Does your child like soft toys? They’re a classic gift for a new baby but they often then sit in the corner unloved and unnoticed for years. But then something magical happens. They are rediscovered and, like an old friend, it’s like they never went away. Your child is now two or three (or eight!) …
The space your child plays in can ask questions. Your child is engaged in a dialogue with the room and the materials. The furniture you use and the toys you offer have a direct effect on what learning takes place. Followers of the Reggio Emilia Approach call this idea the environment as the third teacher. The …
You can’t teach your child to write in an afternoon. It is the work of many years, going right back to birth. A newborn flaps her arms, a baby shakes a rattle. These are the incipient movements that eventually lead to letter formation. Writing is a broad topic including letter formation and handwriting, punctuation, spelling, …
How many uses can you think of for a paperclip? Children are masters of this kind of thing but our ability to think creatively diminishes over time. Complex problem solving is expected to be the number one work-related skill for the coming decades. But too many parents have been led to believe that they should …
Does your baby or toddler enjoy repetitive play with everyday objects? Is she less interested in ‘proper’ toys? This is functional play, the first of four types of play outlined by Sara Smilansky, a developmental psychologist who studied how play develops in young children. The rest of the series is here: Preschoolers are happy to …
As a child, did you love colouring in? It felt a bit like cheating, didn’t? Filling in someone else’s drawing. But it was satisfying – even therapeutic. But it’s not really drawing, is it? Does it have any value? Some early years teachers frown on colouring in because it’s not creative and has a pre-determined …
Colouring in | Your secret weapon for great handwriting Read More »
How often does your child play outdoors? Do they go out even when it’s raining? Do you believe that there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing? I once worked at a famous ‘open air’ nursery, where the children were free to come and go as they pleased, inside and out, in all weathers. Teachers were …
Have you ever had a brilliant idea an activity but your child showed no interest? Have you played a game which you hoped would be fun but your child needed so much support that all momentum was lost. What went wrong? You didn’t start with the child. You know, of course, that you have to …
Have you ever wondered what the benefit of listening to stories is for children, beyond the joy of simple entertainment? Reading stories to young children helps them make sense of the world. Without experiences of their own to draw on, stories act as signposts for the young mind, directing them along the right path and …
Loose parts don’t look very inspiring. What can you do with a box-full of identical pieces? But sit with them a while and you’ll understand what makes them so fascinating. Even as adults we gain pleasure from these materials. There’s something soothing and almost meditative about arranging the pieces in a visually harmonious way. Some …