Hand Made Places designs playgrounds for learning and fun, creating playground equipment which supports the development of children and young people.
Information to help parents and Teachers with speaking and language development in the Early years for babies and toddlers, helping them to communicate effectively, explaining how to aid and develop language by use of questions, when not to question, how to 'give language' to babies and toddlers and when to seek further help for speech delay.
Yesterday afternoon I had the great pleasure of selecting and preparing some new resources. After searching high and low in and around the town where my setting is situated, I returned with arms la…
Browse our curated list of resources that will help foster language, literacy and numeracy development.
When you enter into the world of Early Childhood Education it’s no doubt just about play and teaching! Educator’s alike would agree that observing and documenting children’s learn…
Primitive reflexes are the reactive actions that a newborn baby uses to survive in the beginning stages of life. These reflexes are essential in allowing th ...
Homeschool socialization isn't difficult if you are actively living life with your little ones. From story time at the library to field trips with your homeschool group, there are many ways to be social with your kids.
Children's Play SchemasIn case you need a recap on Play Schemas then I highly suggest you head to our blog 'What are Play Schemas?' before reading ahead.
After a relentless focus on quality in the early years, this district is even bringing lessons learned to later grades.
Become a confident, strategic coach who provides maximum value to your clients. Learn the strategies that top professional coaches use that keeps the phone ringing with a steady stream of clients.
Children's Play SchemasIn case you need a recap on Play Schemas then I highly suggest you head to our blog 'What are Play Schemas?' before reading ahead.
Children's Play SchemasIn case you need a recap on Play Schemas then I highly suggest you head to our blog 'What are Play Schemas?' before reading ahead.
When you enter into the world of Early Childhood Education it’s no doubt just about play and teaching! Educator’s alike would agree that observing and documenting children’s learn…
Children aged three to five don’t need to do formal academic assignments in early childhood education to hit their milestones.
What do you think of when you hear “preschool crafts?” Construction paper and glitter? Cut and paste worksheets? These kinds of crafts quickly find their way to the trash can in our house! I would rather my children spend their time making something worthy and beautiful that we’ll hang onto for awhile. If it doesn’t
This comprehensive guide to the brain development of children from 0 to 6 years is packed with insightful tips and important facts every parent should know.
Many parents are not aware about the cognitive milestones. Cognitive development is the development of the brain's ability to act and think.
When you enter into the world of Early Childhood Education it’s no doubt just about play and teaching! Educator’s alike would agree that observing and documenting children’s learn…
When you enter into the world of Early Childhood Education it’s no doubt just about play and teaching! Educator’s alike would agree that observing and documenting children’s learn…
Children's Play SchemasIn case you need a recap on Play Schemas then I highly suggest you head to our blog 'What are Play Schemas?' before reading ahead.
Children's Play SchemasIn case you need a recap on Play Schemas then I highly suggest you head to our blog 'What are Play Schemas?' before reading ahead.
Sensory Integration Strategies and Tips are useful for children with sensory processing disorder. Check out these strategies that can help kids cope with sensory processing disorder.
Interoception may be a new term to you. Find out how you can support sensory processing with these 10 interoception activities for kids.
I've often wondered if my child's incessant hunger was tied to the interoception sense -- Sensory Processing Disorder. Yep, Interoception
Learning to write is much more complicated than we think. After all, most people can write so what is so difficult about it? It's second nature to most of us, yet take some time to look at yourself when you write. What muscles are you using? Switch hands and see if you can manage writing with your other hand. This may give you some idea of the level of control required to make meaningful marks on paper. Building muscle strength and learning to control those muscles is an integral part of children learning to write. Core muscles, the large arm muscles and the small muscles in the hand and wrist all need strengthening and developing in order for children to be able to gain control of a pencil or crayon. In addition to strengthening and controlling muscles, refining depth perception and visual tracking skills are important. Hand-eye coordination is essential as the hands and eyes have to work together to enable children to form letters and write across the page. While your child's first writing experiences may look like scribbles to you, if you ask them what they have drawn you may get a very complex story. Children recreate and make sense of their world first through their drawing and later through their writing. This takes time to develop and develops alongside their language. When a child can tell you all about their drawing and you can record that for them, they are learning that their words are valued and can be represented. When children begin to understand that symbols have meaning, they are on their way to being motivated to record these symbols for themselves. Their first efforts at writing recognisable letters will possibly begin with them writing their names between four and five years old. It's vital that children see their name written and have opportunities to write their names independently. This is their signature, it's not a copy or tracing of an adult's writing. Children who can write their names are very proud of this and this achievement needs to be celebrated, whatever the writing looks like, so they will be enthusiastic about writing. When their child is beginning to write, parents should not worry about letters that are not properly formed, letters that are back wards and that their child may have missed out letters. This is a natural part of children developing their writing style. They get plenty of practise at forming letters later on, the early years is a time for children to experiment as they develop the brain connectors needed to control their hand eye coordination and make writing on the lines possible. Source: Words their way Children need experiences to write about so exploration and interaction with the world around them and other people is essential. Children learn to express themselves through their writing when they have opportunities to: à draw, paint and create and a collage à practise their skills in a variety of contexts through different experiences à strengthen their muscles through manipulating materials during play à develop their coordination through physical activity à interact with their peers and adults Ideas to develop muscles and hand-eye coordination include: à playing outside, swinging, running, pouring sand and water, playing tag, swimming, riding a bike à exploring and experimenting with a variety of materials such as sand, water, glue, tweezers and tongs, boxes and puzzles à finger painting and gloop à working with playdough The more children are engaged in purposeful play; the more opportunities they have for interactions with others; the more they are positively encouraged; the stronger their foundations for both writing and reading will be and the more rewarding their progress will be for them as you celebrate each success together. Some examples of emergent writing
Learn about open-ended play, and why it is so important for children - especially in early childhood. Five reasons play is critical in early years.
The importance of early childhood development should not be underestimated. The effects of learning in the early years are life-long.
If you have young children and subscribe to the philosophy of “learning through play”, then you simply MUST check out this amazing collaborative book by 94 Authors from around the globe: LEARN WITH PLAY! A GIANT COLLECTION OF HANDS-ON KIDS ACTIVITIES – handpicked and brought to you in a choice of handy formats – ebook,...
Playtime is More Than a Fun Activity, It's a Learning Experience! Learn About the 6 Stages in Play Development That Build Your Child's Social Skills!
Our Social Development Poster is a great educational resource that will help you create relevant and engaging Child Development classrooms.
Are you aware that there are certain foods to boost your kid's brain power? Want to know what are they? Here are top foods for brain development in children
Learn about play schemas and get activity ideas for each of the 9 play schemas. Transporting, positioning, connection, transforming...
