Category: Early Learning
Articles on early childhood education
Learning at home – Fine and gross motor skills & problem solving
Looking for ideas that support children’s development of motor skills and problem-solving in your home environment? You don’t need fancy equipment or resources to do this, you will be surprised to learn that most of these ideas can be offered...
Encouraging a Sense of Wonder while Keeping our Distance: This is the Time to Connect to Nature
During this global pandemic crisis, staying connected is a challenge. With so many of us being asked to socially isolate – to keep our distance, we look to new technologies to maintain relationships. In these uncertain times, it is more...
Coronavirus – Strategies and Resources for Educators
Times of stress are difficult for children, parents, educators and business owners/operators. It’s important that we stay connected and care for each other as best we can during this time, especially supporting those isolated by COVID19. The strength of relationships...
You do not fit the child into the theory
The word theory has its roots in ancient Greek, basically meaning a view, a notion or contemplation. In the domain of early childhood education, theories are the overarching ideas that influence our pedagogical practices, and each theory or theorist has...
Leading Children in Practicing Citizenship
A teacher’s governing role serves as the foundation of their student’s experimental learning in the room. Styles can range from traditional authority, which is about obeying and not questioning rules. It can be adult-driven rather than child-centred. Democratic leadership involves...
Documentation and the image of the child through a Reggio lens
When the term documentation is discussed amongst early childhood educators there is often a feeling of fear…a pause in time where professionals stop and hold their breath, the angst of the topic written clearly all over their face. What feeds...
Discussions with Dr Edward Melhuish
We are extremely fortunate at Storypark to have the support and guidance of some of the worlds leading experts on child development and early childhood education. One of our advisors is Dr Edward Melhuish. Professor of Human Development at the University...
The assumptions, theories and practicalities of room leadership in ECE
Many early learning services operate with various leadership structures that are purposefully designed to help meet certain expectations and benchmarks set forth in quality area seven of the national quality standard. Whilst the process of a leadership structure supports educators...
Self soothing
When you have a child who doesn’t sleep – the words “self-soothe” can make you break into a cold sweat. As the months went on and on and on and my youngest child continued to not sleep, and not sleep...
You can hear him in his dancing
I remember the first time someone said: “what’s wrong with your son”. I think my face, turning white, then splotchy red with anger, told him that what he’d said was not the right thing to say. “I just mean…” he...