Category: Teachers Corner

Gross motor development refers to the progression of physical skills that involve large muscle groups and whole-body movements. These skills allow children to perform tasks like walking, running, jumping, and balancing. Gross motor skills are essential for everyday activities and play, and they help build strength, coordination, and control over one’s body. Here are the key stages of gross motor development in young children: Infancy (0-12 months): Toddler (1-3 years): Preschool (3-5 years): School Age (6-12 years): Factors that Influence Gross Motor Development: Fostering gross motor development is key for overall health and well-being, so it’s important to encourage children to be active through play and physical activities that help them build strength, coordination, and confidence in their movements.

During the early years, children are discovering new ways to use their bodies. They also begin to understand that movement can express messages and represent actions. As they develop a deeper appreciation for the beauty of music and dance, they gain a source of joy that will enrich their lives. Both music and movement support a child’s growth in numerous ways. Below are some of the skills that music and movement can help foster: Music and movement are more than just enjoyable activities; they are valuable tools for fostering a variety of skills in young children. By integrating music and movement into young children’s daily routine, it offers opportunities for children to develop cognitive, physical, social, emotional, and creative skills.

By Teacher Chantal Reading to young children is more than just a bedtime ritual, it is a powerful tool for their development. From building language skills to strengthening emotional bonds, the benefits of reading go far beyond the pages of a book. Children can be introduced to new ideas, emotions and perspectives, helping them develop empathy and emotional awareness. Storytime nurtures a child’s imagination and strengthens the bond between children and caregivers. Reading with young children can help to create a love of reading for life. The advantages of reading to young children: Reading with young children is a wonderful way to nurture their development and create lasting memories. It helps build vocabulary, sparks imagination, and fosters a love for learning. By making reading a regular part of a child’s routine, parents and caregivers can inspire a lifelong love of learning and open up a world of possibilities for young children.

What are big life changes? Young children thrive from routine and consistency – knowing what to expect helps them feel safe and confident. However life can bring big and sometimes difficult changes. Things like moving to a new town or city, the death of a loved one, divorce or separation of caregivers, changing schools, or welcoming a new baby to the family, can all be considered big life changes and can be very stressful for children. This can all be compounded because their major life changes are often pretty major for the adults in their lives too and may leave caregivers unsure of how to best help their family get  through them. How can you support your child through big changes? Your child will be looking to you for cues about how to respond to the situation, and if  they see you panicking, they will believe the situation is scary. Though it may be challenging, it is important that you find ways to process your own feelings. It’s absolutely fine to let your child know how you feel, but you also need to show them how you’re managing those emotions.  Sometimes big life changes happen without warning, but  if you do have the chance to prepare your child beforehand, it’s important that you do. Let them know ahead of time what will happen and help them understand what to expect. Even adults can find the unknown scary, so if possible help to reduce your child’s  anxiety by sharing information about what is going to happen before it happens. Your child may be angry, or sad or frustrated -or more likely experiencing a range of emotions all together. While it may be tempting to tell your child not to worry, or to try to distract them from the negative emotions, this may in fact make them feel worse. When children feel like we understand their big emotions, they feel validated and are better able to process them. When big changes occur, keeping the usual routine as much as possible can be very reassuring. If possible keep the basics such as bedtime routine and meal times the same. Structure helps children feel safe so provide as much as possible. Let your child know that no matter what else changes you are still there and your relationship with them is important. Let your child know that you are there for them to play with, talk to or just to be together. Big changes can make a child feel like they have no control over their life. Allowing them to make choices and be involved in dealing with the change can give them some sense of agency.  Big changes can bring on big emotions and challenging behaviour can be expected. This will be a time where a little more patience and understanding is needed. Definitely maintain rules and boundaries but anticipate some meltdowns and remind yourself of what your child is going through. Here are some book recommendations  you can read with your child about big changes:  Jule’s Move to a New House and New School by Lynn Louise Wonders  The New Baby  by Mercer Mayer Miss Piper’s Playroom: Helping Lily With Her Loss by Lynn Louise Wonders Why Do Families Change?: Our First Talk About Separation and Divorce by Dr. Jillian Roberts Keeping It Cool: Skills for Coping with Change by Dr Melissa Munro Boyd

Although having your child enrolled in a high quality kindergarten or school setting is best recommended to support your child’s academic growth and social development there may be times when your child is not able to attend school. This may be due to school closure, illness, or other unavoidable circumstances. During the period your child is not able to attend school it is important to keep the routine as consistent as possible,and to try to keep up with their learning and curriculum goals as much as possible. Even if you have never had to “teach at home” there are some simple guidelines that help you to keep your child learning while they are away from school. 1. Set Clear Learning Goals 2. Create a Structured Routine 3. Use Active Learning Strategies 4. Foster Independent Learning 5. Monitor Progress and Provide Feedback 6. Make Learning Fun 7. Encourage Socialization 8. Additional Tips:

By: Teacher Ravisara Writing is an exciting journey that begins with the simplest of marks on paper. In kindergarten, children move from scribbles to structured sentences through a combination of fine motor development, imagination, and practice. Understanding how these skills develop can help parents support their child’s growth both at home and at school. The Stages of Writing Development Children progress through various stages of writing: Each stage is a valuable part of their development, and parents and teachers can nurture these skills through fun, engaging activities. In the classroom, we provide plenty of opportunities for children to practice writing in playful ways: You don’t need fancy materials to encourage writing at home. Simple, everyday activities can make a big difference. Writing in kindergarten is about progress, not perfection. Celebrate every stage, from scribbles to sentences. Offer positive feedback and encourage your child to express their ideas through writing. With consistent practice at home and at school, your child will develop strong writing skills that will set them up for future success.

by Teacher Nancy D. Sivilai Why is play important for children?  Although, play is often misunderstood as killing time or a free activity with no product to display for parents.   Good play will result in development of social, emotional, physical, intellectual and language benefits for your child.  It has shown that it strengthens skills and deepens understanding of concepts.  It gives your child opportunities to explore, experiment, create and imagine.   In Social development,  play is the means of developing a healthy personality.  Play provides the opportunity to express thoughts and ideas and to try out ways of behaving and feeling.  It will provide your child a safe avenue to express positive and negative emotions.  Play allows your child to be powerful and in control, or to play out frustrations and anger or disappointments.  Your child gets to translate his/her feelings and thoughts into action and be in control to make own choices. In Physical development,   your child will use his/her physical body to run, climb, or swing, and is exercising and strengthening  small muscles as well as large body muscles.  Outside play encourages physical activity, cooperation, and turn taking as your child learns to play together and help each other. In Intellectual Development, through unpressured play, your child can invent new solutions, come up with unique ideas and different approaches even if they are pretend.  Your child learns to be a leader and follower.  Your child learns to give and take.  Your child learns to be less bossy, less meek, less shy.  To be a contributor, to cooperate and to be flexible.  Play encourages your child to be a friend. In Language  skills,  play stretches vocabulary by proving opportunities to use new words, talk to playmates, or listen to another’s language and point of view. Briefly put, play gives your child opportunities to express thoughts and ideas.  Your child will try out skills, create, explore, plan, and discover problems and try out solutions.  In addition,  your child will expand his/her attention as he/she stays on task and remains attentive to activities of his/her choices.  Play does not create pressure or tension that is commonly associated with more structured learning approaches.  Play is one of the most important times in your child’s day. In today’s world of balancing work and home, you may find it hard to have quality time with your child.  It is essential  to make the best use of time with your child.  Your child needs time with you to relax and play.  Playing you’re your child will build a lasting bond.  Playing with your child can also be a stress reducer when overworked.    Laughing and relaxing are important for everyone.  You might play ball, go for a walk, read a story, sing along or play instrument, build with blocks or legos.  Playtime also provides opportunities to talk about any concerns and share your values and increase your communication with your child.  I suggest you say to your child,  “Let’s play and have fun!”

Play is an essential part of every child’s learning. When children are playing, they are building their knowledge, skills and attitudes for lifelong learning. A play-based learning environment encourages talking, reading, thinking and writing. Through this, children see literacy and numeracy as part of their everyday experience. Children learn best in a hands-on and engaging environment, which play ultimately provides. Every play opportunity that a child encounters can offer meaningful and essential learning experiences, helping them make sense of the world around them. The benefits of play-based learning are wide-ranging, offering children the opportunity to explore, experiment, and interact with the world around them in a way that fosters curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. Here are some benefits of play-based learning:  To sum up, there are several advantages to play-based learning that promote young children’s overall development. Play-based learning establishes the foundation for lifetime learning and wellbeing by fostering the development of cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and language skills. It encourages kids to interact with the world in imaginative, practical ways that promote curiosity, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Social development in early childhood is an important part of a child’s overall health and well-being. Cognitive and emotional development are strongly related to social development, and these developmental milestones and indicators collectively lay the foundation for forming interpersonal connections which involves children’s ability to interact with others and regulate their own behaviour. However, the ability to interact with others and behave in various social situations accordingly isn’t something kids are naturally born with. It’s something they are taught and learn over time.  Here’s how you can support the development of these skills at home:  In conclusion, learning to share and communicate, to building friendships and developing empathy are some of the core social development skills in children. Parents can create a positive and supportive environment to encourage healthy social interactions for children.

By Teacher Chantal Playing outdoors is a vital part of early childhood development. Children learn by investigating their surroundings and creating meaning from their encounters. When children are allowed to take charge of their own play, learning flourishes. Outdoor play provides children with opportunities to stay active, healthy and happy through play. Children require a variety of unstructured play opportunities to develop life skills and maintain good physical and mental health. Playgrounds are the perfect place to engage in unstructured play and are crucial for children’s development because children develop skills through play and exploration. Outdoor play is essential for promoting growth since the first five years of life are particularly crucial for brain development and laying the groundwork for subsequent learning and behavior. The following are benefits of outdoor play in early years: Children should be encouraged to spend time playing outside and taking in the beauty of nature. The following are examples of how outdoor play can be encouraged: Overall outdoor play is crucial in early childhood development. It lays the foundation for healthy habits and social skills and should be encouraged by parents and teachers.