Blog | The Work Of Play

Amy Chiu

Apr 208 min read

How Writing Skills Develop Through Play

#EmergentWriting #Pre-Literacy

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Amy Chiu

Mar 154 min read

"Are you a boy or a girl?"

Recently, I was asked this question by a preschooler. It wasn't the first time I had heard this question and it won't be the last. In the...

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Amy Chiu

Feb 194 min read

Our Name, Ourselves

Amy Chiu isn't my name. Or rather, it isn't the name that I was given at birth. I was born in Taiwan and spent my early childhood there...

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Turning Challenges into Opportunities: A Guide to Supporting Age-Appropriate Behaviors & Early Social Interactions

Amy Chiu

Jan 89 min read

Turning Challenges into Opportunities: A Guide to Supporting Age-Appropriate Behaviors & Early Social Interactions

Let's face it, working with young children is as challenging as it is wonderful and rewarding. Many of us are 'good' with children, but...

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Amy Chiu

Dec 2, 20233 min read

Moving Beyond ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’

I recently found the above image on the web and it took me straight back to my childhood. I had the whole series of books when I was...

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How Much Is Too Much? - The Process of Process Art

Amy Chiu

Oct 31, 20233 min read

How Much Is Too Much? - The Process of Process Art

A little background...I am firmly in the play-based and developmental category of early childhood educators so process art is something...

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The Family Engagement Toolbox: Strategies for Supportive Partnerships

Amy Chiu

Oct 12, 20238 min read

The Family Engagement Toolbox: Strategies for Supportive Partnerships

Allow me to share a cautionary tale: When I first started teaching I was paired up with a more seasoned teacher who already had solid...

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Amy Chiu

Sep 20, 20233 min read

The Spooky Storyteller

It started during the pandemic. I was the director of a preschool and it was around the time of Halloween. Halloween is usually a pretty...

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From Surviving to Thriving: A Compassionate Guide to Back-to-School Challenges

Amy Chiu

Sep 10, 20238 min read

From Surviving to Thriving: A Compassionate Guide to Back-to-School Challenges

Picture this: It's your first day at a new job. You're excited and also anxious about how the day will go. You enter your new office and...

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Feelings Matter: My Recent Journey as an Educator and Parent

Amy Chiu

Sep 5, 20233 min read

Feelings Matter: My Recent Journey as an Educator and Parent

Recently, I stepped away from a position as a director of a preschool program that I loved. I took this step to prioritize my health and...

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You Can't Come To My Birthday Party! - Understanding This Power Play in the Early Years

Amy Chiu

Aug 29, 20235 min read

You Can't Come To My Birthday Party! - Understanding This Power Play in the Early Years

If you've been teaching preschool for a while you have surely come across this phrase being wielded by a young child. Yes, wielded, like...

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There is Nothing Wrong - In Defense of the Introverted Child

Amy Chiu

Aug 16, 20234 min read

There is Nothing Wrong - In Defense of the Introverted Child

This was me when I was about 3 years old. I was the first-born, the responsible one, the good girl who listened and obeyed. In my early...

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Amy Chiu

Aug 12, 20233 min read

The Magic of Monarchs

When I first started teaching preschool I had a fear that no one knew about which I had to confront head on as an adult. I was very...

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Supporting Emergent Literacy in a Standardized World

Amy Chiu

Aug 3, 20232 min read

Supporting Emergent Literacy in a Standardized World

If you are a play-based educator you are often having to field the question: What is my child learning as they play? It's tough to...

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Amy Chiu

Jul 30, 20234 min read

Play & Friendship in Early Childhood

A major developmental task in early childhood is learning how to get along with others and making friends. For many of our preschoolers,...

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Amy Chiu

Jul 30, 20231 min read

Mess for Success: How to Bring More Sensory Play Into Your Program

I'm neat and organized by nature which means that mess can be personally triggering. It takes conscious effort for me to LET GO of...

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