April Showers When we think of the month of April, we tend to think of rain showers and having indoor fun. However, the rain is no reason to stay inside! Rainy weather offers lots of new experiences for young children and endless possibilities of play. Certainly, to get the maximum enjoyment of...

Supporting Children with Challenges Walking through PIC on any given day, you will see adults supporting children with challenges. A teacher may help a child talk through a problem with a friend or block a toddler from biting another child. It may be a speech therapist sitting with a small group of...

written by Kharma Hicks, Infant/Toddler Coordinator The importance of tummy time Tummy time, as we like to call it, helps strengthen the muscles in the neck, back, arms and shoulders, and promotes large motor skills. Research suggests that babies that spend time on their tummies are more likely to...

written by Tamara Clark, Preschool Program Coordinator Delving Deeper into Reggio Inspirations Each year, PIC teachers gather for two sweet days of community, collaboration, and professional development. With such a large staff (nearly 90), we like to begin our days together with team-building and...

written by Kharma Hicks, Infant and Toddler Program Coordinator As educators who teach and care for infants and toddlers, we are passionate about bringing nature into the classroom and ensuring that the youngest child is in touch with nature. To extend upon what we do in the classroom, we take daily...

At PIC, we pride ourselves on our child-lead emergent curriculum. Teachers are careful observers of young children, watching their discoveries and tracking their wonderings. In the beginning of April, spring begins to unfold in Philadelphia, and even we adults who are well used to the season’s...

Does putting your child down for a nap or to bed at night seem a little challenging? Are some days more challenging than others? Do you feel like you’ve tried everything? Few families get through the early years without sleep struggles. Surely, there are no one-size-fits-all or easy answers for...

What problem does it solve? The Grasshoppers, a pre-k classroom at PIC, are deep into an investigation of simple machines and inventions, and the question, "What problem does it solves?" has become a recurring theme. They have explored everything from sleds to scales, each time interrogating the...

written by Kharma Hicks, Infant and Toddler Program Coordinator Promoting healthy social-emotional development with infants and toddlers consists of the ability to form trusting and rewarding relationships with others. Through play, the teachers help the children communicate and express their...

written by Tamara Clark, Preschool Program Coordinator As so many children are starting their first school experiences or moving to new classrooms, alongside the joy and excitement, there are sometimes sad feelings. As we comfort these children, it can be tempting to reassure them, "You're okay!!"...