Articles on Child Development & Parenting
- What 3 to 7 year olds need to learn - Nathan Mikaere-Wallis
Nathan Mikaere-Wallis and Katherine Ryan - so much wisdom while also being entertaining! Please listen to this podcast if you have time. Nathan is an expert in brain and child development and shares so many interesting ideas with practical application. - Impulse Control
While early education creates an important foundation for academic skills, many parents would be surprised to know that social skills are actually far more predictive of outcomes into adulthood than early academics. - You Don't Always Get What You Want...
A child who cries because he or she is frustrated may need to develop the persistence to push through frustration. A child who cries because he or she is disappointed may need to develop the resilience to accept that disappointment and move on. - Developmental Stages of Friendship
Maintaining friendships, learning to work with others, and building the virtue of consideration, are driving forces in our junior classroom. Every day we observe the rocky road of relationships playing out among children, and to guide them as they explore friendship is a huge part of our role as teachers. I found the attached document made sense of my observations over the years as a teacher and parent. 'Developmental Stages of Friendship' articulates my thinking so beautifully - I needed to share it with you all! - Freedom to Interact (or not) in the Second Plane
Children in Elementary need the freedom to interact and the freedom from interruption in order to learn to regulate their new fascination with the influence of their peers. - That’s Not Fair! Moral Development in the Second Plane
Children between the ages of 6 and 12 are developing their moral compass - this is the age when the social personality develops. Find out more in this article. - When Children are Hurtful
- The Art of Negotiation
The ability to compromise is one of the most powerful skills to foster in young children, and they learn it first from parents. - The Art of Negotiation, or Why You Shouldn't Argue with a Three-year-old
...and not just three-year-olds! I remember learning this from Bronwyn at the preschool when one of my toddlers 'negotiated' with me. She simply said is a chirpy voice, "Oh Deborah, but that is not a choice!" I've kept that lesson with me and use it with all my children - both at home and in the classroom. Deborah - Wonder and the Child
To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.” - William Blake - The Adaptable Mind
The Adaptable Mind (11 mins) explores the skills we need to flourish in the 21st Century. - MANZ: Montessori for 6 - 12 year olds
The primary aged student develops powers of reason, abstraction, and imagination and begins to think and wonder about ideas and concepts beyond her own personal experience. Go to this link to find Montessori Aotearoa's (MANZ) information about education in the second plane of development. - Concentration in the Second Plane: 6 - 12
Learners at this age need larger-scale projects, more time to complete them, and more forgiveness for the messiness in the meantime. Because the child is drawn in so many directions, it falls to the adult to be a steady, unflappable voice of reason, reminding them to slow down and think it through. - Modelling Gratitude in the Second Plane: 6 - 12
By the time your child is in the Second Plane of Development, so many qualities of their personalities have emerged and focused. You know their quirks and their strengths, their sense of humor and their anxieties. It's a goofy, playful, loving, serious, earnest mix of yet-to-be-ness, and it's a great time to help your children build a practice of gratitude. - Why Are Our Children So Bored At School, Cannot Wait, Get Easily Frustrated And Have No Real Friends?
Today’s children come to school emotionally unavailable for learning, and there are many factors in our modern lifestyle that contribute to this. As we know, the brain is malleable. Through environment, we can make the brain “stronger” or make it “weaker”. - Supporting Relationships in the Second Plane
A key quality of Elementary learners is their heightened awareness of their peers and friend groups, and an often new attention to how they fit within the group of children around them. - Eight Tips for Fostering Flow in the Classroom
It’s every parent and teacher’s dream to have children who engage deeply with their lessons, want to learn for learning’s sake, and perform at the top of their potential. In other words, parents and teachers want their kids to find “flow,” that feeling of complete immersion in an activity, where we’re so engaged that our worries, sense of time, and self-consciousness seem to disappear. - Open communication should be your goal for the school year
Q: School is starting back and my goal for this year is to increase communication with my child, particularly about what’s going on in school. When I’ve tried in the past, usually all I get are shrugs and one-word answers. What can I do to improve that? - Helicoptor Parenting
- How to become more resilient
Some interesting ideas about training brains to focus on positive experiences, and consistent with our work with The Virtues project. Have a listen if you have spare time... - Freedom of Choice in the Second Plane
In the Elementary years, then, the role of the teacher shifts again, from deciding what scope of materials is available to learners in the environment to supporting learners as they navigate the consequences of their choices. As children's awareness and attention to their social groups expands, the qualities of discernment become more complex. - How to Increase Self-Control in Children – And Why It’s So Important for Their Success
I found this an interesting read. Self-control develops when we have opportunities to make decisions for ourselves, and to do that our children need as much freedom as they can be responsible for. There are some useful ideas in this article about ways you can help your children develop self-control. - Improving you child's self-management skills
Radio New Zealand podcast. Parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen with tips for helping children manage themselves and control their impulsivity.