George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Prekindergarten

Explore and share tips, strategies, and resources for helping students develop in prekindergarten.

  • Using Dance to Promote SEL Skills

    Bringing dance into the classroom with simple exercises can help elementary students develop social and emotional learning skills.
    Margot Toppen

  • Starting the Day With a Calming Routine

    Exercises that help young students who’ve experienced trauma transition into the school day in a relaxed and ready state.
    Lori Desautels

  • How to Teach Handwriting—and Why It Matters

    Teaching young students how to write by hand before moving on to keyboarding can help improve their reading fluency as well.
    Brooke MacKenzie

  • Time to Play: More State Laws Require Recess

    Unstructured playtime is making a comeback in schools as frustrated teachers, parents, and advocacy groups demand legislative action.
    Brittany Shammas

  • Bringing a Dog to School

    A veteran teacher and administrator makes the case for having a therapy dog in elementary school.
    Shari Feeney

  • Activities That Prime the Brain for Learning

    Brain breaks and focused attention practices help students feel relaxed and alert and ready to learn.
    Lori Desautels

  • 22 Diverse Book Choices for All Grade Levels

    Suggestions from teachers who are working to offer students at every grade level book choices that represent their lives.
    Tom Berger

  • A Public School Transitions to Montessori

    In rural South Carolina, a Title I school makes the leap to become a Montessori school.

  • Teaching Friendship Skills in Preschool

    Young children want friends but don’t always know how to treat them, so promoting heathy ideas about friendship in preschool is key.
    Gerard Visco

  • 60-Second Strategy: Respectful Touch

    A simple activity can help preschoolers better understand boundaries and learn to be gentle when it comes to physical contact.

  • Demonstrating Self-Regulation With Tone of Voice

    When teachers model self-regulation by using a voice that is calm, neutral, and assertive, they help students feel cared for—and ready to learn.

  • How a Literacy-First Program Revived a School

    A Title I school in the Bronx is dramatically improving student outcomes—one book at a time.
    Carly Berwick

  • Building Emotional Literacy in Preschoolers

    By giving young students the tools to self-regulate, this preschool in New Orleans boosts their readiness to learn.

  • Learning Problem Solving and Growth Mindset in a Makerspace

    Makerspaces build students’ cognitive abilities while fostering independence, perseverance, and self-regulation.

  • 7 Teacher-Tested Hacks For Elementary Classrooms

    Teachers post great ideas on Instagram for everything from keeping your room clean to getting kids moving. We’ve collected a few, plus hashtags you should follow.
    Samer Rabadi