Let’s Celebrate Earth Day, Indoors
Read to discover ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day indoors. “Being able to explore and discover through nature-based play is a child’s work. Earth day is a great reminder to us all that playing, inside or out, is foundational in children’s learning,” says Housman Institute founder Dr. Donna Housman. “It also can help relieve […]
The Best Streaming Shows for Kids, According to Child-Development Experts (in New York Magazine)
Schools are shuttered and parents are becoming overwhelmed by the prospect of balancing their child’s education, their own work and—maybe especially—their own sanity. If you’re a parent who is feeling guilty about plopping your child in front of the TV, don’t be! As long as you are choosing the right programs, your child may even […]
Here’s How Much Homeschooling Educators Say Your Kids Should Do A Day (on Romper)
In this incredible and historic time, we are seeing schools shuttered and parents overwhelmed by the prospect of maintaining the quality and consistency of their children’s education. Should families feel pressured to keep up, or even surpass, the rate of academic progress of their traditional school? Will children fall behind academically? How do you balance […]
6 Mindfulness Activities for Early Childhood
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re reading a lot about the importance of practicing mindfulness to manage stress. Is it a practice that young children can use? As a former preschool teacher who implemented the begin to ECSEL® program in my classroom, I encouraged children to practice mindfulness every day. It is a practice whose principles […]
Dr. Donna Housman on Mindfulness and Meditation for Young Children
Q: Should young children practice mindfulness? Dr. Donna Housman: “To start, it’s important to make a distinction between mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness involves focusing one’s awareness on the present moment – on one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. This allows us to be more aware of not only our self but also of the people around us. In so […]
Parenting in a Pandemic (in The Week.com)
This past week, Dr. Donna Housman was requested to comment on parenting during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Claire Gillespie of The Week thoughtfully compiled tips from Dr. Housman and other child psychology specialists that encourage parents to look at lockdown “as an opportunity to learn some vital parenting lessons” in the hopes that “we might […]
Coping with Emotions (in Boston Parent’s Paper)
Founder & CEO of Housman Learning and clinical psychologist, Donna Housman, Ed.D was requested by Boston Parent’s Paper to comment on how to help your child manage and cope with their emotions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “As we know, COVID-19 is stressful. Fear and anxiety about any disease — let alone one that brings with it […]
How to Speak with Children to Calm Their Worries and Fears
When circumstances are uncertain and unknown, they naturally create anxiety and stress. When situations are changing significantly and dramatically with schools and businesses closing and social distancing becoming the new norm, fear and anxiety may set in. When our life goes off course as new rules and regulations are being put into effect, robbing us […]
How to Speak to Children about COVID-19
With all of the anxiety surrounding COVID-19 and the constant news alerts, we at Housman Institute & begin to ECSEL thought it might be helpful to compile a list of tips on how to discuss coronavirus with your children: 1. Focus on helping your child feel SAFE. Children can sense your anxiety, so try to maintain a calm environment […]
Emotionally-Minded Books to Share with Your Child this Holiday Season
At the Housman Institute, we recognize the profound importance of building the foundation for emotional intelligence in children from birth. Our begin to ECSEL program helps children recognize, understand, regulate and express their emotions in a healthy way that sets them up for a lifetime of well-being, mental health and success. Within our program, we […]
Science-Backed Benefits of Practicing Gratitude with Kids
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we here at Housman Institute are reflecting on gratitude and what it means for the development of emotional intelligence in young children. As Robert Emmons, Ph.D. the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude. a professor of psychology and founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, has discovered when people regularly […]
Teaching Kids Kindness Prepares Them for Success
November marks World Kindness Day, observed for over twenty years in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. Through the begin to ECSEL program, overseen by Housman Institute, Beginnings School has been actively promoting kindness since our inception, not only because of its societal importance but also because of […]
When Kids Inevitably Push Boundaries
This month, The Boston Globe published an article about how childhood misbehavior is an essential stepping stone in the development of emotional intelligence. The unique, evidence-based begin to ECSEL program was born out of the realization of how important emotional intelligence is for lifelong learning, mental health, well-being and success. The Globe article identifies several cultural factors that may […]
Integrating Emotion and Cognition through begin to ECSEL in the Age of Technology
Given the accelerating pace of change around the globe, it is no surprise that the world of schooling, and more specifically, early education, is also undergoing massive transformations. As new technologies appear on the market and trickle down into classrooms, educators must be prepared to empower today’s students to take advantage of these advancements as […]
Groundbreaking Scientific Study Proves begin to ECSEL’s Efficacy
An important study from Housman Learning shows that begin to ECSEL —an emotional cognitive and social early learning approach for children from birth—quantifiably improves self-regulation, empathy and social-emotional skills that are foundational to emotional intelligence.
Housman to China: An Early Learning, Cross-Cultural Collaboration
Growing awareness around the importance of integrating emotional and cognitive learning into early childhood education was evident on a recent trip to China by Beginnings School Founder and Housman Learning CEO, Dr. Donna Housman.