Every child is an individual

The Power of Parent Play

9 December 2021/in Every child is an individual /by Bramley

The benefits of taking the time to join in your child’s play.

It may seem like a simple game of peekaboo, hide-and-seek, or tag – but for young children activities like these teach essential skills to help grow healthy brains, and social bonds.

“When tamariki play, they are engaging their critical thinking and problem solving abilities, and making sense of the world around them,” says Kidsfirst Learning Support Leader, Hannah Winter. “They learn social interaction techniques like turn-taking, being sensitive to others, and sharing – which helps them communicate their thoughts, feelings, and needs – and even learn to cope with stress.”

In their role as tamariki’s first teachers, parents, whānau, and caregivers have a vital role in promoting this all-important activity – giving children plenty of opportunities to engage in play, and taking time out to join in.

“This is where children learn about who they are, and what they can do. We say play is the children’s ‘work’, so if parents can get involved, it creates the scaffolding to build skills they can use in the wider world.”

Hannah says that while self-directed play is important, it can offer a more enriched experience when whānau are involved.

“Sometimes people think it’s just something children can instinctively do, but actually, if we can join in, and show genuine interest in what they’re doing – that’s when they are going to pay the most attention, and that’s when the learning truly happens.”

These are the things that will lead to lifelong learning. “Whānau can help with techniques like problem solving, exploring ideas and using their imagination and creativity. It’s one of the best ways to help them grow into curious, and competent learners.”

Playing with whānau can also offer perspectives that children may not get from engaging with peers.

“They are naturally exploring the things around them, so if parents and family are there, they can provide rich dialogue to explain what they’re doing, and help them understand. Then they are picking up new skills with a competent partner who is showing them what they’re doing is valuable.”

“Play is all about going back to basics,” says Hannah, “we can think about the relationships with our children like a tank that needs to be filled, and refilled on a regular basis – play is the best, most effective, and low cost strategy to do this.”

She says the focus should be on quality time, and letting tamariki take the lead. “It doesn’t take much – just five to ten minutes of child-directed play where there are no other jobs to do and limited distractions, then let them guide the activity based on what they want to do.”

Young tamariki learn best in the context of strong relationships, and the parent-child bond is a great starting point, says Kidsfirst Ngaire Larcombe Head Teacher, Erna Delaney.

“The skills they gain by playing with parents are coming from their strongest relationship. When tamariki feel as though people are interested in what they’re doing, it increases self-esteem and sense of worth – which progresses their emotional and social competence.”

Learning at home also overflows into the kindergarten environment. “This aids in the development we see in the classroom. The more whānau can talk and listen to tamariki, the more they learn from the experience. It creates a good connection between kindy and home.”

Erna says whānau can learn a lot about their child through simple activities, but the main priority is time together.

“It can be as easy as putting down phones for 10 minutes, and just having fun – it’s so basic for children, but important for that bond. It can be anything, even preparing a meal, or reading a book, just being together, showing attention, and letting them take the lead.”

Kidsfirst Greymouth Head Teacher, Tracy Jennings, reiterates that another perk of parent-play is strengthening relationships.

“Getting down and playing at their level is great for developing a strong, fun relationship with your child. It’s important to be guided by what tamariki are interested in, and just enjoy the moment.”

Tracy says it’s not just the tamariki who benefit, “Parents can learn a lot about their child by being there, and engaging in fun activities. It’s about just being together and enjoying it – whether it’s a puzzle, dancing around, playing games or reading books – just allowing that connection to grow.”

“It’s essential for the relationship: often there can be tension or stress in families, and it can feel very challenging at times. But it’s important for children to see their parents having fun too, even if it’s just for ten minutes being silly – they will remember those moments forever.”

As adults, we often lose the capacity for play, but there are many ways to get back into the swing of things. Tracy says, “Books are always a fantastic starting point, and they’re great for language development. It can also be good for a parent to think about what they loved doing as a child, share that with tamariki, and go from there.”

Keen to learn more? Our kaiako use the PRIDE formula, and it’s a good one to put into practise at home.

P – “Praise” – Make sure to celebrate all the ways your child is exploring and testing out new ideas, this encourages positive behaviours and encourages warmth.

R – “Respect” – Tamariki are directing the play, so make sure to let them control the conversation and determine the activities. It’s important to reflect on what they’re doing and show interest, without taking total control over the situation.

I – “Imitate” – While your child is leading the play, imitate what they’re doing and show them you are on the same level.

D – “Describe” – Comment on what they’re doing, show interest and try to hold their attention. This helps increase their problem solving, emotional regulation and vocabulary skills.

E – “Enjoy” – Make the most of the dedicated playtime and be enthusiastic about it.

What do children learn at kindergarten?

6 December 2021/in Every child is an individual /by Bramley

The answer may surprise you.

When you’re thinking about the earliest years of your child’s formal education, it’s natural to worry about whether they will be prepared for the next steps. There have been so many changes in approaches to early childhood education over the years, but at kindergarten, the focus has always been on ensuring tamariki grow and develop through their own interests and at their own pace, and that they grow a lifelong love of learning along the way.

There’s a good reason for this – the brains of very young children are completing important developmental tasks, and are unable to move onto the next ones before the job is done. The most fundamental of these are cognitive and motor skills.

“Tamariki need to first develop gross motor skills which are essential for literacy, and a precursor to fine motor skills,” explains Kidsfirst The Bays Teacher, Marjorie Kittelty, “Playing with things like the monkey bars builds their upper body and core muscles which helps strengthen their spine muscles, and once they learn these big movements they can do the smaller ones like holding a pen. We incorporate things like tweezers and tongs into the classroom, and play lots of games like picking things up from one container and putting them into the next one.”

Rolling playdough and engaging in messy play improves coordination of small muscles in hands and fingers that are used to hold crayons, markers, and brushes, says Roseanne Taurima, Teacher at Kidsfirst The Bays.

“It strengthens their muscles and tests their brains. When they use their hands in these activities, it’s inadvertently teaching them the ‘pincer grip’, which is how you hold a pen. It’s amazing all the things that build up towards these skills.”

Roseanne says activities that seem simple can be hugely beneficial, “Drawing and scribbling are both really valuable. Some children just want to scribble a bit and walk away, but that’s all part of the learning. They might create a zig-zag line, which can turn into a letter, or evolve into a picture.”

Kidsfirst Hāwea Teacher, Rose Gould says there are other important skills to learn along the way, “Tamariki learn social and emotional competence at kindergarten, and this sets the foundations for tools like concentration, task persistence, and perseverance, which all weave into their education further down the track.”

It’s not just what tamariki learn in the early years, but how they learn. Young children make a number of learning discoveries as they play, explore, and interact with the environment around them.

“Having less structure in the early years allows tamariki to foster their own interests, and learn at their own level of ability and development,” explains Kidsfirst Kendal Ave Teacher, Pip Reilly. “Play offers a positive learning experience and allows them to learn at their own speed and feel good about their abilities – we want them to have a thirst for learning and not be apprehensive. That may happen if they are pushed into things too early.”

Children don’t just learn in formal settings. There are teaching moments every day, and as Marjorie Kittelty explains, tamariki pick up literacy skills by seeing words everywhere – in their homes, classrooms, and communities.

“When tamariki are in a print rich environment and there’s lots of words around they begin to make associations, if there’s a picture of an orange and the word ‘orange’ beneath it, they will start to recognise it and build connections.”

Roseanne Taurima says one of the most important tools to encourage emergent literacy skills is reading books together, even if tamariki don’t understand what the words mean.

“It’s a valuable tool for basics like learning to read left to right – the sorts of things you don’t really think about. Lots of repetition is key – often children will have their favourite book and if there’s one that they really enjoy, it’s useful to read it over and over again to the point where they know every word by heart. Sometimes there is no purpose, but they can see that these pictures have meaning. If a basic picture book takes an hour to read, because you’re too busy talking about what’s happening, then that’s a positive thing.”

She says that it’s important to let tamariki direct the learning, “Children learn best when they lead the charge and have fun. It is really important to follow a child’s interest. If they’re obsessed with trains, go to the local library and get some books out about trains, show them pictures of trains and talk about it.”

Pip Reilly says that it’s important not to push tamariki to learn things they are not developmentally ready for.

“Research shows that trying to encourage children to read and write when they are not yet cognitively ready can reduce their ability to do so later on. No one enjoys learning something when it is a struggle or not enjoyable. So if a child isn’t ready because they don’t yet have the cognitive links, then it’s important not to risk putting them off learning later. Instead, we need to work at their pace.”

Pip says a key element of this is determining where each individual is at in their learning and development.

“We work a lot with our parents and have a lot of conversations with them on an ongoing basis about that process, and being realistic about what children can cope with, and it’s also about making sure they’re enjoying the learning.”

Calming First Day Nerves

6 December 2021/in Every child is an individual /by Bramley

Turning worry into excitement.

Starting kindergarten is a huge step in your child’s life – it’s often the first time they’re setting off on their own, and the beginning of many years of formal education to come. Giving tamariki the best introduction to learning outside of the home can bring positive benefits that they will take with them into a lifetime of learning, so it’s good to get it right from the start.

Kidsfirst Richmond Teacher, Zoe McFadden, says making visits to the kindy are a must.

“We encourage pre-visits so we can take time to show tamariki and whānau around the kindergarten, understand their interests, and get them familiar with the routines. They learn where their bag goes, and have the chance to explore the playground and meet the kaiako. This helps create a sense of predictability, so they know what to expect on their first day.”

There can be a lot to learn and remember for tamariki and their whānau, but Kidsfirst teaching teams make it as easy as possible to get into the swing of things.

“We provide families with written and verbal information about the kindergarten and make sure they’re aware of any trips planned, and activities their child may want to take part in. It’s just as important for whānau to get to know the kindergarten and routines, as it is for tamariki,” Zoe says.

There’s no limit to the number of visits tamariki and whānau can make, while they learn more about life at kindergarten and get an idea of what it will be like for them.

“As teachers, we know that sensitivity and openness are important,” says Zoe. “We understand that some families may need some extra visits and always encourage whānau to let us know if they feel they need more time.”

Zoe says familiarisation visits help kaiako to get to know tamariki, just as much as helping whānau and tamariki get to know them.

“It provides us with an opportunity to talk to the child and whānau about what to expect, speak positively about how fun kindergarten will be, and all the friends they’re going to make.”

Kidsfirst Terrace Head Teacher, Kristen Ojala, says this is a crucial stage in helping both tamariki and whānau get ready, and there are things to do at home that can help, too. Having positive conversations about kindergarten and involving tamariki in preparing for their first day can help reduce any anxieties.

“It helps to have lots of conversations at home about kindergarten, what it’s like and what happens there. Reassure tamariki that they will be picked up at the end of the day, and make sure to include them in fun activities like buying new lunch boxes and packing them together.”

Zoe McFadden agrees that getting tamariki involved in the preparations is a good way to settle any nerves.

“It’s important for parents to understand their child might be nervous – it’s a big change. Predictability can help – whānau might start a new routine so things begin to feel familiar. That could include packing bags in the morning and making it an exciting time to talk about how great kindergarten will be.”

Kidsfirst Terrace Teacher, Sharon Penny, says it’s important to listen if a child is having a hard time leaving home, and acknowledge any of their concerns.

“Building positive relationships with teachers helps your child see that kindergarten is a safe place. If needed, they can come for extra visits and longer transition periods. It can also help to bring a familiar item, like a cuddly toy from home.”

Positive feedback can help to encourage tamariki to settle in once they’re feeling a bit safer.

“Each child is an individual and they settle in, and learn differently from one another. It’s a good idea to acknowledge your child’s accomplishment as they start kindergarten.”

Zoe McFadden says the key is to tailor the transition to meet the needs of tamariki, and how they handle this important step isn’t always age related.

“It all depends on the experience of the child. A two-year-old may have already been in a nursery setting, which is a huge help because they have experienced the transition between learning spaces. In other cases, older children may have never been away from home before – so parents can usually determine the best way to help their child based on personality and experiences.”

Sometimes, it’s not tamariki who are nervous about the first days or weeks, rather it’s the whānau.

“We are always happy to keep in contact through texts and send photos to let them know how their child’s day is going. Whānau are always welcome to visit, too. As teachers, we are always there to give support and offer reassurance.”

If your tamaiti is about to embark on their first day at kindergarten, here’s a recap of some of the top things our kaiako recommend to help make the transition as smooth as possible:

Arrange a visit to the kindergarten: Become familiar with the environment, the teachers and routines and regular events.
Establish strong routines: Give your child the opportunity to help create the routines and involve them in getting ready each morning so there is a sense of predictability and familiarity.
Accentuate the positives: Keep talking with your tamaiti about what it’s like to go to kindergarten, and make sure to keep it positive.
Check in and don’t be afraid to stay in touch: Your teaching team would rather hear from you than have you wondering and worrying about your child.