We all know that exercise is good for us, and for those of us involved in motor co-ordination in children, that exercise is what helps to develop the brain, not just the body. Continue reading
I like cats; they’re my favourite pet. I have had cats in my life ever since I can remember. My childhood cats were Impsy, a small black cat my Mum thought was impish in her behaviour, then there was Torty the Persian tortoiseshell with beautiful soft fur and languorous behaviour; sensuality on four legs. Finally was Timmy the tabby, who spent most of his time charging around and shinnying up trees as boys do, whether feline or human. We had other pets too including dogs, mice and birds. I distinctly remember nursing a sickly kitten, keeping it in my doll’s pram and feeding it milk with my toy baby bottle. I used to bring the mother in to feed it too. I think it was one of Torty’s. The cats were my friends and I played with them often. I never understood why they didn’t want to be pushed along in the pram or wear bonnets. The dogs wouldn’t co-operate with this either. It was not surprising that when I had children of my own that our house was full of even more pets, including cats, of course, than I had as a child. Nowadays with my children grown up and me travelling so often, I am unable to have a cat, or any pet for that matter. This will all change one day. Continue reading
Fingerplays, those little rhymes we loved as children which involve contorting our fingers (and often other body parts as well), are often overlooked as being unimportant by the very people who should be teaching them to young children. This is a great shame as they are extremely beneficial for many reasons, including social, physical and linguistic. Continue reading
I came across this article on success in Wayne Mansfield’s newsletter, The Maverick Spirit. The points are a summary of Hal Urban’s book with the above title. Great tips for yourself and also to instil in the children in your life. Continue reading
I often hear it said that in this day and age of computer technology with spell check and grammar check, it is not necessary to have a good command of spelling or grammar. The argument is extended to suggesting that you can always pay someone to edit your work for you. I find this a disturbing trend because it encourages sloppiness and laziness. Continue reading
Last Friday night on ABC TV’s Stateline program, there was a segment featuring a lady by the name of Rosalyn Happs, a music specialist trying to introduce the ‘novel’ notion of singing in schools. In case you weren’t aware, the overwhelming majority of teachers do not do any form of music tuition in their classrooms any longer. The reason? There’s a music specialist in the school. When they move to a new school with no music specialist they are so unused to programming in music that it never happens. This is tragic. It was wonderful to hear about Ros Happs’ program and realise mine is not the only voice out there in the wilderness urging teachers to teach music in their classrooms, in whatever form that may take. Anne Trigg, local ASME committee member, sent the following quote from Ros Happs, which I reproduce here: Continue reading
What prevents so many brilliant people from realising their potential is a fear that they lack the ‘credibility’ to share their brilliance. ‘ [they need] the depth and rigour that gives individuals the confidence to share their brilliance, knowing and believing in the value they deliver. Continue reading
Kidz-Fiz-Biz