The Power of Play: Building Young Children’s Resilience, Healthy Development and Learning
For all children, play is a child’s “work” and is essential in developing the foundation for social, emotional, and cognitive skills. A wealth of research shows that unstructured play is a fundamental necessity for children to thrive physically, emotionally, mentally and socially. The importance of play is something that I have stressed repeatedly in my […]
Sharing the History of Juneteenth with Children
Juneteeth is a holiday that takes place on June 19th every year to commemorate June 19, 1865, when federal orders declared in Galveston, Texas stated that all previously enslaved people in Texas were free. This momentous occasion fell two months after Robert E. Lee surrendered and ended the Civil War and two and a half […]
How First-Time Students Will Be Affected By New Coronavirus Procedures (in Romper)
Housman Learning’s founder and CEO, Donna Housman, Ed.D, was quoted in a new article for Romper: How First-Time Students Will Be Affected By New Coronavirus Procedures, According To Experts. Read the full article here.
Should Mindfulness Be Taught in Schools? (quoted in OpenColleges study)
“Mindfulness involves focusing one’s awareness on the present moment – on one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations,” – Donna Housman, clinical child psychologist and founder of the Housman Learning, an early childhood training and research centre. Read the full article here.
Staying Safe and Sane Amidst Social Distancing
While many of life’s enjoyed moments and cherished simple pleasures are being put on hold, that voice in our head continues to call out with moment-to-moment reminders about when we were able to take care of our kids and also to take care of ourselves. The longer we continue to be socially distanced because of […]
Why Is My Kid Crying (Again) and What Can I Do About It? (on Healthline)
There are four primary and universal emotions that we all share (even our toddlers!). “Anger, happiness, sadness, and fear — and crying can be an expression of all those emotions and the feelings associated with them,” explains Donna Housman, EdD, a clinical psychologist and founder of the Boston-based Housman Learning. Read the full article here.
Talking to kids about job loss (on Care.com)
Donna Housman, a clinical child psychologist and founder of the Boston-based Housman Learning, an early childhood training, research and advocacy organization and its lab school, Beginnings, explains, “Children are emotional detectives. They pick up on our emotions and what we are feeling — not just by what we say, but also by what we do, by […]
Staying Emotionally Connected on a Physically Distant Mother’s Day
Among other important life lessons, this global pandemic is highlighting just how much we depend on social relationships. As social animals, some of us are struggling to establish a new normal while learning how to maintain relationships in this bizarre time of social distancing. Some of us may still be trying to figure out how […]
Keeping Your Students’ and Your Mental Health Strong in Stressful Times
How many times have you found yourself asking how will these times of increased stress, anxiety and uncertainty affect my young students’ mental health? As tensions mount and the instability of the situation intensifies, not only may you be questioning your young students’ well-being but so too may you be questioning your own ability to […]
Celebrating Earth Day through Children’s Literature
Let’s Turn Off the Screen, This Earth Day, And Read a Book The experience of having a book read aloud to children prompts conversations about what’s happening in the story, what the characters are feeling, the meanings of words, and especially how what’s happening in the book might relate to the child. In a world […]
Let’s Celebrate Earth Day, Indoors
Read to discover ideas on how to celebrate Earth Day indoors. “Being able to explore and discover through nature-based play is a child’s work. Earth day is a great reminder to us all that playing, inside or out, is foundational in children’s learning,” says Housman Institute founder Dr. Donna Housman. “It also can help relieve […]
The Best Streaming Shows for Kids, According to Child-Development Experts (in New York Magazine)
Schools are shuttered and parents are becoming overwhelmed by the prospect of balancing their child’s education, their own work and—maybe especially—their own sanity. If you’re a parent who is feeling guilty about plopping your child in front of the TV, don’t be! As long as you are choosing the right programs, your child may even […]
Here’s How Much Homeschooling Educators Say Your Kids Should Do A Day (on Romper)
In this incredible and historic time, we are seeing schools shuttered and parents overwhelmed by the prospect of maintaining the quality and consistency of their children’s education. Should families feel pressured to keep up, or even surpass, the rate of academic progress of their traditional school? Will children fall behind academically? How do you balance […]
6 Mindfulness Activities for Early Childhood
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re reading a lot about the importance of practicing mindfulness to manage stress. Is it a practice that young children can use? As a former preschool teacher who implemented the begin to ECSEL® program in my classroom, I encouraged children to practice mindfulness every day. It is a practice whose principles […]
Dr. Donna Housman on Mindfulness and Meditation for Young Children
Q: Should young children practice mindfulness? Dr. Donna Housman: “To start, it’s important to make a distinction between mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness involves focusing one’s awareness on the present moment – on one’s thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations. This allows us to be more aware of not only our self but also of the people around us. In so […]
Parenting in a Pandemic (in The Week.com)
This past week, Dr. Donna Housman was requested to comment on parenting during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Claire Gillespie of The Week thoughtfully compiled tips from Dr. Housman and other child psychology specialists that encourage parents to look at lockdown “as an opportunity to learn some vital parenting lessons” in the hopes that “we might […]