Before the development of oral language children are engrossed in sensory and physical exploration as a natural process to understand their immediate environment. There are a number of definitions to define play and one cannot deny the significance in the learning that takes place through play. Theorists like Piaget and Vygotsky considered play to be an important part of childhood as a path to the learning process.
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- Written by: Cyrus
In his book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Howard Gardner claims that all human beings do not have a single intelligence but actually possess a set of multiple autonomous intelligences. How does this relate to the young child, and how can we as early childhood teachers use the MI theory to assess children?
Read more: Multiple Intelligences Theory - An ECE perspective
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- Written by: Cyrus
A brief insight from an early childhood perspective.
Early childhood is an extremely important period for children to develop their gross motor skills. Research indicates that those children who are unable to develop these Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are less likely to indulge in sporting activities during the early years.
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- Written by: Cyrus
A brief personal perspective
A number of years ago when I was teaching English to students of other languages in Hong Kong, I did some work for an international kindergarten. My job was to create a programme to promote language for children who were about to leave for primary school. Having taught children of all ages at primary and secondary levels, I particularly enjoyed my time with the kindergarten group and decided to pursue a career as an early childhood teacher.
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- Written by: Cyrus
All children are engrossed in exploration and play in order to comprehend and make sense of the world around them. To analyse the importance of play during the early years I offer a brief summary in this reflection of mine.
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- Written by: Cyrus
Teachers in an early childhood environment play an important part in offering a secure base for children during their journey of learning and development away from home.
In a research article published in the International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education in June 2012, Purificación García Sierra suggests that children who develop insecure attachments at home for a number of reasons benefit if they find a teacher in their preschool that they bond with. This attachment becomes an important protection factor during their development at that stage. "These enabling actions of development can only be carried out by the figure of an adult: the teacher, who becomes a referential point to learn and advance, not only in the cognitive field but also socially and affectively".
