Tag: early years

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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!

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Let’s Get Reading For Life

Why Children Should Read More

Reading books is a favourite hobby for many, children and adults alike! Books can be great for learning, for escaping, for relaxing and just for fun.

More that this, books help young children to build vital literacy skills that will provide them with benefits throughout their lives.

Children’s Book Week takes place from August 20 – 26 in 2016 and gives educators, children and parents the chance to discover the magic of reading together or alone. This is a great excuse to relive the wonder of your favourite childhood book and share it with children in your care! The theme for this year is ‘Australia! Story Country’, so you might like to incorporate this too.

Read More, Learn More

Did you know researchers found that reading provides benefits to a child’s education? The NAPLAN (National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) tests showed higher scores for children who were read to more often at age 4 and 5. But it wasn’t just reading that they scored highly on. Numeracy skills were improved too!

Literacy and Numeracy for a Better Life

Literacy is defined as the ability to read and write. Numeracy is the ability to understand numbers. These two areas are major pillars in our development and ability to learn throughout life.

The research shows that “reading to children 6-7 days per week has the same effect as being almost 12 months older”, and that “These differences in reading and cognitive skills are not related to the child’s family background or home environment but are the direct result of how frequently they have been read to prior to starting school”. With this in mind, we need to do everything can to encourage a love of reading in all children!

Try this list of great books for children aged between 3 and 5 to get even the least interested children engaged in reading. Sometimes if you start with the subject matter this can be a good tactic, for example a child who loves trucks could fall in love with pictures of trucks in a book and then the story about the trucks. It can be as simple as that to start off a love of books in children!

Why Children Should Read More

Need more reasons why children should read more? In addition to those measurable educational benefits, reading is great to:
-Help children learn about the world

-Stimulate the imagination and ability to visualise

-Increase children’s vocabulary

-Provide a form of entertainment that is relaxing and has no screen!

Reading is a simple way to enhance children’s love of books and in turn, enhance their ability to learn and have a positive impact on their lives well into the future.

In the interest of Book Week, we’d love to know what your childhood favourite was from the bookshelf… Share with us!

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How much sleep do children really need?

How much sleep do children need

How much sleep do children need to play, learn and grow? It’s often underestimated.

Most experts agree on the following:

Toddlers (aged 1 to 3 years): From 10 – 13 hours, which includes a day nap of 1 – 3 hours. Young toddlers may still take two naps but late afternoon should be avoided to avoid difficulties getting to sleep at night.

Preschoolers (aged 3 – 5 years): 10 – 12 hours per night, plus an afternoon nap of 1-2 hours.

School aged (5 years +): 10 – 12 hours each night.

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).

Sleep (Blog Post)

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.

Don’t Neglect Naps

To get enough sleep, naps are a must for most children right through to age 5. 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. 

Naps are important for children to enjoy happy, active days – without a nap, children can become overtired, moody and even struggle with falling asleep at night.

Spot the Sleepy Signs

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.

Babies and younger toddlers may display the following:
Yawning
Crying
Eye rubbing
Irritated behaviour

Toddlers and young children may display:
Clumsiness
Eye rubbing
Yawning
Emotional distress
Irritated behaviour
We all know that sometimes it can be a challenge to get children to sleep even when they are obviously tired, but here are some strategies to try.

Four Tips to Promote Sleep

1. 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;
2. Try some relaxation exercises or reading a book in the lead up;
3. Make sure children get ample fresh air and physical activity;
4. 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 and/or rest is necessary right up to school age. Periods of napping, rest and relaxation are essential to maintain those high energy levels all day long.

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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How a Child’s First Five Years Can Change Everything

first five years

The research is pretty conclusive – the first five years of a child’s life are the most important. This means early childhood education could be one of the most significant factors in life when it comes to determining a child’s future.

As National Youth Week approaches where we celebrate Australia’s youth aged 12-25 for a week-long initiative (April 8-17, 2016), it seems like a good time to consider the impact of those earlier years on how children will develop, and who they will become.

Laying Life’s Foundations

According to Goodstart Institute of Early Learning, 80 per cent of a child’s brain develops before they reach age 5, and the experiences they have during this time will shape the rest of their lives. With a child’s brain developing more rapidly from birth to 5-years old than any other time in their life, it is not surprising that, as Raising Children explains, this is when foundations for learning, health and behaviour throughout life are laid down.

During these first five years of life, various factors will influence a child’s development. Genetic factors, relationships, environmental elements… The latter two can both be impacted significantly by early childhood education, including both the educators themselves, the approach to learning and the facilities provided.

Holistic Approach – Teaching the Whole Child

With so many areas of a child’s development for parents and educators to nurture and optimise, it can seem almost impossible to support every area of learning for a child – let alone every day for those first five years! This is where music steps in. Countless studies show that partaking in musical activity in childhood helps to develop the whole brain – with amazing emotional, social and academic results (not to mention physical, through movement and dance!).

Music Every Day Made Simple

While many of the studies on the impact of creating music on the brain are based on learning an instrument in one or two lessons per week, it is clear that creating music with our voices and bodies via singing, clapping, clicking and stomping is closely related. I am dedicated to delivering a way that children can experience music activities from age two not only for 30 minutes twice a week, but every day.

The result of children’s involvement in making music is evident in their academic ability, behaviour and wellbeing. I see these outcomes on a daily basis, as do the educators at other centres implementing the Bonkers Beat music program across the country.

Find the Time to Enhance the First Five Years

Many educators feel that their days are just too busy to incorporate music into their daily routines, but these are just a few ideas of when you might use music. Here are some times when music can be slipped into the day with little to no effort to enhance children’s brains and learning:

-Smooth classical music – on arrival during family grouping time
-Transitional songs – during transition times
-Nursery songs and musical games – throughout the day
-Relaxation music – during rest time
-Classical music including Mozart – during art/craft sessions to stimulate creativity
-Yoga music – during stretching or yoga sessions
-Meditation music – during meditation, relaxation and breathing time
-Smooth classical music – on departure during family grouping time
-Multicultural and folk music – to encourage spontaneous dancing and bonding during family grouping time or community events

Make the Most of the First Five Years; Make Music

Incorporating music into early childhood can affect almost every aspect of children’s learning, from literacy and numeracy to coordination, wellbeing and everything in between. These benefits can last a lifetime. With the knowledge of just how incredibly important those first five years are, introducing singing and musical experiences designed to enhance children’s development is essential and will change a children’s lives for the better.

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20 Must-Do’s These School Holidays

School holidays can be fun, but by all accounts, the best way to ensure the school holidays don’t drive everyone crazy by the end is to have a plan!

It can be particularly challenging for working families who can’t get time off over the holidays and may not have a support network for taking care of their child/ren, however there are many school holiday programs that offer fantastic experiences for children.

To help make these school holidays easy and enjoyable, we’ve compiled a list of 20 things to do over the break – we’ve split them into four categories to make it even easier: INSIDE, OUTSIDE, ADVENTURE and QUIET TIME. Best of all, most of our suggestions won’t break the bank.

INSIDE

  1. Make something yummy to eat – sweet cupcakes or savoury pizza
  2. Get dressed up and dance to music or role play
  3. Art and craft – paper, glue, pencils, feathers, wool etc. Self portraits can be fun!
  4. Build a fort/cubby under a table
  5. Do a room clean out and discover some forgotten toys

OUTSIDE

  1. Have a picnic (real or pretend) in the backyard or at a nearby park or beach
  2. Fly a kite (learn how to make a DIY kite here)
  3. Get gardening – weeding can be fun, or try planting some herbs
  4. Create a scavenger hunt – Kidspot has a great nature treasure hunt list
  5. Play ball

ADVENTURE

  1. Visit the zoo
  2. Head to the library (you can sign up and take books home or just check it out)
  3. Catch a train or bus (the destination can be a park, cafe, beach – anywhere!)
  4. Visit a shopping centre (do some research as many have great free activities!)
  5. Go for a nature walk and try to spot some wildlife

QUIET TIME

  1. Get comfy and do some reading
  2. Play a card game (snap or go fish with playing cards, or Uno or memory)
  3. Watch a movie – an old favourite or something new
  4. Tackle a jigsaw puzzle
  5. Play a boardgame

 

Hopefully our school holiday activities list comes in handy for a quick reference guide these school holidays! You could even write the activities down and get children to pick one out of a hat or container when the “I’m bored” begins!

If you do find that everyone needs to relax a little, we always recommend some quiet deep breathing in a quiet place – get started with basic mediation with children with our tips here.

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Go Purple for Epilepsy Awareness

March is Epilepsy Awareness Month, so we are all encouraged to show our support by wearing the international epilepsy awareness colour: purple.

The idea is to break down the stigma around epilepsy and talk about it. Learn what it is, what it means and show understanding to those who live with seizures.

The official Purple Day is March 26. This date falls on the Saturday during the Easter break this year, but you can get behind Epilepsy Awareness Month by encouraging children to wear purple any time throughout March.

It’s a good time to talk about the different health issues people live with. Discuss how we might not be able to see those health issues at a glance, but how they can affect people’s lives. Promote sensitivity and understanding, and highlight the importance of supporting one another.

Here’s a little bit of info about epilepsy to help us understand the nature of it and its prevalence:

“Epilepsy is a common brain disorder which takes the form of recurring seizures. It can develop at any age, regardless of gender or ethnicity. An estimated 65 million worldwide currently live with epilepsy – in Australia alone approximately 250,000 people live with epilepsy and one in 25 people will have epilepsy at some point in their life.” (Epilepsy Australia)

So pick a day, to GO PURPLE this month! You’ll be helping to raise awareness for epilepsy and support those affected by it. It’s really simple to host a Purple Day fundraiser at your centre too, so click here to find out more.

Together we can help shape the way a generation understands health issues like epilepsy and create networks of knowledge and support.

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When 3 million Australians are living with depression or anxiety, wellbeing matters

You hear about wellbeing all the time and you know that it’s important, but if you’re wondering “what is wellbeing?”, you’re not alone!

Research indicates that wellbeing is “a state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy”. Collins English Dictionary defines wellbeing as “the condition of being contented, healthy, or successful; welfare“. According to the Macmillan Dictionary, wellbeing is “the satisfactory state that someone or something should be in, that involves such things as being happy, healthy, and safe”.

When we think of wellbeing we need to remember that it comprises all elements of wellness – that is good physical health and good mental health. These contribute to the bigger picture that is our overall state of wellbeing, which affects our day-to-day enjoyment and comfort.

The Bonkers Beat programs highlight music as a means to enhance learning but also to provide a pathway to improving the wellbeing of children and educators.

How Music Improves Wellbeing

PHYSICAL WELLBEING: Encourages physical activity; reduces muscle tension; stimulates feel-good hormones; boosts immunity
EMOTIONAL WELLBEING: Calming effect; reduces negative emotions; lyrics can function as positive affirmations; uplifts the spirit
SOCIAL WELLBEING: Facilitates teamwork; increases self-esteem; builds confidence; can embed social skills

 

Wellbeing Practices for Life

In addition to music and these amazing benefits noted above, the Bonkers Beat programs also focus on incorporating wellbeing practices every day. Wellbeing practices include: yoga, stretching, breathing exercises and meditation.

The positive results from these activities can often be noted immediately – and once again, they benefit educators as well children! The impact is both physical and emotional, from lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels to increasing mobility and so much more.

 

Wellbeing Matters

These figures from beyondblue indicate why wellbeing matters for all of us, young and old:

  • 3 million Australians are living with depression or anxiety
  • One in four young Australians currently has a mental health condition
  • One in 16 young Australians is currently experiencing depression
  • One in six young Australians is currently experiencing an anxiety condition
  • Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car accidents

Furthermore, 6-38% of family day care educators met criteria for depression according to the findings from the research project ‘Work and wellbeing in family day care’, by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education, Deakin University, RMIT and The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program.

Enhanced Wellbeing for Children and Educators

While our role and passion is to enhance the wellbeing of children in our care, at Bonkers Beat we feel it’s important to make note of the importance of educator’s wellbeing too.

If we are not feeling good within ourselves in an emotional, physical or social sense, then we need to be supported by our team to improve our wellbeing.

By bonding and enhancing that sense of teamwork in your centre, as well as incorporating music and wellbeing practices each day, educators will have the tools they need to do what they do best, and be the best they can beWhile our role and passion is to enhance the wellbeing of children in our care, at Bonkers Beat we feel it’s important to make note of the importance of educator’s wellbeing too.

If we are not feeling good within ourselves in an emotional, physical or social sense, then we need to be supported by our team to improve our wellbeing.

By bonding and enhancing that sense of teamwork in your centre, as well as incorporating music and wellbeing practices each day, educators will have the tools they need to do what they do best, and be the best they can be. And that’s why wellbeing is so important, not only to children but to early childhood education.

 

The upcoming Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits are committed to the wellbeing of educators and children. We aim to ensure each educator has the tools and support within their centre to do the best job possible with children in their care and enjoy each day with a sense of enhanced wellbeing. The exclusive Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits are run in Australian capital cities and are included for all educators from centres who are members of Bonkers Beat Music and/or Wellbeing programs. If you’d like to learn more, click here.

 

 

 

 

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Collaboration Central to Success

As early childhood educators we are continually encouraging children to work together, to be team players, to participate. From sport and games through to discussions, active participation is our goal for them. Rightly so, as working together is a fantastic way to accomplish great things. It’s about time we all took our own advice!

Collaboration Is Central To Success

As human beings at all life stages we are presented with situations where collaboration is central to success. In early childhood education, teamwork can go a long way and is something that is central to the success of centres across the country.

The importance of your centre’s ability to work as a team is reflective of their capacity to bond with one another, support one another and inspire one another. These areas will only serve to increase motivation levels in your centre, reduce staff turnover and create the most positive environment possible for children’s learning and development.

TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More

The upcoming Bonkers Beat Wellness Summits are committed to embracing and encouraging collaboration and professional development as a team. We have invited every single one of the members of staff from centres who have embedded our innovative Bonkers Beat music and/or wellbeing programs to come along. Imagine the things that these teams of incredible individuals will be able to accomplish when they come together, learn together and are inspired together. Best of all, everyone’s attendance is included in the Bonkers Beat program membership! No need to carefully select staff members who will be best at relaying the content of the event – they can all attend!

Of course, teamwork and participation isn’t just about attending early childhood professional development events – it can be worked on from within your centre through:

-Staff meetings
-Social events/dinners
-Group projects
-Collaboration across Rooms
-Working bees
-Staff retreats

We spend our days facilitating children’s participation, so why not make sure we encourage each other and work as a team too!

 

P.S: Click here to learn more about the breakthrough Bonkers Beat programs or register for our new format program

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A Time to Be Thankful

Another year is almost over and while much has changed, it’s very clear that the importance of wellbeing at the heart of children’s education is a focus that is here to stay.

This can only be a positive thing, as we as educators, teachers, parents and human beings strive to nurture children’s wellbeing, build their resilience and teach them through the power of music.

For Bonkers Beat, 2015 has been spectacular – we’ve grown, we’ve learned and we’ve developed. We will continue to do all of these things, just as we all should. Of course, none of our success at Bonkers Beat would be possible without the early childhood education community and everyone’s dedication to the wellbeing of young people. For your commitment and passion, we say THANK YOU. Thank you to all of the Centres committed to the Bonkers Beat program and the parents. Thank you to all the attendees of our events. Thank you to the organisers of the conferences Galina was welcomed at and the participants.

We also send our best wishes to you all for a happy Christmas and New Year! At Bonkers Beat there is plenty we love about Christmas, but you won’t be surprised to learn that we find that there is something so special about the music surrounding this time of year! Everywhere you go there are those familiar songs and carols filling the air. Some of these songs take us back to childhood or remind us of a Christmas occasion from years ago, connecting us with the past.

With the exception of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ or the national anthem, we as a society probably don’t get together and sing with our families very often, but belting out Jingle Bells with your loved ones really does bring a smile to your face. And there’s science behind that – “Researchers have worked out that singing seems to produce the perfect mix of both calming and energising based on what it does to the brain” (Wendy Sadler, Science Made Simple) thanks to endorphins – the happiness chemicals produced by our bodies, and oxytocin – known as the love drug or cuddle hormone.

Whatever you love best about this time of year, we hope you enjoy it! As we push through this busy couple of weeks, reward yourself at the end of it all with good food, some extra rest, and plenty of special time with those you love most. Don’t forget to throw in a couple of Christmas carols for good measure!

We’ve collated a year of memories from our Bonkers Beat Music Kinder in a collage, so take a look on Facebook and if you have a special memory of Bonkers Beat in 2015, share it with us.

Our next blog will be at the end of January – our goal is to provide you with valuable resources for your journey in early childhood education or as parents, so please email us or get in touch on Facebook and give us your feedback, ideas and suggestions.

We can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store for us all and we wish you and your families nothing but laughter, light and love for Christmas and the New Year.

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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.

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