Necessary disclaimer: I understand and acknowledge that not every school in Sweden does things the same way. This is simply a little peek into what we have experienced. I’ve written in the past about my children’s experiences with Swedish preschool and with föreskoleklass so, now it’s time for an update as the fall term of first grade […]
A wooden propeller plane makes for a great climb Cold. Uncomfortable. Rugged. Rustic. Miserable. Those are the words that I would’ve used to describe a Swedish outdoor preschool before I knew any better. Preschools in Sweden are for children ages 1-6 (the year they turn 6, they head off to “big school” so some kids […]
“It’s my body and I can wear whatever I want.” My daughter stood defiantly before me, hands on hips in her underwear, a t-shirt, and sandals. Picking her up from preschool is usually fairly quick but today, my sweet daughter looks more like a stubborn rhino. She will not budge. Her teachers, also unwilling to […]
Necessary disclaimer: I understand and acknowledge that not every school in Sweden does things the same way. This is simply a little peek into what we have experienced. “What does your typical school day look like? What do you do?” I asked my six-year-old son. He took me over to the whiteboard where laminated words with […]
This should not be hanging in my soon-to-be-kindergartener’s classroom. pic.twitter.com/mWiJVdddpH — Georgy Cohen (@radiofreegeorgy) June 6, 2018 Columbine High School’s shooting happened when I was a sophomore in high school (10th grade). I remember sitting in the sunny second floor classroom in Dr. Gomez’s Spanish class and praying that if we ever had an active […]
Easily create beautiful watercolor designs with this simple and fast sugar water technique. My kids absolutely loved painting with this sugar water technique. They each raved about how beautiful their creations were and couldn’t wait to try it again. This is a great rainy day activity for kids and adults of any age. Watch as […]
What do two kindergarten classes separated by an ocean, language, and culture have in common? In what ways do they differ? What are five-year-olds expected to learn while attending preschool in the US and Sweden? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to each kindergarten’s approach? I interviewed two kindergarten teachers—one in the US and one […]
Not many people would volunteer to chaperone twenty-two children between the ages of four and six when you don’t speak the language, but that is exactly what I did. My main goal for the trip was completely selfish. I have been seeking out intensive language immersion opportunities and Swedish children don’t understand English. My basic […]