Early Childhood Education and Child Care: "Hands Up for Quality" Early Childhood Australia

Hi All

Early Childhood Australia is currently running a “Hands Up for Quality” campaign.
On 7 December 2009 COAG will decide the future for quality in Australia's early childhood education and care services. ECA currently have a campaign running to tell the governments to stand firm and make a national commitment for:

Evidence says that these standards will lead to better quality outcomes for children and short and long term productivity gains for the nation.

I am asking for your support in this matter. You can support this campaign by sending an ecard to your states government and an email to the Prime Minister. Simply click on the link below.

Send this to all those you think want the best for Australia’s children.

Thanks for your support

Stephanie

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/handsupforquality/send_an_ecard_for_quality.html

Educational Activities

Contact Collage

Collage is always a fun activity for young children. It allows children to explore a variety of materials and create a design of their own. With young children you often end up with just one or two pieces of collage material glued to the page. While there is nothing wrong with this, many adults find it difficult not to make the child stay to complete the product or complete the collage for the child. Neither of these approaches is of benefit to the young child. The focus should be on the process of collage not the end product.

One way to achieve this is by using contact. A large sheet of contact can be placed on the tabletop and attached to the underside of the table edges to stop movement. Provide a range of collage materials including natural items. The children can add the collage materials throughout
the session. Many children will spend time sticking items to the contact and then pulling them off again. This is an important part of the process and should be encouraged.

This activity provides plenty of opportunity for fine motor development and is excellent for the refinement of the pincer grip from two finger to three. This is the precursor to pencil grip and requires both fine motor development and focal attention. It is important that children are allowed to choose to participate in this activity when they are ready and for as long as they require. If this activity is left out they may return to it on several occasions throughout the session. Use this opportunity to interact with the child and support their language skills in sharing this enjoyable experience. You may end up with a pretty collage to display but you then again you may not. What is important is the process and that the children have been able to practice their skills throughout the session.

Early Childhood Education and Child Care

Saturday, November 28, 2009

"Hands Up for Quality" Early Childhood Australia

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