Fun and informative tip sheets for summer!

Learn about exciting new ways to support children’s growth with our summer collection of tip sheets! We’ve got information on helping children develop executive function skills with music. And you’ll learn about encouraging play as an essential way to learn. Watch this space for more!

Tip sheets: the importance of play

Play is more than just having a good time. Play helps children grow physically, cognitively, and socially. Download our tip sheets on the importance of play to learn more.

Musical ways to support inhibitory control

Inhibitory control is one of our executive function skills. It’s the skill that allows us to resist an unhelpful impulse or a temptation. Children learn inhibitory control over time, like other executive function skills. Adults can help! Our latest tip sheets explain that music offers fun opportunities to practice inhibitory control.

Tip sheets: music and inhibitory control

Inhibitory control is the skill that allows us to resist an impulse. Children develop this skill over time and with practice. Music is a tool that can be used to help children learn inhibitory control. Find out more in our tip sheets!

Our latest tip sheet suggests ways to use music in your work with children

Looking for advice on integrating music into your work with children? Our latest tip sheet is called Applying It: Engaging in Musical Play with Young Children. We created this resource in partnership with MacPhail Center for Music. Try out some of our ideas for musical play with infants through preschoolers!

Our NEW tip sheet explores music and emotional regulation

Music is a part of every human culture, and many caregivers instinctively include musical play in their interactions with children. But music does more than entertain; there’s evidence it can help children learn emotional regulation skills. Read more in our latest tip sheets!

Tip sheets: music and emotional regulation

Did you know that in addition to being an enriching experience, music in the classroom can help children build emotion regulation skills? Download our latest tip sheets to learn more.

Children in foster care benefit from early education; a new report shows there is plenty of room to grow participation

Studies show that children benefit from being enrolled in early care and education (ECE) programs. Children in foster care are at greater risk for challenges at school and outside of it–challenges that ECE can help them prepare to overcome. A new report details the ECE participation of Minnesota children in foster care as well as barriers to enrollment that they may face.

How storytelling boosts our executive functioning: a Q & A with Chris Wing

In this Q & A, speech-language pathologist Chris Wing, PhD ’13, explains how language development is linked to attachment and emotional regulation. She also talks about encouraging children and adults to tell personal stories as a strategy to build their communication and executive functioning skills.