In Early Childhood Programs Holiday celebrations can be wonderful opportunities for children to learn about the traditions and values that are cherished parts of people's lives. But many early childhood professionals wonder what holidays to celebrate in the program or classroom and how to respect the cultures represented by all children. Many parents, too, wonder why programs celebrate specific holidays or why they discourage any celebration at all. The fall is a great time for children to explore the outdoors, learn about seasonal transitions and develop a variety of cognitive skills. For All Ages Children are natural musicians, and exposure to music during the early years enhances the learning process by promoting language development, creativity, coordination, and social interaction.
Caregivers can play an important role in incorporating music and movement into a child's life.
Motivation and Transfer in Language Learning Transfer and motivation play important roles in learning. Transfer, the application of prior knowledge to new learning situations, is often seen as a learning goal, and thus the extent to which transfer occurs is a measure of learning success. Motivation, defined as the impetus to create and sustain intentions and goal-seeking acts, is important because it determines the extent of the learner's active involvement and attitude toward learning. Helping children learn about reading Some parents assume that learning to read starts with memorizing the alphabet and sounding out words, but actually the fundamentals of reading begin much earlier. Adults lay the foundation for reading every day.