early childhood education Archives - Page 17 of 19 - Early Learning Childhood Education

29/07/201530/07/2015

Pre-School is the Most Important Year in Your Child’s Education

As the world becomes more and more technologically advanced, it becomes obvious that within the next five to ten years, our world will change dramatically as well as our economy. The children who are growing now will be creators of our future and will need to develop a range of skills, which allow them to succeed in life on different levels. The modern economy will require people who have strong identities, multiple intelligences and well-developed verbal and written communication skills. As a result of this progress – the modern world will require new educational systems and dramatic changes within curriculum and assessment.

Pre-school is often undervalued and misunderstood. International research indicates that pre-school is the most important year and the quality of the program is reflected by educational programs and the qualifications of the teacher.

According to an article in the Sydney Morning Herald, the average school starting age in Australian children is 5.2, based on a study from 2012. This is lower than the majority of other developed countries. One country, which starts school at 7, is Finland. They have a fantastic school system, one that is deemed to be the best in the world. They believe in high quality educational programs and less testing and exams. Dr Sahlberg, a Finnish educator and author, said “The first six years of education are not about academic success.” “We don’t measure children at all. It’s about being ready to learn and finding your passion.”

At Bonkers Beat, we are devoted to the wellbeing of children and as such we keep up with the very latest and highest quality research from Australia and around the world.

Therefore, we have developed a policy and encourage parents to enrol their children into our funded 4-year old kinder program, particularly boys, who have turned 4 years old prior to January of the year they will attend. We note this policy is especially important for young boys because of the time difference in the development of boys and girls brains, ‘and since the brain affects cognitive development, attention and emotional regulation, this impacts a boy’s overall “school readiness,” including activity, attention span, and academic development’ (via Earlychildhood News).

The argument that some children are moved into school because they are bored at pre-school is one that may unfortunately be valid at times, depending on the pre-school children are attending. By ensuring that children are stimulated by their pre-school experience, there will be no need for young children to enter schooling before they are emotionally and socially ready and ultimately this will only lead to higher academic performance and educational success for all involved.

Another factor to consider is consistency. An enormous amount of learning takes place when children are involved in daily routines and experiences arranged by educators over a period of time. These daily events are so important because they provide opportunities for repetitive learning in a natural, enjoyable, fun yet structured way. We believe that consistent approach at kinder and at home helps children to build life skills, positive attitude and passion for learning. Its important for parents to understand that children’s confidence and leadership skills developed before school will help them to succeed anywhere.

Interesting research indicates that young children’s learning and development depend on the educational qualifications of their teachers. That is why at Bonkers Beat we feel that professional and personal development are crucial. We are proud of having highly qualified, experienced and passionate team. Leaning is the foundation of life. Therefore we are committed to continuous learning and provide many opportunities for our educators for in-house training and ongoing professional development.

School is an exciting time and there is no need to rush it. We all want our children to be capable, happy and one way to ensure this is to really think about their education before school which lays a profound foundation for their future.

Some helpful links about school starting:-

What’s the right age to start school?

School starting age: The evidence

6 Life Skills Kids Need for the Future

The Challenge of Boys in Our Early Childhood Programs

Experts warn starting school too young harms learning, wellbeing

16/07/201516/07/2015

Celebrating Landscapes of Imagination

Last week Melbourne welcomed more than 1100 early childhood educators and professionals from all over the country. During the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIE) event we had the distinct pleasure of receiving presentations from some of the most influential experts in Italy. This conference was a true celebration; an exchange of knowledge, passion, and a powerful message for childhood education participants. For some participants, some services are already being implemented. The conference was a real introduction as well as an eye-opener into the capabilities of children. The understanding that a child is a capable individual with a strong voice is inspired.

After the conference many people walked away with the feeling of a new beginning. The educators are now able to look at the child using this approach. The approach centers on talking to the child as well as actively listening to the child.

This conference sends an important message about how much we should listen to the children as well as help us to understand the true magnitude of the child’s ability to comprehend. The conference showed us how much we don’t know about the full magic and power of the child.

Celebrating landscapes of imagination early childhood educators believe that the child will continue to develop and progress and this fact is inevitable. By taking a proactive approach in making ensuring that all educators understand that education is not a destination, rather it’s a process; they are better prepared to enhance the growth capabilities for the children.

As educators we need to constantly learn and grow and truly enhance our knowledge of early childhood education. Now is time where we look into our approaches for early childhood education and start to understand our “approach” and our “sensors” philosophy.

If you would like to investigate and learn more about different approaches to teaching, follow the links below:

Different Approaches to Teaching

It is important to study and investigate to see how powerful messages can be absorbed and reach deep into our child’s comprehension.

Early childhood educators are in for an exciting journey. We need to help children grow, and develop. Children already know so much more than we tend to believe. They know how to listen, ask questions, and have meaningful conversations. As early childhood educators the focus should be on encouraging creativity, developing children, and helping them to become the future leaders.

We would love to hear your feedback and invite you to share your thoughts with us. Your comments and feedback are always welcome.

19/06/201525/06/2015

Making the Most of the Holidays

Sometimes it can be a challenge to keep children busy during holidays. So, we have written a list of a few ideas to help you get the children away from the devices and engage them in creative and exciting activities.

Craft

Craft is always a winner! NAIDOC week this year will be celebrated from the 5^th-12^th of July with a theme – ‘We all Stand on Sacred Ground: Learn, Respect and Celebrate’. It is a great opportunity for all of us to learn more and highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ strong spiritual and cultural connection to land and sea. We encourage all Australians, young and old, to embrace the 2015 National NAIDOC theme and celebrate it with children.

For craft activities you can use general recycled items like magazines, paper cereal boxes or natural materials.

We like these NAIDOC week craft activities and ideas:

http://www.goldencarers.com/calendar/naidoc-week-activities/65/

https://www.pinterest.com/greenwoodearly/naidoc-week-for-kids/

http://www.teaching.com.au/activities?category=naidoc-week

Winter is also another great topic to incorporate into your classrooms and centres. There are a lot of sites out there with winter activities suggestions so here are a few of our favorites:

http://handsonaswegrow.com/32-snow-theme-activities-kids/

https://www.pinterest.com/debchitwood/kids-winter-activities/

Baking

Baking is always exciting for children of all ages. Make some simple scones, biscuits or cupcakes and any child will be happy. Make sure they get to ice and decorate, roll, beat and shape the dough thus, increasing their vocabulary and their independence.

Write a letter and post it

Everyone loves receiving mail in the post. So design, color in and write a card to a loved one, a cousin, an aunty or a friend. Walk to the post office, buy a stamp and send it. You could also send yourself a fun letter and see how long it takes to arrive. This could be a great excursion for your children at your centre. Ask your post office for a behind-the-scenes tour of the post office for extra interaction and excitement.

Make mud pies and collect leaves

Getting into nature and exploring the messiness of it all is what childhoods are made of. Make mud pies, use sticks and leaves as candles and host your own backyard party. Collect leaves, sticks or flowers to use for a craft project. Use two large books as a flower press and use the flowers for cards or mementos. There is a lot of craft and fun in your yard if you look carefully.

Puzzles and games

Drag out some old family favorites or, make up your own game. Design and colour in some cardboard cards to play matching cards or go-fish. Something easy to begin with then you can build it up to play a more intricate game.

Catch a train to somewhere or nowhere

This is a fun way to see some our your city or your local area. Set aside a morning or afternoon to hop on a train and get your children to be the navigator for the day. Hop off the train perhaps one or two stops from your usual suburb and explore the shops or parks of that area. Depending on where you are living the city is always an exciting place for a little ones. Visit a museum, a new café, a cobble stone street or a skate park. The options are endless and the fun part is exploring your hometown together. This is a great excursion for a small group of older children; you could incorporate the theme of money and math’s. Buying a train ticket, a drink from a café, counting the train stops or counting the shops on a strip

There are many great ideas, and not all of them need to be expensive or difficult. Children will remember these moments of pure fun

For more school holiday ideas visit these great websites

http://www.kidspot.com.au/SchoolHolidayZone/?gclid=Cj0KEQjw-tSrBRCk8bzDiO__gbwBEiQAk-D31d8rTJN4oTXKM36WrDQj3wFgTcV0Sf-2-_xOUS5XvD8aAj-g8P8HA

http://beafunmum.com/2011/06/100-school-holiday-activity-ideas/

http://theimaginationtree.com

11/06/201516/06/2015

Spreading the Magic of Music

We were thrilled to be included in the latest edition of Kid Magazine. It’s wonderful to have a chance to spread the word of music, yoga and wellbeing for children and this publication is a perfect outlet.

Aimed at families of young children we wanted to show how important those first few years are and how important music is for a child’s development. Music is one of the few activities that involves the use of the whole brain and is closely connected to our wellbeing. Music has a universal and timeless potential to influence how we feel.

A study from the United Kingdom found that encouraging patients with active psychosis to express themselves through music improved their symptoms of depression, anxiety and social withdrawal. “It evokes feelings of contentment, reductions in anxiety, and feelings of calmness and security…”

Music affects the body in many ways, it is powerful in helping children to develop social and emotional skills, become less stressed and enjoy learning.

In the article we identified a few reasons why it is so important that we encourage children to play and enjoy music and the benefits we see.

To see us on page 42, or to read the whole publication, click here – http://issuu.com/kidmagazine/docs/kid_magazine_issue_twenty_three?e=0/13288706

28/05/201528/05/2015

WHY POETRY IS GREAT FOR CHILDREN

We all know that children love stories, and it’s fair to say that many children love stories even more when they rhyme. Even reflecting back on childhood we are all sure to recall a poem or two that has stayed with us over the years and that is just one of the amazing features of poetry.

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.

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.

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!

Here are some useful links you to similarly minded articles that discuss the amazing impact of including poetry in children’s lives:

What is your favourite poem? Do you have a childhood favourite? Which poems do you use in your centre? Share it with us on Facebook.

http://timbuktu.me/blog/why-do-children-love-poems/

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/roger-mcgough/the-importance-of-introducing-poetry_b_1618100.html

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-reasons-poetry-needed-schools-elena-aguilar

19/05/201519/05/2015

Four Key Reasons to Attend Upcoming Conferences

When it comes to professional development, we are huge advocates of ongoing training that involves the whole team. However, there are many conferences that take place each year in the early childhood education sector where it is only viable to send one or two people from your team, and we still believe that these offer a brilliant opportunity to continue the professional development of your educators and your centre.

We have identified 4 key reasons why it just might be worthwhile sending some members of your staff along to an upcoming early childhood education conference:

LEARN

It’s an obvious one, but there is absolutely no doubt that any member of your team who attends a conference is going to learn something. And what they learn will only be maximised by making sure you offer the right conference opportunities to the right people. There has to be a willingness to learn, and as we discuss later, the ability to share what you learn.

NETWORK

Who knows when a fantastic opportunity will pop up? What we can say with a degree of confidence is that fantastic opportunities are likely to pop up at places like conferences – large gatherings of likeminded professionals coming together to learn and share. What better place for your team to network and find new opportunities for your centre to explore.

GET INSPIRED

No matter how much anyone loves his or her job, there are times when we all need a boost to motivate us. Conferences can offer a huge amount of inspiration, especially if the right people attend the right conference at the right time. Speakers often come from all corners of the globe with insights to share about approaches to early childhood education.

SHARE AND MOTIVATE

We’ve mentioned it a couple of times already – send the right people who are willing to learn and willing to share. This is crucial to maximise the return on investment. Through effective note-taking and resource gathering, hopefully the team member/s who do attend will be able to convey what they learn to your team, making it all the more worthwhile.

Here are a few upcoming conferences you might like to consider attending. Galina Zenin will be presenting at the first two we’ve listed, so if you do attend be sure to say hello!

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

The 2015 Early Childhood Education Conference, Melbourne

WHERE: Caulfield Racecourse, Caulfield North, Victoria
WHEN: May 29 & 30
WHAT: The theme this year is ‘Together we grow – investing in our future’ and the conference will host over 30 speakers from across the whole spectrum of early childhood, including Galina’s presentation: Healthy Minds – Healthy Future: Promoting Educators’ and Families’ Wellness. You can find more information here: https://www.togetherwegrow.com.au/

2015 ACA Queensland National Conference, Brisbane

WHERE: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, South Brisbane
WHEN: July 17-19
WHAT: ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ is the theme and the speakers and workshops will be dedicated to educators, teachers and approved providers. Galina Zenin will be speaking at the event on learning and teaching through music. More info here: http://childcareqld.org.au/2015-national-conference/
Also coming soon: ECMS Beyond Tomorrow Conference and Early Childhood Education and Care Conference. Read more about these via our calendar at musicearlychildhoodpresenter.com.au

16/04/201516/04/2015

Clean and Green for Earth Day and Beyond

Earth Day is coming up on April 22 and it has inspired us to talk about sustainability and environmental responsibility in early childhood settings; why it’s important and how we can do our bit.

Earth Day itself is intended to raise awareness and appreciation for planet earth and our beautiful natural environment. Behind the movement is the Earth Day Network, working with over 20,000 partners across 192 countries to make positive change. The great thing is, we can all contribute to positive change and it can be fun too.

Sustainability can be a complex concept, however our favourite and simple way of understanding it and explaining it to children is ensuring there’s “Enough for Everyone Forever”.

With this in mind, here are some top tips for early childhood settings to be clean and green and help children to learn respect for the environment and benefit from a connection with the natural world.

Top tips for being Clean and Green

-Grow plants at your centre for children to nurture. Children can plant, water and monitor nature firsthand. These could even be something edible!

-Encourage and facilitate recycling of materials in the centre

-Maximise natural light and minimise use of artificial light, heaters and air conditioners where possible

-Save water with hand-washing timers, collect rainwater and reuse water for gardening and playing

Our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder and Childcare in Aspendale is proud of its focus on sustainability – take a look at this video to see how we contribute positively:

You can never have too much advice on being environmentally friendly – what are your tips? Let us know!

08/04/201509/04/2015

From Stress to Harmony Through Meditation

It’s no secret that many of us, if not most of us, live very busy lives on a day-to-day basis. This can leave us feeling stressed, rushed, tired and disconnected. But escaping to peace doesn’t have to mean expensive day-spas or anything that will cost you more of your precious time than it’s worth. What if we said that as little as ten minutes a day can make a difference and it’s free?

Meditation is something that our Bonkers Beat philosophy values greatly. While our programs are designed with children in mind, we are also incredibly passionate about the merits of meditation for adults and the role it can have in helping parents and children reconnect in a positive, relaxing way.

Our free wellbeing event ’Harmony Night’ is coming up on April 29 at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in Aspendale, Victoria. We welcome everyone to join us in learning about the positive impact that meditation, yoga and music can have on your life, your health and your children’s and how it can be incorporated each and every day.

The benefits of meditation are countless and incredibly valuable. In fact, here’s a link to 100 benefits of meditationif you still need convincing! Meditation is a fantastic way to increase children’s focus and concentration and to reduce stress and anxiety. It helps build self-esteem and confidence and encourages children’s imagination and creativity, helping them to explore their inner world, to focus and connect their mind and body.

Galina looks forward to sharing her latest findings in early childhood following her recent trip to the USA as a presenter at the CAEYC Conference (California Association for the Education of Young Children).

Physiological, psychological and spiritual rewards await and it’s simpler and less intimidating than you may realise. Even getting children involved is far easier than perhaps seems possible! You’ll learn all about this and much more at our upcoming Harmony Night.

You can book online here. And please, feel free to share the event with others. The more the merrier!

30/03/201501/04/2015

Discovering Easter Beyond the Chocolate

With chocolate bunnies and eggs taking over the supermarkets, we all know that children love an Easter egg hunt and keep their eyes peeled for the Easter bunny!

But Easter can present the chance to do some fun craft activities with children too – we love these Easter handprint card ideas on Kidspot. For a spot of cooking, these Easter biscuits are simple to do with kids with minimal ingredients and no fuss, plus they’re chocolate free! We also recommend egg decorating, creating bunny masks complete with cotton wool ‘fluff’ and there are plenty of Easter story books to choose from too. Share your ideas with us on Facebook too.

Of course, at Bonkers Beat we believe that every occasion needs to be accompanied by a song… For Easter we would like to share ‘Easter Bunny’ with you: https://musicearlychildhoodpresenter.com/useful-resources/

The cultural and religious elements of Easter may also be something you’d like to explore, including Orthodox Easter, Jewish Passover and their varied approaches to celebrating.

Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy your Easter with loved ones!

Dates to remember:

School Holidays: March 27 – April 13
International Children’s Book Day: April 2
Good Friday: April 3
Easter Sunday: April 5
Easter Monday: April 6

Have a very happy Easter break and we hope the school holidays are an enjoyable time for all.

Stay safe.

23/03/201524/03/2015

3 Reasons Montessori Makes Sense

As many of you are aware, the creator of the Bonkers Beat programs, Galina Zenin, is an industry leader in early childhood education. She recently arrived back from the USA after presenting at the 2015 CAEYC Conference. Over the weekend of March 21 & 22, Galina was back into presenting, visiting Adelaide to speak at the Montessori ECEC Conference in Glenelg.

Many Montessori principles are incorporated within the Bonkers Beat program. With the Montessori ECEC Conference in mind, let’s explore three reasons that we believe Montessori makes sense as an educational approach in early childhood education.

INDEPENDENCE

Montessori is well-known for facilitating independence in children, not by leaving them to go it alone, but for providing children with practical learning experiences and the opportunity to learn to care for themselves, as well as the world around them. The Montessori approach differs from the traditional approach that usually involves the caretakers managing the care of the child and the environment. Montessori’s self-teaching principles give children the independence and self-motivation that comes from building confidence within.

You can read more research articles about Montessori at montessoriaustralia.org.au.

MEANINGFUL

Another aspect of Montessori that we love is that kids get to learn ‘why’. This addresses why children lose information, which is perhaps because it’s not meaningful to them. Montessori aims to show children a problem and solution – actively demonstrating cause and effect across various areas of learning. It is not surprising then that children who have learned from a Montessori perspective tend to be more responsible for their actions!

LEARNING BECOMES FUN

When children feel like they have a choice in how they learn, they are more responsive and more responsible for their own outcomes. They learn through their own actions and experiences and there’s nothing more special than seeing a child work something out for themselves – that sense of achievement can be spotted on a child’s face from a mile away!

Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we often share information about activities with a Montessori approach.

If you’re interested in learning more about how we incorporate Montessori into our programs, head to NQSRating.com.au. Galina has two exclusive events coming up, in Melbourne on April 23 and then in Sydney on May 4.