Little transitions, moving from one setting to another or one activity to another, constantly happen during a child’s life and they offer many learning opportunities. Transitions are opportunities for educators to: Engage and build relationships with children Nurture the development children’s social and emotional skills Communicate to children that they are in a safe, secure […]
Being a parent presents us with daily challenges, including decisions about what things to expose our children to. One of the questions I am constantly asked by parents is what should they teach their children about money, and at what age. Talking about money is no different to talking about how to keep healthy or […]
‘Mindfulness’ as a concept and a practice has rapidly entered the zeitgeist, helping to define the spirit and ideas of our times, including in education. Not much more than a decade ago a Google search for mindfulness and education would show the Garrison Institute Initiative for Contemplative Teaching and Learning at the top of the […]
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 […]
This blog was originally posted in 2015 and updated in September 2020. 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 learning service has another benefit; educators can support children and […]
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 […]
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 […]
This blog was originally posted in 2015 and updated in August 2020. 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 […]
In this second part of a two-part blog series on the controversial topic of controlled crying, PAM LINKE examines the young child’s attachment and wellbeing. The first blog, written by Dr Anna Price and originally published on The Conversation more than three years ago, examined research into controlled crying, parent sleep and post natal depression. Since that time, ECA […]
Originally republished from The Conversation more than three years ago, this article covers the controversial topic of controlled crying from the perspective of parental sleep and post natal depression. As researcher DR ANNA PRICE from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) writes, women ‘who said their baby’s sleep was a problem were twice as likely to experience […]
