Just hearing the word "unschooling" sends shivers down my spine. Does this mean that kids are left to experience their own learning willy-nilly and never have any formal lessons? Are children never taught anything in a formal sense? To find out what...

Spontaneous curiosity-driven learning is the easiest way ever to engage children in the things that interest them. Think of it as incidental learning. It’s for those moments when kids are playing in the backyard, school yard, park, beach, bush or an...

Which skills do children need to set them up for success? They come into this world a blank slate and rely on us their parents, carers and educators to teach them the necessary life skills not only to survive, but successfully meet the challenges an...

How do we ensure that our children are interested in learning so that they will embrace reading, writing and working with numbers? Here are eight tried and true strategies that I have found over the years that actually work and ensure that children ...

So, your student has a strong phonological base and can identify and isolate the sounds they hear in words. Now what? The next thing you should focus on after speaking and listening is decoding. How to teach a child to read – Start with single sound...

Teaching your child to read can be a daunting task. Not knowing where to start or how to approach teaching your child to read especially if your child doesn’t appear interested is something many parents feel anxious about. First take a deep breath, ...

Learning activities using I Went Walking in K-2 I Went Walking by Sue Williams is one of those rare picture books that does more than tell a story. For K–2 educators, it's a natural starting point for integrated learning across English, Mathematics,...

How do we keep children off screens in today's digital world? It's challenging. But a responsibility we caregivers and educators must take seriously. The constant exposure to technology can lead to a decrease in children’s natural curiosity and crea...

How do you motivate a disinterested child? Motivating a disinterested child can be particularly challenging for both parents and teachers. Some children don’t ask questions, they don’t seem engaged in learning and it appears that there is nothing th...

Why it is important to include inquiry into kid’s daily lives? Inquiry has the power to create inquisitive, thinking, questioning children and eventual adults. It makes a difference to children’s desire to learn. A desire to learn is the f...

In recent years the focus in Early Childhood Education is on a holistic approach to education. Montessori, Steiner, and Reggio Emilia are all holistic approaches with a focus on educating the whole child. These philosophies have had a profound impac...

What makes for good parenting in our modern world? The way I was raised was very different to the way my parents were raised. My own children born early in the new millennium. They have of course been raised a little differently to the way I was rai...

How do acquiring life skills help children's development? According to the WHO life skills are: “Abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life” We've a...

Rainy day activities for kids centred around Mindfulness In the busy-ness of life, wet or rainy days present unique opportunities to practise mindfulness and experience new learning opportunities. In this fast-paced world of instant downloads and im...

How do observational skills help kids learn about the world around them? The Oxford Dictionary online defines observation as: "the act of watching somebody/something carefully for a period of time, especially to learn something." It's through keen o...