First published July 2011. Updated 2018. I’m going to sound a bit like a textbook right now. I’m sorry. Bear with me. You’ll be glad you did…I hope. :) I was taught in my early childhood courses that there are 6 domains of early childhood development. I say there are 7, but we’ll get...
Discover the power of phonics in early childhood education with our collection of engaging and educational activities for preschoolers.
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!
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
Learn about the stages of cognitive development in early childhood and how you can stimulate your child intellectually through simple activities.
Learning through play is not an added bonus, it is the most important type of learning for young children.
Learn about the importance of arts and crafts for early childhood development, and find creative activity suggestions for kids of all ages.
First published July 2011. Updated 2018. I’m going to sound a bit like a textbook right now. I’m sorry. Bear with me. You’ll be glad you did…I hope. :) I was taught in my early childhood courses that there are 6 domains of early childhood development. I say there are 7, but we’ll get...
Teach kids to tackle challenges and build vital thinking skills with these fun problem-solving activities and games for preschoolers.
CHCECE010 Holistic Development of Children In Early Childhood-Open Colleges Australia assignment is to prepare a set of child development charts that summarise major achivement under each developmental area for children
Look, listen, touch, taste and smell are often taken for granted. Yet these senses are pivotal to learning complex tasks. Sensory play helps children to build skills in cognitive growth.
What are some things every early childhood teacher should do for and with their students? We’re answering that question in today’s blog post, through some of our favorite quotes from the experts on early education. Keep these quotes on hand for inspiration—because these days, we need all the inspiration we can get. (This post would […]
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
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…
This Blog and Infographic will review tonic reflexes, their significance if the reflex persists beyond the typical age range, and the possible impact on a child’s functioning and role performance. Last but not least, this blog will suggest therapeutic interventions that are known to help inhibit the activation of tonic reflexes and advance postural control as a foundation for optimal functioning.
See Sections below for different types of resources including general resources, 5 ways to... resources, benefits of... resources, self assessment prompts and critical reflection prompts. Aligning NQS with the EYLF v2.0Download PDF Sleep and Rest Risk AssessmentDownload WORD Sleep and Rest Risk AssessmentDownload Aligning NQS with MTOP v2.0Download Infographics environment agencyDownload compliance in formsDownload study
Understand what is STEM in early childhood education, when is it appropriate to start teaching STEM, are there any STEM preschool toys for toddlers
Learn how to teach children self-control the right way with this collection of fun yet powerful self-regulation strategies and activities for kids!
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.
The importance of early childhood development should not be underestimated. The effects of learning in the early years are life-long.
Learn about play schemas and get activity ideas for each of the 9 play schemas. Transporting, positioning, connection, transforming...
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.
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
These ABA therapy activities for kids with autism spectrum disorder will give you heaps of ideas you can use at school, in therapy, and at home!
Montessori education. Yes, you've heard of it. But what is it reallyand how does it differ from other educational programs?
Learn what a sensory diet is, how it can benefit your child's learning, focus, behavior, and emotional regulation, and discover which activities should be part of your child’s individual sensory diet.
Do you know how my 5th grade teacher taught us the planets? She sang it to us. When her former students would come back and visit, she would always ask if they remembered the order of the planets. And they’d all end up singing it back to her. Imagine these big high school juniors and seniors singing
The trajectory schema is all about movement. If you have kids in your classroom throwing things, fascinated with moving objects or force and motion, you have children developing their trajectory schema. Discover exactly what this play schema is and get heaps of playful hands-on activities you can us
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.
Many parents are not aware about the cognitive milestones. Cognitive development is the development of the brain's ability to act and think.
The Empowered Educator - Early Childhood Programming Made Simple but Effective – Part 1
Alliteration activities can help build your child's phonological awareness. They're also great for some laughs and bringing out creativity!
Strategies to improve child development - 1. Providing a loving environment 2. Providing high-quality education 3. Promoting healthy lifestyle
The five domains of preschool developmental skills or preschool developmental areas that help establish behaviors for learning and success.
"No one will play with me" he said with tears rolling down his cheeks. He seems so confused by this strange occurrence, he thought going to preschool would mean lots of friends to play with.
According to Adolph, Weise, and Marin (2003), “Motor development refers to changes in children's ability to control their body's movements, from infants' first spontaneous waving and kicking movements to the adaptive control of reaching, locomotion, and complex sport skills”. Click here for the full-resolution PDF of this chart. ReferencesAdolph, K. E., Weise, L., & Marin, L. (2003). Motor development. In L. Nadel, Encyclopedia of cognitive sciences (pp. 134-137). London: Macmillan-Reference
