Have you used a Talking Tub before? I only recently found out about them and loved the idea so much I'm trying it with my toddler (22 months old). I attended a Talking Tub webinar (How Do You Use A Talking Tub To Stimulate Talking and Thinking) by Claire Warden at Mindstretchers. After loving her webinar on the Floor Book approach I knew this was something I really wanted to do. As with the Floor Book approach, Talking Tubs have been designed to use in Early Learning Centres with groups of children. But I can see the value in using... Read more →
I have a toddler (22 months old) who loves to draw. He likes to draw on his legs, he likes to draw on the walls. He will draw wherever he can. I don't want to stop him from drawing, I want to support him! He has an innate need to draw, to scribble, to make marks. We know that a scribble is more than a scribble. It's emotion, expression, creativity, it's communication. The more the toddler can express themselves and be heard, the better!! I want more scribbling, more expression. It's also concentration, focus, autonomy. I've set up a small... Read more →
We know that it is important to observe our toddlers, to see what schemas and sensitive periods they are in. We may know what activities are suited to their level of development (stacking, sorting, matching, climbing) but what about their interests? Their interests are important too. We may think that our toddler doesn't have any interests but if we watch - what is it that captures their attention more than anything else, what do they always want to stop to touch, reach out for, stop to listen too? Sometimes interests pass quickly, sometimes they are seasonal, sometimes they last a... Read more →
Parenting a toddler can be tough. We are constantly trying to do the best by them while also surviving, looking after other family members and perhaps working long hours. Society is often working against us, offering electronic devices and underwater worlds of talking octapuses or singing pigs, that actually keep the little ones entertained. What Montessori found and what I've found is that what the toddler is actually interested in, is the world around them! What fascinates a toddler is often the little things, the ants on the walkways, little rocks and stones, sometimes the big things, the banging recycling... Read more →