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Over ‘Lamoon’ with healthy kids

With growing concerns over viruses such as Bird Flu, sanitizers became all the rage a few years ago and are used almost as regularly as traditional soap. They are great at removing all that dirty bacteria from grubby hands and are especially important for kids who are still susceptible to viruses such as Hand Foot and Mouth. At British Early Years Centre we had often used hand sanitizers to help stop the spread of bacteria until it was brought to our attention by a parent that they might not be as good as we all first thought.

After some research we have found that these supposedly clean products are doing a lot of damage to us and our children. Triclosan is an ingredient put into many toys, clothes, toothpastes and other products. It is an ingredient that is rumoured to help stop the spread of bacteria, however there has never been any study that has proved this. In fact some scientists worry that it actually helps the bacteria to become more resistant to antibiotics, creating superbugs. Foodforthought discuss in detail the problems caused by using hand sanitisers:

• Muscle weakness/impaired mitochondrial function.
• Excitotoxins that cause death of brain cells.
• Allergies and altered brain function.
• Autism incidence correlation.
• Dangerous hormonal changes.
• Bacterial resistance.
• Alcohol hazard.
• Other additive hazards.
• Harm to our environment and future generations.

At BEYC we have now adopted the use of organic hand sanitizers and cleaning products. We have found a wonderful company in Bangkok, Lamoon Baby, and we fully recommend the use of their products. They have a range of products from bags and clothes to detergents and baby wipes. Please check out their website here and their Facebook page here.

‘Jolly Phonics Songs’ still continues to impress.

It may be have been around for over 2 decades and look a little dated but the Jolly Phonics’ Songs as a Synthetic Phonics teaching aid is impressively reliable. I can not say the same for the actual Jolly Phonics teaching scheme however.

Having trained in Early Years in the U.K. at the same time that Letters and Sounds was released (2007) I haven’t looked back. In fact our school curriculum has taken this scheme even further as the authors seem to lose a bit of steam and passion at Phases 5 and 6. Ideas for teaching activities are a little scarce and unimaginative.

The beauty of a scheme such as Letters and Sounds is that it is more of a framework to work by. And whilst ideas for activities are suggested, they don’t allow teachers to fall into the trap of religiously following someone else’s  lesson plans, that are not tailored to the individuals in their class.

Jolly Phonics is such a synthetic phonics scheme. It is really designed for the laziest of teachers. Daily worksheets are used to support and extend unimaginative lessons. Lessons quickly become dull and monotonous and only a small percentage of a class is really enthused by the humdrum structure of the teach / practice phase.

Whereas the Letters and Sounds approach, might have children practicing writing in the ‘y’ sound in actual yoghurt or searching for ‘s’ words on coins, buried in the sand pit, with a metal detector. The possibilities are endless. It doesn’t take much to work out which type of lesson will have more of an impact on a child’s learning.

At the moment we are always taking the children outside and using the playground and outdoor equipment to create games. Our teachers use the toys and games that the children love playing with and add sounds or tricky words in some way. ‘Phonics Raceway’ is a current favourite with our Reception children. The children drive the toy cars around our racetrack and must stop at the signposts to read words that are levelled and graded for the various ability groups in the class.

I do have to concede however, that the Jolly Phonics ‘Songs’ still continue to impress me for their longevity and resilience. There aren’t many teaching resources that have stood the same test of time. Especially when you consider the new technologies that have emerged in the last decade alone. But if you stop to think about it, and just why they might have continued to be so popular amongst young children for so long, it is really rather obvious. The original idea is amazing. Take traditional and well known children’s rhymes, make up a short verse for audio learners and then add an action to each song to appeal to visual learners. Job done. If only there was a tactile element to the resource!

It is surprising however, that this idea has not been developed and redesigned a little in the last 20 years. The resources that support the songs have not changed since their initial conception. I really believe there is a very big opportunity out there for someone to come along and give the whole scheme an overhaul; the images and pictures, characters, workbooks (if you use them) The potential for success is huge. Especially when you consider the vast number of both English speaking and non-English speaking countries that use Jolly Phonics worldwide.

Some might argue that its successor has already arrived. And I would have to agree. However ,until every classroom around the world is equipped with an interactive whiteboard, a T.V. or a full set of tablets for the children, ‘Alphablocks’ simply can not take the No. 1 spot as a phonics teaching support resource.

Once that does happen however, world wide literacy levels will surely explode.

For now, I consider myself very lucky that our school, is well equipped. My students get to see the best visual presentation for reading that any teacher could hope for. An animated episode that links directly to the daily teaching objective. Simply put, it’s genius!

The importance of using games to teach Phonics

Children love games right? They love exciting and engaging games that they can easily understand the rules to and which they are able to experience the joy and excitement of winning. As adults games need to be at least a little challenging for us to gain the same amount of excitement from a game. Games that are too easily achievable simply fail to invoke any real stimulation. For children however, especially in the Early Years, the challenge doesn’t matter quite so much. Usually having a fair amount of turns is just as important.

This makes the job of a teacher, parent or carer incredibly easy to come up with an activity that will entertain a child for short amount of time. All we need is a little imagination and sometimes, for the less creative of us,  some ideas from others.

At BEYC we follow a very play centred curriculum. Not only do the children have the freedom to choose and play at regular times throughout the school day but all (most) teacher led activities particularly for Maths and Phonics are games based. Our teaching staff are both guided and encouraged to choose the most exciting and engaging activities to play with the children during learning sessions. Whether the children are learning a new sound, letter of the alphabet, counting to 10, sorting objects or spelling words, they learn through games.

The formula for a successful lesson, which results in excellent learning of knowledge and skills, is really very simple: Take a favourite children’s game. Kids party games are a great place to start. Games such as ‘Pass the Parcel’, North South East West, Musical Chairs, Treasure Hunt, Kim’s Game (The one where you place objects on a tray, cover, then remove an item for the children to remember which has been removed).

Next you need to find a way to incorporate the teaching objective into the game. And that is it! Let the learning begin.

From a  teacher’s point of view, there is nothing better that an activity that all the children want to play. As a way of controlling behaviour and as a means to teach turn taking, sharing and good sportsmanship etc its fantastic.

This formula for effective learning really isn’t anything new or even that amazing, but it is something that many teachers, parents and child practitioners often forget, resulting in ineffective learning or unnecessary stress.

We have been using the game based lessons to teach, practice and apply new skills and knowledge ever since the Letters and Sounds publication was issued in the U.K. Initially we made permanent resources based around the suggested Phonics games but it wasn’t long before our teaching staff started getting incredibly imaginative with ideas. This led to us making an array of permanent resources that teachers can use both inside and outside of the classrooms. The academic results and progression in Phonics as a result of this initiative has been truly amazing. Here is a great post for Kidsactivities: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/57189/35-letters-and-sounds-learning-games

For more ideas on games and activities to help your chip learn, please check out our previous posts here

Using games and fun activities to teach phonics

 

 

 

 

Fussy eaters and healthy habits

Do you struggle to help your child make the right decisions when it comes to food? A lot of the reasons for children eating unhealthily is down to psychology. BEYC have written a guest blog post on Pinayexpatmom discussing ways to guide children in making the right choices when it comes to food. Please check out Francine’s fantastic blog here…

 

Summer school highlights 2014

     

The development of fine motor skills in young children

What are motor skills?

The development of strong fine motor skills is essential for young children. Motor skills are a term given to the movements of the body. They fall into two main categories: gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills encompass the development of larger muscle movements, such as the swinging of legs and arms, walking or crawling. Fine motor skills are the small muscle movements requiring the use of fingers and hands  (Amundson & Weil, 2001; Case-Smith & Shortridge, 1996). The brains of newborn babies are not yet mature enough to make skilled movements and it is generally the more difficult of the skills to develop due to the specific detail in the movements themselves. Using fine motor skills is impossible without gross motor skills and children need to practice and strengthen them together. The importance of the development of motor skills is not just in the movement of the body either, but as Gallahue (1993) says:

“Movement is at the very center of young children’s lives. It is an important facet of all aspects of their development, whether in the motor, cognitive, or affective domains of human behavior. To deny children the opportunity to reap the many benefits of regular, vigorous physical activity is to deny them the opportunity to experience the joy of efficient movement, the health effects of movement, and a lifetime as confident, competent movers”. (p. 24)

What if my child has weak fine motor skills?

Development of fine motor skills early gives children a good footing in which to build. According to Gesell and Amatruda (1947) development proceeds in a cephalo–caudal (head to toe) and proximal–distal (moving from the body parts closest to the trunk to those furthest away) pattern. Early development of the shoulders and upper arms allows the children to begin to feed themselves early and helps them to develop pre-writing skills. The development of a strong trunk will also help children to sit properly and maintain good posture (www.fingergym.info/downloads/Finemotordevpp1-4.pdf)

Children with weaker fine motor skills are not just affected by weak movements, but it reciprocates into other aspects of their lives. Children will often become frustrated when they can’t perform simple skills, leading to a refusal to join in with activities.They might get angry or in some cases they make excuses to avoid the task, “I need to go to the toilet”. It can be very sad for young children who may begin to feel separated from their friends.

How can I help strengthen my child’s fine motor skills?

There are many different games you can play and tasks that you can set for your child in order to strengthen their fine motor skills. Starting early is the key to consistent, strong growth and a lot of the activities are good fun too. Imagination Tree offer great ideas. Click here to see their fantastic blog. For younger children and to get a really early start take a look at parents.com.

Fun snacks for healthy kids

Trying to get children to eat healthily can be difficult. Here are three creative ideas that can be as fun to make as they are to eat.

Watermelon Pizza

A very simple idea that can be used in role play as well. Set up a pizza shop and call up your child to place an order. Ask for recommendations and allow your child to decide what to put on the pizza. Let your child deliver the pizza and take payment. Try swapping roles and let your child make an order and then make it together. Make sure you have lots of ingredients to choose from. You can use a light cream to keep the pieces in place.

Real Fruit Lollies

To make these delicious fruit lollies you will need:

16 ounces of pressed apple juice
1 ounce of cold water
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
Slices of fresh fruit.

Directions: simply stir all the ingredients together, adding the fruit last and freeze.

N.B. This will make quite a lot. The apple juice has a lot of sugar so feel free to play with the ratios and replace juice with plain water.

Click here for more lollipop recipes.

 

Homemade Ice Cream

For this recipe you don’t need an ice cream maker and not only is it great fun to make, it also teaches children a bit of science too.

Things you will need:

1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
a hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing

Directions:

Mix the milk, vanilla, and sugar into one of the small Zip-loc bags and close. If you double bag there is less risk of splitting and the ingredients mixing with the salt and ice. Then place the smaller bag into the larger bag, which you fill with the ice and the salt. Close the bigger bag and then shake and massage the bags. Try to make sure that ice touches all parts of the inner bag. This does take 10-15 minutes depending on how rigorous you are but is good fun. When the ice cream solidifies, open it up and eat straight from the bag.

Benefits of Reading 2- Ideas and Activities

Reading in the womb

It is never too early to begin reading to your child. Even reading whilst the child is in the womb has been proven to have significant benefits to their abilities. The University of Florida found that a Foetus between the 28^th and 34^th weeks of pregnancy could remember familiar nursery rhymes. These findings suggest that babies are much more susceptible to being influenced by their surroundings before birth than previously thought.

There are many different ways you can stimulate your baby whilst they are in the womb:

• Sharing music and play some classical songs while allowing your child to listen.
• Read simple stories or tell your child what has been happening that day.
• Sing simple songs and nursery rhymes.
• Talk to your child and allow them to hear different familiar voices; siblings; Aunt Kate; Uncle Robert; Dad and Mum.

Reading with babies

According to The American Academy of Pediatrics reading is an essential part of quality development. It stimulates imagination, creativity and improves communication skills. It also introduces children to numbers, letters, colours, shapes and other topics.  This is the age when a two way interaction between parent and child can begin to form.

• Children love routine, so making a set time to read with your child is vital. This will set the foundation for your child to enjoy reading right the way through childhood.
• Your child won’t understand everything that you are saying but by reading together and looking at the books, your child will start to recognize every day words.
• Choose brightly coloured books with simple pictures. You don’t want to overload your child with too much information; allow them to use their own creativity. As you read with your child, point to pictures, change the sound of your voice to suit different characters and allow your child time on each page. Interactive books that you can touch and feel are great for children to develop their senses.
• Reciting nursery rhymes and dancing is also a great way to stimulate creativity and imagination. Don’t fall into the trap of just reading them out to your child, rather, be energetic, smile and bring the songs and stories to life. Your child will react to your body language so remember to enjoy this moment yourself.
• Using your child’s toys to make up stories also breeds familiarity and allows the children to continue their creativity when you stop reading.

Reading with young children

Between the ages of 2 and 3 children see a huge development in language and vocabulary skills. In fact according to Barbara Zurer Pearson, author of “Raising a bilingual child”, children are even capable of distinguishing between languages, so the more languages they are surrounded by the better. This is also a great age for sharing reading as children become more responsive. There are many phonics games that you can play at this age and these can be found on our videos page on facebook as well as on our phonics page within the blog. In terms of just reading there are many ways to share:

• Choose books with repetition- Children love knowing what’s coming next and love repeating phrases they are familiar with. It brings them into the story and enables them to join in without being able to read themselves.
• Act out the story with your child- Once you finish reading a story and the child is familiar with it, act it out. You could build a castle out of bed sheets, or houses made of sticks and really get your child living the story.
• Ask children to draw their favourite character from the story- Discuss what clues from the story help describe the character. You could even ask the children to make up a new character for the story.
• Hot seat- Let children read their favourite book and then put them in the hot seat. They can choose their favourtie character before being interviewed on their role in the story. Swap roles and let them ask you as well.
• Make up a story together- With your child verbally make up a story together. You could take this one further and write captions and let your child illustrate; creating your own story book together.
• Make a photo story- Take a trip with your child and take photos together. Allow your child to create sentences about what you are doing in each photo. With more advanced learners you could write a joint diary writing down how you felt at different parts of the day. This also allows the children to empathise with your feelings and perspectives as well.
• Look for books together- One of the most overlooked and important parts of reading, is going to find books together; ones that you can both share.
• Hidden messages- This is a fun way to get your child to enjoy reading. Write them special notes and leave them round the house. Reward them for finding them, “ask Mum for a cookie”.
• Treasure hunts- Children love going on treasure hunts. Dress up as pirates for the day and set up an obstacle course. Take children round the house following clues to find the treasure.
• Role play- Sit and have tea with your child’s dolls, or act out a World Cup final. Find out what your child enjoys and make up a story with them. You can either improvise or make up the story first and then act it out.
• Share the reading load- If your child is beginning to read independently, it can seem daunting to have to read a whole book or even a whole page so break it up. Read one line each and act like you are struggling. Ask for help rather than demand your child reads. Let your child know that even adults struggle at times and it is nothing to be ashamed of.

The most important part of shared reading is to look for the things that your child enjoys the most. Not all of these ideas will work for every child.  There are many ways to peak a child’s interest. Try to pick ideas that share the reading experience and you will both be much happier for it.

For more information on the benefits of reading, please take a look at our earlier post The Benefits of Reading With Children

 

Discovery boxes

One of my fondest memories of being young was my “busy box”. In my busy box were a variety of objects, from recycled egg boxes and felt strips to plastic bottles and cereal boxes. It was my treasure chest of creativity. Anything that could be reused was put into my box by my Mum. It was such a simple thing, but I loved it. I wasn’t the most imaginative child but when I opened my busy box my mind became a factory of ideas. My busy box was always around handy for a rainy day and what was even better was that a close friend had one of his own, so whenever we went to one another’s houses, we would often share pieces of junk. Not only did it fuel my creativity but it helped me develop relationships with friends through play.

Here are some great ideas to help you start your own busy box, courtesy of Imagination Tree…