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!
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...
I wonder how you felt about math when you were in school? I have heard many early childhood professionals say math was not their favorite subject. I actually liked math, but even now I can remember how it felt when we were faced with long division problems with a remainder...
June 2023: It's summertime, and that usually means more time outdoors. But in today's world, it seems that "outdoor time" has come to mean "playground time." I remember reading Richard Louv's Last Child in the Woods, and being reminded that there is a difference between "outdoor time with nature" and ...
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.
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 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 ...
October 2021: However you're dealing (or not dealing) with Halloween in your work with children, this holiday reminds us of how much children love to dress up in costumes and how much they get from it.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
August 2023: The world lost a legendary musical giant last month when Tony Bennett died. We're left with our memories and treasured recordings. I wonder if you knew that one of those recordings was from our very own Neighborhood - in 1975. Not with Lady Gaga - but with Lady Elaine!
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