Kids learning: What is auditory perception?
Kids Learning: What is Auditory Perception? Put simply, auditory perception refers to the interpretation of information sent to the brain via the ears and as such covers much more than just functional hearing. Children experiencing auditory perceptual problems hear words differently from the way other children hear them. They confuse similar sounding words (e.g. train […]
The importance of play in early childhood development
The importance of play in early childhood development: Heidi Britz-Crecelius (Children at play, preparation for life; Floris Books, Edinburgh, 1979) summed up the importance of play in childhood with the words: “There is nothing that human beings do, know, think, hope and fear that has not been attempted, experienced, practiced or at least anticipated in […]
Kids learning: The importance of puzzles
Looking to buy an Educational toy but feeling a little overwhelmed by all the options? If in doubt – buy a puzzle. Puzzles are absolutely great (not only because they allow tired parents a few precious moments of respite while they’re little ones are building them) but also because they help to enhance so […]
Help: My child doesn’t like puzzles
I recently received the following e-mail from a reader: Q: Hi Anel. I have a four year old boy who just does not like doing puzzles. His teacher keeps telling us how important puzzles are and that we should practice doing them at home. I’ve sat down with him so many times to build […]
Pencil grip development and why it matters
As part of my assessments I routinely check fine motor control and pencil grip and often while reporting to a parent that their child’s pencil grip is inferior I am asked: “What does it really matter? What difference does it make how my child holds his / her pencil?” We’ve all heard of the brilliant […]
Kids learning to read: visual figure-ground perception
Visual figure ground perception refers to the ability to distinguish a figure or object from it’s background and is a vital element to reading. This ability enables emerging readers to focus on words and letters and ignore background prints or blots and smudges on a page. Practice this skill by letting your emerging read information […]
More maths concepts for preschoolers
In a previous post (Kids learning to do maths: Early numeracy skills) I mentioned how important is to use mathematical terms as you go about your everyday tasks as a way to introduce maths concepts for preschoolers. Many math and science geniuses maintain that maths is just a language and when you understand the terms and you […]
Free Copy of Crano Volcano Book
I am thrilled to announce the launch of my first book in – what will hopefully be a series of illustrated short stories for children. Anger management often comes up as an issue with some of my youngest clients. Toddlers and young children are easily angered and frustrated, but do not always know how to […]
Reading games for preschool kids
Here are some reading games to play with your preschool kids: I spy: play I-spy to introduce phonics, ensuring that you use the letter sound and not the name, for example, ‘ah’ (a), ‘buh’ (b), ‘cuh’ (c), rather than ‘Ay’ (A) ‘Bee’(B), ‘See’(C). The game goes like this: “I spy with my little eye, something […]
Tips on how to develop a love of reading in children: Ages 3 to 5 years
Developing a love of reading in children: Ages 3 to 5 years At this age, children are beginning to develop an appreciation of different letters, numbers, symbols and what they represent. They have also nearly mastered an understanding of different seasons, colours and shapes, as well as the basic concept of time, in terms of […]
