A call for action: Improving the mental health outcomes of our educators
A call for action: Improving the mental health outcomes of our educators Being an early childhood educator comes with a responsibility to inspire, cherish, provoke and entice deep learning processes in the children we care for and educate. This sees...
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...
Welcoming parents and families with Storypark
As the holiday memories begin to fade and we focus on the year ahead, an important part of the next few weeks is providing a thoughtful and stress-free welcome for parents and families as they return or start at your...
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...
How Storypark benefits our practice and operations
Written by Kim Hiscott, Executive Director, Andrew Fleck Children’s Services We’ve always been committed to engaging with families to share their child’s early learning experience; we do this through daily interactions but also through purposeful documentation. Our “traditional” approach included...
End of year transitions
It’s beginning to look a lot like… well, that time of the year when you seem to have even less time in the day than you do the rest of the year. Things always seem to be that much more...
Kindergarten, our heart-shaped community
The big deep hole and the tears The first death seemed easier. Otis, the little black and white dog, that didn’t really like him much, was on mum’s knee. Otis never went in the car so something was happening. And...
Can toddlers and under fives really change the world?
We often talk about children in terms of potential. We consider that one day they might do something important, something world-changing, or just be more than they currently are. You see and hear it all the time “he has so...
It’s Just a Phase: Oh No!
Somewhere around age two, many toddlers discover the awesome power behind one very short word: “No!” And oh boy, do they love to use it! “Let’s get your coat on; it’s cold.” “No!” “Let’s wash your hands.” “No. No wash!”...
Fun Political Activities for Young Children
Politics is much broader than just which party to vote for. We can include political ideas of free speech, due process, fairness, equality, voting and participation in all sorts of ways in an early childhood education setting. Here are some...