Happy Friday one and all from Miss Kate with the beautiful Babies 1 children. ♥ This morning the children couldn’t wait to explore our outside area alongside our other friends from the Babies 2 and Babies 3 like one big happy family! We love our mixed grouping times as it is a great chance to get familiar with other friends and educators adding to our confidence too. This morning Miss Kate initiated some one-to-one conversational reading moments with Edward, Scarlett and Miller. This is a great way to extend your child’s language development whilst following the simple SEE – SHOW – SAY technique with picture books. Reading books with your child can be like having a conversation. Conversational reading goes back and forth. You do something and then your child does something. It can be seeing, showing or saying something, this is called the 3S strategy. A checklist is provided for parents and carers to ask themselves:
• Every day I read with my child.
• I let my child do something (look, point, talk) when we read.
• I use the 3S strategy: see, show, say.
The children are really loving our brand new easel in the room to practice our fine motor skills, creativity and imaginations. Today Miss Kate provided us with some coloured chunky chalks to use n the blackboard side which Edward particularly loved this morning having big smiles! Self-selecting toys of interest is a big part of our days here where we acknowledge the child’s right to chose what they want to play with. This morning Miller and Scarlett’s favourite toys were the pull – along toys, rattles and our new puzzles too which enhance our concentration skills. Outside play included Miss Shanaya taking us out in the beautiful sunshine to explore the dolls in the tents, rocking dinosaurs, sand play with diggers and our fun, different sensory mats. Squish, squelch, spin, splash, squeeze, bang, run, scoop, shake, drop, smear, toss, spray, and ooze – toddlers absolutely delight in exploring their world through their senses. It sounds (and can be!) messy, so you may often be inclined to cut this type of play short. But in fact, sensory play – play that stimulates any of a child’s senses – has an important role in a child’s health and development. Through it, your child builds cognitive skills and learns about their world. In essence, sensory play is simply play that engages any of your child’s senses. This includes touch, smell, sight, hearing, and taste. But it also covers movement, balance, and spatial awareness. When a child is born, their sense aren’t fully developed. They only mature over time as babies, toddlers, and preschoolers explore the sensory world around them.
Have a wonderful long weekend – please remember we are closed on MONDAY for LABOUR DAY!
Thanks, Miss Kate ♥
