The Durham Museum of Life and Science is a unique place that equally interests both children and adults. This Durham museum was previously known as the North Carolina Children’s Museum and features a unique array of exhibits that illustrate and explain the different ideas and concepts of natural science. It is located at the Murray Avenue along the northern tract of the Butterfly House, Grayson’s Café, Farmyard, Explore the Wild Nature Park, Train, Catch the Wind and a lot of new exhibits that are yet to come up. Before the main building was constructed, the southern tract used to have a parking space as well as administrative functions. The Durham Museum of Life and Science has a highly interactive state of the art exhibits with equipments for nature exploration.
With numerous interesting activities to offer, the museum manages to excite and thrill you every moment. You can sit within the Mercury Capsule to watch the baby alligators have their food. You can get a first hand feel of the 13 feet tornado, or explore the Lunar Lander and investigate Data Earth that specializes in global communication. There are over 75 different species of animals at the Durham Museum of Life and Science, as well as a weather exhibit. The Magic Wings Butterfly House is a spectacular three-storied conservatory. It contains the Read More »
Investigating the Montessori Curriculum
Montessori curriculum is something that we all have all experienced but many of us are not quite sure of the real definition of the word. Montessori is a method of education that was specifically designed for kids who have just stepped into the world of formal teaching. Maria Montessori started this method of education. She realized that the minds of children are far more absorbent in nature when they are much younger. This led her to believe that this is the perfect time to motivate and help them to achieve competence over their environment. The kids are taught basic mathematical skills and the spellings and meanings of easy words.
The Montessori curriculum came into existence in the early 20th century and is still being followed by all schools in the world. Montessori designed the famous curriculum based on the teachings of Edouard Seguin and Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard. As she was asked to teach a few retarded slum children, she made various kinds of apparatuses that urged manipulation by the use of hands. This successfully helped the kids to learn in a conventional manner, similar to other children of their age. Later on, these techniques were also used for children without learning needs. Her methods of teaching were aimed at kids aged 3 to 7 years of age. The Montessori curriculum has now been improvised for the infants. There is no copyright to the name of ‘Montessori’ and thus a lot of schools for children are named after Maria Montessori. It has now become synonymous with the phrase “school for children”.
Concrete vs. Abstract Learning
The Montessori method of teaching believes that children learn best by concrete means. In order to learn how to count, it argues that children must be given physical objects to aid their counting skills. Making children read from charts does not help them to absorb the information. When a child tries to learn how to count using a counting chart, he may encounter problems such as his finger slipping. He tends to learn more when he is able to touch and arrange the objects as he tries to count them.
It is important for a child to be actively involved in what they are 
learning. As with learning to count, it is much more likely that children will remember the names of fruits if they are given the actual fruits to touch, feel and memorize. Concrete objects make a better impact on the child’s mind than abstract ones. Besides this, the set up of the classroom also has a huge influence in the learning procedure. It is also important that the classroom has materials that will help in the mental development of kids.
A huge challenge faced by the teachers who are teaching the Montessori curriculum is to successfully help children achieve both cognitive and social development. Since childhood, the children face constant pressure to excel in academics. Many people forget the fact that a child will perform well academically when their emotional and psychological development has been successful.
Falling in love is a truly amazing experience! Getting married to your sweetheart and having kids with them is a feeling of eternal joy. However, many people are in agreement that after the kids are born, that magical romance between them and their spouse somehow seems to disappear. This is not due to the lack of love between them. The main factor for the disappearance of romance is the hectic time schedule that couples now have. Many people want to avoid losing the romance after kids. Many couples have a very busy schedule, which predominantly involves taking care of the kids and this results in the fact that couples are not left with an opportunity to spend quality time together.
In spite of all the hassles and hindrances that may occur due to lack of time, you can still avoid losing the romance after kids. The intimacy, which is lost as a result of family needs and demands, can be Read More »
There are different options for breastfeeding and you can also use the different pumps for breastfeeding purposes. There are even pumps that can be rented. Some people believe that in the long run, rental pumps are a considerable element to invest in. Although according to a few moms, these may not work properly and they find them to be a waste of their financial resources. You should note that a visit from a lactation consultant is far more important and helpful than merely blindly buying a rental pump. You need a rental kit, which takes into account the parts of the breast pump, which is required for expressing milk. Additionally, moms also need to pay the costly daily or monthly fees to the rental station where they received the pump.
Another option to choose is the Medela pumps. This is a large expenditure for parents who are not sure about breastfeeding. But then, the device is a sturdy one. It is suitable for long term usage and it is one that can be relied upon. In fact, it is good for those moms who intend to resume work and it can even be kept for the purpose of kids yet to come. The pump is stylish and can be easily concealed and you may even purchase adapters for pumping hands free. Often, many moms choose to hold back on purchasing a Medela pump until they are nearing their return to work but it is much better to purchase a Medela pump before the delivery of the child.
The Medela Traveler may no longer be available but if you are able to obtain it from certain retailers, then there’s nothing more ideal than this for breastfeeding your baby. The features are more versatile and easy to handle, with a manual conversion kit and starter pack. A reference module is attached for the mom’s help. This pump can also be effectively powered with a Read More »
Many people prefer to have their children admitted in the Faith Based (Christian) Pre-schools. If you are choosing such a pre-school for your kid, you must choose the one that supports your faith. Some faith based pre-schools are located in interior places, whereas, others are situated in the urban zone.
Differences with other pre-schools
Faith Based (Christian) Pre-schools are different from the normal day care or normal pres-chools in a number of ways. They differ in their philosophy, in their denomination and of course in faith. If you want a faith based program for your child, you need to evaluate whether the preschool you have selected follows the same faith as you have. Again, it may or may not be a factor to you. For instance, Catholics and Protestants do not mind crossing the denominational lines. So, you can also try selecting the program with the best philosophy for your kid.
Therefore, to be sure that you have selected the right kind of pre-school, there are a number of things that you need to keep in mind. The following checklist lists out a few key factors to guide you to the right choice:
1. The pre-school that you select should have a healthy and positive environment for the best development of your child.
2. The preschool must have a good stock of children’s resources.
3. Certain schools allow the involvement of the family in certain programs or activities. Such involvement creates a better bonding between you and your child. Therefore, it is wise to choose Read More »
