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Engaging Multiple Intelligences

When it comes to education at any level, we often see great emphasis placed on two areas of intelligence – verbal or English and maths. Intelligence quotient (IQ) tests and many academic tests predominantly measure aptitude in these areas. While we believe in the importance of these areas, we are also passionate about the idea of each person having multiple intelligences’ and that each one of these areas should be nurtured in early childhood education and beyond.

The term ‘multiple intelligences’ refers to a theory by American developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, who proposed that there are eight kinds of intelligence and of course we each possess skills within these. The eight areas Dr Gardner identified are:

Musical – a great understanding of music and often enjoy singing or tapping away
Linguistic – talented when it comes to words. These children may enjoy reading, writing and telling stories
Logical-mathematical – ability in maths and patterns. Skilled in strategy games
Bodily-kinesthetic – great physical ability when it comes to sports and expressing oneself physically
Spatial – often think visually and have well-developed artistic ability
Intrapersonal – understanding of their own emotions and desires with the ability to be self-motivated
Interpersonal – perceptive and leaders among peers with exceptional communication skills and ability to understand the feelings of others
Naturalist – a natural aptitude for recognising and classifying elements in nature, from animals to plants

Here are some really great links that offer comprehensive information on how to identify where one’s strengths lie when it comes to these seven areas, as well as supporting and opposing theories and the eights type of intelligence that Dr Gardner later identified: ‘naturalist’, referring to an ability to recognise elements in nature.

LINKS:
http://childdevelopmentinfo.com/learning/multiple_intelligences/
http://www.examiner.com/article/what-are-multiple-intelligences
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=251
http://www.professorlamp.com/ed/TAG/7_Intelligences.html
As you can see, each child can fit into many of these intelligence categories to varying degrees. This broader view of intelligence equips educators and parents alike with the ability to teach in a way that can enhance these areas and allow children to blossom in the areas they are naturally destined to excel in.

Visit the Bonkers Beat Facebook page and share your ideas when it comes to educational techniques that focus one or more particular areas – we’d love to hear from you.

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National Tree Day for a Greener Future

This week brings us National Tree Day on Sunday 27 July, offering the ultimate opportunity to get the next generation feeling inspired when it comes to nature – after all today’s children need to be educated about the importance of our land as they’ll take over as the custodians of the environment in years to come.

To support National Tree Day we also have Schools Tree Day coming up on this Friday 25 July. This Planet Ark initiative works together with National Tree Day to bring us Australia’s biggest community nature event! With over 4,000 Tree Day events taking place across the country, this wonderful initiative results in the planting of over 1 million native trees, shrubs and grasses!

Don’t be disheartened if you haven’t planned anything in time for this week – you can register with Planet Ark and hold your tree-planting event any time you like. The last weekend of July is the chosen time for the event due to it being an optimal planting time, but of course there are many different plants and many other opportunities to have your very own Tree Day!

It really is so special to watch children as they learn how to plant and care for seedlings, helping them to grow. This nurturing skill isn’t the only benefit though – we have previously discussed just how important it is for children to get out and about in the great outdoors and reconnect with nature, and planting is one of the best ways to do it: https://musicearlychildhoodpresenter.com/blog/get-back-to-nature/

The Tree Day website has some fantastic resources for educators who want to incorporate this national event into their week, whether it’s this week or perhaps down the track – here’s the link through to lesson plans to get you inspired: http://treeday.planetark.org/teachers/lesson-plans.cfm

Addressing climate change, our need to be close to nature, the importance of biodiversity and native plants… National Tree Day and School Tree Day is a valuable event on the Australian calendar.

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Grandparents & Special Friends Day Celebrations

With Mothers Day in May and Fathers Day in September, at Bonkers Beat we have always found July to be the perfect time to host Grandparents Day.

The relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren can be varied – some are very close and play a huge role in children’s every day lives, while others may not be as close and perhaps even live quite far away or are no longer with us. Whatever the case may be, the grandparent role is very important in children’s lives and where a close grandparent is not be in the picture, children may have a ‘special person’ who they look to outside of their home such as an uncle, aunt or perhaps a close friend of their parents.

To quote the Raising Children website: ‘One of the great things about becoming a grandparent is loving and caring for your grandchild without being responsible for him in the same way his parents are’. And it’s easy to imagine what a special relationship can flourish from this bond with a child!

Research has shown that there are mental health benefits to maintaining a good relationship with grandparents as children get older, with both parties less likely to suffer from depression as a result of their bond. In fact, the same researchers highlighted the benefits of extended family for children, saying that these relationships are more important today than ever before.

Grandparents & Special Friends Day within centres can be a fantastic way of celebrating these support networks for children by giving them the opportunity to show their love and appreciation. Here are some suggestions and ideas from Bonkers Beat if you’re brainstorming activities:

-Create an ‘I Love You because…’ card and children can offer a special reason
-Create a photo frame as a gift
-Create a collage together of things that remind them of their relationship
-Sing some special songs together
-Play instruments together in a music session
-All children act out a favourite book for the grandparents/special friends
-Yoga and wellbeing activities with grandparents/special friends
-Grandparents/special friends may enjoy sharing a snack with the children
-Children might like to give grandparents/special friends a tour of their room

Here’s a link for you to find some great printables and other ideas for your Grandparents & Special Friends Day: http://activityvillage.co.uk/grandparents-day
Do you have some amazing ideas for Grandparents & Special Friends Day? Share them with us on the Bonkers Beat Music & Wellbeing Facebook page or comment here!

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Celebrating NAIDOC Week

It’s a special time around July each year when we celebrate NAIDOC Week around Australia – NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’, who would organise the events for this week of celebration but has since become the name of the week itself.

From July 6-13, 2014 all Australians come together to take part in activities to celebrate and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The NAIDOC website offers a range of suggestions to help you come up with ideas to join in the celebration of Australia’s Indigenous culture. Here are a few of our favourites:

  • Display Indigenous posters around your class room
  • Invite local Indigenous elders to speak at your school or workplace.
  • Listen to Indigenous music.
  • Research the traditional Indigenous owners of your area.
  • Study Aboriginal arts and crafts.
  • Read a Dreamtime story.
  • Create your own Aboriginal art.
  • Visit local Indigenous sites of significance or interest.
  • Learn the meanings of local or national Aboriginal place names.
  • Invite Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander dancers to perform.

The discussion of NAIDOC and Aboriginal culture fits well with our previous blog about music and its benefits, as song, music and dance are at the heart of Indigenous culture. Song is seen as a means of expression, along with the art of performance and dance to tell a story. They are so important to Aboriginal people and often are at the core of special ceremonies, often adding very special significance to the music itself.

It is interesting to note that while we often see music, art, performance, dance and storytelling as separate things, the Aboriginal viewpoint sees them as a whole. And what a wonderful perspective that is to have! In some instances, Aboriginal elders may sing and paint the story as they sing about it. The stories and music will often focus on community, culture and their relationship with the land.

Read more about Australia’s Indigenous ceremonies, Indigenous performers and NAIDOC Week via these useful links:

http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-indigenous-ceremony
http://australianmuseum.net.au/Indigenous-Australia/

http://aboriginalart.com.au/culture/trade.html

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The Magic of Music

 

It’s no secret that the Bonkers Beat team is passionate about music and the magic it can bring to children’s lives, but our belief in music as a part of early childhood education is based on science just as much as it is on enjoyment.

There is a huge amount of studies that indicate the benefits of music – just last week researchers from Boston added to the list, concluding that music enhances the ability to generally manage in life. This isn’t surprising when you consider the fact that music connects with children on every level, from the physical to the emotional and intellectual, engaging the whole brain – now that’s impressive.

Many educational institutions include minimal music, if at all, but the research is strong – music needs to be on the agenda, specifically in early childhood education where the benefits can be particularly notable for children aged from one to five years.

Putting the pleasure of music aside, let’s take a look at some of the greatest benefits of music and its contribution to children’s development. Music Play For Life (http://www.musicplayforlife.org) refers to a 2001 study in Switzerland involving more than 1200 children, saying “when 3 other curriculum classes were replaced with music classes, young children made more rapid developments in speech and learned to read easier. They also learned to like each other more, were less stressed and enjoyed school more”.

It is clear from looking at a child’s response to music that they enjoy it – the emotional response to smile and sing along, combined with the physical response to move their bodies all demonstrate the connectedness children feel to music.

Early childhood educator April Kaiser from the USA compiled a wonderful list of the skills (http://www.niu.edu/ccc/resources/importanceofmusicandmovement.pdf) that music and movement can help to develop and many of them are absolutely crucial to overall development:

1. Participating in a group

2. Social skills

3. Express emotions

4. Enhance self?concept by sharing music and dance of each other’s culture

5. Refine listening skills?noticing changes in tempo or pitch

6. Awareness of movement and body positions

7. Creativity and imagination

8. Learn new words and concepts

9. Explore cause and effect

10. Develop large motor skills

11.Improve balance, coordination and rhythm through dance and movement activities

12. Improve small motor skills?learning finger plays and playing musical instruments.

(Sources: The Creative Curriculum for Preschool Children by Diane Trister Dodge and Laura J. Colker)

Got something to add? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the magic that music can bring to the lives of children on our Facebook page.

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Sleep Well, Play Well, Learn Well

Most experts agree that children between 5 and 12 need about 10 hours, even 11 hours of sleep per night – children under 5 should be aiming for 10 to 12 hours of sleep each night as well as a nap or at the very least some quality rest time during the day.

As much as we tend to realise that the body needs sleep to physically rejuvenate us it also helps children to grow and assists the immune system. Our brains also rely on sleep to function properly – researchers often say that they believe the brain uses sleep to sort through information, solve problems, organise your thoughts and generally restore itself. It is safe to say that fulfilling the sleep and rest quota each day for children is imperative to their overall ability to function, both physically and mentally. It’s not surprising that children who don’t get enough sleep or rest time can be irritable and struggle to concentrate and perhaps feel clumsy.

Educators should remember that the National Quality Standards Quality Area 2, Element 2.1.2 specifically refers to centres making sure that “each child’s comfort is provided for and there are appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest and relaxation, which in turn directly supports Element 2.1 as a whole – promoting the health of the children. (See below from NQS Quality Areas).

The amount of sleep different children require is, as with adults, an individual thing. There should, however, still be an emphasis on ensuring that children are sleeping enough, resting enough and that these are quality sleeps and rests to maximise what your child/ren can get out of every day.

We all know that sometimes it can be a challenge to get children to sleep, but there are ways that you can make it easier for children:

-Keep up a regular routine where children can come to understand that rest or sleep time is approaching. Routine can help children mentally and physically prepare;
-Try some relaxation exercises or reading a book in the lead up;
-Make sure children get ample fresh air and physical activity;
-Ensure children are comfortable and not hungry, thirsty etc before they settle down to rest/sleep.

It is so important to remember that even if children are sleeping well overnight, a day nap is necessary right up until about the age of 3. While some 4 and 5-year old children may still take a short nap during the day, many don’t, but they should be having periods of rest and relaxation to maintain those high energy levels all day long.

You can find more information and tips about children and naps from the Victorian government website Better Health here: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sleep_children_and_naps?open

If you’d like to read more about different types of sleep and sleep across different ages, you may like to visit: http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/children-and-sleep.

Don’t forget to look at your own sleep patterns too – even adults can improve the way we function in our daily lives simply from ensuring we get a decent amount of sleep and that it’s quality sleep and rest. After all, you need all the energy you can muster to keep up with the kids!

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Sustainability Practices & Beyond…

Earlier this month World Environment Day took place, with its major goal to increase awareness of environmental issues and encourage sustainability across the globe. World Environment Day lands on June 5 every year and is a United Nations initiative that has been embraced by many people in various countries and sees them get inspired to take positive environmental action.

With the environment in mind, we want to highlight how sustainability practices not only help the world become a better place for all, but can assist you in improving your NQS Rating.

ACECQA’s most recent newsletter takes a look at a wonderful, lush service in Toowoomba, Queensland and the incredible work they have done including the introduction of a worm farm at their centre. Of course, many other services have less space and their surrounding area may not be as nature-rich, but there are always ways to improve the space you are working with. To have a read of ACECQA’s newsletter about sustainability, click here.

Standard 3.3 of the National Quality Standard states:

‘The service takes an active role in caring for its environment and contributes to a sustainable future.’ 

According to ACECQA, Quality Area 3 – Physical Environment and Standard 3.3 as mentioned above, are areas that often prove to be challenging for centres, with a Working Towards NQS Rating the most likely result across over 5,500 assessed centres.

Bonkers Beat is very proud to have achieved an Exceeding NQS Rating for this area, which was the highest rating achievable at the time.  This is why we want to share our sustainability practices with you!

Bonkers Beat Aspendale was recently filmed for a training video about incorporating sustainability into services, and you can watch the video to enjoy a brief tour of the space that we have created: ‘Environmental Sustainability Program at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder Aspendsale’

We believe that we can all contribute to a sustainable future, and you may even find some of our ideas could work at your home!

Unfortunately, we can only share a short, edited version of the video as they are specifically being used for training, but we always welcome visitors to our centre, so if you’d like to come along and see more of Bonkers Beat for yourself, get in touch to arrange a visit!

Many thanks to Child Care Centres Association of Victoria for running a very valuable General Members Meeting last night in Melbourne and inviting Mary Jeavons from ‘Jeavons Landscape Architects’.  Mary presented a fantastic session on the planning and design of outdoor spaces in children’s services. To support our previous discussion, she highlighted the importance of outdoor play and influence of the natural environment on children’s overall development.

Not only are our sustainability practices working towards a better world, we are able to offer a hands-on teaching experience for children to learn how to care for the environment – and this is surely the ultimate way of looking out for the future!

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The Merits of Meditation

Anxiety and mild depression are becoming increasingly prominent in adults as time goes by, and even more concerning is the rise of anxiety and depression in children and teens.

Anxiety has even been referred to as the disease of the 21st century and there are many things that could be attributed to the increasing number of children and teens suffering with it, such as the shift from intrinsic goals towards extrinsic goals – this is where we see people focussing on other people’s judgements as opposed to developing a meaningful internal philosophy. Of course not all children who display symptoms of anxiety are anxious, some children are just ‘worriers’ but regardless of the extent of this unease, there are ways to make children – as well as teens and adults – feel more in control and confident to face the day.

Worried, anxious, depressed or none of these things, the merits of meditation and breathing exercises are proven and there is plenty to gain from them. From better sleep to an increased ability to fight disease, improved social skills and enhanced performance at school – the benefits of meditation are countless.

On a spiritual level, meditation enables children (and others!) to connect with their inner selves and create a positive relationship between mind and body – a relationship that can last a lifetime and assist the healthy development of self-esteem and a happier outlook on life in general.

To begin the very basics of meditation, try setting aside 10 minutes to sit with your child/children in a quiet, calm place. Indoors, outdoors – it doesn’t matter, but find a happy spot that offers a peaceful retreat from the busy day. While sitting cross-legged on a mat or cushion, ask your children to rest their hands comfortably in their lap and close their eyes. You can instruct children to breathe in deeply through the nose and listen out for the sound of their heart. Exhale and send any bad feelings and stress out of the body with the breath. Children may also like to put their hands on their mid-section and focus on feeling the breath going in and out of their bodies.

Keep in mind that kids might move around and leave their eyes open but this is fine – talk about their meditation experience afterwards and find out how they feel before and after. It’s always good to make sure you pick a time when children are calm and relaxed to embark on meditation, rather than when they are very excitable or perhaps cranky. Music or low light can also help children when attempting meditation.

As always, we are interested to hear your experiences with meditation and children – share with us on Facebook or here on the blog.

Remember, 10 minutes of deep breathing and meditation each day is all it takes for your child (and you) to feel happier, more relaxed and in control of your destiny.

Useful links:

http://eocinstitute.org/meditation/meditation-and-children-the-benefits-of-an-early-start/

http://www.the-guided-meditation-site.com/benefits-of-meditation-for-kids.html

http://www.project-meditation.org/mt/meditation_for_children.html

http://dailyheal.com/meditation-news/9-reasons-why-meditation-should-be-allowed-in-public-schools/

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Get Back to Nature

We often complain that weekends aren’t long enough so when a long weekend comes along, it’s worth making the most of it especially if means extra time with children.

This weekend is the Queen’s birthday long weekend, June 7 – 9. As it arrives just as winter begins to set in why not take the opportunity to get close to nature before we are all cooped up inside in front of the heater.

There is so much research that shows that our children are having less contact with the natural world than ever before, and it is not surprising that this is impacting their health and development. The best-selling book ‘Last Child in the Woods’ talks about several compelling links between many of the problems our children are facing today and their lack of direct exposure to nature.

As our world requires a focus on sustainability and taking care of our natural environment, what better way to encourage a passion for the natural world than to show children the beauty in it.

Here are some ideas that you can incorporate into your long weekend with your family, or even for educators to consider for their centres:

-Planting. Get out into the garden and plant flowers, trees, vegetables or herbs. What a fantastic life skill for anyone to have, not to mention the garden will look great.

-Walks. Walking is good for us all and there are many proven health benefits from walking in natural open spaces. Try walking tracks, bushland or even the beach, but if walking isn’t for you then maybe a bike ride.

-Collecting rocks, shells, leaves, branches. This could do you a favour if your yard needs a tidy up, or you could head out and do some exploring. Children’s faces will light up as they find all sorts of natural objects and experience the unique textures and colours of each. You may even like to use them to create a work of art.

Not only are these actives fun and full of health benefits, but they are low cost if not free as well. What an easy and relaxing way to bond with children over their discovery of elements within the world we all share this coming long weekend, or in fact any time.

Below you’ll find some handy links to help you find inspiration and ideas for keeping children entertained, enlightened and close to nature.

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Transitional Songs to Make Your Day

“…Research has shown that children who struggle with rhymes will more than likely later struggle with reading.”
The above statement alone is enough reason for us to consider how we can use songs in children’s day-to-day lives. Although there are countless benefits to songs, rhymes and poems for children, it can often be difficult to find a way to incorporate them into the day.

A wonderful way of using rhymes and song is the use of transitional songs. If you aren’t aware, transitional songs are used between activities to make the change from one thing to another and have many benefits themselves.

In fact, if you are looking for a way to make your day run more smoothly, transitional songs could be the answer. Whether it’s singing a song about stretching your legs out when you get up from reading time ready to head out to play, or a song to initiate packing up toys, the songs can be powerful triggers for activities to help children to gather their thoughts and prepare for the change.

Songs also serve us well in encouraging rote learning through memorisation which, while having been set aside by many educators, I believe assists children to retain all the information they take in every day. The excerpt below is one that I think explains the benefits of rote learning very well:

“…Decades ago, rote learning went entirely out of fashion amongst educators, in favour of helping students think creatively and problem solve. Yet, the pendulum swung a bit too far, and the baby got chucked out with the bathwater. For in truth, there are many advantages to memorising information. After all, while it’s important to be able to think and apply knowledge, if you don’t have any knowledge to apply, knowing how to apply it is pretty useless. This is where memorisation comes in.” – by Brett & Kate McKay ‘. You may like to check out this link about memorisation: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/09/30-days-to-a-better-man-day-10-memorize-if/.

In addition to the use and benefits of transitional songs and rote learning, here are five more reasons to include rhymes in children’s lives:

1. Nursery rhymes, poems and songs will provide your children with opportunities to develop an appreciation for rhyme and rhythm.

2. The development of auditory skills comes from listening to poems, songs and rhymes and LISTENING is an important skill to develop.

3. Poems and verses use words to paint mental pictures and help to expand their imagination.

4. While you read, sing, play and act out nursery rhymes together you are conveying to your children that sounds make words and that words are fun and you are creating a sense of humour.

5.  Rhymes and Fingerplays help children to develop fine motor skills and coordination.

As promised in our most recent email to you all, here’s the link to ‘Tidy Up’ – easily the most useful transitional song you’ll find!

We’d love to know how you use songs in your day, so please feel free to comment and share with us.

 

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