Sensory play helps babies and toddlers learn about the diverse and complex world around them. Educators can plan activities that encourage young children to use their five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Popular sensory activities include finger painting and bubbles. Here are eight more activities, including their learning outcomes and links to the […]
Fine motor skills are essential for handwriting, as they allow children to make small movements using the muscles in their hands. Educators can support preschoolers in learning to write by including a wide range of fine motor experiences throughout their program. We spoke with paediatric occupational therapist Margaret Olney to find out how early educators […]
Back in 2017, Amplify shared an interview with Bambini of Lilyfield centre director Anmol Lohia, whose powerful belief in creative arts education had led to many positive outcomes for the children at the centre, and the local community. This included a fundraising event where artworks created by the children helped to raise thousands of dollars […]
School readiness. Are there two words more likely to provoke ‘lively discussion’ in any group of early childhood educators? Then if you bring some parents and school teachers into the group, and add another two words – say, ‘standardised testing’ – that discussion will almost certainly escalate from ‘lively’ to ‘heated’. School readiness as a […]
Annie O’Sullivan returns to Amplify with a wonderful (and wonder-full) contemplation on intentional teaching, play-based learning, mathematics, sciences, and puddles. Not sure how all of that comes together? Read on! Annie’s story covers theory and practice around connections with children and makes use of the puddles that naturally occur in many children’s services and schools […]
Annie O’Sullivan is an early childhood educator and mentor of 30 years experience who now shares her knowledge, with a colleague, as the Early Years Education Specialists. Annie lectures part time at Wollongong University and recently graduated from Macquarie University with a Master of Early Childhood. In today’s story, Annie celebrates her experience of embracing risky […]
NQF Review 2019 Hands up who needs a deadline to get things done? Good news! You’ve now got a very real deadline to have input into the NQF Review 2019, and a very simple way to make that happen. The sector survey for NQF Review 2019 closes on 30 June, that’s just over a week […]
We introduced you to Linda’s family day care (FDC) and some ideas on risky play with an Amplify article featuring her ‘River Kindy’. If you missed it, catch up here. Last week we began a new piece from Linda, sharing the thought processes and experiences that led to her adoption of such a strong nature play […]
We introduced you to Linda’s family day care (FDC) and some ideas on risky play with an Amplify article featuring her ‘River Kindy’. If you missed it, catch up here, and if you’re one of the people who then asked to find out more about risky and natural play, you’re in for a treat today. […]
While Easter occupies many early childhood educators’ thoughts and programs at present, this year Anzac* Day is less than a week after Good Friday. Will your service be commemorating both events? Neither? One but not the other? Let us know in the comments or on CELA’s social media accounts. In the meantime we’ve put together […]
