Early learning child development blog
Early childhood reading skills and visual development
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When a child is struggling to read we need to observe the following developmental areas for the child, including their: Visual sensory system Vestibular sensory system Proprioception sensory system Gross motor skill development (body awareness, spatial orientation, core strength, crossing the midline) Let's imagine being given a map of your body and your environment (classroom, lounge room, playground) around you and be expected to follow the lines and road names that are located on this map. This map is designed to show you where your right arm is compared to your left arm, where the book is compared to your...
How my son inspired Play Move Improve
When I was pregnant with my twins Hugh and Isla 10 years ago, I was working in retirement villages and aged care homes as an Exercise Physiologist, helping older adults prevent their risk of falls and injuries. As soon as my twins were born I knew that there were developmental differences between Isla and Hugh. Although only born one minute a part, Isla was instantly able to hold her head independently for a feed and latch appropriately, while Hugh lay floppy in my arms finding every action of sucking, visual tracking, and head control exhausting and challenging. ...
Learning outside the home
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What I love about learning is that you can find opportunities to improve children’s learning and development in everyday tasks and experiences. We don’t need to sit children down at a table and plan specific learning tasks, in order to help children with their independence, play, literacy and numeracy skills. Let’s follow the example of a trip to the supermarket experience… Plan a trip to the supermarket on a day when you’re not rushed to pick up other children from school or start your shift at work. Before going to the supermarket encourage your child/ren to look through the...
Alternatives to screen time at snack or lunch time
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A recent email from a preschool teacher sparked my interest in the controversial topic of screens (movies, tv shows, video count down timers) being used to help children to sit down and focus on their snack or lunch at daycare, preschool, or primary school. If you have followed me on Facebook or Instagram for a while you will know that I have a torn relationship with technology. Firstly, I see the concerning decline in children's fine motor, gross motor, social, emotional and focus skills since the introduction of screens. However, I also can understand the challenges that teachers, educators,...
LAQ Australia products encourage children to practice their fine motor skills
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My daughter Phoebe usually avoids table top fine motor activities at home, but these click together pieces from LAQ Australia have had Phoebe creating a range of different designs, patterns and structures, and Phoebe is practicing her fine motor skills while being creative and having fun. The developmental benefits that I have been observing with the LAQ Australia product includes: * Bilateral coordination * Finger, hand, and wrist strength * Pincer grip * Spatial awareness * Creativity * Focus Bilateral Coordination Bilateral coordination refers to the ability of the body to move both sides at the...