SUMMERTIME! Parents and grandparents enjoy being outdoors, exploring the beauty of nature, participating in games and activities, and, most importantly, having fun spending quality time with their little ones!
Summer offers plentiful opportunities for reading. Regardless of one’s age, there are exciting books to read, share, and discuss. For parents, there are also many other information-gathering options such as articles, blogs, and podcasts to help reinforce the kinds of experiences that will strengthen children’s development during the summer months, and beyond.
I’ve been writing articles for First Time Parent Magazine for over six years, addressing a wide range of topics. Some reflect parents’ joys or concerns. Others have to do with questions—specific matters that parents want to know more about. Many pieces relate to the material in my books. Each of my articles contains information, practical strategies, and resources.
What follows here is a personally curated list of archived but still VERY RELEVANT articles with direct links—just in time for summer reading! I’ve chosen 12 “hot button” topics pertaining to learning and creativity (in no particular order), and each selection is accompanied by a short “Focus” descriptor. I invite you to read these articles at your leisure and to share them with others. All of these appear on the Resources Page of my website at https://joannefoster.ca. (Partway through each article, readers link to First Time Parent Magazine, where the material was originally published.)
CURATED LIST OF ARTICLES
1) Creativity and Young Children
Focus: What propels creative energy, effort, and momentum? Consider the importance of sharing ideas and using “tailwinds” (supports and supporters) to enhance creativity.
2) Cultivate a Love of Reading
Focus: Words are transformative! Advocating for reading as a key tool in children’s development fosters bonding, brain growth, and a broad understanding of the world through literature and imagination.
3) Explorations and Discoveries
Focus: Encourage diverse learning experiences for children, from nature exploration to real-life encounters, and foster curiosity, mindfulness, and a love of learning.
4) Fostering Children’s Creativity: Q and A
Focus: Six essential questions on fostering children’s creativity! Find out why creativity is important for learning, problem-solving, and imagination, how creativity develops, how to support it, and more.
Focus: Why is making choices empowering for children? What can adults reinforce? Tips have to do with fueling curiosity, discovering strengths, making decisions, and ramping up fun—plus several other approaches.
Focus: Understand and address children’s boredom with strategies that fortify intrinsic motivation and creativity, transforming idle moments into opportunities for growth, curiosity, and self-directed learning.
7) The Best Learning Environments
Focus: Each learning environment has its own unique features. Key elements of environments that foster kids’ advancement and joy include safety, appropriate challenge, and encouragement—and find out more!
8)Sharing
Focus: It’s important to teach children to share. Here are suggestions to nurture this skill, and to help kids discover the role of sharing in developing generosity, flexibility, and empathy.
9) How to Help Your Child Learn
Focus: Insights on how to nurture advanced learning in children, emphasizing the importance of a balanced, enriching environment, and the power of play for fostering curiosity and development.
10) Early Learning Essentials for Today and Tomorrow
Focus: There are many ways to support children’s learning—for example, by emphasizing active engagement and by promoting resilience. Eight targeted questions and answers provide helpful guidelines for parents.
11) Flexible Pacing
Focus: Flexible pacing involves attention to needs, energy levels, comfort, and more. Discover three diverse perspectives on flexible pacing–and why it matters!
Focus: Among other things, confidence is rooted in environmental interactions and skill development. Here are 10 strategies to enhance children’s self-perception and behavior and help build their confidence.
For additional and easily accessible information-gathering, be sure to see the vast array of other articles, blogs (and interviews and podcasts) featured on my Resources Page. (Check out my newsletter, too, which is readily available from my site.)
May the months ahead be fun-filled and creativity-packed, with lots of family time, reading, relaxation, and happy productivity!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Joanne Foster is an award-winning author of several books. For resources on learning, creativity, productivity, children’s well-being, and more—and to subscribe to her newsletter—go to https://joannefoster.ca
Cover photo by Vlada Karpovich
