If we see learning as a consequence of thinking, then it is paramount that children have the opportunity and are supported to explore their ideas and thinking during the learning experience. This allows children to then understand their own thinking process. Meaningful learning takes place when children are fully engaged in the ideas of the […]
Neuroscience is not an overly familiar term or topic of conversation heard in our early childhood settings. Defined as the study of the structure and function of the human brain and nervous system, neuroscience has been a growing focus of research worldwide over the past two decades. Interestingly, weaving its way through this field of […]
This article appeared in Every Child magazine Vol. 28, No.2, 2022 The home offers rich and authentic opportunities for play-based learning, Joanne Grimmond observes. Children’s formative experiences of play in the home lay the foundation for their later learning, and digital platforms, such as the new Play and Learn Together web-based resource, can be used to […]
Every experience and interaction is a chance for the young child to express and develop his or her unique disposition. It is also an opportunity for the observant educator to watch, listen and work towards what children can become. In this small example, Evelyn Callaghan and Sarah White discuss how a skilled, flexible artist supports […]
This is part of our series on kids’ health. Read the other articles in our series here. When parents observe shyness in their child, they may wonder if it is normal or cause for concern. For instance, in social situations, the child may cling to their parent, be hesitant to speak, reluctant to interact with […]
Most of us don’t have any memories from the first three to four years of our lives – in fact, we tend to remember very little of life before the age of seven. And when we do try to think back to our earliest memories, it is often unclear whether they are the real thing […]
Visit any preschool classroom during free play and you will likely see a child pretending to be someone else. Make-believe play is a ubiquitous part of early childhood. And beyond being fun for kids, pretending and other kinds of imaginative play are also believed by some to be critical to healthy child development. Research has […]
Toddlers may be ever so adorable but they can also be frustratingly poor at listening and respecting other people’s feelings. So how are they able to grow into social butterflies a decade or two later, often capable of extraordinary friendship, loyalty and perceptiveness? While social development is a long process that lasts into our teens, […]
From rolling over to walking and saying words, most parents will remember the exact age at which their child achieved a certain “milestone”. They will often also compare these early “rites of passage” to the progress of a sibling, cousin or friend, or to charts in the myriad parenting books setting out the ages at […]
