Play Move Improve

We're all relying on technology more than ever right now, trying to survive and maintain our sanity while in social isolation with our families. Our children are using laptops to complete school work, our  toddlers are using smart devices to give us 10 minutes of peace and quiet. In this episode I share my ideas about technology use and screen time during the coronavirus pandemic, and how we can still maintain a healthy balance between screen time, learning, and physical activity. Continue the conversation by sharing your thoughts and experiences on my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove

Should we be worrying about homeschooling during this coronavirus pandemic? We are feeling pressured to follow a curriculum that was created for a qualified teacher in a classroom setting. Teachers are feeling pressured to turn their classroom content into online lesson plans so that our children 'don't feel behind'. But is this all necessary during a pandemic? Or should we be focusing on providing children with love and life skills right now? Please share your thoughts on my Facebook page, to help support other parents and teachers in our current situation - www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove 

We all have anxiety. Anxiety can be a good thing when we know how to use anxiety to our learning advantage. In this episode I talk about how to motivate children to learn during homeschooling in social isolation, and how anxiety can have a positive or negative impact on children's ability to focus and pay attention during their covid19 homeschooling sessions. To learn more about children's learning and development, check out my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove 

Listen to our conversation about surviving the pandemic social isolation with Robyn from Play Move Improve and Ash from Smashed it Dance Company. Ash and Robyn talk about lowering our expectations to save our sanity, and ways to keep children active while we're at home. If you enjoyed this episode, follow me on Facebook to see our up and coming live chats and homeschooling videos - www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove 

During this podcast episode, I just wanted to share my story, to why I became a children's Exercise Physiologist, and to reach out to see how I can help you get through this challenging time of social isolation with young children. If you have a question, or need ideas to keep busy kids entertained and active, simply message me on Facebook or Instagram under the name Play Move Improve.

I was asked a great question by a preschool supervisor, about whether one of her students may be struggling in the kindergarten classroom because of his history of trauma from illness and complex hospital admissions. Join our discussion as I talk about trauma, developmental delay, and infantile reflexes. Feel free to ask me a question for my next podcast episode. I would love to hear from you. 

In this podcast episode, I share my case study of a young boy who is 6, and in his first term of prep this year. His mum reported his challenges with getting ready for school in the morning. His teacher is concerned about his distractability during transitioning from circle time to the table. After a conversation about this young boy's behaviour at school and at home, his mum mentioned that this young boy also finds it challenging thinking about consequences before acting in their yard at home. Throughout this episode I share: * What to look for when observing a child's distractability * How our environment can impact our ability to pay attention and focus * The relationship between a child's senses, arousal level, attention, and focus * The information that we need to collect, to be able to help a child who is easily distracted in the classroom If you found this podcast episode helpful, and would like to continue your questions in my online coaching session, click here - https://play-move-improve.thinkifi

In this early childhood parenting education podcast episode, I talk about our latest lifestyle habit of pushing toddlers and preschoolers in prams and shopping trolleys. This episode is to inform families, not judge them. So please share your positive thoughts and feedback below. To continue this important conversation, come and say hi in my online early childhood community - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/manage/communities/edit/Q29tbXVuaXR5LTE1NTA=

This episode is a raw and real chat about how I have been struggling to motivate myself to play with my kids at home. Even though I am known as 'the play lady' at work. I have been struggling to connect at home, as the washing and dishes pile up, and the overwhelm takes over. During this episode, I share 5 strategies that I will be using to help get myself out of this rut, and back connected with my family. I hope you can join me on this journey. If you have any words of wisdom, or ideas to share, please comment below, or in my online community - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/communities/Q29tbXVuaXR5LTE1NTA=

In this episode I describe one of my developmental educator observation sessions in an early learning centre. You will hear me talk about some of the developmental red flags that I observe, and how I work with teachers to source allied health support for children with developmental delay and learning difficulties. To learn more, come and join my early childhood online community - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/courses/how-can-i-help-children-to-be-school-ready

In this episode I share with you my 5 milestones for knowing whether your child is ready for kindergarten. Learn more about kindergarten and school readiness in my online early learning community - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/courses/how-can-i-help-children-to-be-school-ready

In this episode Robyn talks about why children's dance classes are important for motor development. The 3 topics that Robyn talks about are: * Fundamental movement skills that are promoted in dance, including jumping, hopping, and skipping * Isolated movements in dance that promote children's coordination * The way dance improves children's balance To learn more about children's motor development visit https://www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove 

In this episode I encourage early learning educators, kindergarten teachers, and elementary teachers to value their creative skills and strengths that they bring to a child's day. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed by the paperwork pressures of our jobs that we forget to value the magic of teaching. So I encourage educators to be proud of their strengths and to value yourself as you inspire children in your classroom each day. To chat with other teachers and educators who feel your frustration, come and say hi at our free early learning community - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/communities/Q29tbXVuaXR5LTE1NTA=

In this episode I talk about an educator who spends quality time connecting with the children that she cares for and their parents. I talk about my passion for promoting connection more than academics. I also talk about a teacher who makes a huge effort to get to know important facts about each of her students so that she can build a connection that is more important than any literacy or math outcome. Share your feedback on my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove

In this episode I empathise with teachers and educators about their frustration with the curriculum that is pushing for academics more than connection and play. I also talk to kindergarten teachers, early learning educators, and primary school teachers about the importance of modifying the curriculum instead of trying to change the children's behaviour or learning needs. However, I do appreciate that this is a lot easier said than done.   To learn more, register for my free preschool webinar - https://play-move-improve.ck.page/f5a801bb72

In this episode I share some fun play ideas to keep the children entertained. This episode was inspired by my 6 year old who told me "I'm bored" before 9:30 in the morning. So enjoy the play ideas and please let me know what you think by leaving a review.   To learn more click here - https://www.playmoveimprove.com.au/pages/early-learning-child-development-online-training-courses 

In this episode I talk about what tummy time is, why tummy time is important, and how you can support a baby or child to enjoy tummy time. Any questions be sure to ask on my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/playmoveimprove To learn more about children's core strength and motor development, click here - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/courses/how-can-i-help-children-to-be-school-ready

In this episode I talk about why using a dominant hand for every day tasks is important for fine motor skill development.  To learn more about children's fine motor skill development, click here - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/courses/how-can-i-help-children-to-be-school-ready

In this episode I will chat about my own experience with mother's group pressure, as well as how to deal with the pressure to sit our children up before their body is ready. I will also highlight in this episode why tummy time is so important for developing baby's core strength, and some simple tips that you can try and help baby's enjoy tummy time (as much as possible). To learn more about children's development, click here - https://play-move-improve.thinkific.com/courses/how-can-i-help-children-to-be-school-ready

In episode 5 you will learn about why head movement is important for children, and how the vestibular system impacts a child's learning during play and in the classroom.  To learn more click here - https://www.playmoveimprove.com.au/pages/early-learning-child-development-online-training-courses