Blog – Page 15 – Early Learning Childhood Education

27/04/201702/05/2017

Say it with a poem this Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day poems can be one of the most treasured, meaningful gifts a mum can receive from her child.

Mother’s Day art, craft and morning/afternoon tea are all wonderful inclusions in Mother’s Day celebrations, but this year we’re focusing on poetry for the occasion.

Mother’s Day Poetry – The benefits

The benefits of poetry for children are many and varied.

We recently wrote about how poetry can benefit children’s development, including their memory, emotional comprehension and physical coordination.

In Reading Magic, fantastic Australian author Mem Fox says:

“Rhymers will be readers: it’s that simple. Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.”

There is a huge amount of research to support that poetry makes learning language easier and much more enjoyable for children.

Poetry is fun to learn and reading it aloud can help children to build confidence and self-esteem (along with memorisation and rhythm).

Roses are red, violets are blue, here’s a Mother’s Day poem for you

Use poem writing as an exercise in vocabulary development and self-expression with the children in your centre (or at home).

An acrostic Mother’s Day poem is a great one to try with young children. It is simple and places the emphasis on letter recognition, spelling and increasing vocabulary. Here’s an example from Kidspot:

Adapt this approach to suit whichever name children use to call their mother, including other languages or for relatives who fulfill the maternal role in children’s lives.

As always we remind centres to stay inclusive and open Mother’s Day celebrations to the special women in children’s lives, whether they are grandmothers, aunties, step mums and the like. Every family is unique.

Any child can read a poem to their mother. With a help of an adult, young children can say only some of the words or do actions to accompany the poem.

We would love to share the Bonkers Beat poem ‘My Mum’ with you all to use for this Mother’s Day.

Gain exclusive access to this Mother’s Day poem here.

If you have a special Mothers’ Day poem of your own to share, we’d love to see it on Facebook!

Image designed by Freepik

20/04/201721/04/2017

One City, Many Children – The history (and future) of Reggio Emilia

At Bonkers Beat we are big believers in the idea that we should never stop learning. That’s why we are looking for opportunities to continue our education and discover more.

For anyone who is passionate about early childhood education, the Reggio Emilia Approach is well worth delving into. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at what it is, how it started and why Reggio Emilia is so important now.

How did the Reggio Emilia Approach begin?

The city of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy was once recognised as the birthplace of lambrusco, parmigiano cheese and even the Italian flag. Today it is renowned for the early childhood education approach that began there and is being adopted all over the world.

The Reggio Emilia Approach was first developed in Italy in a very small city called Reggio Emilia. It was post-war times, with the people in this city looking forward to embracing a change for the better. Equality and hope for the future were front of mind for many.

What is the Reggio Emilia Approach?

Reggio Emilia harnesses the natural connections and curiosity within children’s lives – communities, family, nature – and builds on these to create a learning environment that allows children to blossom.

There is no ‘one way’ of approaching Reggio Emilia – rather than a set of guidelines or a strict pedagogy, Reggio Emilia is, as we refer to it, an approach.

Of course, with Reggio Emilia children flourishing, the approach was fascinating and coveted by countries all over the world. However, only in 70s that some Reggio Emilia values and guidelines were established and others could utilise the power of Reggio’s central elements, those being:

children’s relationships with other children, teachers, parents and their classroom environment;
documentation of the children’s learning as a way to make their thinking and theorising visible – and convey a strong image of an intelligent child;
project work, where children are engaged in explorations of their world, making choices about what they will investigate, and then together with their teachers and peers making meaning;
the many ways children express themselves called the “100 Languages” with a strong emphasis on the visual arts; and
active listening, where children’s voices, thoughts and opinions are valued (as much as the teachers’).

[Via The Conversation]

“What children learn does not follow as an automatic result of what is taught, rather, it is in large part due to the children’s own doing, as a consequence of their activities and our resources.” —Loris Malaguzzi, The Hundred Languages of Children

The Master Mind Behind the Reggio Emilia Approach

A local teacher, Loris Malaguzzi, played an influential role, even training as a psychologist in order to gain a better understanding of how to guide families and their children through early years of education. Malaguzzi was passionate about studying a wide range of pedagogies, using parts of theories he believed would best serve the early development of children.

It is safe to say that the Reggio Emilia Approach has been inspired by the likes of Gardner, Montessori, Freud and many others. Malaguzzi worked closely with a small group of educators over the years to develop the Reggio Emilia Approach and train others, ensuring that the focus always remained centred around the child.

Reggio Emilia’s Growth Beyond Italy

More like-minded centres were developed in Reggio Emilia itself and beyond, run with a heavy involvement from parents and communities – and this is at the heart of what the Reggio Emilia Approach is all about.

Play and self-guided exploration are also essential elements of the approach, returning to the idea of a holistic approach – educating the whole child and understanding that each child is unique.

Since its origins in that small Italian city, the Reggio Emilia Approach has been celebrated across the world. From the United States, to Australia, the UK – it has had a far-reaching impact on early childhood education.

It’s interesting to note that you cannot have a ‘Reggio Emilia Centre’ as such unless you are in fact in the city itself. Your centre can incorporate Reggio Emilia’s values and practices into its own philosophy, but there is no certification process to be an official Reggio Emilia centre because they really cannot exist outside of their own historical and cultural circumstances. This should not deter you from exploring and incorporating elements of this effective and fascinating approach in your centre and being a Reggio Emilia inspired service. The Bonkers Beat programs and our centre’s philosophy resonates with Reggio Emilia values and certainly has its roots in this progressive approach.

Why is Reggio Emilia so important today?

In the 21^st century the need for critical thinking, questioning and exploring what we are presented with is more important than ever before. In a world where we are inundated with information, the ability to sift through and find what applies to us and how it applies to us is vital to find our way through life.

The Reggio Emilia approach inspires educators and parents to enhance children’s ability to think and learn. It allows us to take a holistic approach, giving much-needed attention to social and emotional development as well as developing creativity and confidence while empowering children to find their way independently and at their own pace.

I have lots more to share with you about my personal experience of the recent Reggio Emilia Study Tour – so keep your eyes open for this in the weeks to come.

We’d love to know your thoughts and/or experiences when it comes to the Reggio Emilia Approach. Join the discussion on Facebook.

05/04/201705/04/2017

Getting screen time right for young children in 2017

Sometimes it feels as though screens are all around us. From iPads and tablets to phones, television screens to computers. Children in particular are drawn to the glow of a screen – some children can become very attached to them.

While technology like these various devices can have some benefits, like facilitating certain learning experiences, the fact is we really don’t know what long term effects screen time will have on us.

What we’re seeing from screen time

What we do know is that screen time can get in the way of children going outside and playing in the real world. With 1 in 4 Australian children overweight or obese, movement needs to be a priority and screen time is usually not the best approach to getting active. On top of that, screen time while eating has been connected to mindless overeating, especially in children.

Researchers are seeing a link between screens and rest too, resulting in irritability and disrupted sleep. A sleep researcher from the University of Wollongong puts this down to three things:

-Content that is causing a hormonal and emotional responses e.g. releasing adrenalin;

-Time taken up by screen time delaying children’s rest time (and adults!);

-Light from screens disrupting circadian rhythms, causing too much alertness and suppressing the sleep hormone melatonin.

Guidelines to screen time for children

Recommendations made by scientists from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in 2015 advised that screens should be avoided for any children under 2.

The AAP created this handy infographic to visually explain the guidelines to screen time for children:

Consider adult screen time too

Another focus area to look at is the screen time children see adults partaking in. We can often become engrossed in our phones or computers and this results in similar negative behaviours as exhibited by children on devices. That is, ignoring the company around you, irritability, disrupted circadian rhythms and therefore sleep patterns.

Of course we lead busy lives but think about how urgent it is to read that email right now or check that Facebook notification. Lead by example by turning off the screens and picking up a book or heading outside for some fresh air and exercise. You’ll feel better for it and your notifications will still be on your device when you get back to it.

Get your screen time right

While there are high quality apps and media we can utilise to help children build skills and learn and give adults a break now and again, spending countless hours in front of screens is not doing anyone any good.

The first five years are a crucial period of brain development and no app is a substitute for the real world. Show children that there’s no on and off switch for life and that not everything will happen instantly at a swipe of their fingers. Minimise screen time and there’s no doubt that you’ll see the benefits for yourself and your children.

29/03/201730/03/2017

Helping Children to Understand and Support Peers with Autism

Over 200,000 Australians are living with autism. That’s around 1 person out of every 100 people, with the condition four times more likely in boys than girls.

Needless to say, spreading awareness and acceptance of autism is really important for all communities. That includes ensuring we all – including children – have an understanding of what autism is and how it may impact people’s lives.

What is Autism?

It’s tricky to define autism in some ways as it varies from person to person. A good overview is offered by Autism Spectrum Australia, who says, “autism is a lifelong developmental condition that affects, among other things, the way an individual relates to his or her environment and their interaction with other people”.

Sometimes individuals with autism will have issues arise with communication, language, sensory development and sometimes body language and physical coordination.

It’s important to note that the condition exists across a spectrum. This helps to describe the range of challenges that may affect autistic individuals and to what degree their lives may be affected.

For example, some autistic children may not speak, others may be particularly sensitive to certain noises – there’s no ‘one way’ to have autism.

Guiding Children to Understand their Autistic Peers

Given that approximately 1 in 100 Australians have autism, encouraging children to understand the condition and some of the ways it may be displayed is essential. In addition, research has found that peers can help teach social skills to children with autism.

The number one thing to know is that while an autistic child may approach some things differently to a child who does not have autism, they still want to play, feel included and have friends who care about them, just like everyone else.

Check with parents of autistic children to clarify how they would like to approach it within peer groups. Some parents prefer that their child’s autism is not discussed, while others are happy to talk about it and help peers to understand how autism can affect behaviour.

Here are some important messages to share with children in Autism Awareness Week:

-We are all different in some ways. We might do things differently, speak differently or behave in unique ways.

-Autism or any other condition is just one characteristic of a child. We all still have lots of things we like and dislike or are good at.

-Let children know how to best communicate or play with autistic peers. For example, by refraining from yelling or by using simple phrases in conversation. Of course this will depend on the best approach for the autistic children in your care.

How Educators can Help

Early childhood educators can play a key role in encouraging inclusion and celebration of children’s differences in centres by:

– Including activities that focus on the strengths of the autistic children at your centre. Involve other children too and show we are all different and special with unique abilities, yet we can also have fun together.

–Maintaining a predictable environment. Routines and structure can offer a way to enable autistic children to flourish.

– Communicating clearly. Use visual aids can be a useful tool, including diagrams on posters, real objects and photos. Written prompts can help too depending on a child’s age.

At Bonkers Beat we find incorporating the self-paced Montessori approach can be a beneficial for working with children with autism. You might like to read more about the benefits of this approach for children on the spectrum here.

Let’s work together to build awareness and acceptance for autism – not just throughout Autism Awareness Month – and help all children to be the best they can be!

23/03/201724/03/2017

Celebrate Easter with Creativity, Music & Nature

Easter is fast approaching and for many centres that means lots of children getting excited about the Easter bunny visiting! If you celebrate Easter in early childhood, this blog has plenty of ideas for you.

As Easter’s dates are not fixed, it can be a trickier one to keep track of. Here are the dates at a glance for you to remember for Easter 2017:

Easter Dates 2017

Good Friday (public holiday): April 14
Easter Sunday: April 16
Easter Monday (public holiday): April 17

Does your centre celebrate Easter? If so, we have some fun ways to get children involved in Easter while enhancing their wellbeing at the same time.

Celebrate Easter with Creativity

Creativity is essential for children to express themselves – and Easter is a great opportunity to try some new creative ecperiences.

Decorate eggs

Decorate real eggs (Traditional)

Create Easter hats

Easter colouring printables

Make Easter baskets

Celebrate Easter in Nature

A classic Easter egg hunt is always a favourite for children, so why not take it outside and get children exploring the garden while their hunting for their special treat?!

If you would prefer to avoid giving children chocolate eggs, no problem. Try an Easter treasure hunt by hiding a selection of Easter-related objects around outside, then create a checklist for children to tick off when they find the items. You could even have children create or decorate items for this experience.

Celebrate Easter with Music

No celebration is complete for Bonkers Beat until we’ve incorporated some musical fun!

Click here to access our special Easter song ‘Easter Bunny’! You can watch the video to learn the actions and download and print the words if needed.

15/03/201716/03/2017

5 Reasons to Empower Children (and 5 Ways to do it)

Whether you’re a parent or you work with children, we all want the best outcomes for children. We want to see these young people flourish and reach their full potential.

Of course there are countless factors to consider in children’s lives, but today we’re going to explore one particularly powerful element that can have an impact.

What is empowerment?

The Oxford Dictionary defines empowerment as “the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights”.

To empower children is to guide them to feel valued, capable and to realise they play the role of creator in their own lives and futures.

It doesn’t mean children should have a say over everything – of course, children must still learn to work within rules and guidelines set by authorities, teachers, parents and so on.

What we do want it for young people to make informed choices for themselves, identify and take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Children should be given the opportunity to engage with the world around them in a meaningful way.

Why we should empower children

1. Grow confidence and self-esteem

Confidence and self-esteem enables children to feel happy and comfortable with who they are, as well as try new things. They are more likely to manage their own behaviour.

2. Encourage independence

Allowing children to have a say in their lives and make choices that affect them helps them to be independent.

3. Build resilience

Empowerment is a key factor in building resilience, which enables children to bounce back from whatever life throws their way.

4. Develop self-respect

When children understand that they are powerful creators in their own worlds, they develop a sense of self-respect. Self-respect enables children to better respect and value others.

5. Make them better learners

A confident, independent child has the best chance of being an effective learner and shaping a fantastic future for themselves.

How to empower children

Give children responsibilities
Celebrate accomplishments
Involve children in family and classroom decisions
Lead by example
Support and guide children on their journey

For further guidance in empowering children, the Montessori Philosophy and Reggio Emilia Approach are well-known examples of how to encourage children and develop their skill and life confidence in early years. Incorporating empowerment is also an essential ingredient in our approach to early childhood education at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and within our Bonkers Beat Music and Wellbeing Programs.

Let’s empower children today and help them to become more resilient, effective learners. What better way to set them on a path to reach their full potential.

09/03/201709/03/2017

3 amazing ways poetry impacts children’s development

It’s no surprise that at Bonkers Beat we LOVE music. Along with a beat and some fun instruments, music often includes lyrics or can be based around poems. For children’s songs these rhyming words focus on a message or a subject that they can relate to, escape within, express feelings through or simply enjoy.

On Tuesday 21 March, World Poetry Day takes place offering a special time to focus on poetry in early childhood education.

Children love rhymes, but there’s also three amazing ways that poetry impacts children’s development.

1. Poetry for memory and language

Poetry is closely linked with recognising and memorising patterns both audibly and visually – that is, through both listening to the sound of poems being read and through reading them on paper firsthand. This style of information processing can also be helpful when children are learning maths and new languages.

2. Poetry for emotional development

By producing sounds and beats, poems allow even very young babies and children to experience language and storytelling on a less cognitive and more emotional level. Some studies also show that poetry contributes to building resilience in children and expanding their capacity to experience and understand emotions.

3. Poetry for physical development

Clapping, turning around, hands up in the air – many poems and rhymes work alongside simple, fun physical movement, much like music. At Bonkers Beat many if not all of our poems and songs have movements to go along with them that not only improve children’s understanding of the content but get the blood flowing!

These are just a few of the benefits of poetry for children. One of the most simple and convincing reasons to make sure you expose children to poems at a young age is the first thing we mentioned – children love them!

Head over to Facebook and let’s come up with some of the best poems we’ve used in centres!

02/03/201703/03/2017

Everyone Belongs – Celebrating Harmony Day

Harmony Day 2017 takes place on March 21, celebrating cultural diversity throughout Australia and the world.

Nearly half of Australians were born overseas or they have a parent who was born overseas. In fact, in Australia we identify with roughly 300 ancestries! Now that’s cultural diversity!

Today’s young children are the key to embracing and nurturing a culturally diverse future – with so many different cultures between all of us Australians, there’s so much to celebrate!

Encourage family engagement

Families at your centre no doubt have many cultural backgrounds – so encourage them to share a bit about where they came from.

Harmony Day is perfect for exploring the special things that make us all different while acknowledging that we are all so alike as well.

Try getting families, children and even staff to share a bit about themselves including:

Different languages that may be spoken at home
Foods that are unique to certain cultural backgrounds
Special customs that are recognised in different cultures

Harmony Day art and craft

The Harmony Day official website has some simple yet meaningful craft activities to help you bring Harmony Day celebrations and discussions into your centre.

Harmony Day colouring in sheet

Paper Doll Chain

A Harmony Day hand tree is always a beautiful piece of art to create: simply trace around each child’s hand on a piece of paper or card and cut it out. Children can decorate their hand cut out to represent them and all hands can then be attached to the top of a painting or cut out of a tree trunk, making a tree top out of hand prints. Here’s a great example – you can make it as simple as you like though:

Everyone belongs

While we explore our differences, the key message to share with children as we celebrate Harmony Day is that EVERYONE BELONGS.

We are different in many ways, but we are also the same in many ways too – and it is great to celebrate all these things and to share and learn with each other.

Have fun with this special day and we would love to see how you celebrate Harmony Day – share with us on Facebook!

23/02/201724/02/2017

The Benefits of Open Days for Families (and Centres!)

Open Days are an essential ingredient to help families make the right choice for their children when it comes to starting their early childhood education.

For a family to choose the centre or kinder that best suits their needs and preferences for their child isn’t as simple as looking at a website or hearing positive things in the community. While these are important and help with the decision-making process, there’s no substitute for getting up close and personal with a centre and its staff.

Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale, Victoria is hosting an Open Day on Saturday 4 March. From 10am until midday we have invited members of our local community to come along and visit our centre.

We’ve arranged a music show and yoga with Bonkers for children and families to be entertained as well as gain a deeper, more interactive understanding of our approach to early childhood education.

Attending Open Days presents many benefits to families. Here are three of the main reasons families should definitely attend Open Days to get firsthand experience of a centre:

How Families Can Get the Most from Open Days

1: Programs and Facilities
Explore the centre and see for yourself what it has on offer, rather than read or hear about it.

Questions to consider:
-Does the centre have a rich curriculum to benefit my child?
-Are educational programs embedded in the curriculum and offered daily?
-Is there a funded kindergarten program?
-Are the facilities clean and up to date?

2: Meet the Educators
Meet some of the individuals you would be entrusting with your child’s wellbeing.

Questions to consider:
-Do I find the educators and staff to be likeable and friendly?
-Did the team seem genuine and passionate?
-What are the team’s qualifications and specialty areas?

3: Trust Your Feelings
Get a feel for the centre that can only be felt in person.

Questions to consider:
-How do you feel visiting the centre?
-Can I see my child enjoying spending time at the centre?

Perhaps you’re from a centre and have been wondering if an Open Day is worthwhile for you to showcase what you have on offer for local families – here’s how you can deliver to the community and give them the information they need to decide if you’re the right fit for their families.

Reasons Why Your Centre Should Hold an Open Day

1: Showcase your centre
Don’t just tell – SHOW the local community and families what you have to offer. Planning an open day allows you to put your best foot forward and demonstrate to families why they should choose your centre for their child or children.

2: Meet the Families
Early childhood education is a crucial part of a child’s life and in our communities. Engaging with local families shows and grows your passion for your centre’s wider community and its members. An Open Day could be the beginning of a long relationship between you, your centre and these parents and children.

3: Be Transparent
You can have great flyers, ads and a perfect centre, but the way your centre makes parents and families feel when they are there is a key factor when it comes to enrolling. Let your centre’s positive energy and warm atmosphere shine through to families on a day dedicated to your centre and all that it has to offer children who attend!

Attend or hold an Open Day this year and enjoy the benefits for yourself as either a parent or a centre.

If you’re local to the Aspendale area, visit our Open Day at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder & Childcare on Saturday 4 March, 10am-12pm. Hope to see you there!

16/02/201716/02/2017

A Holistic Approach to Educators’ Wellness

If you focus on the wellbeing of the children in your care but perhaps don’t do enough for the mental health of your educators, you’re not alone.

As early childhood educators it’s only natural that our emphasis on wellbeing and health usually focuses on the children in our care. However, the wellness of educators is vital too and can have an impact on children in their care.

Thankfully, you can tackle both with the one holistic approach.

The importance of educator wellbeing

In order to deliver the best outcomes for children, we need to ensure the health and wellbeing of educators is taken care of.

According to a 2014 paper on the subject of childcare providers’ mental health, is it essential that we prioritise educator wellbeing. The paper specifically states:

“Childcare providers’ mental health is important for their well-being and its potential impact on turnover and care quality”.

This is alarming, yet not entirely surprising. If an educator’s is physically unwell, we understand they will not be capable of performing to the best of their ability. Mental health should be considered similarly. That is, if an educator’s mental health needs attention, their work will suffer too.

How can we do better?

The mental health of educators impacts staff retention, quality of care delivered to children – not to mention the personal overall wellbeing of the individuals themselves.

With this knowledge, we as an industry must consider how we can do better.

We believe a greater focus on the mental and physical wellness of children and educators is a must.

A priority of our Bonkers Beat training is to help educators to learn the knowledge and practical tools they need to improve the overall wellbeing.

The wellbeing education of children should start from educators self education and their own wellbeing.

A focus on wellbeing practices in centres

We see more and more centres promoting yoga, meditation and music to attract families, but the key is in how we embed these practices in centres.

The benefits of these approaches to enhancing wellbeing in children – and educators who take part alongside children – will not have the profound impact we desire without consistent, regular, ongoing routines.

At Bonkers Beat we believe that wellbeing practices deserve a daily time slot. Over the past decade we have developed a program dedicated to this. We have now successfully incorporated the wellbeing-enhancing approaches of yoga, meditation and music into various centres across the country. And the results speak for themselves.

Each day we hear about staff becoming more motivated and inspired, children’s behaviour improving dramatically and boosts in family engagement.

Prioritise wellbeing for your educators (and centre) to thrive

For your educators to thrive and flourish, along with the children in their care and of course your centre, switch the focus to wellbeing.

Our Melbourne Bonkers Beat members did just that at our Summer 2017 Wellness Summit last week – click here to take a look.

If you need guidance in doing this, rest assured this is what the Bonkers Beat community does best. You can register your interest in joining us here.

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