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What to do at home with kids

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This time in our country is unprecedented with the onset of the pandemic COVID-19. Never before have families been told to work at home, stay home, and to avoid social gatherings. In addition, it is very likely in the near future in New Zealand that our children will need to stay home from school as many other countries across the world are doing. Due to these parents can be at all loss as to what to do with their children.

This time, though insecure, is a fantastic opportunity to begin to connect to our children in a deeper way. Many parents have felt exhausted from the pace of life, acknowledging that we get little time with families and loved ones and that the years seem to be charging ahead full speed. Now is the time that we can have the opportunity to engage with our children and partners and invest into them.

Outsourced Parenting?

In our modern society we have adapted to ‘outsourced parenting.’ Schools, programmes, classes, and before and after school care have largely been responsible for raising our children due to financial and other pressures. I am not saying we need to push our children to learn. However the COVID-19 pandemic, though tragic, gives us a unique opportunity to spend time with our children and teach them the things that may have long been neglected. Our grandparents and great-grandparents found a way to live through desperate times, and we can now use our concern with survival to teach our children how to survive without the luxuries of modern life – if needed.

Looking at it positively

I am passionate about teaching my children to cook. You can find more about my life here. From a young age, still in nappies they were seated on the kitchen bench learning about their senses and the processes of cooking. Yes, they made a huge mess, but they were involved every step of the way, and learnt so much from it. Now is the time where we can teach them – and ourselves if necessary – how to cook. Not to just open packets and put together, but to really cook from scratch. We can teach our children processes such as pickling, and preserving, batch cooking and freezing, growing our own food, understanding nutritional content, and recycling much of what we are used to throwing away. We can be involved in art projects, science experiments and enjoying the solitude of a good book. If we see our isolation as a time to slow down, a time to connect with family and a time to experiment with something new, then a world of possibilities can open for us.

The honest reality is that home isolation will involve a period of adjustment where all the members of the household need to learn to cooperate for long periods of time. We are not used to being together 24 hours a day and this will bring a measure of stress. Yet, even this offers opportunities for a deeper connection with one another and a chance to work on our conflict resolution skills and ability to compromise.

Many of the trait’s experts are saying our children need to develop can flourish in this time. Development in resilience, in self-directed intrinsic learning, in deep attachment with other people, and in social competence. Learning new and practical every-day skills that schools often take on such as food technology, garden to table eating, and sustainability projects can be experienced at home. Even simple life skills such as putting a load of washing on can teach children self-sufficiency and independence. Children are never too young to learn the tasks that will help them thrive in life, but this needs to be done in age appropriate ways.  

So, what do we do?

Parents can use this time to really get to know their child’s deep interests and then build their learning experiences around this. It is the support of the parent through this process that enhances the child’s learning. Children should do the work the school sets, but parents can make use of other time for random questions, quirky interests and creative projects.

Parents needs to be equipped with the knowledge they need so that they can connect with their families on a deeper level, supporting holistic development and inspiring learning. When children learn in the context of a safe and connected relationship their learning is maximized both through emotional connection, and a sub conscious understanding that their space is safe for success and failure.

For children with specific learning difficulties, and special educational needs this is a time where your child can thrive. By being at home their sensory stimulus is reduced and you have an opportunity to work one on one with them in the areas of most need. I encourage parents of these children to use movement as much as possible to help train correct neural pathways and to gradually work on any presenting sensory issues. In addition, don’t forget to give time and care to yourself and ensure you have the support you need.

Here are some ways that all families can make the most of this time

Organize your days – set loose routines so that you still wake up with a purpose and a plan. Simple things such as learning time in the morning, followed by a lunch that your child makes, followed by some quiet time and chores, then fun afternoon games can make the days feel full and satisfying.

Find stimulating material – the online world is still active so discover a new hobby or find a new learning experience online as a family and complete that together. Play boardgames or write your own play.

Think holistic development – take care of your families mental, emotional, spiritual and physical health in this time. Take notice of what their thoughts are and have conversations around positive mindsets and hopefulness. Discuss their feelings and fears and develop a greater sense of trust.

Keep moving – find ways to be active such as family twister games, pilates, yoga or friendly boxing sessions together. The brain benefits when the body moves so do this as much as possible. You can take the time to start participating in the natural childhood movement.

Avoid devices for long periods – to benefit their body and help keep them emotionally regulated and healthy.

We need to remember the societal impacts of COVID-19 won’t be forever, but while it is here, we can have some fun, connect deeper, maximize our time and release our children’s fullest potential.

For more information to support your children on on Facebook – follow us to keep up to date. Or you can see if neuro motor immaturity may be a problem for your child here.

Mum and Child: My heart went drop :(

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A natural reality in life is that each plant bears its own seed. Pumpkin will grow a pumpkin, a peach tree a peach tree. Unless there is purposeful and intentional intervention then nature will ensure like replicates like. A lettuce is not suddenly going to sprout a tomato! This is a comforting and secure truth, yet when considering our parenting and the society we live in a scary reality.

This week I witness something I ‘know’ happens. Something that I have many times brushed off in the past, just thinking yes, “but so many other people are doing so many good things”. I saw the reality of parts of our society – big parts.  I witnessed like producing like. seed, time, harvest.

Being a hot, summers afternoon we headed to the beach as a family to cool off and enjoy some time together before school starts and the routine of life takes over. My kids and I are such beach bunnies and my husband enjoys’ the cold water on a hot day.

However, unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy our evening out. Obviously being a public beach there are numerous other people around. It’s interesting to watch others and how they enjoy both their family time and their beach time. There is no right or wrong, it just is. Some of us love the sun, others love to lie in the shade. Some bring food and resources for the day, others just a towel. It was awesome observing families connecting and enjoying the outdoors.

That was until a beautiful looking mother and her cute 2-year-old son walked near me. He was so adorable in his little socks and sneakers and trendy clothes. I made a note that this mum really went out of her way to provide him with nice things even at the little age of two. I smiled as they walked, and she told him to stand still for a photo. With a smile on my face I watched, enjoying witnessing the connection between mum and son and remembering when my boys were that little.

Then she showed him how to pose. Middle fingers up. Both hands. I looked at her and at the boy. From first observation – adorable. But I sat there in disbelief. A babe, just two, with no understanding of the world – and this is what she is teaching him. My heart honestly dropped. This boy has no concept of right and wrong, this boy just wants to please his mum. He did what she said, obviously practiced in the art of giving someone the finger. He wouldn’t stand still, and she was getting mad at him. The whole situation just made my heart fall into my belly – heartbreaking. As a mum of four, a teacher and a therapist dedicated to improving children’s lives, I honestly couldn’t believe how someone could just snatch a child’s innocence away.

That was until I remembered that like replicates like. What we are is what we will have. What we do is what they will do. What we show, model, or demonstrate is who they will become despite our words.

I looked at the mum again and thought she is trying her best. But how could she help her children become better If she first didn’t become better herself. If we tell our children what to do but don’t do it, we become just words. There is no respect there from our children as they get older. But if we say and do. Now there is real power.

The mum and cute boy walked off and I wondered what will become of his life. What will he endure in his years? And if at two he is taught to pull the fingers what will he be taught at 5, 10, 13, and 18. My heart aches for those children of society. Who don’t know better, don’t see better and who really have no way out.

It reminded me that my power of influence with my children is truely immeasurable. That though as teens I think they don’t listen; their ears and eyes are wide open – more so when they are babes.

What can I say to give this experience justice? To feel like by our works we can make some positive difference in the lives of children like this. I debated talking to her, and a range of other actions, but nothing made sense. This summer may we have the eyes to see others around us, and the hands to do what we can to make the world a better place – whatever that may be. May we choose to provide for those in need who can’t help themselves, be a voice where there is none, and an example of what can be. May we be the purposeful and intentional intervention that may be needed in the lives of others. And while we rightfully enjoy our holidays, may our hearts ever be towards those who can’t.

Happy New Year Without Limits Family, create your best #naturalchildhoodmovement yet.

With blessings,

Leanne  

Pushing our children to ‘learn’

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Assessing Neuro Motor Readiness for Learning

 

The joys and excitement of a child turning five is celebrated as a rite of passage. The child growing up, going to ‘big school’ and putting on their new uniform brings delight to parents and teachers. But when is a child really ready for school? How can we tell if they are going to succeed or not? Are there ways to tell if a child is school ready? Or do they turn five and are magically able to adjust? Can we help them learn? What are the keys for success? And how can we help them?

We know that child development is fluid – children develop faster or slower than others, but generally all children follow the same milestones of development despite country, culture and race.  This development is physical, mental and emotional and these factors are interrelated in a wholistic way meaning they are all interdependent on each other. For example, the maturity of the emotions is largely dependent on maturity of the mind, just as maturity of the mind is impacted by maturity of the emotions.  However there has been little discussion as to how the maturity of the physical body also impacts mental maturity and agility and visa-versa. Can we know if a child is ready for school by reading their physical capabilities?

The truth is we can! We can see if a child will start school on the upper hand or not if we look past the a,b,c’s and 1, 2, 3’s.  As teachers we have tended to do away with assessing children too young – and for good reason.  However, we have also done away with observing and ensuring children reach their developmental milestones physically.  The assumption is that “all children will get there eventually” and while this may be true in part it does not help the child and adults working with children best provide for their physical development alongside their mental and emotional development. In fact, if children do not meet their physical milestones it can hinder their progress in other areas.  And don’t we all want to give our children the best possible start? Why allow delay if it is not necessary.

Let me explain.  Primitive reflexes are apart of our central nervous system and are meant to be there until around one year of age.  It is at this time that they begin to transition into postural reflexes.  We need these postural reflexes to help defy gravity, give us good posture and fluid movement all through life.  But most importantly these postural reflexes allow us to continually operate in our mature brain, that is the part at the front of the head which problem solves, evaluates and does other executive functions.  Without getting too technical – primitive reflexes come from the brain stem and spinal cord.  Postural reflexes release these so that we are free to operate in our mid-brain and cortex – the thinking brain.

It is for this reason that assessment of the primitive and postural reflexes at 5 will determine the physical maturity of the child and subsequently the ability to operate in their cortex long-term.  Primitive reflexes are like a ‘trigger’ to a child’s brain. Any movement of the head or limbs causes different reflexes to operate to distract and interrupt the child’s processes. Some reflexes such as the ATNR will even cause involuntary movement of the arms upon head rotation.  I’m sure you know this child.  The one with the messy sloping handwriting, or the one who children always say “he hit me” only to have the child emphatically deny it.  Or the one who is constantly ‘clumsy’. This is because reflexes are not conscious.  They are rooted in our subconscious primitive minds.  It’s cause and effect.  Turn head, arm goes out.

However, with a specific movement programme tailored to release these reflexes, the child can be free of the annoying and damaging effects of them.  This programme can be undertaken at home one on one with a parent, or in preschools and schools by trained teachers. Age is no barrier for the programme it can work at any age, yet at 5 we can see how the child will transition into primary school and support this process. The assessment tool also helps us recognise the signs and symptoms of neuro motor immaturity in the classroom.

No longer do children need to live with the emotional insecurity and fight/flight reactions of the Moro reflex.  Or the inability to ride a bike, or handwriting issues, mid-line crossing and co-ordination difficulties of the ATNR. Or the postural distractions, inability to swim, and constant wriggle of the STNR.  Even issues with speech and language can be helped and healed through remediating the TLR. When we understand what is causing the behaviours we can then set about freeing the child from them.

These are all constant issues for children every day of their life that the adults around them and they themselves are largely unaware of. They live with them continuously and when it is time for big school the adults wonder why they cannot still hold a pencil, draw a circle, or sit still on the mat. They aren’t ‘naughty kids’, their bodies and brains just aren’t communicating well yet. But they can. Both teachers and parents can access this support for their child at school or at home. We can see if a child is ready for formal learning at 5, and the good news is we can help them if they aren’t.

If you know a child who suffers from these symptoms there is help! If you are a teacher, you can help all your class become physically ready for formal learning by registering your interest in the one-day teachers’ course here. Or fill out our initial screening questionaire on the here to see if your child needs this support.

 

Recognising Reflexes in Education

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Giggles and laughter are heard as children run through the playgroup at their local early childhood centre.  The jovial noise brings light to the teacher’s eyes and knowing smiles on their faces.  The game of chase is progressing, yet there is that one child – the one who doesn’t quite seem to know his body.  He runs along, giggling and joining in with the rest, but he seems awkward.  Balls are now being thrown in a game of catch, and he hesitates unsure if he should attempt to catch it.  But too late, it’s coming, straight for him.  Smack!  It hits him in the face and his friends run off laughing to find another game.  The boy shakes his head unsure how he could have missed it, exasperated that he never really gets it.  And he wonders why.

This is not such an uncommon scenario in the early childhood setting or any primary school for that matter.  As parents and educators, we can see when a child is aware of their body and feels comfortable with physical movement.  In fact, it is our goal as educators to help our children succeed in this area as learning as we know that learning does not only happen in the brain.  We desire to progress children academically, socially, and physically – hence the multi-dimensionality of our curriculum Te Whaariki, and The New Zealand Curriculum. But is the impact of physical IQ really understood in the day to day running of schools and preschools? Are we aware and trained in recognizing primitive reflexes and their impact in the class? Do we know how to help our children even if we can see it?

Here are just some of the ways that Primitive Reflexes (our bodies naturally survival system in infancy), can impact children’s development and academic achievement if they are not integrated into our physical system.

POSITIVE AFFECTS OF PRIMITIVE REFLEXES

Help us to navigate the birth canal

Provides a way to receive help in early life

Keep our airway clear for breathing

Provide visual stimulation in the early months

Provides the first hand-eye coordination

Provides survival mechanism in severe injury

Helps with initial feeding

 

 


 NEGATIVE AFFECTS.

Affects how our eyes work

Struggle with bi-lateral movements

The body isn’t fully under our control

Can’t compensate for uncoordination

Academic difficulties by year 3

Sits W legged

Low muscle tone resulting in inadequate posture at mat time

Hits first thinks later child

Inadequate chair posture – slumping

Uncoordinated at sports/ swimming

Can be the class clown for acceptance

Overly anxious/ shy

Struggles sitting still

Look, I don’t want to portray that reflexes are always bad.  They are part of us for a reason.  We need them – especially postural reflexes.  But when primitive reflexes stay with us too long (past four years of age) they actually hinder our learning process instead of helping us.  We become controlled by them rather than controlling them.  Now over many, many years, we can grow into adulthood and they hardly exhibit their influence because we learn to compensate so well.  We make adjustments because we know how our body will respond despite that response not being what it should be.  But why should we put up with them when the solution is so easy?  Why should we have to make allowances, make exceptions and excuses? Why, when we can help all children succeed both physically and help academically by making stronger body-brain connections?

                                                         Ruvehan Cohen-Raz said “There is nothing in the mind that cannot be seen in the posture.” Physical literacy            is  just as important as mental literacy.

A child’s posture shows us what is happening in the child’s mind and if we value academics, education, learning and positive social behaviour then we need to ensure that we are training the child’s physical capabilities not just their mental capabilities.  The body and brain work in such close correlation with one another that they rely on each other for input (proprioception and vestibular adjustment to name just two). The brain cannot work without the body and the body cannot work without the brain.  As parents, educators and leaders of children, we need to ensure that their learning experiences are well-rounded, holistic and physically challenging.  Let’s do the best job we can with the children in our care.  Let’s help them succeed.  Let’s teach them how to move.

 

Do you need help identifying and remediating reflexes with your children? Contact us now for details of the one-day teachers course in Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning. assess nmr

Many children ‘unable to hold a pencil or sit still’ at five

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Check out this article by Graeme Paton, Education editor of the Telegraph UK. Interesting reading.

 

Sally Goddard Blythe, an expert in early education, recommends screening children for basic physical problems at five, saying developmental difficulties can have a major bearing on later academic results. 

 

Sally Goddard Blythe, director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology in Chester, said many early physical problems currently went undetected. All infants should be given physical checks at the age of five amid concerns too many children are starting school unable to hold a pencil, sit still or stand up straight, according to a leading academic. Basic screening should be introduced to mark out pupils who lack the fundamental physical attributes needed to take part in lessons, it was claimed.

Sally Goddard Blythe, director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology in Chester, said the tests were needed because large numbers of children with basic developmental problems were “slipping through the net”. In a new book, she insisted there was a clear link between poor physical co-ordination in primary school and performance in literacy and numeracy tests taken at the age of 11, she said. Research has suggested as many as half of children have an underlying problem with undeveloped physical skills. Difficulties are likely to be getting worse because of a reduction in the amount of time spent playing outdoors over the last 30 or 40 years, she said, with rising numbers of children remaining glued to TV screens and games consoles.

The comments follow concerns from Baroness Campbell, the former head of UK Sport, that thousands of children are growing up “physically illiterate” because of a lack emphasis on sport and exercise at a young age. Mrs Goddard Blythe said physical coordination, balance and good posture was needed before the start of school to allow children to develop the fine motor skills required to hold a pencil in lessons. “If basic physical skills are underdeveloped, children are going to struggle with dependent learning tasks,” she said.

“It introduces a mechanical problem in the action of writing, which may just interfere with how much a child writes or what their handwriting looks like. But in some cases it can also interfere with the ability to think and write at the same time; to express thoughts in written form. “These physical problems act as mechanical barriers to the ability to translate information from the brain, through the body onto paper.”

The book – Neuromotor Immaturity in Children and Adults – said that children were currently checked for major medical problems throughout the early years without being screened for the development of physical skills. Mrs Goddard Blythe told the Telegraph physical screening should take place at the age of four or five, with repeat tests at eight and 11 before pupils move on to secondary education. Tests should include being able to stand on one leg, stand upright for several seconds while opening and closing their eyes and walking along an invisible straight line heel to toe, she suggested. Pupils who struggle the most can be given simple physical exercises to enable them to reapply the reflexes and physical coordination they should have picked up as toddlers, she said.  Without these attributes, many young people lack the physical maturity needed to support skills such as balance, hand-eye coordination, the control of eye movements needed to read and even the ability to sit still, it was claimed.

Mrs Goddard-Blythe said the main causes were medical problems in pregnancy, birth or the first year of life, which combine together to “interfere with the normal development” of children. But she said there may be other “social and environmental factors that are contributing”, adding: “Children are not getting the same physical opportunities for free exploration, play and movement that the got 30 or 40 years ago. There may be social and environmental reasons behind these rates of neuro-motor development.”

 

FIDGET SPINNERS: A Crazy Craze or a Teacher’s Toolbox

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Fidget spinners are currently all the rage in most households, schools and preschools in New Zealand. With some schools banning them and others embracing them what is the impact of these toys on children’s learning and development? Do our children benefit from such a thing, or are they just too hard to manage in a classroom?

Many schools have now banned Fidget Spinners (along with our childhood fun such as marbles, and bulrush), and some like Palmerston North’s Roslyn School are using them as teaching tools. So how do we know if they are beneficial or bust? Taking a look at how children learn helps us understand if they have a role in the classroom.

We all learn through different ways – these are called learning styles and they are separated into the broad groups of: visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. Visual means we learn through seeing, auditory means we learn mostly through listening, and kinaesthetic means we learn mostly through moving.

In fact, all learning is based in movement from the time we are in utero until the time we die. To see, our eyes move and focus, our ear drums move when we hear and our body is in constant movement as we take information through all of our other senses. This is the one aspect of learning that does not change as we age we just become more sophisticated at doing it.

We as individuals will be more dominant in one of these methods. Visual and kinesthetic are the more prominent learning styles with auditory being the least. (Are you now questioning why so much of our educational system is based on listening? You are right to wonder, but that is another topic!)

Fidget spinners are the latest craze but they are not new in terms of teaching aids in the classroom. For decades teachers have allowed highly tactile, kinesthetic children small toys and manipulatives to hold quietly to help increase their listening capacity and focus on tasks. These have mostly been used with children with special educational needs particularly Autism and ADHD.
Yet, even now, big companies are utilising methods such as stress balls, walking meetings and a range of workspaces to benefit business productivity through movement! As adults, we are learning that movement helps focus and focus equal learning.

As a mum of four, with three boys, I fully understand the need for children to move when learning – do boys ever sit still? However, also, as a teacher, I completely understand how distracting it can be to other children when some children are fidgeting in the classroom! So how do we best meet each child’s needs, and also use their interests to shape their learning experience?

So do Fidget Spinners need to be banned? I don’t think so. I think that clever teachers can maximise them for benefits to both children and teachers. Does this take time and effort, absolutely! However, if children are showing such an interest in something it makes sense to use that interest to teach the curriculum. If we are trying to raise children to love learning the question we need to ask is why do we continually take away the things that they most love, such as fields, sports, arts, a range of games, and now Fidget Spinners?

If schools are open to finding ways to use this interest, the Inquiry learning method has the potential to do just that. It takes real life problems and interests and researches, teaches and creates methods of learning for that interest. Using Inquiry in the classroom is one-way Fidget spinners can move out of the ‘toy craze’ category and into the teaching tool category.

This is what we see in the example of Roslyn School.  Suggestions for schools could be to adopt an “if you make your own you can have one” policy, make them as part of the curriculum, or set boundaries around their use, such as only in particular lessons, or at particular times in the classroom.

Like any other item in a classroom Fidget Spinners must be used within the rules of the classroom and teachers can maximise their use to reward and change behaviour. This creates a win-win. Children are born to move and through movement, all learning happens. Fidgeting is just one way that children can expel pent-up energy so that they have the control to focus.

Another way to help children focus is to activate their vestibular system through spinning. Stand the children up, have them spin three times to the right with a ten second eyes closed count after, and then three times to the left with a ten-second eyes closed count after. This will satisfy the brain’s need for movement and allow the child to focus on the task in front of them.fidget-2363067_1920

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