At the Fred Rogers Institute, we love the opportunity to share what we learn from the life and legacy of Fred Rogers. Our resources are developed from research into our Archive, and are created to ask new questions and continue to bring Fred’s work into our lives today with children. Take a look around, there is something for everyone!
February 2023: Much as I don't like the cold February weather here in Pittsburgh, one evening I found myself looking at a wintry scene with new eyes, thanks to Fred Rogers. As I was walking to my car in the parking lot, I noticed that the snow was especially beautiful. It was sparkling like diamonds.
April 2023: The other day I heard a child singing "Row, row, row your boat," and I couldn't help thinking of the delightful version of that song that Fred wrote for King Friday - Propel, propel, propel your craft... Gently down liquid solution. Ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically,
October 2022: Ever since I started presenting workshops on Fred's approach to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math), I've kept my ears open for stories of children's questions about the world around them -- and for the way their teachers respond.
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.
March 2022: I've always thought of the March newsletter as special because March 20 was Fred's birthday. Over the years, we've even celebrated Fred's birthday on March 20 in a special way - by wearing a sweater - and doing something neighborly. Maybe you'd like to join in that tradition too.
March 2023: March 20th would be Fred Rogers' 95th birthday, and I wanted to celebrate by sharing with you the tribute video that PBS produced shortly after his death in 2003.
January 2022: Here we are at the beginning of the year when we're "looking ahead," wondering what this new year will bring. It seems kind of ironic, but "looking back" can help us with our journey ahead. There's even a name for that in early childhood — reflective teaching.
May 2023: I've heard elementary school teachers say that one of the most important qualities that children need to succeed in school is the willingness to take risks. They're talking about "safe risks," like the willingness to offer ideas in class discussions, ask questions, try new things, or tackle problems ...
November 2021: The new Mister Rogers sculpture that was recently unveiled at Rollins College is a remarkably fit tribute to Fred. I was delighted to see that the sculptor Paul Day decided to depict Fred with his Daniel puppet talking with children.
November 2022: With all the emphasis on food at Thanksgiving, I thought you'd appreciate seeing the video below when Fred talked about nourishment. He began with a focus on food, but then he went on to talk about other kinds of nourishment that we all need.
July 2022: For many of my friends in early childhood, this is the time of year they love most. It's summertime. Some programs take a break. Other programs have a slower pace, more like summer camp. Professors' schedules are often lighter. Whatever it's like for your work, I hope you can take a bit of a breather...
August 2021: It's the beginning of a new school year, and I remember a teacher telling me that while she's excited to work with a new group of children, this has always been a challenging time for her. Now and then she sometimes starts to feel sad or a little impatient.
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.
February 2022: I think we'd all agree that being helpful is one of the social skills that we want to support in young children. But we don't always get the response we want when we ask, "Will you help me?" Researchers at the University of California, San Diego showed us there's another way.
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.
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