chicago’s publicly-funded Child-Parent Centres

 have served almost 100,000 3- and 4-year-olds since 1967. Researchers tracked 989 of those children and 550 similar children not in the program for 14 years.

The children who did not participate were 70 percent more likely to be arrested for a violent crime by age 18.

This program also cut child abuse and neglect. In Ypsilanti, Michigan, 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families who were randomly assigned to a group that did not receive preschool

 who were five times more likely to have become chronic lawbreakers by age 27 than those who were assigned to the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation’s Perry Preschool program.”

Let’s not get too carried away, I have also discovered just as many solutions that are fun and simple to apply. For example there are loads of entertaining and educational programs out there that realise

all the factors a child needs. One in particular I found is the Nick Jr. Boost service, it’s an online educational service designed for preschoolers through to first graders.

It  helps children learn through exciting, adventure-based games based on core curriculum subjects like Maths, Literacy, Art, Spanish, Science, Music, and Computer Skills.

Kids will have the opportunity to team up and learn with characters, including Blue, Diego, and Dora, in a totally personalized environment. Shop at Amazon.com! also have a huge variety of Kids and Family Games,

that is well worth looking into. We as parents only want the very best for our children and their future and given the fact that Knowledge is power the future depends on the importance of an early learning education right now.

As a final thought it really is a great way to combine home schooling with family bonding and a fun way to teach my child.

Finding the needsforu

As a future elementary school teacher, knowing all about student behavioral development will be the key to running a successful classroom.

Besides, you’ll be teaching an age group where the students will be changing the most – physically, mentally and emotionally!  However, when it comes to your Praxis II elementary education study guide, it can be hard to tell which behavioral theories are worth your while – and which ones are just a complete waste of your precious time.

Not to worry!  If you’re ready to take your Praxis II elementary education practice test , then these are the major behavioral theories that you MUST get familiar with.  Just master these important theories during your Praxis II elementary content knowledge preparation, and you’ll be at the front of your own elementary school classroom in no time at all!

The Behavioral Theories of John Watson

In the early 1900s, Watson started the behavioral development movement by studying conditioned responses in children.  He believed that children could be taught certain responses to objects that would not normally elicit a response.  His most famous experiments involved making children afraid of white rats, so it’s highly likely that you’ll see this case study appear on your Praxis II elementary education study guide.  Experts have long since discredited the success of his theories; however, he paved the way for crucial work in understanding how children’s behavioral development works.

The Behavioral Theories of Pavlov

It’s highly likely that you’ve heard this Russian psychologist’s name, as his original experiment highlighted how classical conditioning with dogs worked, thus giving behavioral theory a major boost in the psychology world.  Through his experiments, Pavlov demonstrated that he could teach dogs to salivate at neutral stimuli (in this case, the ringing of a bell).  Learn more about this experiment, as previous Praxis II test takers have reported writing about Pavlov in more than one essay.

The Behavioral Theories of Frank Skinner

In the 1950s, Skinner was one of the first psychologists who began applying behavioral theory to students in the classroom, which is still impacting teachers today.  Skinner believed that students learned the most when given positive reinforcement (for example, praise or a reward) for good behavior, and that teachers should use extinction and punishment responses for bad behavior (i.e., not reinforcing the bad behavior or punishing the bad behavior).  Skinner’s work is still highly influential today, so don’t be surprised to see his name appear more than once on your Praxis II elementary content knowledge preparation!

Use these tips to pass the following exams and get your teacher certification:

Praxis II Early Childhood: Content Knowledge;
Praxis II Early Childhood Education;
Praxis II Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge;
Praxis II Education of Exceptional Students: Learning Disabilities;
Praxis II Education of Young Children;
Praxis II Elementary Education: Content Area Exercises;
Praxis II Elementary Education: Content Knowledge;
Praxis II Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction, And Assessment;
Praxis II Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education;
Praxis II Pre-Kindergarten Education;
Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early Childhood;
Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades K-6;
Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 5-9;
Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching: Grades 7-12

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Early childhood activities can be an absolute joy if you are an involved parent educator. Unfortunately, if you’re not into early childhood games and not willing to take the time to engage your child’s mind while they are growing, It can be difficult for both you and your child. The lack of early childhood activity can result in huge problems, some of which last a lifetime. Kids who are under-stimulated often suffer from learning problems, behavioral problems, and emotional problems. Taking the time to plan out some great early childhood activities is not only a great thing to do as a mother or father, but an investment in the life of your family and your child.

The great thing about early childhood education activity is that it includes almost every game you play with your child. You see, for a child, play is work. The best early childhood activities are designed not only to entertain children, but also to stimulate their growing minds. Every early childhood activity recommended by educators, whether it is storytelling, playing with bricks and blocks, or team building games, teaches the child an important skill. One early childhood activity might help them to understand how to play with others. Another one might help them to understand how different shapes go together,  and thus to improve their spacial reasoning skills.

There are all kinds of experts on early childhood activity, and they all have different opinions. My advice to you as someone who has raised three children myself is to see what your children like. It is very easy to get caught up in set early childhood games, but the fact is that every child is different and will like different early childhood activities. Some of them like very spatial activities. Other ones like to do a more imaginative early childhood activity, such as make-believe or storytelling.

Some parents try to expose their kids to every single early childhood activity that they can get their hands on, but I don’t think this is the right approach. The important thing is to keep your child intellectually stimulated and engaged. If they are given interesting early childhood activities, they will begin to learn on their own. Letting them choose the early childhood activity allows them to start making decisions at an early age, which is the first step towards teaching them responsibility and independence. There is no better way to work on early childhood development than that!

Education was once the foundation of American society. To advance in life, one saw receiving a quality education as the ticket to the middle-class and a comfortable life. However, over time Americans began placing less emphasis on education. The public school system began to suffer and the achievement gap between American children and their foreign counterparts widened.

Both Barack Obama and John McCain emphasize education reform in their platform, but whose plan benefits you and your children the most?

McCain believes the key to education reform is the ability of parents to choose which schools their children attend, similar to his colleagues in Congress who are able to send their children to the best private schools in their area. The Republican nominee equates equal education to equal access to the best education. According to his website, “John McCain will fight for the ability of all students to have access to all schools of demonstrated excellence, including their own homes.”

The Arizona senator wants to encourage competition among schools to be the most innovative and flexible, and compete for the best teachers and administrators.

Furthermore, McCain believes that financial assistance must be based on a parent’s desire to relocate their child to the best school available.

However, Obama sees teacher retention and affordable higher learning as the key to education reform. According to his website, thirty percent of schoolteachers leave the field of education within their first five years. In addition, the cost of a college education has grown by forty percent in the last five years.

Obama and running mate Joe Biden’s plan for education reform includes the Zero to Five Plan, reforming No Child Left Behind and supporting college credit initiatives.

The Zero to Five Plan will not only place emphasis on early childhood education but also early care and education for infants, which they see as paramount in preparing a child for kindergarten. The senator from Illinois will quadruple Head Start, increasing its funding and improving its quality. In addition, he wants to make high-quality child care affordable for working-class families.

Obama believes the problem with the much-maligned No Child Left Behind program was a lack of funds for the law. He will fund the law, but not force teachers to spend an entire year preparing for a standardized test, but instead will find other tools to assess a student’s achievement and readiness for higher education. He plans to support the formation of more high-performing charter schools by doubling the funding of the Federal Charter School Program, while closing low-performing existing charter schools.

The Democratic nominee wants to make math and science a national priority by recruiting college graduates with math and science degrees and supporting efforts to team teachers with professionals in the fields of math and science. In an effort to retain teachers, he would allow a mentoring program that would team young teachers with experienced teachers.

Another key to Obama’s education reform plan is his “Make College a Reality” initiative, which will increase advance placement courses in high school and implement a new American Opportunity Tax Credit, which will ensure that the first $4,000 of college tuition is completely free for most Americans. According to his website, “Recipients of the credit will be required to conduct 100 hours of community service.”

Consequently, whether it is McCain or Obama in the White House in January 2009, both candidates are determined to make education the foundation of American advancement once again.

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Teachers hold America’s future in their hands. When you pursue a degree in education, you’re not only receiving career training–you’re learning how to be a trainer. Graduates of online education degree programs enjoy a broad range of career options. You can specialize in a single subject, or become a generalist with skills across the disciplines.

The future is bright, too, for teachers at all levels. President Barack Obama has pledged to revitalize early childhood education and to “recruit, prepare, and retain” good teachers. The Administration plans to quadruple national funding for the Early Head Start program.

Getting into the Classroom
Some prospective teachers choose to work with young children, others hope to teach in college, and many dream of working with a school district, developing curriculum and fostering teacher excellence.

For those who enter the public school system, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school teachers should be in especially high demand in rural districts and inner cities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Median 2007 annual earnings were $23,130 for preschool teachers, $43,030 for elementary teachers and $49,420 for secondary school teachers. You can take classes online to progress towards a bachelor’s degree–the typical educational minimum requirement, in addition to a post-graduate credential.   

Another area that expects to see job growth is special education. The job outlook for special education teachers should be positive, with the BLS predicting a dire need to replace teachers heading for retirement. Districts may require a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in learning disabilities. The median 2007 wages for special education teachers were $48,350 at the elementary level, $49,640 in secondary education.

Beyond secondary schools, educators are needed to teach at community colleges, trade schools, and universities. The BLS predicts 382,000 new college teaching jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. Some community colleges and trade schools require teachers to hold a master’s degree, while most universities require a PhD.

Opportunities beyond the Classroom
If you’re already a teacher, you may want to pursue online post-graduate training in education to become an administrator. Principals and assistant principals should have favorable job prospects, the BLS reports. And districts where enrollments are growing rapidly–in the West and South–administrators should also be in demand.

Traditionally, you need at least a master’s degree for many of these jobs, while district administrators, college administrators, and deans are typically required to hold a PhD. The 2007 median wage was $80,580 for elementary and secondary school administrators. Top earners took home more than $117,740.  The college and post-secondary administrator’s median wage was $105,320, with top administrators earning $145,600.

You may also want to consider working in adult school or continuing education as a teacher or administrator. At the elementary or secondary school level, you may get your start working as a teacher’s assistant while training online for full certifications. Many people supplement their income by working as substitute teachers.

In the business sector, companies are always looking for qualified trainers and educators. Combine your online teacher education with a technical background and teach computer skills to company personnel, or work in sales, teaching employees how to be more effective.

Distance Learning Education Degree – for Career Advancement

A distance learning education degree is the most convenient and efficient way to higher income and greater career opportunities in the field of education. Employed teaching professionals desirous of advancing their careers to leadership roles, such as superintendent, principal or dean, prefer distance learning education courses. Such courses expand their knowledge and provide exposure to diverse educational settings.

A number of distance learning education degree courses are available with various specialization options. Some of the specialization options offered by various universities are administration and supervision specialization, curriculum and instruction specialization, specialization in early childhood education, specialization in special education, teacher education specialization, educational leadership programs, etc.

Different Levels of Distance Learning Education Degree Courses

A certificate course in education is an entry level program. It teaches elementary skill sets to enhance your professional effectiveness. Certificate credits may be applied towards degree programs.

Bachelor’s degree programs lead to elementary and secondary teacher licensure. The students gain the pedagogical skills and knowledge helpful in becoming competent and effective educators.

Master’s degree specializations help students to develop new competencies and enhance skills and abilities to teach more effectively or advance to administration or leadership roles.

PhD or EdD specializations strengthen critical thinking, research, and problem solving skills. It prepares learners to become transformational leaders who will strategically manage and lead complex educational organizations. It enables the participants to meet the challenges in the field of education confidently and competently.

Reviewing Available Resources

The College of Education at the University of Phoenix Online offers over 80 individual professional growth courses. Some of these graduate level courses may lead to endorsement in a specialty area such as bilingual education or reading. These courses are available 100% online and are offered in a concentrated and intensive format.

The School of Education at Capella University offers many programs to educators to advance their careers. More than 2,400 educators have chosen this institution for their online education degree and certificate programs in K-12, higher education, and continuing and adult education.

The University of Scranton has been mentioned by US News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” survey as one of the 10 finest Master’s Universities in the North for the past 11 years. This university offers master’s degree programs in curriculum and instruction, and in educational administration.

Distance learning education degree programs are designed for educators interested in gaining knowledge and expertise in their chosen fields. Educators, as an integral part of the school community, facilitate the development of students who are the future of the nation and productive citizens in a changing society.