Guides for grown-ups.
What we learned building these books: what a child can do at each age, what the research supports, and where we are making a judgment call rather than citing a finding.
8 guides
Which activity book for which age: 3, 4, 5 and 6
The maze book lists from three. The others list from four. Here is what sits inside those ranges: the book for each age, the page to open it at, and the sign that says move up.
Fine motorMazes by age: what a 3, 4, 5 and 6-year-old can do
A maze is three separate skills stacked on top of each other, and children pick them up years apart. Here is which maze belongs to which age.
Computational thinkingUnplugged coding for preschoolers: where to start
Four ideas underneath every programming language, none of which need a computer, and the order a four-year-old can meet them in.
Early mathAB, ABC, AABB: what preschool pattern work teaches
Most pattern worksheets stop at AB and stay there. The progression past it is where the mathematics is.
ScienceTeaching the solar system to a 4–6 year old, accurately
Young children can handle accurate astronomy. What they cannot undo easily is a misconception learned at five.
For grown-upsHow to sit beside a child doing a worksheet
The most challenging part of an activity book is not on the page. It is sitting there while a four-year-old gets it wrong.
Fine motorPencil grasp by age, and what helps
Grasp develops on its own schedule. What you can change is what the hand gets to practice, and the size of what you ask it to do.
How we make themWhy our activity books are printed in black and white
The research behind it, the one finding that argues against it, and what the child gets in return.