Development

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Using the power of movement to improve children’s self-regulation

Brain regions responsible for motor control interact with regions involved in self-regulation – movement programs therefore provide strong support for the development of self-regulation skills. What is self-regulation? Self-regulation is our ability to control our thoughts, emotions and behaviours in response to the demands of the environment. It’s the ability to return to a balanced,…

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Quality screen time with your child

In a recent article in The Conversation Kate Highfield highlights the importance of looking at the quality as much as the quantity of screen usage by children.  The Australian 24-hour movement guidelines  (REF) recommends the following quantities: no screen time for children younger than two years no more than one hour per day for children aged 2–5 years no more than…

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How to help children sit still!

Make the still time better … with these simple movement activities. It’s well established that young children can’t and shouldn’t sit still for long periods of time – children need to move. The benefits of regular brief movement breaks for children in the classroom include: Improved brain elas­ticity, which allows children to learn more easily,…

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Preparing Children for Learning

How do we help children prepare for the demands of the classroom? The 2018 Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) found that 20% of Australian children entering school are developmentally vulnerable in at least one of the five early childhood development domains – physical health, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, or communication and…

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7 tips for managing screen time

The Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines provide the following recommendations for screen time for children [1] – Birth to 2 years – No screen time at all 2 to 5 years –  Max 1 hour per day of “high-quality” programming  5 to 17 years – Max 2 hours per day It’s important to note that the guidelines are as much about…

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Why and how early movement impacts on Development

Movement is the most essential component of development. A baby innately wants to master control of his movement so that eventually he can move freely in an upright position against gravity. The first visible step to gaining this independence is to achieve head control. A newborn infant has very little head control. If you hold…

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Spatial Awareness: Why does it matter?

All our physical actions take place in relation to the space that we occupy. Spatial awareness is the knowledge of how much space the body occupies and needs, and how to orientate oneself in that space. We need this awareness to relate comfortably to other objects and to other people, and to be able to…

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