early learning Archives - Page 10 of 10 - Early Learning Childhood Education

26/06/201526/06/2015

Teaching Children Through Music Today to Create a Better Tomorrow

There are many articles written about the subject of music. At our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder, we see daily how children, as young as 2yo, are developing by learning through music.

The Australian Childcare Alliance Queensland (ACA QLD) just published an article, written by Galina; which is very close to her heart.

When music and movement are taught, children benefit greatly in many areas of life. Literacy, memory skills, concentration, social interaction, fine motor skills, listening, problem solving, teamwork and coordination are all positively impacted. We have many parents coming and sharing with us their positive feedback about their children’s development and how music connects their family and becomes part of their daily lives.

For all educators attending the 2015 National Childcare Conference in Brisbane, the program is packed with an array of exceptional speakers and workshops dedicated for educators, early childhood professionals, and approved providers. The conference’s theme is ‘Don’t Stop Believing’. It’s clearly emphasises the importance and the passion for the role that we, early childhood educators play and continue to believe in the contribution we make to the lives of young children.

For more information about the conference, visit: www.childcareconference.com.au

Galina will be presenting on Saturday and would love to meet as many of you as possible. So please say ‘Hi’ or visit her presentation to learn more about teaching through music.

To read her full article, follow the link ‘Teaching Children Through Music Today to Create a Better Tomorrow’, or click on images below.

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

04/06/201516/06/2015

WHY CHILDREN SHOULD PLAY OUTSIDE

We read some astounding research recently that found that many children today have not splashed in puddles, stomped in mud or been on a picnic. In fact, this research even said that only 44% of children went on bike rides with family. How often do you see children flying kites these days?

Today’s children are opting to stay indoors with their favourite company often screens, from iPads to televisions, computers, games and phones. And while there is evidence out there to show some benefits to allowing some tech time for children, the incredible benefits of the outdoors are indisputable. Here’s a few reasons why we think it’s so important that we encourage children to play outside.

HEALTH
There’s no disputing that the fresh air is good for our health and that goes for kids too. Even if it’s a bit chilly, rug up and get outside and you’ll have a better chance of avoiding a cold as colds are most often passed around from being cooped up indoors too much over the winter rather than from the cold weather itself.

FITNESS
Dancing around the loungeroom is one thing, but running free through a park and climbing and exploring are quite another when it comes to developing a good level of physical fitness. Bike riding is another great way of having a great time perfecting a skill while bonding with family members along the way. With childhood obesity such a huge problem today, outside play is a great first step to overcoming it.

RESPECTING NATURE
What better way to learn about the natural world and develop an appreciation and respect for nature than getting up close and personal with it. Collecting leaves, rocks, flowers, sticks and experiencing the incredible variation of textures, scents and colours in the great outdoors is invaluable.

Many parents say that sometimes children simply aren’t interested in going outside to play, so perhaps try some of these tips to encourage kids to head outside:

Add focus – children love a mission, so try spotting plants and animals on your walk or do a treasure hunt to add some purpose to your walk.

Don’t rush – take the time to dawdle, jump in puddles and notice the signs of the seasons together and you’re guaranteed to build some memories that will last a lifetime.

Enjoy simple pleasures – many of the greatest pleasures are very simple, such as skimming stones, making daisy chains or blowing a grass whistle.

Be nature detectives – a nature scavenger hunt is a great way to explore your back garden, neighbourhood or any green space. A bug hunt can work well too.

Get crafty – children are natural collectors, so encourage them to collect everything from pine cones to leaves for a home craft project.

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

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.