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Making the Most of Everyday Experiences

Reflections from the Field

Family child care provider Cathy Tormey describes the opportunities that daily experiences provide for supporting young children's development in all areas. She explains that learning can be achieved with every day objects in the home and through asking questions and engaging children in conversations.

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A teacher sits on the floor with toddlers as they sort socks from a laundry basket
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  • Video Transcript for Making the Most of Every Day Experiences

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    Cathy Tormey, Family Child Care Provider, Cathy Cares Child Care: It’s just really easy to ask them questions about things in the home, or to show them things and just use what’s around.

    Cathy: How many eggs do you see?
    Child: One, two.
    Cathy: Two; we need two eggs for our bread.

    Cathy Tormey: You don’t need a lot; you just need to use it. Like with the laundry; I’ve noticed that their fine motor skills are even better than two months ago, because they’ve been doing in on a regular basis.

    Cathy: Is it all done? Okay, close the cover.

    Cathy Tormey: I mean there’s a lot of opportunities to do little things that eventually matter and become a bigger thing.

    Cathy: Thank you. Can we pile them that way now? Good job! Go get some more.

    Cathy Tormey: So it’s just using what’s around and taking advantage of it, and they love it.



    © 2016 Connecticut Office of Early Childhood
    Produced by the Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut State University.
    May be reprinted for educational purposes.

  • Producers: Terry Surprenant, Sean Leser
    Script: Terry Surprenant
    Editing and Videography: Sean Leser

     

  • Special thanks to Cathy Cares Child Care in Willimantic, Connecticut. The development of this video was funded by the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood.