Teaching critical thinking in early childhood classrooms with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The importance of teaching children from a young age to think critically about material presented to them, rather than to be unquestioning consumers of information, seems to be increasing in...
early childhood education
Introducing Pamela S. Wight, author of Birds of Paradise
In the author spotlight this month is Pamela S. Wight, a fellow blogger, writer, and teacher of creative writing. I enjoy the stories of life Pamela shares on her blog...
Making space for STEM in early childhood classrooms
Making space for STEM in early childhood classrooms is easy; or should be. Children are naturally curious about the world. They want to know: Why is it so? How does...
I spy butterflies
Learning about butterflies in the classroom, especially when observations of the life stages with a live learning kit are possible, is almost magic for children. The growth of the caterpillars...
Award winning Rainforest Camp – interview with Rebecca Johnson
Just over a year ago, in my very first author interview, when I introduced you to Rebecca Johnson and her award winning Insect Series, I shared the following information about...
Logical thinking and problem solving
The importance of logical thinking and problem solving Logical thinking and problem solving are important skills for children of all ages to develop, including those in early childhood classrooms. We...
Inspiring creativity – celebrating Dot Day
Inspiring creativity – celebrating Dot Day Next Friday 15 September is International Dot Day, a day for celebrating and promoting creativity, courage and collaboration. Celebration of the day was initiated...
The value of parent volunteers in the classroom
I have always welcomed and appreciated parent volunteers in the classroom. The value they add to the classroom program and children’s learning is enormous. I always loved that we could...
Happy first birthday, readilearn!
This week we celebrate readilearn’s first birthday. Last year we launched with just over one hundred online teaching resources to support early childhood teachers in their role. Now there are...
Meet Australian picture book author Aleesah Darlison
Author Aleesah Darlison This month, it is my pleasure to introduce you to award-winning Australian author Aleesah Darlison. Aleesah writes picture books, chapter books and novels. Her much-loved stories promote...
Celebrating Father’s Day
While many around the world celebrated Father’s Day in June, here in Australia Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. Since that is now just a few...
Preserving the world’s oceans with Coral Sea Dreaming
Recently I had the great pleasure of attending the launch of Coral Sea Dreaming, the eleventh picture book by award-winning Australian author and illustrator Kim Michelle Toft. Like her other...