REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
Dee’s Message
2 September 2022
Dear Parents and Caregivers, With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday, many of the children in the ELS spent time this week creating something memorable for their dads and other special men in their lives. There was much excited chatter, especially among the older children, as they described these men who mean so much to them. Although the children might still have a limited language and vocabulary, their animated expressions and sparkly eyes told all that was needed about their special dads and significant men. One activity which children love to mimic is when they see their parents or other adults building and making things. This interest is often transferred to the classroom or to their own play experiences, as they can be seen excitedly constructing houses, driving cars and building bridges. And many of those activities revolve around the very simple ‘block’. One educator reminds us that “Despite the advances in gadgets and devices, blocks should still be at the top of the toy list for
children. Many toys are marketed as giving children the very best start by purchasing the latest technology. But let’s not forget about the humble block. Blocks have been part of children’s play for a long time, yet there’s still no other toy that compares in promoting all areas of children’s development. Any early childhood educator can easily identify all the areas block play develops including fine motor, social, language and cognitive skills.” In an age of computers, television, smartphones, video games and other technological distractions, it is heartening that a child’s innate sense of discovery and creativity can be set free through the simplest of tools. And that while enjoying themselves they are also developing a host of other cognitive, social and physical skills. Enjoy celebrating the special men in your family this weekend! Dee Pitcairn Principal
REDDAM EARLY LEARNING SCHOOL | WOOLLAHRA NEWSLETTER
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