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Early Learning
Are there good TV shows for children?
Screen time is part of life for most families. But how much is too much and is there such a thing as quality television? Television can be part of a healthy lifestyle and gives you the chance to model a healthy and balanced approach to screen use.
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Early Learning
The role of gestures in a child's learning
Many of us speak with our hands and now experts suggest always using our hands when talking with children. While young children are forming and expanding their vocabulary, gestures help them bridge the gap between words and the world they live in.
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Early Learning
Helping children build language skills
David Loyst has been studying and teaching about parenting for over 30 years as a speech language pathologist, autism consultant, and parent coach. He says it helps to think not just about language development, but ‘expressive’ language development.
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Early Learning
Let’s chat! Conversations with infants
While babies are born with an innate ability to tune into language, their language development is shaped by the kinds of interactions they experience from birth. Professor of Early Childhood Sheila Degotardi looks at the importance of conversation.
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Early Learning
Quality programs for birth to threes
Many parents are anxious about sending very young children to a long-day-care centre. Professor of Early Childhood Sheila Degotardi answers the questions: Should parents be worried? What does research tell us about the impact on very young children?
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Early Learning
Boys lagging behind when school starts
What role do biology and society play in boys not being as developmentally ready to start school as girls? Right from birth, boys and girls don’t begin life on the same starting block. The impact of this is a question researchers are trying to unravel.
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Early Learning
Child speech development milestones
A child's first word is an exciting time, but often we don’t recognise that preparation for speech starts much earlier than those first recognisable sounds. As parents smile and talk with babies, they are listening to the sounds that make up language.
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Early Learning
A parent's gift guide for sensory play
We want to buy gifts our children will enjoy, but taking a moment to look at our choices through the eyes of an occupational therapist can influence our selection in ways that can also help our child build confidence, resilience and self care skills.
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