Resilience. We know the value of being able to bounce back from difficult challenges and adapt to life’s ups and downs, but are some people naturally more bulletproof than others or can resilience be taught?
The good news is that everyone can learn resilience skills - regardless of their age.
That said, the earlier that parents, educators and caregivers start helping young children start building resilience skills, the better. Life’s not always a bed of roses and the sooner a child learns to respond and adapt to challenges with positivity and hopefulness, the more likely they’ll be able to persevere through tough times as they go through life.
Adversity for a young child can be many different things - moving home, starting school, friendship issues, bullying, a breakdown in family relationships, not being chosen for a team activity, difficulty mastering a new skill, overhearing a conversation about a traumatic event - and it can leave them feeling sad, anxious, uncertain, helpless, fearful, lonely and defeated.
There are many things that parents and caregivers can do to help a child acknowledge their emotions, learn to stand up for themselves, cope with whatever difficulties they face and bounce back after challenging times.
Setting a strong foundation early on with respect to positive and healthy habits, attitudes and skills in the face of adversity will help children handle tough situations and prevail.
Children need nurturing. They thrive on a network of caring connections which make them feel safe, secure and strong - and these relationships could be with parents, family members, friends, teachers, healthcare professionals etc. When a child has the security of trusted, loving adults who provide them with gentle reassurance and non-judgmental encouragement, they’re more likely to respond strongly to difficult times.
Getting angry or sad at a situation won’t change the situation, but changing the way you respond will change the way you feel about it. The key here is communication. Talk to your child, listen to them, acknowledge and validate their feelings and discuss ways they could shift their response. Discuss ways to mitigate the problem (for example, if a friendship is strained, perhaps suggest a different companion to play with or if they can’t do an activity, suggest a different approach to solve the problem) and help them understand that they are in control. For very young children, play is the best way to encourage them to express their emotions.
Talk to your child about the things they’re good at. Get them to list their strengths for you. Focus on the positives and remind them often that they are capable. Self-belief doesn’t only come from within - it is strengthened by what you hear from others, so invest in your child’s self-esteem and independence.
A confident child will be better equipped to manage adversity, so encourage them to take on new challenges or try new activities. They’ll feel good when they accomplish new things - and even if they don’t (which you should emphasise to them is also OK), they’ll have the security of loving relationships as a safety net and will feel good about themselves for giving things a go. Giving a child responsibilities is another way of empowering them and making them feel valued.
Routines are not only important for children, they’re comforting too. Structure and consistency in a young child’s day gives them something familiar to lean into when they’re facing tough times.
Mindfulness tends to be seen as an ‘adult’ concept, but it can be an extremely valuable life skill for young people too. Teaching children about mindfulness can lead to many good things including better self-esteem, emotional regulation, greater happiness, more effective responses to stress and uncertainty, successful conflict resolution and of course, greater resilience. You may find this article on mindfulness in early learning helpful.
Children are like sponges, constantly absorbing what they see and hear. When adults around them demonstrate resilience and patience, a child is more likely to mirror that behaviour. Take the time to explain your responses to your child, be honest about your emotions and use simple terms to help them understand what being resilient means. Changes and challenges in life are inevitable - it’s how we choose to respond that determines the outcome.
Absolutely! Daily life at childcare or an early learning centre can have a profound effect on the way a young child responds to challenges.
The space should provide a loving, nurturing environment for every child where the educators continually promote the development of key skills like resilience. The team should also be ultra vigilant with every child in their care and should work in partnership with parents as collaborators and advocates to ensure the child’s holistic wellbeing.
Here at Evoke Early Learning, we pride ourselves in safe and nurturing environments that promote knowledge and inspire a life-long love of learning. Resilience is one of the many benefits of our Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, along with responsibility, self-confidence, teamwork, problem-solving skills as well as creative and scientific thinking.
You’re welcome to book a tour of our childcare centres in Clayton and Albert Park where you can see our quality childcare in action.
Parenting isn’t easy and there are many times when it doesn’t match up to expectations or reflect the perfect picture of family harmony which you see so often in carefully curated social media feeds or glossy magazines.
Parenting is real. It’s precious and beautiful and rewarding, but it can also be messy, challenging, unpredictable, frustrating and of course, unbelievably busy. There will be plenty of situations when your responses are reactive and you look back and wish you’d acted differently. Emotions can run high in the heat of the moment or when you’re juggling multiple balls and it’s impossible to get things right every time. And that’s OK. But if you do want to be less impulsive in stressful situations, slow things down and have more control over your responses, there is something you can do. You can practice mindfulness.
And that’s OK. But if you do want to be less impulsive in stressful situations, slow things down and have more control over your responses, there is something you can do. You can practice mindfulness.
You hear a lot about mindfulness these days, but what is it exactly?
In a nutshell, being mindful is about being fully present and engaged in the moment. It’s about calmly and gently focusing all of your attention and awareness on your current experience without distraction, judgement or expectation. It’s about being in the ‘now’.
It’s also a technique that can be learnt.
It is possible to teach ourselves how to focus completely on the moment, but it’s important to remember that there’s no right or wrong to mindfulness. It’s simply not possible to be fully immersed in whatever you’re doing all of the time, but mindfulness is a very useful technique for dealing with difficult or volatile situations in a more constructive, positive way. To put it in a nutshell, mindfulness is a valuable tool to support emotional regulation and holistic wellbeing.
It does take a bit of practise - perhaps that’s why they call it ‘practicing’ mindfulness - but with effort and commitment to learn how to be mindful and how to apply mindful attention to parenting, the outcomes and benefits are remarkable.
A good way to describe mindful parenting is being actively attentive to interactions with your child and responding in a way that is uplifting and positive for everyone. It’s an approach to family life that places parents and children fully in the present moment in a calm, thoughtful and intentional way.
Mindful parenting can be a circuit breaker for negative behaviours from both children as well as from parents because it enables a pause between emotion and response. Mindfulness is not about denying your feelings in a challenging situation, but is rather a mechanism for noticing your emotional responses and using your mindful skills to take a breather, pause and reset.
Here’s an example. Your child is having a tantrum because they don’t want to leave the playground. It’s getting late, supper needs to be made, the older sibling has homework to do and both you and your child are tired and hungry. Instead of admonishing your child, getting frustrated and hurrying them up, your (better) mindful response would be to acknowledge the situation, accept the realities of your little one’s age and stage, help them name their emotion and then help them calm down and divert their attention. How you do that will be different for each child.
Getting home may take a little longer, but when you are grounded and able to help shift your child’s mood, the positive outcomes will be worth any small delays.
Mindful parenting can help parents understand and accept their own feelings as well as help their child understand their own emotions and feel heard and respected.
The example above illustrates one of the benefits of mindful parenting - helping young children identify and acknowledge their strong emotions and learn to shift their focus to something more positive.
There are numerous other benefits for both parent and child, including:
Healthier family relationships and stronger connections
Another key benefit is that children learn from their parents’ behaviours, and so when adults demonstrate mindfulness and are able to regulate their emotions, the child models that approach.
Mindful parenting helps children feel loved unconditionally. It fosters a healthier attitude towards mistakes or imperfections (on the part of both parent and child) and it helps everyone develop a stronger sense of self-acceptance and acceptance of others. Here at Evoke Early Learning, we strongly believe in mindfulness as a valuable life skill and you may be interested in reading this article on mindfulness in early education to learn more. You’re also welcome to visit our early learning centres to witness our safe and nurturing environments which promote knowledge and inspire a lifelong love of learning. Book a tour or get in touch with our friendly team in either our Albert Park or Clayton early learning centres and we look forward to meeting you!
‘The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.’ Dr Seuss
Reading to babies and young children and telling stories isn’t just about bonding and enjoying special time together (although those are valuable outcomes too), it’s actually one of the most important things that parents and caregivers can do to give their little ones a healthy start to life - and for life.
A research project by Duke University scientists revealed compelling evidence of the long-term benefits of language input and storytelling for children’s language and literacy development - and the results left little doubt that parents, caregivers and early educators play a huge role in giving children a strong foundation in acquiring these early skills.
The importance of reading and telling stories to your child cannot be over stated.
Even the seemingly simple aspects of reading such as your child observing you holding a book the right way up, turning the pages gently, hearing repetitive sounds and rhymes, seeing different images and listening to different vocal tones have valuable long-term benefits in terms of their linguistic development.
The benefits to reading and storytelling include:
Let’s focus on the power of storytelling with regards to a preschooler’s language and early literacy development.
You don’t need to wait until your little one starts engaging with the world before you introduce books to them. Even very young babies benefit from storytelling.
Remember, storytelling isn’t only about books and reading. Singing, saying rhymes and repeating phrases are all really important for helping your little one start to understand the connections between sounds, letters, syllables and words. In fact, repetition and rhyme are among the most important ways that children learn the fundamentals of language.
Some key points about books and young children include:
An important thing to remember is that there’s so much more to reading than what’s featured on the pages.
A book can spark a story of your family’s history and culture (young children love listening to stories which involve them!). You can embellish a story with movement, actions, funny sounds and facial expressions. You can tell stories of overcoming challenges, perseverance, resilience and love. You can make connections between what’s in the book and your child’s own experiences (‘remember when you saw an elephant at the zoo’) and you can encourage your child to talk about the story too.
Anyone can tell a story and it can be anywhere and at any time. And if you don’t have a book on hand, there are plenty of other opportunities for storytelling such as food packaging, shop windows, letters and pamphlets in the post, newspapers and menus.
By using hand gestures, different vocal intonations and facial expressions for added emphasis, you’ll keep your child focused which is a key skill for learning. Movement and sound will bring the story to life and keep your child engaged as well as help them understand and contextualise new words and phrases.
And young children should be encouraged to tell you stories too. Through storytelling, they’ll get to practise important language skills and will build up confidence in their verbal communication abilities.
In the words of one of the research scientists involved in the Duke University study said: ‘Storytelling is a medium in which families with all types of resources and assets can thrive.’
Here at Evoke Early Learning, our intention is to encourage a lifelong love of learning in our children and to equip them with the knowledge, skills, dispositions, attitudes, languages and self-agency for active participation in all areas of life. Reading and storytelling are vital components of our daily curriculum in pursuit of these intentions and you’ll find that our educators love books just as much as the children do!
If you’re looking at childcare and early education options in Melbourne, we’d love to show you around our centres at Albert Park or Clayton. You’re welcome to book a tour online or contact our friendly team on 08 1234 5678 or email admin@evokeearlylearning.com.au.
When you watch young children at play, you’ll quickly see that they’re drawn to things that they can manipulate, move around, take apart, combine, manipulate and interpret.
The concept of ‘loose parts’ was formalised after British architect Simon Nicholson published a paper on the topic in 1971. He had been researching the impact of various environments on people’s imaginations and creativity, and after observing how they were noticeably more captivated by interactive art installations, he developed a theory that the more variables that an environment had, the more engaging, stimulating and creative it became.
Nicholson’s theory is now widely applied in childcare and early learning environments and the benefits and outcomes of this ‘loose parts play’ are significant. Let’s take a closer look.
The key principle of loose parts play is that the elements involved shouldn’t have a pre-determined association. For example, a train set and miniature house are both great toys, but because their function is already established, the opportunities for creative interpretation are limited.
By contrast, loose parts play involves objects and materials that don’t have a predetermined use.
It involves random open-ended items such as those found around the house, the garden, the park, the recycling bin. These can be used, adapted and combined in a myriad of ways when children use their natural curiosity and creativity.
A cardboard box can be a tank, a castle or a stable. A wooden spoon can become a wand, a conductor’s baton, a fishing rod or a drumstick. A piece of fabric can become a cloak, a magic carpet, a paddock. A wooden block can be a doll’s bed, a car, a cake, a mountain.
Sticks, pebbles, leaves, sand, water, blocks of old timber, ribbons, sponges, scraps of fabric, foam offcuts, buttons and kitchen utensils are all loose parts with endless possibilities - and the great thing is all these items can be used in different ways by children of varying ages and stages. What they choose to do with them and how they interpret them is up to their imaginations and their interests.
The joy of loose parts play is that it feeds children’s imaginations.
It allows children to do the thinking and creating, it allows them to test theories and to experiment and it allows them to use their imaginations freely - and the more of these variables that children have to play with, the better.
You’ll find that loose parts are a central feature of Reggio Emilia-inspired early learning environments, because this educational approach embraces child-led open-ended play. Young children are empowered to explore and discover the world at their own pace, using resources of their own choice. You can read more about this innovative approach in this article entitled ‘The Reggio Emilia Approach and How it Benefits Your Child’.
Loose parts provide children with infinite possibilities for unleashing their creativity. They allow children to be active thinkers. Children can move the objects, change them, control them, line them up, construct with them, deconstruct them, mix them up and assign any role they like to them to create their own scenarios and stories.
Here are some of the ways that fun and joyous loose parts play promotes children’s healthy development and learning:
Loose parts play also teaches children about sustainability. They learn to use items found in nature and they learn to reuse or repurpose items instead of consigning them to landfill - so it promotes a healthier relationship with the environment. Using loose parts for playtime is also inexpensive.
The role of the educator and of the parent or caregiver in the home is to observe, support and encourage the child’s learning through loose parts play - rather than try and direct the process or step in when a problem arises. Supervising adults should allow children to learn through trial and error, to problem-solve for themselves, to experiment, to make up rules, to interpret materials and to play freely - and just be there for support, encouragement and facilitation.
Parents can have a ‘loose parts’ box in the home which children can explore, add to, change etc.
Allow children the time to play and experiment with the parts. Don’t step in when a problem arises or when they make the same mistake over and over. And even if you don’t agree with their rules of the game - let them work out a way forward and problem-solve on their own. Of course, you can support and facilitate their play by asking questions like ‘What else could you try?” and “Why do you think that is happening?”
Loose parts are a key part of everyday life at Evoke Early Learning and an ever-changing variety of open-ended materials are always available in our classrooms and outdoor environments to inspire our little ones to create, explore, discover and learn.
We welcome you to book a tour of our safe, secure and welcoming Albert Park or Clayton Childcare Centres where our mission is to provide each child with the foundation for the future skills and abilities they need to succeed. We look forward to meeting you!
A child’s learning journey starts from the minute they enter the world and we know that the early years are critical for their healthy development. Their brains grow rapidly during their first few years of life and it’s the time when foundations are laid for the development of vital cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills.
We also know that the quality of inputs and influences in the home and in early education settings can have a significant impact on their development and on their ability to learn.
Quality early education has a significant positive influence on a child’s long-term life outcomes and that’s why your choice of childcare and early education centre is so important. This guide to why quality childcare is essential for a child’s heathy development provides some valuable insights into the topic.
To an outsider, the sight of children interacting informally in an early education setting may look like they are just playing and not really learning or being ‘taught’ anything. However, extensive research in Australia and globally shows that play-based learning is a really powerful way to support children’s development.
The benefits of quality childcare and early education include the development of a child’s:
Let’s take a look at each of these in greater detail.
When children are playing - either on their own or in a group - they’re learning.
Children are naturally curious and creative and during play, the neural pathways and synapses in their brains fire up and they start to develop important cognitive skills which help them make sense of their world.
Cognitive skills include numeracy and mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, critical thinking and problem-solving, memory skills as well as literacy, language and communication skills. Now this may all sound really advanced in the context of a one-year old in childcare, but the foundation for the development of these key skills really does start very early on.
Play-based programmes which feed children’s natural curiosity and ignite their imaginations help them achieve positive outcomes in terms of their cognitive development.
Experienced and knowledgeable educators know how important it is for young children to have opportunities to practise and develop their fine and gross motor skills. Quality early learning environments offer young children a myriad opportunities for physical exercise (eg running, jumping, climbing, throwing, catching and balancing) as well as activities which require children to make small movements (eg painting, sticking dried leaves to paper and threading wool through dried pasta).
Socialisation is important for children and that’s why you should choose an early learning setting where development of social skills is a key imperative of the curriculum.
Exposing young children to a group education setting will help them make social connections. They’ll start to establish relationships beyond those with family members and start to develop friendships. In these types of settings, children will learn to follow instructions, take turns, work collaboratively with others, regulate their emotions, learn to manage conflict and share with others.
A group setting will also help young children learn about empathy and tolerance for others. They’ll learn to listen, they’ll learn to reflect on their behaviours and they’ll learn to appreciate others’ perspectives and opinions.
We talk a lot about holistic wellbeing and how important it is in order for adults to function effectively and to be engaged contributors to society, but did you know that the foundations for emotional intelligence are set in the early years?
A quality early learning centre can help a child develop a healthy sense of self and self-belief. Every child is born capable, but the right environment will nurture that capability and encourage self-expression.
Strong emotions are hard for a child to understand - let alone regulate - but it is crucial for them to learn that actions have consequences. A caring and supportive environment staffed by experienced and loving educators where a child feels safe and secure will give them the scaffolding to develop strong emotional skills and become more resilient.
Early school should be a place where every child is seen, validated and nurtured and where they feel comfortable with their self-expression without judgement or expectation. It should be a warm and welcoming space where children are supported to learn about making healthy emotional choices which will help them develop a stronger relationship with themselves and with others. And it should be well-resourced with skilled and caring educators who put the individual children’s interests first and empower them to develop vital skills for lifelong learning and future success.
When you’re looking for an early learning centre for your child, remember that your choice is likely to have a profound effect on them in the long term.
Here at Evoke Early Learning, we understand the value of quality early learning and we are 100% committed to providing every child in our care with experiences that promote their cognitive, social, emotional and physical development. We invite you to book a tour to experience the Evoke way of life at our Albert Park or Clayton Childcare Centres and to meet our educators and support team whose mission it is to provide the children with the foundation for the future skills and abilities they need to succeed.
Most parents feel a sense of apprehension about their child’s transition to big school. Is my child ready for the change? Do they have the foundational skills necessary for the more formal learning environment? Will they cope?
This article unpacks the concept of ‘school readiness’ and discusses ways to nurture and develop a child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional skills to help them successfully navigate the transition and reach their learning potential.
School readiness is a term often used to describe a preschooler’s ‘preparedness’ for big school, but parents should know that there are no definitive criteria or benchmarks that a child has to achieve in order to transition successfully.
Most educators agree that early education settings should not mirror those of formal school environments and that the learning and development intentions at these centres should be much more holistic than simply the accumulation of academic skills. Play-based learning is best.
Children are born with an innate sense of curiosity and wonder about the world and they develop at their own pace. It’s far more effective over the long-term for early educators to provide the space, resources, encouragement and freedom for children to forge their own paths of discovery.
A quality early learning environment and a supportive connection between their school and home lives will give a child the best chance of developing vital cognitive skills as well as language, communication, social, emotional and physical skills - and will give them the best opportunity for a seamless transition to formal school.
A child will usually transition well if they:
A high-quality early learning environment staffed by skilled and experienced educators can be the best way to prepare little ones for the move into more formal schooling. Here at Evoke Early Learning, we champion the progressive Reggio Emilia approach to childhood education which has proven its credentials in enabling young children to develop the vital foundation skills that set them up for future success at formal school.
Learn more about why high quality childcare matters for a child’s development here.
As mentioned earlier, play-based learning is the best way for young children to activate their natural curiosity, explore their world and develop a wide range of skills.
They will learn vital skills by having fun, exploring, experimenting, making mistakes, collecting pebbles, picking flowers, playing with water and sand, singing, dancing, role playing, balancing, painting, threading, cutting, jumping, listening to a story, turning pages of a book - even simply observing others - because their innate wonder and awe about the world around them will lead them to discovery and development.
Here’s a closer look at how to support a child’s skills development and help prepare them for school.
Even something as simple as playing with water and sand or baking cookies can introduce a child to a variety of maths and science concepts like counting, measuring, sorting, weight and dimension.
Loose parts play, having fun with manipulative materials, dramatic play and outdoor activities are also some excellent ways to stimulate a child’s awareness of maths concepts. Memory games and activities that require children to problem-solve (puzzles, arranging items in a pattern) are also excellent for building vital cognitive skills.
Strong language and literacy skills are related to school success and will help children with their social, emotional and cognitive development. Lots of reading together, fun activities like singing and playing with rhymes and having conversations with your child will help with sentence structure, vocabulary and general language and literacy skills.
Many parents have concerns about whether their child will be able to cope with a new school environment from a social and emotional perspective. Will they make friends? How will they handle conflict? Will they manage in group situations? Are they sufficiently independent to cope?
Parents, other family members and educators in early learning environments can play a huge part in helping children build social and emotional skills and become more resilient. Aim to provide your child with constant positive reinforcement of concepts like kindness, empathy, sharing, taking turns and teamwork and encourage independence by allowing them to do things themselves from an early age. Even enabling your young child to take ‘safe’ risks in a controlled environment is an important step to help them become more adaptable and resilient.
Self-help during mealtimes, washing hands, bathing and getting ready in the mornings can be time-consuming and a bit frustrating at times, but your investment will pay dividends as they’ll develop confidence in their abilities and become more independent.
Some children are naturally adventurous and will happily scale the jungle gym or climb a tree, whilst others will need more encouragement to participate in physical activity. Movement of any sort (kicking a ball, throwing, dancing, balancing, swimming) will help them build core strength and develop gross motor abilities which are important for success at school.
Fine motor skills are important for formal school too. You can foster these through activities like holding a pencil or paintbrush, cutting with scissors, threading and moulding play-dough.
As the time draws closer for the child to make the transition, parents and caregivers can build excitement about the new environment and also address and allay any concerns that the child may have. Encourage open and honest discussions, build connection to the new school through physical visits, create socialisation opportunities with another child or children who are going to the same place and focus on building up your child’s self-belief and self-confidence.
Our mission at Evoke Early Learning is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that promotes knowledge and inspires a lifelong love of learning. We strive for outcomes where children are not only ‘school ready’, but are also equipped with the knowledge, skills, dispositions, attitudes, languages and self agency for active participation in all areas of life, at any age and any stage. You’re welcome to contact us about any aspect of early education and school readiness or to book a tour of our Melbourne childcare centres in Clayton and Albert Park. We look forward to seeing you!
There isn’t an educator, researcher or child development expert in the world who doesn’t agree that reading enhances a child’s cognitive and intellectual development. Exposing children to books and reading from their earliest days feeds their natural curiosity, enhances their cognitive development and can ignite a lifelong passion for learning.
Books spark the imagination and they hold endless possibilities for enjoyment, laughter, stimulation and cognitive development. It doesn’t matter whether the book just has pictures on the page, whether it’s a fairytale, a challenging concept, a reality story or a fantasy one, a funny situation, a new book or a familiar favourite - the printed word has the power to stoke creativity, evoke emotion, foster critical thinking and build a child’s cognitive abilities.
Early literacy starts when young children - and babies too - are exposed to books and where reading is an integral part of daily life. A plastic book in amongst baby’s bath toys. Paging through a picture book with a toddler. A bedtime story routine. A low table with an alluring array of books on offer. Visits to the local library. Parents reading books so that children mirror the adult behaviour and learn by example. All of these activities have a huge impact on early literacy and fostering a love of reading - and learning.
When you consider that birth to age three are the most important years of a child's development and that 90% of a child's brain develops by the time they're five, it’s very clear that the early years are critical. Reading books and being read to stimulates a child’s brain development and we know that early literacy is vital preparation for their success at school and their overall development.
There are also lifelong benefits to nurturing healthy reading habits.
When people are exposed to a culture of reading in the home and at school, they’re more likely to grow into more fulfilled, engaged, interested and interesting contributors to society. They’re also more likely to develop a lifelong love of learning.
There are many things that parents can do to encourage and support young readers and to shape healthy reading habits.
At home, you can:
By making your reading time dynamic and interactive, you’ll be stimulating your child’s cognitive processes and helping them extend their vocabulary and comprehension skills. Above all, reading should be fun and enjoyable so that your child looks forward to the next activity involving books.
As your child gets older, you should also encourage opportunities for independent reading. This will help them develop their critical thinking skills as they learn to interpret and decode text, question things they have read, acknowledge their emotional responses to the story and reflect on the content. These are all key skills for a child’s successful progression through school and beyond.
Technology can be a valuable and powerful tool in cultivating a love of reading. The key issue is finding a balance and establishing a relationship with digital devices that is healthy and sustainable.
Technology is empowering and can facilitate learning, but it needs to be used mindfully and responsibly. A good rule of thumb is to start with traditional book formats with your baby and toddler and introduce technology (audiobooks, interactive stories on an iPad etc) slowly and carefully and always under supervision.
Reading aloud has a major influence on a child’s intellectual and emotional development.
When you read to a child, you stimulate their imaginations and give them opportunities to develop their language skills, expand their vocabulary and improve their listening skills. They get to hear different tones of voice and different emotions being expressed which benefits their own communication skills.
For more information on this, you may be interested in reading this article on supporting your child’s language development.
Reading also gives children the opportunity to broaden their comprehension and critical thinking skills. It also opens up new worlds of discovery, enabling them to learn about a variety of topics, different cultures and diverse experiences, which in turn can help children develop valuable social skills like respect, empathy, kindness and tolerance.
A child’s reading skills are inextricably linked to their future success at school and beyond. By making reading part of everyday life at home, at childcare and in early education settings, we can nurture an avid enthusiasm for reading and set them on a path to lifelong learning.
Here at Evoke Early Learning, we follow the highly regarded Reggio Emilia approach to childhood education. This approach has proven to be very successful in setting children up for long-term success - and it’s why you’ll find that books and reading are an integral feature in all of our physical spaces and in our daily curriculum. Come and chat to our friendly Evoke team about giving your little one the very best start in life or book a tour through the website. We’d love to meet you!
How do you feel about sending your baby to daycare? Are you wracked with guilt? Anxious at the thought of separating from your little one? Distressed because you feel like you’ll be losing control? Overwhelmed by the enormity of this next chapter?
Baby’s first day at daycare can elicit strong emotions from parents which can be challenging to manage. But you should know that everything that you’re feeling ahead of your little’s one’s first day - and everything you will feel on the actual day - is completely normal. And you aren’t alone.
At Evoke Early Learning, our highly experienced, warm and caring team will be with you (and your precious baby) every step of the way. You can have total peace-of-mind that your little one is in safe hands and they’ll work together with you make the transition as smooth as possible.
There’s no ‘right’ way to manage the transition. The important thing is to do what’s right for your baby and your family.
That said, there are some very effective tools which can help parents and caregivers prepare for the change and get through the first day feeling calmer and more at ease. There are also ways you can help your baby adapt to this new routine. So, if your family is facing this new chapter soon, you’ll be interested in these tips on what to do in preparation of baby’s first day at daycare.
Orientation. Visit the centre a couple of times before your child actually starts in order to familiarise them (and you!) with the new environment. If your child is enrolled in either our Albert Park or Clayton childcare centre, this ‘pre-visit’ will provide their assigned educator with all the necessary information to facilitate and support their transition, plus it’s an opportunity for the team to help you develop strategies to help your little one settle in. Read more about our orientation opportunities here.
Create a home routine which resembles the routine at childcare, including meal times, nap times etc. This will help you feel at ease that your baby will adapt well to the childcare setting.
Be aware of your emotions and be positive. It’s not only helpful for your baby to hear and see you excited and optimistic about this new chapter, it’s helpful for you too. It’s not always easy, but choosing to have a positive mindset and making the effort to be upbeat and embrace the change will make the transition easier for you. The flipside of that is that babies mirror adult behaviour, so if your child senses any anxiety or distress, it can negatively impact their behaviour too.
Don’t prolong your departure on the first day. This will be distressing for you and for your little one.
Plan a ‘me-time’ activity on baby’s first day. We understand that you’ll want to be close to your phone, but it’s a good idea to celebrate this milestone day by doing something for yourself. It could be a coffee with a friend, going for a walk, taking in a movie - whatever you choose to do, make it a lovely distraction and an acknowledgement of the great job you’re doing as a parent!
If you’re feeling a bit anxious or uncertain about this next step, we warmly invite you to book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning centres or have a chat to our friendly team. We often suggest that parents take photos of their child while they’re visiting our centre or borrow a book from our library in order to continue the conversations at home and deepen the connection ahead of the first day. Our Evoke Early Learning centres are family affairs and our aim is to create warm, welcoming and loving spaces where everyone in the family feels at home. We understand how you feel and we want to help you enjoy this exciting and rewarding new chapter as much as we know your little one will.
Excitement. Trepidation. Uncertainty. Doubt. Nervousness. Anxiety. Stress. Fear. And that’s just how some parents feel ahead of their three-year old starting day care. Imagine all the emotions your little one is feeling!
Of course, not everyone is daunted by the idea of starting day care or kindy, but we do know from experience that preparing your child for this new experience can make the world of difference to how well they separate from you and settle in to their new environment.
This article provides some tried and tested tips for parents and caregivers on how to prepare three-year olds for their first day at kindergarten.
Even if your own emotions are running riot, it’s really, really important to put on a brave face. Your child will be looking to you for cues and reassurance, so maintaining a positive, relaxed, enthusiastic and excited attitude is paramount.
Here are some great suggestions to help prepare your child for starting kindergarten - and they’ll help give parents peace-of-mind too!
Stay relaxed. Your little one will be mirroring your behaviour, so as the saying goes - keep calm and carry on!
Look for teachable moments about day care and kindergarten and bring the topic up frequently in conversation. For example, point out a childcare centre when you’re in the car with your child and remark on how happy and busy the children look. When you’re doing a fun activity with your child, remind them that kindergarten is a place where they can do all their favourite things.
Ease those first day jitters while getting your child excited about the fun, new adventures ahead by reading books together about starting school. Ask your local library for ideas, otherwise you’re welcome to ask our friendly team at Evoke Early Learning for suggestions. Some of our favourite titles are ‘Starting School’ by Jane Godwin and Anna Walker, ‘Benjamin Comes Back’ by Amy Brandt & Janice Lee Porter and ‘My First Day at School’ by Meredith Costain.
Chat often about what they can expect (the more they know about their new routine the better) and reassure them that it’s perfectly normal to feel worried or uncertain. Remind them that they are special, loved and unique and that they’ll be loved and cared for at their new school.
If your child is feeling insecure, ask them to choose something special from home that they can take with them to childcare. A transitional object like a soft toy, favourite book, security blanket or family photo is a really good way of helping to ease any separation anxiety and provide reassurance.
Discuss a plan with the child care centre as to how they will handle any settling in or separation issues. Empower your child to handle their own situation by suggesting coping strategies if they’re feeling nervous or worried such as talking to their teacher, retreating to a quiet space where they can acknowledge their feelings and regain control, reading a book, finding a friend etc.
You can also create a sense of ‘connectedness’ between you and your child by each keeping a small object (like a pebble) with you when they go off to school. If they’re missing you, they can feel the item in their pocket and know that you are feeling that same special object and thinking about them.
Help your child feel a sense of control by allowing them to choose some items of clothing to wear (you can even set them out the evening before to create a sense of excitement).
Give yourself plenty of time on the first day. If you are going into the office afterwards, it’s a good idea to alert your employer that you may be late. A rushed departure can exacerbate any feelings of anxiety or stress, so you want plenty of time to settle your youngster in.
Try and engage your child in an activity of their choice.
Always say goodbye when it’s time to go. While it may be tempting to sneak off when they’re distracted for fear of causing distress, it’s never a good idea. This can lead to feelings of mistrust and uncertainty. Reassure your child as to when you will next see them, say goodbye and then leave. As hard as it may be to make the break, a prolonged departure can add to the stress, so once you’ve said your first goodbye, you need to leave quickly, calmly, confidently and always with a smile!
One of the most effective ways of handling separation stresses is to have a consistent drop-off routine. When your child knows what to expect, they feel more secure and more confident in their own abilities.
Transitions can be challenging for children and starting kindergarten is a significant change in any child’s life. Talking through what’s going to happen with your three-year old and preparing them for this next stage is an effective way of easing the transition and allaying separation anxiety.
If your child is enrolled to start at one of our Evoke Early Learning Centres, no doubt you will already know of our comprehensive kindergarten orientation programme which includes strategies for parents and children to ease the transition into the new environment. You’re also welcome to contact our friendly team at Evoke Clayton or Evoke Albert Park if you’d just like a chat about how to prepare your child for their first day at day care or kindergarten.
Getting children to bed at night isn’t just important for preserving the sanity of the parents. It’s vital for the healthy development of young brains too.
Researchers in the UK found a correlation between consistent bedtimes during early childhood and cognitive performance and suggested that going to bed at different times each night during those formative years may have a knock-on effect throughout life.
The researchers examined data from over 11 000 seven-year-olds to investigate whether bedtimes in early childhood were related to brain power. The authors’ findings, which were published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, yielded some surprising results including the fact that regular bedtimes in early childhood impacted their maths, reading and spatial awareness skills and that the effect of irregular bedtimes appeared to be cumulative.
Before we delve further into the findings, let’s look at sleep in young children and why it’s important.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, toddlers (aged 1-2) need between 11 and 14 hours of sleep each night, preschoolers (aged 3-5) should get 10 to 13 hours and older kids (aged 6-13) should aim to get nine to 11 hours each night.
Sufficient sleep is vital for a child’s healthy growth and development. It helps build a strong immune system, it’s crucial for learning, language development, memory and concentration, it impacts mood and alertness and it helps children heal and recover both physically and mentally. Sleep is also important for moderating behaviour.
The sample was drawn from the UK Millenium Cohort Study (MCS) which is a nationally representative longitudinal study of children born between 2000 and 2002. Researchers collected data on the children’s bedtime routines (including the time they went to bed and the consistency of their bedtimes) when the children were aged three, five and seven years.
The researchers were looking to see whether any periods during early childhood were more critical than others and whether their bedtime routines (or lack thereof) had any impact on their intellectual performance.
Some of the findings were remarkable.
Irregular bedtimes were most common when the child was three years of age, but this settled by the age of seven when over half the sample went to bed regularly between 7.30pm and 8.30pm.
When they were seven years old, the children were tested on reading, maths and spatial awareness. Irregular bedtimes at the age of three years were found to have negatively impacted the scores of both boys and girls, but findings were not definitive as to whether irregular bedtimes at aged five were associated with lower cognitive scores.
The negative impact of irregular bedtimes appeared to be cumulative and the suggestion was made that three years of age could be a sensitive period for a child’s cognitive development.
Researchers also discovered that a child’s economic circumstances impacted the consistency of their bedtimes. Children who went to bed after 9pm at night or who had inconsistent bedtimes came from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Irregular bedtimes can result in reduced or disrupted sleep during key times in a child’s development and this can have lasting long-term health impacts. Sleep deprivation is a serious matter, and can affect the development of the brain. You might also like to read Six Ways To Help Your Baby Settle Into A Solid Sleep Routine At Childcare
As the authors of the study said: “Early child development has profound influences on health and wellbeing across the life course. Therefore reduced or disrupted sleep, especially if it occurs at key times in development, could have important impacts on health throughout life.” While the proverb: ‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’ originated centuries ago, the meaning behind the words is as relevant as ever. Young children need sufficient consistent, quality rest in order to thrive and be successful and families who establish a consistent bedtime routine for their young children with regular bedtimes will be setting them up for life.
To find out more about the healthy development of young brains then book a tour of one of our Evoke Early Learning childcare centres in Clayton or Albert Park. Our friendly and professional team has all the information you need to make a well-considered decision and we look forward to meeting you.