Reggio Emilia – Documenting my inspiration and learning (from a New Zealand perspective)
My learning about the Reggio Emilia educational project began as I listened to a presentation by Leila Gandini, editor of The Hundred Languages of Children. Leila Gandini’s session challenged my (limited, then) view of how capable preschool children could be as thirsty knowledge seekers. She showed pedagogical contexts in Reggio Emilia preschools that expanded children’s explorations across different ‘languages’, fed their...
Attachment Theory For Early Childhood Educators
Introduction The significance of attachment between an infant and a primary caregiver has long been recognised (Ainsworth et al., 1978, cited in Gonzalez-Mena & Eyer, 2015; Bowlby, 1958); in fact, John Bowlby began investigating this idea in the 1950s. Developing a healthy attachment relationship with an educator is also essential for infants and toddlers in Early Childhood Education and Care...
Help is at your fingertips
How to Find the Help You Need Do you sometimes find when you are using Storypark that you have a burning question to ask or a problem to solve? Thankfully, Storypark is relatively straightforward to use, but figuring things out through exploring or trial and error costs you the one thing you don’t have a lot of. Time! To help...
Reflections on the 2023 ECA Conference
Like many others, I am now recovering from this year’s wonderful ECA Conference. As usual, Storypark took a team to the conference and this year I gave my very own presentation–a somewhat scary but exciting experience! From powerful keynote speakers to engaging sessions and meaningful conversations, this conference left a lasting impression. In this blog post, I will document my...
Improving documentation and enhancing engagement
Improving documentation and increasing family engagement at Network Child Care Services Offering child care services to over 1,800 children across Toronto, Network Child Care Services is a non-profit organization licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Established in 1991, Network has expanded from its roots as a home-based child care service to providing high-quality child care services and programs to...
Updated Android Educator app – what to expect
The updated Android Educator app is here! We are excited to share that the updated Android Educator app is now available for Android users! With a new design and several features that were not available in the old app, we think you are going to love it as much as we do! What to expect with the Android Educator app...
Streamlining communication processes
The Learning Enrichment Foundation is a community-based non-profit in Toronto, Canada. It supports the local community in meeting various needs through employment training, immigrant settlement services, language training, and youth programs. It also has 24 early childhood education and care centres serving 1855 families. LEF is one of the largest childcare providers in the City of Toronto. A need for...
Standard Operating Procedures in ECE
When successfully managing multiple ECE learning services or programs, there are initiatives you can implement that will make the difference between success and chaos. Leading with purpose and building culture and systems are both areas that can have a positive impact on your organization. It is a vast topic! If you recently attended the webinar hosted by Melony Gibson and...
Documenting children’s learning – slow down!
Documenting children’s learning – are we rushing the process? When documenting children’s learning, it can sometimes feel like we are racing against the clock to gather information, turn it into a story, and hit publish. We rush to provide the evidence that we have noticed, recognized and responded to the learning. Early childhood educators have a lot of boxes to...
Teamwork in child care – building stronger teams
Fostering teamwork in child care has never been more important than it is now. Building strong early childhood teaching teams has far-reaching implications for educators, children, their families and your organization. However, there are record numbers of early childhood educators leaving the sector. With so many educators moving to other careers, it is increasingly difficult for organizations to foster a...