PLEASE NOTE: You can listen to this article in podcast format over here! Most research on early writing has focused on lower primary-aged children which means studies on younger children (from 2-5 years) are a little thin. One of the causes of this was the long-held philosophy that very young children would learn what they […]
Are Birthday Cakes a Risky Business?
To have or not to have, that is the question. Birthday cakes in early care centres can be a surprisingly emotional topic, both in arguing for them and against them. For this month’s research-based post I am highlighting some points from recent research that looked at the place of birthday cakes in 4 early care […]
How to Make Awesomely Effective Literacy Bags
What is a literacy bag? A pack containing a terrific children’s book along with a combination of toys, games and activities that relate to the book and extend learning. Why use them? Teachers do use literacy bags in the classroom, but the most popular use is to send them home for a few days. Encouraging […]
How to Choose Interactive e-Books for your Child
Why use interactive e-books with young children? They can be a highly engaging and enjoyable learning experience for both adult and child They introduce children to technology and encourage early computer skills through exploration and experimentation To learn new skills and literacies not present in printed books, such as interpreting audio and visual cues for […]
Collaborating with Parents on Goal Setting for Children
Early childhood education is preferably a collaboration between families and schools whether they’re Kindergartens, Pre-Kindergartens, Preschools, Day Care, Sunday Schools or other organisations. Goal setting for children can be a helpful way to ensure attention is paid to areas of need or interest for each specific child. For some free goal setting sheets for children […]
Can Young Children Help Create a Sustainable World?
We teach little ones to be kind to animals and to not throw rubbish, but can children REALLY help save our world? I’m talking here about our ability to create a long and sustainable future for both the planet and ourselves. Since this blog is focused on early learners it will be no surprise that […]
10 Ways to Combat Bullying in the Early Years
Boys will be boys. It’s just a squabble. They have to learn to deal with it themselves. How much truth do these axioms hold? Are they just an excuse not to intercede? Of course it’s true that children DO have to learn to deal with conflict and we SHOULDN’T always jump in. However, with […]
How to use Board Games to Maximise Math Skills
Do your children love using board games and dice? There are an almost unlimited supply of great ways to teach and learn using this method. But what if we could tweak games to increase mathematical understanding in young children aged 3-7? There is a strong link between a child’s understanding of numbers as a continuation on […]
10 Research-Based Tips for Reading With Your Child
Research has shown that the level of a child’s vocabulary in the home before heading off to school is an important indicator for school-readiness as well as predicting later academic achievement. Of course, this is not set in stone BUT, if we as parents want to ensure the best start possible we can’t go past […]
Why I Love my Sound Box for Early Learners
When I started teaching music in my early childhood classes, one of my first projects was to create a Sound Box… a box full of sounds. It sits innocuously in one corner of my room until it’s ‘play’ time or ‘let’s experiment’ time and then it springs to life: loud sounds, soft sounds, whirry, shaky, […]