This ECA WebWatch follows on from last issue’s theme of social justice and children’s social development.
We thought it would be great to expand on this theme by focusing on children’s emotional learning, and how this can be understood and supported by parents and carers.
These links are connected by a common approach: looking at how to foster communication skills in children and how this can add to a caring environment both at home and in early childhood services.
This issue's links
ECA Voice – vol. 6 no. 2 2006 (PDF)
A reminder that our ECA Voice member newsletters are all available online. In the June issue, National President Judy Radich looks at the changes to quality assurance systems proposed by FaCS.
Feelings and empathy (Supporting Best Practice)
These 4 links from ECA's Supporting Best Practice web directory contain both overviews and in-depth analyses of empathy – and the strategies involved in developing caring and kindness in young children.
The importance of conversation in preschool classrooms
This is a great article because it is a practical take on what it means to talk 'well' with young children. We know that it's important to engage in rich conversations with children – but what does this actually look (or sound) like?
Supporting early childhood professionals through content-focused mentoring: A resource guide (PDF)
Mentoring is a core component of professional development. This article looks at mentoring for literacy teaching in early childhood.
Creating a safe, caring, participatory and responsive environment at home and in school: Guidelines (PDF)
Although this article speaks of 'schools', it is equally applicable to early childhood services and their approach to social and emotional learning. These guidelines aim to create a system (or culture) within your service that generates safe, caring and respectful environments.
Early childhood news
Read all about it on the Early Childhood Australia news page.
Recent topics include:
- New study on bullying
- Early childhood news around the world
- Results of national survey into long day care
- NEiTA teacher awards: Call for nominations
- Code of Ethics Agenda update
- Explaining the WorkChoices industrial relations changes
- Young Media Australia seeks federal funding
Early Childhood Australia books
Learning about feelings explores the challenges that all children face right from the start in learning to manage their feelings and emotions so they can be safe, optimistic and enthusiastic about life and learning.
Getting on with others: How to teach your child essential social skills shows how parents and carers can teach basic social skills such as cooperative behaviour, developing assertiveness, and handling situations involving conflict.
Use your words: How teacher talk helps children to learn is about what you say to children and how you say it. It examines the connections between the ways you speak and the ways children behave and learn.
All books are quality assured by Early Childhood Australia.
Let
us know what you think! We welcome any suggestions or comments
you have: webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au
Past issues of ECA WebWatch are available on the Early
Childhood Australia website.
Subscribe
If you have received this
copy of ECA WebWatch from a friend
and wish to subscribe yourself, simply send a blank email to subscribe@earlychildhood.org.au
Unsubscribe
If you do not wish to
receive ECA WebWatch, send a blank email to unsubscribe@earlychildhood.org.au
Change of address
If you would like to change your email address,
simply unsubscribe from your old address, then send a blank email from the email address which you would like to receive ECA WebWatch.
(Please remember to add webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au to your email address book to ensure that you receive your copy of ECA WebWatch promptly.)
ECA WebWatch - Issue 12, July#3 2006. Early Childhood Australia.
| 
