Tag: Quality Practice
Sustainability tips for ECE leaders
Currently, we are over-using the earth, and that’s a worry. Our buy now, think later mindset is creating a world where we will shortly start to run out of resources. Role modeling is a very effective teaching strategy and one we can use to make a difference in this situation. It is our responsibility to alert children, teachers, families, and...
RIE – Respectful care with infants
“The application of Emmi Pikler’s respectful and affectionate image of the baby has helped babies to develop well, and adults to change their internal representations of the baby’s capacities and their role as care providers.” (Introducing the Piklerian Developmental Approach: History and Principles, The Signal World Association for Infant Mental Health Newsletter 2010). When working with the youngest of...
Supporting relationships and attachment in the early years
Relationships are broadly defined as the state of being connected or related. This can mean an association by blood or marriage, a kinship or the mutual dealings, connections, or feelings that exist between two parties. It is also recognised as a type of dependence or alliance in the way that we behave or regard one another. When considering the National...
A better way to connect school and home in California
The Gillispie School is an independent, coeducational day school in La Jolla, California, enrolling 250 students from age two to Grade Six (age twelve). The school began as a small cottage that served hot meals to the underprivileged children of single mothers or working parents in La Jolla in the lean years of the Great Depression. Its founders, pediatrician...
An evolving outdoor classroom at The Gillispie School
At the Gillispie School, we have long aspired to an ‘Outdoor Classroom’ but always felt limited by our concrete playground situated in the middle of a residential neighborhood. With a small lawn and a scattering of trees, it didn’t seem to offer very many opportunities for the children to interact authentically with nature. Although we made an effort to provide...
How to support rainbow families at your early learning centre
What does heteronormativity mean? How does it relate to early childhood teachers? In this Mat Time interview, early childhood education lecturer Kath Cooper shares tips on how to include rainbow families in your early learning centre. Some families have two mums, some have two dads. Some children have one parent, and some have four! The important thing is that we accept...
Including all children – the criteria is breathing
Recently on our new early learning web series “Mat Time” we interviewed Janet Dixon, who is an early learning educator and mentor, as well as a researcher, author and advocate for including all children. We talked to Janet about the skills early childhood teachers already have to be inclusive of all children and to be supportive of the families of...
Supporting a child’s transition from kindergarten to school
Recently on our new early learning web series “Mat Time” we interviewed Carol Hartley, who is the head teacher at Mangere Bridge Kindergarten in Auckland, New Zealand. Carol was part of a 10 year research project about supporting children from early childhood to primary school, and helped author a book on transitions called ‘Crossing The Border – a community negotiates...
Reading with children to improve communication and early literacy skills
Recently on our new early learning web series “Mat Time” we interviewed speech and language therapist Amanda White about using books to develop communication and literacy skills. Amanda told us that it’s never too early to start reading with children and babies, and shared some really helpful tips for both educators and parents about how to make reading enjoyable, as...
Using the right avenue to engage with vulnerable families
Around three years ago, in an early learning centre, a child was placed under a protection order to attend five days a week because the child’s mum was unable to adequately support his learning and development. This is a scenario that plays out across Australia more than we would like. Many of you reading will be familiar with this type...