Guest Authors

Because there is so much to think about ensuring movement is available for all children, this month, I will cover ‘making movement engaging for all children’ and next month, I will look at sensory activities. My experiences I have spent many...

Adjusting to the next ‘new normal’ I was interested to read an article on LinkedIn by Simon Barrington recently which suggested that we need to be ready for ‘Reverse Culture Shock’ as we exit lockdown. I’ve heard of a culture shock before – the...

Raising children involves sharing our everyday experiences with them. We gradually introduce them to situations which they may face one day, providing them with skills for independent, successful lives. By relating to children’s everyday...

This article is the first article in a series of six from Sensory Engagement and Inclusion Specialist, Joanna Grace, the activities described in each article build up to form a toolkit for celebrating difference and neurodivergence within your...

All too often we see responsibility as something children will automatically acquire as soon as they are old enough. However, responsibility is a complex process. It is not simply about being old enough or independent enough. Responsibility is...

Here are 6 things that I believe children need to learn in order to step into being their best self… 1. To accept imperfections and failure  Failure is a part of success and imperfect moments give us an opportunity to learn and grow. People who...

It is fascinating that so many people in early years settings say they lack self-confidence. A trusted colleague once said that although early years is a safe place where skilled adults enable children to grow and flourish, so often these highly...

Not getting done what you need to do? Too busy to do the important things? The subject of procrastination often surfaces in coaching conversations – when people are just not getting done what they need to do. This case study might help you raise...

Lockdown has brought with it a precarious balancing act of responsibilities; home-schooling alongside work commitments is no easy task. With the strains of managing this balance, you may have also noticed that your child has begun to miss going...

In my last article, I wrote about children who bite in response to feeling stressed or anxious. I spoke about how, for children who experience sensory differences, the environment can sometimes be a trigger. Finding sensory ways for the...

Here are the 5 most important life lessons that I feel we can teach children: You are good enough So many people have an underlying belief that they aren’t good enough and are always striving to be better or to change. Social media doesn’t help...

As society progresses, more activities are moving online. As a result, physical activity is becoming a hot topic for all ages, and even more so during times of restriction like lockdown. Long gone are the days for most families where children...

Lockdown has changed so much for children. They see very few of the familiar adults and friends who usually inhabit their small world. Much-loved activities are no longer available. Playgrounds are restricted and libraries are shut. And most...

I recently came across a statistic about how many hours per week people read in different countries of the world. Perhaps not surprisingly the UK ranked fairly lowly on this chart, with the average person reading only around 5 hours per week...

Keeping sane at the school of mum and dad! We have barely set foot in 2021 and the UK is back in lockdown again. Primary and secondary school pupils are mostly learning from home whilst the doors of early years settings are, at the time of...

Maths can be tricky in the early years because working with numbers is such a conceptual topic - there is no object that is a "four", for example. You cannot pick up  a "four". You cannot smell a "four". And the younger the child, the more...

A positive daily routine that will nurture emotional wellbeing Routine can be good for children because it gives them a sense of security. By knowing what to expect, they can feel safe in their environment and can flex their ‘discipline muscle’,...

Over the past twenty years, one of the many key changes in early education and childcare has been the focus on continuing the education of practitioners in the field through developing professionalism and reflective practice. It is known that...

In my last article, I wrote about mouthing. At the end of it, I explained that mouthing is not to be confused for biting. Mouthing is an exploratory activity. There are people who feel a need to bite. This type of biting is not the boundary...

Maths anxiety is real and impacts people’s lives. Failing to address it is not an option as our world is inherently mathematical and our children need to be confident where maths is concerned. By taking some simple steps, we can support every...

Through social media and my business, Early Years Story Box, I had the pleasure of speaking to an early years professional who really gave me food for thought and made me question if we could possibly be doing more to support children who speak...

I currently have a new little assistant to work with at The Sensory Projects, this week he has been reminding me of a skill I talk about often on my training days: mouthing. Mouthing is currently more interesting to him than anything else. My...

I’m not prejudiced, am I? Unpicking unconscious bias The year 2020 has not been easy for many but as humans, we are very resilient and are beginning 2021 with optimism and hope. The coronavirus pandemic highlighted for me that phrase, “We’re all...

Should phonics be taught in Nursery? It is an interesting question. Some may say: children of this age are far too young to learn phonics, let them play! children have too much to do already without learning to read before they are 4 children do...

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” - Henry James Kindness is not just a feeling. It is a skill that takes children years to develop. All too often we talk...

Why has music survived as long as it has? For the longest time, science has asked this question – why is music still a part of our lives today? Since the beginning of time, people have recorded their everyday activities: from the Egyptian...

Adding positive touch to stories and rhymes The enjoyment of stories and rhymes is as natural and intuitive as sharing the benefits of nurturing touch. The Story Massage Programme is a fun way of bringing storytelling and positive touch together...

During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of changes have happened within our environments and our working practices. Even though we understand these changes and the reasons for them, they can still be unsettling. Some people may have...

It can be tricky getting little ones to sleep at any time. No excuse is needed, no reason is necessary – they want to stay awake to stay near you. During uncertain times, when routines go out of the window, it can be tricky to get ourselves as...

I am autistic. The pertinence of this to you is that having an autistic brain means I am capable of taking in vast amounts of information and organising this. A skill I use when I write articles about the sensory world for Parenta. Experience...