It is painfully too late when instances of young children being exploited and abused surface. ‘It’s not good enough to say you don’t understand Facebook or you can’t work out how to use an iPhone. You need to learn about what your children are using so you can guide, assist and supervise their use.’ This […]
There is a lot of discussion in the media currently about frustrated and disillusioned young people joining destructive movements because they want to belong, to make a difference. Commentators speculate that they are motivated by feelings of powerlessness, wanting to have an impact. Feeling that you have little control over your life can also lead […]
By learning about and incorporating elements of home into children’s daily experiences educators assist the growth of a child’s sense of identity, belonging, and connectedness. Knowing about a child’s world beyond the early childhood setting has another benefit; educators can support children and families when aspects of life change or become challenging. Life is great […]
Talking about bullying online, cybersafety and the new Children’s e-Safety Commissioner almost always focuses on school-aged children. Let’s not overlook babies to preschoolers who are increasingly surrounded by connected and mobile devices. Part II of a series on cybersecurity in early education and care. It’s national action against bullying day today and the week in […]
Speech problems in early childhood are common. One in four parents of Australian children are concerned about their 4- to 5-year-old child’s speech but two-thirds of these parents don’t act on their concern. Why? What might stop them from seeking expert advice from a speech pathologist? Myth 1: Children grow out of speech problems (just […]
Conversations about family, kinship, culture and country help protect mental health and wellbeing. Yarning is a way of capturing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ story and description of how they see and experience something. We have seen yarning benefit many individuals, groups and communities in a variety of contexts across Australia. Here are some yarning […]
Good mental health is vital for learning and life. Just like physical health, it changes over time and according to different contexts. Research shows we can identify mental health problems in early childhood and being aware of and responding to early signs that may indicate a potential difficulty can make a difference. It can help ensure children […]
Several shops in my neighbourhood have blackboards on the footpath with daily messages, mostly advice. One caught my eye recently and made me wonder if the writer or selector was an early childhood educator who had decided that the hospitality industry was a better career option. The sign read ‘Just be, don’t become!’ Good advice […]
Anyone can experience trauma at any time in life Some effects of trauma can be immediate and obvious … others can take time to appear. Trauma describes the impact of an event, or a series of events, that leaves someone feeling helpless and pushed beyond their ability to cope. Events that children might find traumatic include: […]
Children have imaginative ideas and individual ways of seeing the world. Conversations with children help us to see the world through their eyes. Conversations also help us to understand what children know already, and what they are exploring. As educators we try to gain insight into what children are learning so that we can provide […]
