The power of friendships in early childhood – video
Early childhood educators sometimes overlook the power of friendships. Hear Jane Bertrand from the University of Toronto discuss socio-emotional responsiveness, cognitive responsiveness, and scaffolding.
No tech in your early learning center? No problem!
There’s a lot of talk about digital tools in early childhood. If you don’t have ipads and other devices at your center, you might feel like you are limited in ability to utilize some of the latest developments. The good...
From start to review- the ongoing nature of reflective practice
Some practical advice for when undertaking the continuous improvement process is to become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. The sooner we are, the better we can accept the ongoing nature of true reflective practice. From Start to Review… the ongoing...
Study tips for ECE students
Early childhood teachers are a studious group of people, and this means they often find themselves engaging with some higher learning over the course of their life time. Taking on a ‘couple of papers’, starting a Master’s degree, or gaining...
12 Fabulous Picture Books Featuring Great Dads
Would you like to get your hands on some brilliant picture books featuring great fathers? Here’s a selection to look for in your local bookshop. Keys, by Sacha Cotter, illustrated by Josh Morgan (English version, Huia, 2014) Ngā Kī,...
How can we support children to care for the environment
Today we’re continuing a series brainstorming different ways an early childhood education centre could live their values out loud, and make a big noise about these wonderful things we want our children to pick up on. Today we’re looking at...
Perfectionism in Young Children and How to Help
Perfectionism in Young Children and How to Help Written by Dr. Kaylene Henderson, Child Psychiatrist, and Parent Educator There’s a perception in our society that perfectionism is a good thing, akin to ‘being perfect’; That it’s something to strive for...
Things teen mums want you to know
Some people have their children early, some late. In this blog, I’m discussing the stigma related to having my child young. So, what’s one to do when face to face with a youthful looking mum, a teen mum at that,...
Restoring Hope to Children with Challenging Behaviors
Some years ago, I received a tearful phone call from a young mom whose son had been “expelled” from preschool. Her son – a precocious, intelligent builder of large block structures – exploded in anger when a teacher dismantled his...
Values in action : Hospitality
Values need to be lived out loud I said at the start of this series on values in early childhood education: Children pick up on an awful lot without us saying it – they learn to talk, walk and jump...