Resources for Caring Adults

Press play on any episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and you'll find yourself invited to slow down and notice something. Settle in, take your time, look carefully, listen deeply.

"That I might do things differently, and that's the way it's supposed to be." The voice is coming from one of the Pre-Primary teachers in the center where I worked as an administrator at the time. It is September of 2020 and we have just finished our weekly Zoom share ...

Prompt conversations between children and caregivers with questions on topics such as kindness and movement. Keywords: icebreaker, self-reflection prompt

This newsletter contains the article "A Love of Learning" by Hedda Sharapan in which themes of wondering about things, looking and listening, and teaching by example are discussed.

May 2022: Welcome to springtime - the "growing season!" Many teachers are using this time of year to offer a science lesson about "growing" by planting seeds. It's a great way to help children see first-hand what a seed needs in order to grow into a plant - soil, water, light.

December 2022: In all the years that I worked with Fred, one of the things I came to appreciate is that he encouraged us to be "mindful" - and that was long before it was a part of our vocabulary.

Report synthesizing the discussion, research, and practice around technology and media for young children and aligning it to Fred Rogers' ideas about how television could encourage and support whole child development.

The question of, "How might young children today respond to episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood?" was an early wondering explored through observation of children and teachers watching episodes in classrooms.

"After 30 years of teaching, I never would have thought I'd be showing Mister Rogers' Neighborhood to my students," says Kathy Brown, a Kindergarten teacher at Pittsburgh Beechwood preK-5, in Pittsburgh Public Schools.

In 2017, we began a pen pal project with our Kindergarten classes, both in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, but in different parts of the city. What began as a project for our students grew into a friendship and ongoing professional relationship, including our learning about Mister Rogers' Neighborhood with Educators'...

April 2022: Whenever I show video clips from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood at a professional development workshop, I often ask, "What messages did you hear in it?" Usually teachers talk about "what" Fred said or did. But I remember a teacher who told me she found a lot to learn from "how" Fred said and did things.

There is so much we think about when we help children learn and grow. Explore the foundations in which learning and growing are built upon order to become empathetic.

September 2022: I don't know what this summer has been like in your neighborhood, but it's been raining a lot around here. I even caught myself singing, "Rain, rain go away.

"As schools search for ways to educate children this school year, my heart reminds me to slow down to notice for what's already here. We have a beautiful example of how to inspire joyful, curious learning through a screen. That example is Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

"I like you as you are" is one of the most salient messages educators name in discussions about how Fred Rogers' work resonates with their practice. It's a message their students need to hear. It's a message their students' families need to hear. And it's a message that educators themselves need to hear.

Fred Rogers explored how children experienced emotions and this newsletter looks at how he interpreted what it is like for a child to have to wait. Discover ways of letting children know their feelings are natural and helping to find ways to manage strong emotions. Keywords: patience

The importance of wonder and asking questions is nothing new to educators. Early Childhood educators especially, know how to allow opportunities for children's "why?" and "how?" and "hmm..." and "oh, my!"

Please click on the button below to read Fred's NAEYC speech from 1983, "Past and Present," which talks about trusting self as "a positive contributor to children's development."

This newsletter explores what we can continue to learn from Fred Rogers, including ways in which we can show love to one another. Examples of loving actions include doing something kind and smiling at someone.

During times of tragedy and difficulty in the news, it can be difficult to know whether and how to talk to children about what is happening in their world. In this resource we offer ideas and support for guiding children through news about difficult current events.