preschool Archives - Early Learning Childhood Education

Children love to be involved and entertained during the school holidays and cooking is a great way to do this. It is not often we blog about food but we feel very strongly that children should be involved in preparing meals and eating them as a family where possible. Of course, healthy meals are important, however as a treat a piece of cake or some jelly is also fun to make. Children as young as two can help by stirring, mixing, rolling and pouring. Older children can help by choosing ingredients, chopping and plating up.

Kidspot has a great list of how children learn by cooking and helping out in the kitchen:-

http://www.kidspot.com.au/schoolzone/Learning-games-How-cooking-helps-kids-learn+4696+316+article.htm

Responsibility
Children love the opportunity to feel grown-up, and cooking “just like mum and dad” makes them feel really special. Give them the opportunity to do as much as possible by themselves – if they’re closely supervised and activities are age-appropriate you’ll be surprised at how responsible children can be.

Science and chemistry
Why do cakes rise? How do egg whites turn from this clear, sticky stuff into glossy white peaks? When you think about it – baking’s a pretty cool science lesson. But the best thing is, you don’t actually have to teach – the activity does it for you. Actually, the best thing is that when you learn about why certain ingredients act the way they do (so you can teach your child) you end up being a better baker yourself.

Measurement and volume
Understanding measurement and volume is made simple when baking. A clear measuring jug makes things easy to see. Try using a variety of implements when measuring: cups, jugs, spoons, scales – just so children can help understand. Making a ‘pound cake’ can also be a great help – showing children how different amounts of substances (butter, sugar, flour) can look different, but still weigh the same.

Spelling
Sounding out the words in recipes, or reading ingredients from packets in the pantry can help children with their spelling and reading. It also helps when they need to recognise words and connect the word “flour” in a recipe with the word “flour” on a pack. Labelling your jars in the pantry can be handy – and can also be a learning tool for your child.

Nutrition
It’s surprising how a fussy kid will try a new food when it’s something he’s cooked himself. Give your child the option of two different veggies to include with dinner, find a recipe and let him help cut and cook up the vegetable – and hopefully try it all afterwards! Cooking helps children understand why we eat the foods we do – what foods go well together, and what we need to include for a balanced meal.

Cultural studies
Children can learn more about the world through cooking. Choose a dish each month from a different culture – and then spend a little time learning about that country and why they eat the way they do. Why is it that so many hot countries enjoy spicy, chilli-rich meals? What meats are popular in certain nations and how does the way they eat differ from ours? Start out with options such as Mexican, Indian and Italian (see our recipe section for menu ideas) and move onto other nations as your child’s tastebuds become more adventurous. You could be surprised at what you child likes.

Increases self-esteem
There’s nothing like a sense of achievement to improve self-esteem. Cooking is a great way too boost children’s confidence as the results are quick – and there for the whole family to enjoy. Remember to step back and let them do things themselves – after showing them the safest way to do everything of course!

Find fun recipes to help kids cook

Homemade pizzas – http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/25653/homemade+pizzas

Tacos – http://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/tasty-tacos-679

Pasta dishes – http://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/collection/pasta-recipes

Cakes – http://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/collection/easy-cakes

Biscuits/ gingerbread men – http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/9761/gingerbread+men

Scones – http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/24492/scones

Jelly – http://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/collection/jelly-recipes

Vegetables and dip – http://www.kidspot.com.au/kitchen/recipes/collection/dip-recipes

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

Tag: preschool

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