‘The early years of a human being’s life have a significant impact on lifelong mental health and wellbeing.’ Be You shares the importance of mental health and wellbeing to babies and toddlers and suggests resources for families and educators. New research has increased understanding of the environmental and biological factors that shape babies’ and toddlers’ […]
Observing children is a great way of getting to know them. It’s also how we can gather information about their mental health and wellbeing, including noticing their strengths and behaviours that may cause concern or present possible signs of mental health issues. Read more about the behaviour, emotions, thoughts, learning and social relationships (BETLS) observation […]
Reflecting and planning skills are fundamental to our work as educators. While reflection allows us to have a wider range of perspectives and brings about new ways of thinking or understanding, planning builds upon that new understanding to create informed, responsive goals. Have you considered how both these practices may also help strengthen and protect […]
The end of the year can be a stressful time for everyone. Families and educators may be juggling work commitments, family and social events and planning for holidays. End-of-year celebrations, finalising portfolios and transition reports, staff changes and planning for the coming year all take their toll … What does this mean for our stress […]
December is almost over. This can mean excitement about new beginnings approaching, but also, feelings of sadness can take us by surprise. Transitions happen every day and are best described as a period where we try to adapt to new circumstances, expectations, people, environments or routines. Using our existing knowledge and experiences, we make predictions […]
Australia regularly experiences natural disasters such as cyclones, floods and bushfires, as well as increasing community violence or acts of terrorism. These distressing events can be traumatic for everyone in the community, either directly or indirectly. Sometimes, as in the case of natural disasters, there can be some preparation, both physical and psychological. Being psychologically […]
This article first appeared on KidsMatter Early Childhood’s Shared Thinking blog on 30 June 2014. It was first shared on The Spoke in 2018 and was updated in July 2020. What self-regulation is … and isn’t Self-regulation is not simply self-control. It is the ability to manage our energy states, emotions, behaviour and attention: the […]
This blog post was originally posted in 2018, and was updated in July 2020. Supporting children’s social and emotional learning Babies are born communicators and are capable of experiencing and expressing a wide range of emotions. Through their many positive interactions with caregivers, they learn to feel good about themselves and to enjoy relating with […]
Originally posted in 2015, this post was updated in August 2020. Play helps children to develop healthy bodies, minds, social and emotional capacities, thinking and learning abilities. Play is essential for children. Play can be pretending, learning a new skill, dressing up, being active, or being quiet. Children should make the rules for play, except when […]
Originally posted in 2016, this post was updated in June 2020. Children need to feel that their world is a safe place Children need to know they’re cared for, that their needs are met, and that they can get help when they need it. When children have these things they develop strong feelings of belonging […]
