Anger is a complex and difficult emotion for young children to deal with so having an awareness of anger management as an adult can really help. We need to help children learn how to recognise, talk about and manage their anger: not while they’re angry, but while they’re calm and happy in order to give […]
How to Communicate Effectively about Childhood Development: #7
We all have opinions about children and what’s good for them, and our parents and communities have their own beliefs, too. As educators, how do we communicate effectively to families who may have misconceptions about how children learn and grow? This post is all about positive and meaningful communication with families. At the bottom you’ll […]
Does Movement Improve Learning Outcomes? #6
What is the best way to learn? Because people are so different it seems that what’s ‘best’ may be somewhat subjective. Today, we’re asking the question: Does movement improve learning outcomes? And the answer is a resounding yes! Fortunately there are lots of other benefits for children, too. You can listen to this episode above, listen to […]
What are the Rights of a Child? #5
How long is it since you considered the United Nation’s perspective on the rights of a child? Have you ever? It’s quite an enlightening exercise so this podcast episode goes through these rights and then shows how one early childhood centre has adapted those rights into a Children’s Rights Charter. It’s a beautiful example of […]
Essential Pre-Writing Skills: Visual Discrimination
Visual discrimination is an essential skill to be a successful reader and writer. Children need to be able to distinguish between letters that look similar in order to understand that these slight differences cause a change in meaning. For eg, dog and bog mean very different things and yet there’s only one small difference between […]
Dealing with Bullying: 10 Proven Strategies #3
Bullying, and being bullied, can start from a very young age. As adults are influential in the lives of young children it is important that we are proactive and diligent when it comes to managing it. Click on the player above to listen to this week’s podcast episode or pop over to iTunes to listen […]
Back to School: Hello, Hello Icebreaker and Song
Getting to know each other, or getting reacquainted, is a big part of going back to school. This simple icebreaker activity and song will smash that ice and warm up the classroom in no time! No diva singing expertise necessary! Feeling comfortable in the classroom There are such a variety of personalities in any classroom […]
Healthy Eating and Body Image in Preschool Children
Food intake in early childhood is largely dependent on parents, carers and early childhood centres. Do most parents want their children to eat healthily? Absolutely! Does this mean most children have completely healthy diets? Not really! If you want to listen to this post instead you can do that at The Early Childhood Research Podcast. […]
10 Cutting Activities for Kids
Learning to use scissors is a tricky task for little hands, but it’s really excellent for developing strength and coordination. There are tons of ways to use recycled paper and magazines for cutting activities but for this post I’ve pulled together 10 free packs from around the ‘net that cover a range of skills levels. […]
An ABC of Early Childhood Issues
I loved reading Sandra Smidt’s book, An ABC of Early Childhood Education: A Guide to some of the Key Issues. It’s so wonderfully laid out and easy to read. It’s based on research but written so that anyone can understand it with lots of stories and anecdotes to keep you glued to the page. Here […]