Jacinta Parsons suffers the consequences of some wicked wordplay with her daughter. “Can you say Bubonic Plague?” I asked, pointing to a picture of a rat-type character in my two-year-old daughter’s storybook. Without hesitation, she began attempting the four-syllable historical reference to her once innocent rat....
‘School is boring’: what does it mean when your child says they’re bored in class? How you can help? write researchers Amanda Bourgeois and Annemaree Carroll, Gatot Adri/Shutterstock Have you ever asked your child how school was today, only to be told it was “boring”? Unfortunately, this conversation...
Sarah Jefferson looks at why Schools tend to discourage students from repeating and what choices parents have. We are in the last stretch of the school year and just weeks away from final reports. For some students, results may indicate serious gaps in skills or knowledge. This...
Fostering a love of stories in a child’s first years is key to lifelong reading, writes Elaine Reese Children’s literacy rates are falling around the globe. In response, a number of governments, including New Zealand’s, are overhauling the way reading is taught in primary school. One...
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a common but relatively unknown disability that affects about 1 in 14 children. Despite its prevalence, many Australian teachers haven’t heard of the disorder, much less know how to help a student living with DLD. The DLD Project Foundation is pushing for...
A Free educational teaching course to tackle declining financial literacy rates in Australian children, has been launched. Financial Basics Foundation has launched Cashed Up, a free suite of financial literacy courses designed for Australian high school students. Supported by Australian Retirement Trust, the program aims to address...
Formal music classes are not the only way to enjoy the rhythms of life, writes Linda Wyrill. As an early childhood music educator, I am intensely aware of the benefits of music to children’s development – especially from the ages of zero to six. Most parents...
A recent survey conducted by Act for Kids, a national child protection charity, highlights the severe effects of Australia's cost-of-living crisis on children and families. Key Findings from the Survey: Health Care Accessibility: 43% of respondents reported difficulties affording health care for their families. Educational Needs:...
Natalie Day and her colleagues have been researching what parents can do to help children learn to self-regulate. What are the dos and don'ts? Throughout our lives, we need to manage our thoughts and behaviour. We need to do this to reach various goals and to...
The government’s social media ban for kids will exempt ‘low-risk’ platforms. Lisa M. Given looks at what this means. In a speech to the New South Wales and South Australian government social media summit today, Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland announced more details of how...
