News, Events and Highlights
Gratitude, Thankfulness & Early Learning
By Jen Lindbeck ‘Tis the season to be thankful. Let’s be honest, sometimes it is hard to see the good when you are buried in bills, laundry, and the day to day challenges of parenting. Thankfulness amid difficulty can look something like: I am thankful for coffee. I...
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Early Learning and Technology
By Jen Lindbeck Whenever technology is mentioned in a gathering of early learning professionals or service providers, I often find my opinion differs from my colleagues. The conversation typically focuses on the importance of hands on learning and play and the lack...
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Superheroes, Princesses & Early Learning
By Jen Lindbeck It is that time of year when the ghosts, goblins, and Harry Potters hit the streets to trick or treat. When my youngest was a baby, we cut arm holes in an empty diaper package, which he wore as a shirt, wrapped a diaper on his head, and called it good....
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The Mess Matters!
There is a risk analysis most teachers complete during curriculum planning where you consider an activity and the amount of teacher involvement and potential for catastrophic mess making. Sometimes even the most diligent risk assessment may miss the mark. Imagine a...
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Why Aren’t Kids Ready for Kindergarten?
United Way of Skagit County’s bold goal is by 2025, all Skagit children entering kindergarten are ready to learn. According to the 2018 State of Children and Families Report by Northwest Early Learning, only 36% of students entering kindergarten in Skagit County have...
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The OVERHEAD Myth
To the Donors of America: We write to correct a misconception about what matters when deciding which charity to support. The percent of charity expenses that go to administrative and fundraising costs—commonly referred to as “overhead”—is a poor measure of a charity’s...
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