Cara Tyrrell, M.Ed is a Vermont based Early Childhood Educator, Collaborative Parenting Coach, and the founder of Core4Parenting. She is the passionate mastermind behind the Collaborative Parenting Methodology(™), a birth-to-five, soul and science based framework that empowers parents to maximize their child’s early learning while raising fantastic human beings who succeed in school and life.
While teaching preschool and Kindergarten, she noticed her students knew their ABC’s and 123’s, but struggled with their social, emotional, and interpersonal skills. At drop off, parents would say, “We’re so glad that you are their first teacher”, but she knew she wasn’t — their parents were! This realization led to her professional pivot as an online Early Childhood Parent Educator and Coach.
Cara has embraced her role as thought leader and fierce advocate for Pandemic parents raising the COVID Generation (GEN-C). Through keynotes, teacher training, and her podcast, Transforming the Toddler Years, she’s teaching the 5 Executive Functioning Skills kids need to navigate our ever-changing world.
Cara has Bachelor degrees in American Sign Language (ASL) and Linguistics and a Master’s degree in Education. She lives in southern Vermont with her two nearly grown-and-flown daughters and a husband who is her biggest cheerleader. Ready to raise world ready kids who change the world? Visit www.caratyrrell.com/bio to begin your Collaborative Parenting journey!
If you want to learn a little more listen in to her podcast.
As I have stated before, Two Rules will work at any age level and anywhere. The foundation of Two Rules is choice and in providing the children we serve with skills needed in the areas of executive function.
Two Rules recognizes the importance of supporting children at every stage of their development. It acknowledges that all children, parents, and teachers share the common goal of wanting everyone to feel good and safe. By introducing executive functioning activities from an early age, children can build a strong foundation upon which they can enhance their skills.
Executive functioning skills encompass various cognitive, communication, sensory, and motor abilities that we develop over time, allowing us to thrive as successful adults. While these skills are used in almost every aspect of our daily lives, they become particularly crucial once children reach school age.
As children grow older and gain more independence, they need to learn how to effectively manage their time, ensuring they complete tests, assignments, and other tasks punctually. Additionally, they must cultivate the ability to focus their attention on acquiring new knowledge and remain organized to locate the necessary materials. These skills are pivotal for success in academics and beyond. An example of this is seen in my Two Rules approach of using an organized binder approach in helping to teach children how to organize, prioritize and to take Cornell notes.
Psychologists and child development professionals often adhere to developmental models of executive functioning skills, which suggest that individuals possess an innate capacity to develop these behaviors. However, the environment also plays a significant role in nurturing the growth of executive functioning skills, particularly during the first two years of life.
As children progress, they refine these skills through social play activities. Between the ages of 5 and 12, children begin to shoulder more responsibilities both at home and in school. During this period, parents, teachers, and caregivers provide opportunities for children to practice executive functioning skills, offering positive reinforcement when they succeed. Adults act as a supportive scaffold, guiding children in areas such as organization, time management, and emotional control. By the time individuals reach adolescence and early adulthood, their experiences have shaped their executive functioning skills significantly.
Two Rules provides support for learning problem solving, self-regulation, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, making decisions and building relationships.
During this phase, the scaffolding built by adults is gradually dismantled, and teenagers and young adults are expected to rely on their executive functioning skills independently. While they may encounter occasional setbacks, individuals with well-established foundational executive functioning skills can lead fulfilling lives at home, school, and in personal relationships.
In today’s context, the significance of this message cannot be overstated. As I engage in collaborations with numerous individuals from different regions across the country and even the world, I am reminded of the collective effort required to devise effective solutions for the children we are committed to serving. It is evident that our families play a crucial role as the primary educators, and the educational journey of our children extends beyond the confines of home. By forming partnerships with families and embracing the communities they choose to be a part of, we create a comprehensive support system that offers valuable additional resources. It is through these collaborative and interconnected relationships that we can truly unlock the potential for success, not just for individual children but for all.
Thankful for all of those I continue to connect with and all of the work we are all doing to be part of the solution daily. Home, school and community together is the Two Rule solution for all schools.