I believe that the kindergarten classroom environment must be joyful, emotionally safe, and exciting. An atmosphere where laughter and smiles occur regularly is a delightful place in which to live and learn.

I believe that all students deserve to know (beyond a shadow of a doubt) that their teacher respects and cares for them. A child who knows she is loved by her teacher will be encouraged to strive to be the best she can possibly be.

I believe that reading aloud in a kindergarten classroom can be equally fun for children and adults. Reading with expression and different voices shows everyone that reading is fun and definitely not boring! It’s something worthwhile spending our time doing.

I believe the more opportunity children have to actively and dramatically participate in a read-aloud story, the more they will get out of it. Books that lend themselves to physical movements and have repetitive phrases keep children engaged and participating. They enjoy chiming in like real readers do.

I believe there are too many wonderful books to read to waste our time on those that aren’t!

I believe that the primary focus of a kindergarten classroom must be on literacy. If students are going to be successful later on in school in any area of study – they must be able to read and write well and kindergarten is the best place to get children off and running on their life-long literacy journey.

I believe that music must be included in the classroom every day. Singing and dancing are an integral part of our daily class time. It’s fun to see how comfortable children become as young singers and dancers when they are exposed to music daily. It is especially wonderful to watch those who were reluctant to participate in the beginning of the year grow more comfortable as the year progresses. Music is an extremely important and effective component of a multisensory and balanced early literacy program.

I believe that everyone needs a little silliness and laughter each day. The biggest issue with silliness in the classroom is not letting it get out of control so that we lose our focus. But that doesn’t mean we should not allow it at all.

I believe that parents provide the foundation for success in school. The greatest factors that will determine children’s success in kindergarten happens in the five years before they start school. And the single most important activity that parents can do with their children to ensure success is to read to them regularly. One of my important roles is to encourage parents to participate in their child’s literacy development.

I believe that success in reading comes one step at a time and the first step can’t be built until there is a strong foundation. When and how that foundation was first built will determine when a child begins to read.

I believe that using a multisensory approach to teaching letters, sounds, integrating poems, songs and sign language makes greater connections for kids. Not only has this been proved in research, it is evident by watching children in our classrooms as well.

I believe pointing out what one child is doing right will encourage others to follow along much more positively and quickly than dealing with what one child is doing wrong.

I believe kindergarten is a wonderful place for children to be introduced to new opportunities and develop the “I can” attitude. So often a child thinks he can’t do something until he is encouraged and carefully supported through the new learning. Then he has the “I can” experience. “Just give it a try” or “Do your best” are phrases that I often use. Children soon realize the phrase “I don’t know how” or “I can’t” is simply not acceptable in kindergarten. For some learners, breaking tasks down into smaller, doable pieces helps them build on success and understand the learning process.

I believe children deserve experiences in the visual arts every day. Here we have the opportunity to introduce students to the paint easel, finger painting, water color painting, cutting, gluing, creating… So many things they have never had the chance to try yet.

I believe that children need to learn about different cultures and time periods. This is a great way for them to realize that life (as they know it in twenty-first century America) is not how it is everywhere else or how it always has been. It is wonderfully fun to see the surprised faces of five year olds, who developmentally are at an egocentric stage, when they begin to see things from a different perspective. It’s important for them to understand how fortunate and blessed we are.

I believe that integrating students with handicaps into the regular classroom has benefits both ways. It gives handicapped kids a chance to spend time with peers with good language and social skills and it gives the students a chance to see that we all are different and have differing strengths and skills. It’s a nice way to learn about the real world early on.

I believe that providing children with the opportunity to perform for parents is time well spent. Setting high expectations for performers helps them be successful and shows the audience just how capable young children are. Children get to learn early on that getting up in front of others is fun because no matter what kindergartners do they are adorable!

I believe that children learn in different ways and there is not one magical right way to teach. Children learn from different teaching approaches. As long as children feel cared for, safe and meaningfully engaged, they can learn in many different environments. As teachers, we need to support each other’s strengths. We need to find what works best for us that is aligned to what is right for children. We can honor multiple avenues for successful teaching and learning.