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Issue 3, 2004 NEWSLETTER

The Experience of SpaceThe Pleasure of Place

By Jim Greenman

How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully one goes they hold you – you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences – little rags and shreds of your very life. - Katherine Mansfield

Our first space was a person – inside that warm, wet, dark womb that enveloped us, nurtured us, cushioned us, and literally flooded our senses. Then we burst out into the open and the roller coaster of life was on. We inhabit spaces, move through them, turn them into places – to love, or hate, or anything in between. Ezra Pound said that poetry is language charged with meaning. Places are spaces charged with meaning. Spaces surround us – places have the capacity to release the energy invested in feelings; we care about them and often in some sense own them, they lay claim to our memories, and often our affection or antipathy. Places shape the way we think, feel, and behave – they influence who we are.

Space Speaks

Space speaks to each of us: sometimes with a whisper, sometimes with a scream. Long corridors whisper run to a child, picket fences invite children and the child in us to trail our hands along the slats. Low branches may scream: climb me, or a puddle exort: don’t walk on by, jump here! We learn that places and physical objects have emotional messages of warmth, pleasure, solemnity, or fear They may have action messages of come close, touch me, stay away; “I’m strong,” or “I’m fragile.”

Spaces do more than speak – they load our bodies and minds with sensory information. Alfred Mehrabian introduced the concept of environmental load: how the amount, complexity, familiarity, flow, and intensity of environmental stimuli affects our behaviour and feelings A high load of information flowing through our sensory organs into our brains, particularly new and unfamiliar information, triggers a physiological response that generates intense emotional reactions: fear, flight, excitement, anxiety, or anticipation. High load subways, shopping concourses, festivals, carnivals, and nightclubs can generate lots of stimulation coming from different directions, random and unexpected, unfamiliar and sometimes confusing. Sensory overload is immediate: the smells, the motion around us, the kaleidoscopic visual stream that the people and the walls present, and above all else, the noise – loud screeching noise that amplifies the neurochemical jolt already brought on by all the other sensations. Our hormones, blood pressure, respiratory rates, muscle tension, and digestion can all be affected – even in those of us who like subways. We may get pumped up and love it, or hyperventilate and flee.

ENVIRONMENTAL LOAD

Environmental Stimuli
- amount
- complexity
- familiarity
- flow
- intensity

High Load – Subway, amusement park, battle zone, rain forest, storm
Medium Load – Supermarket, busy kitchen, park, playground
Low Load – church, library, bedroom

Low load environments are the opposite: stimulation is modulated, familiar, simple, and patterned. Bedrooms, familiar quiet places, libraries, and some offices are environments that relax, calm, and soothe – or have you climbing the walls from the lack of stimulation and boredom.

Hot colors like reds, yellows, and oranges stimulate and excite most of us; they are often used in restaurants because they are thought to stimulate our appetites and speed up our eating. Thus, we eat more and leave sooner, making room for others to gulp down more food. Cool colors like blue can act to calm (or chill). Sounds and smells deliver their own messages. The smell of frying onions triggers a physiological response that stimulates our appetites. Other smells trigger disgust or nostalgia. Rhythmic sounds affect heart rates. At a gambling casino, a state fair, or in a meadow, all of our senses come into play and influence our mood and our choice of behaviour.

Space speaks to our emotions

We build images of places, meaningful spaces, out of fragments of experiences, experiences significant to us for reasons of our own. Our memories, imaginings, hopes, and dreams transform places and things. The places in our lives inhabit us and get under our skins. The romantic charm of a cottage or airy sun porch, the foreboding danger of a dark alleyway, the excitement or anxiety brought on by the big city, all grow out of our interpretations of the physical realities. The televised glimpses of Disney World embed in a child’s mind – a place of eternal excitement.

Objects speak to us

Furniture influences our behaviour and our feelings. Crisp orderly office furnishings compels order, straight backs, and clean desks. Most living room furniture seems to invite lounging, reading, or snacking; expensive furniture often implies careful formality – no spills please.

Objects lay claim to our feelings because of associations and qualities of the objects. Wood, leather, stone, adobe, and brick objects beckon to be touched. Objects made of these materials tend to wear with grace. The smoothings and cracks and weathering and nicks often add character. Contrast the old wooden school desk, with its history etched in the carvings and nicks, with the metal and laminate materials of modern styles. Peeling paint, chipped veneer or concrete block, torn polyester, and broken metal are all evidence of wear that repel us.

Space is individual and cultural

Some men go through a forest and see no firewood. Others see only firewood. - Old English Proverb

Our experience of space and time is individual, but it occurs in a cultural context. We are born with different sensory capacity and our experience is unique, but culture mediates our experience – it becomes part of our nervous system; it influences our fundamental physical perception of the world. From birth, children learn to attend to some perceptual stimuli and ignore others; find meaning and security or menace in familiar sights, smells, sounds, and objects. Culture shapes whether we feel safe or exposed, crowded, at home or lost in a space; whether the space is high load or low load. Culture grows and shapes our nervous system – our wiring for the sensory recognition of the nuances of stimulation: whether we recognise thin ice or the approach of a storm, our discrimination of the discreet sounds of city life or forest sounds. Certainly culture shapes our sense of what is safe, beautiful, crowded, functional, and desirable.

Our individual physical make up and experience obviously shape our experience of places. Our size, physical abilities or disabilities, and our sensory capacity influences whether an environment supports our competence and our sense of well being.

Children are not like us

Childhood has its own way of seeing, thinking, and feeling and nothing is more foolish than to try and substitute ours for theirs. -Jean Jacques Rousseau

Children and adults inhabit different sensory worlds. Imagine a young infant’s world of smell, touch, and taste – a world where you see and hear more than you look and listen – where you, in effect, think with your body and actions, and your whole body is your only means of reacting – where many sensations are new and unfamiliar; unexpected and uncategorised. Your whole world is high load so you shut down at will to manage. Consider the way that young children run from place to place. Children respond to the sensory and motor messages of space, while adults are more utilitarian – we assess for order and function, cleanliness and safety. Will the space bend to our will?

Young children investigate the world with their entire body and entire sensory apparatus – skin, ears eyes, nose, and mouth. Children feel the world to make sense of it. What we often don’t notice are the elements that a child will zoom in on: the right place with the right shape, like a tight angular corner between the wall and a couch or the excitement of a perch; the right sight and sound, like a vantage point from which to watch and hear the torrential rain pouring out of the gutter and splashing to the ground below; or the right feel, be it gooey or slimy. We, who don’t inhabit the floor, undervalue the hot, sunny spot on the floor that draws cats and babies. We are not drawn to the pile of dirt or the hole, to the puddle or dew, or the rough spot where the plaster is chipping away that beckons small fingers. We don’t look for creatures or water or opportunities for make believe. Aside from using the shower and our cars to become momentary singing stars and feeling hushed in libraries and churches, adults rarely assess spaces in terms of their potential for noise making or movement To children, forever being shushed and stilled, that dimension is no small matter. Adults appraise, admire, and search for connecting memories; they use the environment as their instrument. Children with no such worthy sensibilities are free to simply absorb experience. To their eyes, there is beauty in both flowers and weeds, and wonder in ants and acorns.

Children’s experience of place is more than absorbing the sensory experience – it anchors them in the human community. Each transformation of space into place connects them to us who also inhabit the space.

I most vividly and longingly recall the sight of my grandson and his little sunburn sister returning to their kitchen door from an excursion, with trophies of the meadows clutched in their hands – she with a couple of violets, and smiling, he serious and holding dandelions, strangling them in a responsible grip. Children hold spring so tightly in their brown fists – just as grownups, who are less sure of it, hold it in their hearts.
- E. B. White (Letters of E. B. White, 1977)

Space influences how we feel and behave

As an example of how space influences our behaviour and feelings, consider how the physical space structures the ease of our entry and exit. Doors carry a greater sense of finality than open entryways; doors without windows are particularly formidable. Opening a door brings with it a sense of promise or peril. Who knows what the greeting will be? What will be taking place within? Will my teacher be there or will it be a stranger? Are they doing my favourite thing? Will I feel stupid? Will I be able to leave?

Closing the door ends an experience. It’s over. Am I glad? Sad? Content? Ambivalent? Some exits are dramatic, some routine. Foyers and open space between the entry and the action allow a more measured entry, as do windows that allow us to peer into the space that we will enter. Children (and adults) are not all the same, of course. Some children plunge headlong into experiences like fearless divers; others from birth are more wary or mindful, preferring a toe-by-toe approach. The world is a much less familiar place to children than to adults. They often don’t see things coming; don’t imagine what lies ahead. Each day brings new wonder and unexpected trials. It must appear to many children that their lives can change as quickly as a tropical day can change from sunshine to rain. Their control over themselves is often shaky, and they find themselves in situations that bring on anxiety and fear. How pathways and entries are structured – whether there are staging areas and observation points, for instance, places off the beaten path – makes a difference. When the physical space does not allow a measured entry or exit, there is an increased responsibility on the part of adults to make greeting and departure a positive experience.

But what’s the big deal? We go in and out and learn to adapt. Yes, but at our best, we recognise and honour the complexity of experience. Separation is central to coming and going in children’s programs – for children and parents. So is entering and leaving the group. Whether a source of pain or hard-won pride, it is always to some degree an emotional experience. The more abrupt the transition, the more difficult the experience. Yet a seamless transition is not the answer, either. Both adults and children benefit from in-between transition space (and time). Lovers and friends need time and space to separate and come together.

Paying attention

Elizabeth Prescott at Pacific Oaks used the technique of having students visualise from memories of their childhood and then visualise what it is like to be a child inhabiting the spaces we create (a technique later popularised by Anita Olds and others). It works to sensitise us to the territory of childhood. But another powerful tool is to simply try and pay attention to how the environment influences you today – everyday. How do you feel approaching a closed door or a meandering path? Deconstruct a high load environment that energises you or makes you flee. Where are your off the beaten path places that keep you sane or thoughtful or able to handle the anxiety or sadness that seeps into our lives?

Age two or twenty, four or forty, places matter.

Jim Greenman is senior vice president of CorporateFamily Solutions. He is the co-author with Anne Stonehouse of Prime Times – A Handbook for Excellence in Infant and Toddler Programs (Redleaf Press, 1996) and author of Caring Spaces, Learning Places (Exchange Press, 1988).

Recognition of Current Competency - Assessment only

In addition to delivering quality training programs, One World also offers an assessment only service, known as a recognition of current competency process, or up-front assessment.

RCC is a streamlined process of assessment of the competencies that a person has gained through life, work and formal study. Assessment is undertaken by our trained assessors against the competency standards required for each qualification. RCC can lead to either a statement of attainment, or a complete qualification.

The Community Services Training Package (CSTP) recognises that as lifelong learners we all acquire knowledge and develop skills over our lifetime. That’s why training packages introduced recognition of current competency, and in so doing, paved the way for many skilled and knowledgeable practitioners to achieve their career aspirations, sooner, rather than later.

The introduction of the CSTP in 1999 enabled our team to develop an RCC process that has enabled individuals to gain, or to work towards gaining, a children’s services or out of school hours care qualification from Australian Qualifications Framework Level 3 (AQF3) through to an Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services (AQF6).

An RCC process is primarily a self funded service, although it is at times available as a government funded program in the ACT.

Five years on and One World has developed yet another innovative program – RCC online.

The development of the online RCC program came from a desire to make the process less daunting and more user-friendly for our participants.

An important component of the RCC assessment process is the evidence portfolio. It can be a time consuming task to develop a portfolio that adequately addresses each of the competency’s elements and performance criteria, and to gather evidence and supporting documentation.

• In recognising this One World has developed an online program that steps you through developing your portfolio using templates.
• This program simplifies and streamlines the RCC process for the participant by providing an individual assessment plan available to the participant on their MyWorld homepage, which outlines in detail each of the competencies the participant is required to include in their portfolio.
• It also provides access to the required competency templates within a password protected site, enabling participants to work on their portfolio, save, and come back to it, whenever they like, wherever they have access to the internet.
• To assist even further, we provide practical tips for each competency along the way, with suggestions for further evidence and requests for specific supporting documentation when required.
• Our assessors are also able to view your portfolio online, and are available to provide you with specific feedback to assist you further in the development of your portfolio.
• When all competencies on your assessment plan are completed you can submit online as a completed document, and mail your hardcopy documents to your assessor.
• Of course, on-the-job competency is still assessed in your workplace, and online doesn’t mean out of touch! As always, we maintain frequent contact with you throughout the RCC process, guiding you and providing support and assistance whenever needed.

RCC is a valid process that ensures that you are not offered structured training for competencies you have already achieved, and that you gain appropriate recognition for the competencies you have already acquired.

RCC online is a convenient and well designed program to assist participants to gain their qualification through an RCC process.

Holiday Hours

One World’s training office will remain open over the December/January period as per usual, except the scheduled VIC public holidays.

During this time there will be no on the job visits to services, but trainers will be available to assist with all training enquiries.

If participants require more packages please ring or email our office.

We look forward to catching up with you all in the new year.

Do You Communicate Clearly? Consider this...

You communicate with dozens of people every day.  You communicate verbally and in writing, to parents, children, and co-workers.  While you may already be a great communicator, consider this…

Do you use clear, concise messages?

Consider what happened to a centre in a neighbouring community. The centre serves a community of approximately 75,000 people and competes with a number of other providers. The centre is unique in that it is the only one that has Spanish-speaking caregivers in a largely Hispanic area. However, few people knew this. The fact that staff spoke Spanish was buried in the back of a long brochure in a list of 12 benefits.

If you have something to communicate, be clear and concise!  If what you have to communicate is important, don’t cover it with unimportant information.

Do you use jargon-free language?

Consider what happened when Mrs. Smith was looking for a child care centre for her son.  Mrs. Smith called a number of centres both near her home and close to where she worked.  The more people she spoke with, the more confused she became. One director asked Mrs. Smith what special needs her child might have. While the director was referring to special needs such as attention deficit disorder, Mrs. Smith thought that the director meant something else. Another director said that her centre was licensed by the State of Illinois. Mrs. Smith, unfortunately, had no idea what that meant to the care of her son. 

Don’t assume that people understand terminology specific to the child care field.  Whenever you use a term specific to child care, offer an explanation.

What does your non-verbal communication say?

Consider what happened when Charlie’s mum came to pick him up one afternoon. Charlie’s mum wanted to discuss with his caregiver her concerns about Charlie’s reluctance to come to the centre during the past week. When the caregiver approached Charlie’s mum with a frown on her face due to a headache, Charlie’s mum began the exchange on a negative note. Unconsciously the caregiver was putting Charlie’s mum on the defensive—and made her angry.

Unfortunately, the non-verbal messages we send are often not what we intend. Being aware of the non-verbal messages we send is the first step. The second step is to make the necessary adjustments so that what we intend to say is the actual message we send, no matter how tired we are or how late it is in the day.

The next time you’re speaking with or writing to someone, consider these tips.  They’re sure to improve how well others understand you and their impression of you as an early childhood professional.

Patricia Smith-Pierce, Ph.D., is the founder and President of Power Speaking Consultants, a communications consulting and training firm headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Another one of those days?

It’s that old rat race again. The pressure is mounting. You feel like you’re going to explode.... STOP! Take a few seconds to ease the tension. The following relaxation techniques can be done in the car, at home, or wherever you need to take a break from tension. Each technique involves tensing muscles and then relaxing them.

FOREHEAD: Wrinkle your forehead. Try to make your eyebrows touch your hairline for five seconds. Relax.

EYES: Close your eyes as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax.

HANDS: Extend your arms in front of you. Clench your fists tightly for five seconds. Relax. Feel the warmth and calmness in your hands.

SHOULDERS: Shrug your shoulders up to your ears for five seconds. Relax.

STOMACH: Tighten your stomach muscles for five seconds. Relax.

FEET: Bend your feet up toward your body as far as you can for five seconds. Relax.

TOES: Curl your toes under as tightly as you can for five seconds. Relax.

Biting Hurts!

Biting is quite common among young children. It happens for different reasons with different children and under different circumstances. The first step in learning to control it is to look at why it may be happening.

Why Children Bite

EXPLORATION

Infants and toddlers learn by touching, smelling, hearing, and tasting. If you give an infant a toy, one of the first places it goes to is the mouth. Tasting or “mouthing” things is something that all children do. Children this age do not always understand the difference between gnawing on a toy and biting someone.

TEETHING

Children begin teething around the ages of 4 to 7 months. Swelling gums can be tender and can cause a great deal of discomfort. Infants sometimes find relief from this discomfort by chewing on something. Sometimes the object they chomp on is a real person! Children this age do not truly understand the difference between chewing on a person or a toy.

CAUSE AND EFFECT

Around the age of 12 months, infants become interested in finding out what happens when they do something. When they bang a spoon on the table, they discover that it makes a loud sound. When they drop a toy from their cot, they discover that it falls. They may also discover that when they bite someone, they get a loud scream of protest

ATTENTION

Older toddlers may sometimes bite to get attention. When children are in situations where they are not receiving enough positive attention and daily interaction, they often find a way to make others sit up and take notice. Being ignored is not fun. Biting is a quick way to become the centre of attention - even if it is negative attention.

IMITATION

Older toddlers love to imitate others. Watching others and trying to do what they do is a great way to learn things. Sometimes children see others bite and decide to try it out themselves. When an adult bites a child back in punishment, it generally does not stop the biting but teaches the child that biting is okay.

INDEPENDENCE

Toddlers are trying so hard to be independent. “Mine” and “Me do it” are favourite words. Learning to do things independently, making choices, and needing control over a situation are part of growing up. Biting is a powerful way to control others. If you want a toy or want a playmate to leave you alone or move out of your way, it is a quick way to get what you want.

FRUSTRATION

Young children experience a lot of frustration. Growing up is a real struggle. Drinking from a cup is great; yet nursing or sucking from a bottle is also wonderful. Sometimes it would be nice to remain a baby. Toddlers don’t have good control over their bodies yet. A loving pat sometimes turns into a push. Toddlers cannot talk well. They have trouble asking for things or requesting help. They haven’t learned yet how to play with others. At times, when they can’t find words to express their feelings, they resort to hitting, pushing, or biting.

STRESS

A child’s world can be stressful, too. A lack of daily routine, interesting things to do, or adult interaction are stressful situations for children. Children also experience stressful events like death, divorce, or a move to a new home. Biting is one way to express feelings and relieve tension.

What Caregivers Can Do

• USE THE WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW METHOD TO PINPOINT THE PROBLEM.
  When did the biting occur? Who was involved? Where did it happen? What happened before or after? How was the situation handled?
• TRY PREVENTION.
  If you determine that the biting occurs as the result of exploration or teething, you may want to provide the child with a cloth or teething ring to gnaw on.
  If a child seems to bite when tired or hungry, you may want to look at your daily routine to be sure that he is getting enough sleep and nourishment.
  If the biting occurs when two children are fighting over a toy telephone, you may want to purchase an extra toy telephone. It does not work to make very young children share. Toddlers don’t have the skills to negotiate or understand another child’s perspective.
  If attention seems to be the main reason for biting, try to spend time with the child when she is doing more positive things. Snuggling up and reading a book together or rolling a ball back and forth is so much more fun than receiving a scolding.
  If the child is experiencing a stressful family or caregiving situation, you will want to make everyday life as supportive and normal as possible. Predictable meals and bedtimes and extra time with a loving adult can help. Often, experiences like rolling, squishing, and pounding play dough or playing with water in a tub are great ways to relieve tension. In painful situations like divorce, it takes time and patience for healing to occur.
• TEACH NEW BEHAVIORS.
  When a child bites, show the biter with your voice and facial expression that biting is unacceptable. Speak firmly and look directly into the child’s eyes. For example you might say, “No! Sara, it’s not okay to bite. It hurts Jon when you bite him. He’s crying. I won’t let you bite Jon or another child.” If the child is able to talk, you might also say, “You can tell Jon with your words that you need him to move instead of biting him. Say ‘Move, Jon!’”
  You may also want the child to help wash, bandage, and comfort the victim. Making her a part of the comforting process is a good way to teach nurturing behaviour.

A Final Note

Biting can be an uncomfortable issue for parents. Parents of a child who is bitten are often outraged and angry. Parents of the biter may feel embarrassed and frustrated. Sharing information about the causes of biting and your plans for controlling the situation can help parents to put things into perspective.

Lesia Oesterreich, M.S.
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Oesterreich, L. (1995). Guidance and discipline. In L. Oesterreich, B. Holt, & S. Karas, Iowa family child care handbook [Pm 1541] (pp. 239-242). Ames, IA: Iowa State University Extension.

The Leadership Program

This online program has been carefully designed to assist you in further developing your leadership skills and to enhance your workplace effectiveness. Whether you are a supervisor, manager or team leader working in children’s services, we are certain you will find this stimulating program both relevant, and of interest.

Current early childhood practitioners generally have considerable skill in setting expectations and standards for children in their care but appear to have varying degrees of effectiveness in influencing the behaviour of other relevant groups. For example, staff or other relevant professionals they deal with on a day-to-day basis.

In order to be an effective leader one needs to work towards creating a harmonious environment that provides a high quality service. Leadership includes a range of effective skills and responsibilities that promote children’s rights and the ethics of leadership.

This innovative program is delivered entirely online in guided stages over 6 months. 

It incorporates the following 3 competencies from the Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services:

CHCORG6B Co-ordinate the work environment
CHCORG11B Lead and develop others
CHCORG28A Reflect and improve upon professional practice

Outcomes for participants

• You will receive a Nationally Recognised Statement of Attainment for these competencies
• The program includes a well-rounded approach to leadership skills enabling you to review your own performance as well as others who you work with to effectively get the best out of your team.
• Information provided will ensure that you have the underpinning knowledge to carry out any of the assessment tasks.
• The knowledge you gain from this program will enable you to provide leadership and guidance to your team and also gain a perspective for supporting managers in their role.

On enrolling into this program you will be provided with access to your own personal MyWorld homepage, and the online leadership community that you will share the journey with, and be a part of over the coming months.

This program will commence with the leadership roundness survey, the results of which will lead the way for the journey ahead. This survey has been designed to provide you with valuable feedback about your leadership skills, and to assist you to reflect on ways to improve your own performance. Armed with personal insight, clear goals and a commitment to self-improvement, you will set out on your journey, not alone, but in the shared company of your online colleagues.

From this point, you will be guided through each stage of the training program, which will move through 5 stages:

Stage 1. Looks at leadership and styles
Stage 2. Maximising your own performance
Stage 3. Conflict and decision-making
Stage 4. Staff appraisals
Stage 5. Supporting managers

Each stage will involve some reading, forum discussion, chatroom participation, completing of activities and/or assessment tasks, and journal entries. All are undertaken online on your MyWorld homepage, except for the prescribed text, which will be provided on enrolment and payment of enrolment fees.

The final stage of the program is the summary and conclusion, where we will revisit and review individual and shared goals along the way, and celebrate together our many achievements as life-long learners, leaders and growing professionals.

NEXT PROGRAM COMMENCES IN FEBRUARY 2005 – ENROL NOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE!

Building Positive Parent Relations

Children, child care providers, parents and administrators can all benefit from positive parent relationships. Behaviour problems can be improved if there is positive interaction between the parent, child, and child care provider. Frequent exchange of information about the child’s strengths, progress, and needed changes is essential.

One common bond between parents and childcare providers is likely to be lack of time. Parents, child care providers and administrators are pressured by demands at home and at work. Although notes, phone calls, conferences and personal visits absorb precious time from the schedules of administrators and child care providers, the potential rewards are great. Take time to offer a hurried parent a cup of coffee and share personal observations about the child. Respect each other’s time constraints by choosing convenient times to get in touch.

The child is a major motivation for most parents to become involved in child care activities, but the day care providers can help other parents by offering opportunities to get involved. Parents who have become part of their children’s lives at the child care facility report many benefits for themselves and their children. Those who volunteer to serve on an advisory board or committees benefit by helping shape child care policies, and those who become knowledgeable about their child’s performance can offer the child and child care provider much needed support and encouragement.

The following guidelines are recommended to provide positive parent relations:

• Outline your program to parents at the initial meeting, indicating goals of the program and parental involvement. Let the parents know about the child’s progress through informal communications as well as a *Parent Newsletter*.
• Involve the parents in volunteer activities such as fundraising events.
• Plan family activities to involve parents and children, such as a picnic or a dinner.
• At least once a week try to spend some time talking to each parent.
• Be fair to parents as well as children by practicing listening skills and communicating in a positive manner.
• Involve parents early in discipline strategies to prevent minor problems.
• To improve parent-child relationships, sponsor educational programs at your facility.

Involving parents in the child care program may use valuable time but the process will build a quality experience for all involved.

Annette T. Fitzgerald
Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Fitzgerald, A. T. (1996). Building positive parent relations. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), *Child care center connections*, 5(3), Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services CHC60202

The Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services is the highest level of training in the children’s services stream.

It is designed for those who already hold a Diploma of Children’s Services, and who wish to further develop skills and knowledge in areas of specific interest, or to enhance career opportunities at management levels. With recognition of current competencies and prior learning, qualified and experienced workers may well gain substantial credits towards the Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services.

The Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services consists of a range of Workplace Projects which require you to critically analyse both your performance and performance of your team. The projects aim at extending your professional skills and enhancing your leadership within your organization. The Workplace Projects can be adapted to suit your individual training requirements.

The training program enables you to choose specialised competencies that are of interest to you. There are two compulsory projects that you would begin with: Accreditation and Community Leadership. You would then be required to choose two of the four optional projects - Leadership, Business Marketing, Education and Training or Programming for children with additional needs. These projects would complete the make up your individualised Advance Diploma of Children’s Services training program.

For people who wish to or are currently in management positions within the children’s services industry. This training will enable you to analyse and execute judgement across technical and /or management functions, and enable you to train and further enhance skills in areas of specialisation such as behaviour management. You would have the responsibility of ensuring the quality of work of others, including supervisory and middle management positions. After successfully completing the Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services, your qualification would earn you the classification of a “Qualified Child Care Worker”.

The Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services is available as a Government funded traineeship in Victoria - enquire today.

Transition Time Tricks

Stand up! Sit down! Clean up! Calm down! Hurry up! WAIT! Too many transitions in the day can be frustrating for children as well as caregivers. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With careful planning and a few “tricks,” your day can move more smoothly and many behaviour problems can be avoided. And the good news is that transitions provide a great time to “exercise” children’s brains. Children love music; they love to move and they love surprises – the very activities that stimulate children’s brains according to recent brain research (Wolfe, 1996).

Group Time

By following the same schedule every day, children learn what to expect and program in certain behaviours (Jensen, 1996). ‘Indicator’ songs are an effective way to let children know when they are about to begin a new activity. Try these tunes to gather children for group time or to start the day:

“Hello Song”

(Tune: “Skip to My Lou”)

Hello, How are you?
Hello, How are you? 
Hello, How are you?
How are you this morning?
(Wave hand.)

I am fine and I hope you are, too.
I am fine and I hope you are, too.I am fine and I hope you are, too.
I hope you are too this morning.
(Point to self, then a child)

Turn to your neighbour and shake their hand.
Turn to your neighbour and shake their hand.
Turn to your neighbour and shake their hand.
Shake their hand this morning.
(Shake hands with children.)
(Continue singing the song by inserting children’s names.  For example, “Hello Carla, how are you? Hello Peter, how are you?  Hello Kia, how are you?  How are you this morning?”)

Review your schedule each morning and involve children in planning with a song like this one:

“I Like to Come to School”

(Tune: “The Farmer in the Dell”)

I like to come to school.
I like to come to school.
I like to learn and play each day.
I like to come to school.
(Ask the children what they like to do, then sing it in the song.)

I like to play with blocks.
I like to play with blocks.
I like to learn and play each day.
I like to play with blocks.

Capture the children’s attention for a book, game, or concept you want to introduce by putting a prop in a bag and singing:

“Surprise Sack”

(Tune: “I’m a Little Teapot”)

What’s in the surprise sack, who can tell?
Maybe it’s a book, or maybe it’s a shell.
What’s in the surprise sack, who can see?
It’s something special for you and me!
(Have children guess what they think is in the bag, then remove it and share it with them.)

Clean Up

Clean up is another time during the day that can be a chore for children and caregivers. Use a minute timer to help children bring closure to their activities. Set the timer for five minutes, then explain that you will have a “whisper” clean up when it goes off. Model what you want children to do, and encourage them to help you. “Let’s see. Where does this car belong?” Give choices to those children who are not cooperating. For example, “Fran, do you want to put away the puzzles or the books?” A cheerful song at cleanup time will also involve children:

“Clean Up Game”

(Tune: “Shortnin’ Bread”)

Let’s all clean up, clean up, clean up.
Let’s all play the clean up game.
Put away the blocks, blocks, blocks.
Let’s all play the clean up game.
(Insert words for other items that need to be picked up.)

Reinforce children who are being good helpers by singing their name in a tune like this:

“Jolly Good Helper”

(Tune: “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow”)

(Name) is a jolly good helper.
(Name) is a jolly good helper.
(Name) is a jolly good helper.
They’re picking up the toys.

Line Up

Little ones don’t like to wait, and they don’t like lines, so avoid them whenever possible.  However, when you do need to line up, play pretend games. For example, “Let’s be a train.  Everybody put their hands on the person’s shoulders in front of them. What kind of car are you on the train? Choo-choo, here we go.” Challenge children to be “as quiet as snowflakes,” to “tiptoe like elves,” to “move in slow motion,” or say this chant:

“I’m Ready”

I’m looking straight ahead of me.
My arms are at my side.
My feet are quiet as can be.
I’m ready for outside.
(Change the words to fit different activities.)

Attention Getters

Many times during the day you will need to get children’s attention and calm them down. Try blowing bubbles, whistling, playing a music box or using a magic sign to focus their attention. If the room is loud say, “If you can hear my voice clap three times and look at me.” Lower your voice each time until all of the children are participating. 

Maybe your class will enjoy a “quiet friend.” Cut the top and bottom off a cereal box. Put a puppet on your hand and place it inside the box. Tell the children that when they’re quiet, a little friend will come out of the box to see them. When they are very still, stick your hand with the puppet on it out of the box and let the puppet give them directions in a “tiny voice.” You might even draw a little face on your index finger with pen and sing:

“Henry Hush”

(Tune: “London Bridge”)

Henry Hush says, “Please be quiet.
Please be quiet. Please be quiet.”
Henry Hush says, “Please be quiet.
Sh! Sh! Sh!”

In Between Times

Entertain children while they’re waiting to begin a new activity by telling them a story, singing a song, or saying a rhyme. You’ll be stimulating their brains and developing reading readiness skills!

“Nursery Rhyme Bop”

(Tune: “100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall”)

Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown, 
And Jill came tumbling after.
(Every nursery rhyme can be inserted in this tune and sung. Give it a try!)

“Clap Your Hands”

(Tune: “Row Your Boat”)

Clap, clap, clap your hands.
Clap your hands with me.
Clap, clap, clap your hands,
Oh, so merrily.
(Sing other variations, such as “roll your hands,” “dance around,” “jump up and down,” or ask children to suggest different movements.)

Children will be delighted if you insert their names in traditional songs such as, “The Eensy  Weensy Spider,” “Five Monkeys Jumping on the Bed,” and “Where is Thumbkin?” If you have trouble thinking of a tune when you need one, then make a song chart for your playroom. Write titles and draw picture clues of your children’s favourite songs or finger plays on a piece of paper or poster board. Hang it in the room to refer to during transition times.

Celebrate

“Accentuate the positive” with children and encourage them frequently in the day by having them “hug themselves” or pat themselves on the back.” Demonstrate how to give themselves a “silent cheer” (put your hands in the air and wiggle fingers), clap like a clam (make pincers with fingers and open and shut), applaud like seals (extend arms straight in front of you and clap), or clap like fleas (tap index fingers together). Sing this song to remind children how important they are to you: 

“Special Me”

(Tune: “Twinkle Little Star”)

Special, special, special me.
I’m as special as can be.
There is no one quite like me.
I’m as good as I can be.
Special, special, special me.
I’m as special as can be!

Repetition and Recall

A study of brain-based learning emphasises the importance of reviewing activities with children.  After reading a story, playing a game, or working in learning centres, take a bean bag and toss it to children. As they catch it, ask them to describe what they did or learned. Before children go home, have them recall what they enjoyed most at school, then end on a positive note by singing:

“Good-Bye Friends”

(Tune: “Frerer Jacques”)

Good-bye friends; good-bye friends.
Time to go; time to go.
Thank you for playing; thank you for helping.
Love you so, love you so.

Jean Feldman, Ph.D., has been a teacher in the Atlanta area for 30 years.

A warm welcome to Angela Horrobin, who is now working in our training office, as Administration Officer. Angela is at present being trained by Snez, who will be taking maternity leave as of Friday 17th December. Angela is currently undertaking training in the Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace training, and has moved from working as a team leader in one of our family grouping playrooms here at One World. We’re sure that Angela’s experienced trainer Snez, will teach her the ropes of the busy administration role within our training unit in no time.

Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training

One World for Children offers nationally accredited programs of high quality.

Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training (BSZ40198) is a nationally recognised training program that provides the necessary knowledge and skills needed to facilitate training. As a qualification, it has value in the application of training and assessment of employees as it allows the workplace trainer, to train staff effectively and efficiently. 

Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, will be of interest to people for whom training is a large part of their job. It is also the required qualification for those wishing to obtain employment within a structured assessment and training system, where individuals have considerable responsibility for training program development and delivery.

Upon completion of the training program, participants will be awarded the AQF Level 4 Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training.

This certificate is non industry-specific, and consists of eight units of competency:

• Train small groups
• Plan and promote a training program
• Plan a series of training sessions
• Deliver training sessions
• Review Training
• Plan assessment
• Conduct assessment
• Review assessment

One World for Children delivers its training through on the job training and assessing. This enables participants to immediately apply work based issues, and link learning to daily tasks. On the job training encourages participants to take responsibility of their own learning where participants learn directly through doing the work.

Participants will be issued with a workplace training manual with industry based, relevant assessments. Written assessments are available to complete and submit online, by being enrolled with One World’s online Myworld program.

One World’s delivery of the Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training encompasses innovation and flexibility, to meet the individual needs of its valued participants.

Book Review

Just Improvise, edited by Sue Crook, suggests how improvisation can be introduced into the play and learning setting. It offers practical ideas and includes a wide-ranging list of possible sources for improvised materials.

Just Imagine, Just Discover, and Just Investigate were the first three books of this series of creative ideas for practitioners showing how to enhance their centres and improve the aesthetics of their working environment.

Wonderful Water Play

There is little dispute that hands-on activities are the most effective teaching strategies. Tactile play is a highly expressive and therapeutic activity for young people. From the time a child plunges his hands into tactile materials, he is in charge. He can explore, experiment, analyse, observe, question, and create. Even brain researchers agree that, “The single best way to grow a better brain is through challenging problem solving” (Jensen, 1998). Water is one of those tactile materials that is fascinating, easy to manipulate, and great fun during the summer months. The following activities are suggested as appropriate learning environments for an early childhood playroom. 

• Bubble Fun. Children enjoy blowing or creating bubbles. In addition to blowing bubbles by hand, try adding non-toxic baby shampoo to the water in a water tub or table. Using eggbeaters or wire whips, encourage each child to experiment how high the bubbles will go. Ask the children to record what happened by drawing a picture showing how high they were able to form a bubble mound.
• Sidewalk Painting. Give each child a large paintbrush. Have several children share a large bucket of water. Using a sidewalk or outside wall, encourage the children to “paint” pictures using the brushes and water.   
• Spray Painting. Encourage the children to easel paint using spray bottles filled with colored water. Food coloring or non-toxic liquid watercolors can be used to color the water.  Allow the children to create interesting shapes and pictures by using stencils.  
• Melting Water. Place ice in the water table. Allow the children to experiment with the frozen water material. Allow the ice to melt and encourage the children to observe and explain what happens to frozen water when it is in a warm place. Older children may wish to record this experiment in a journal by drawing pictures.   
• Animal Habitats. Place small plastic water animals in the water table (you may wish to tint the water blue or green to simulate an ocean or lake). Encourage the children to explore how animals live and play in the water and how they find food.   
• Floaties. Large sponges make wonderful “rafts” in the water table. Place some multi-coloured plastic manipulatives, such as counting discs or bears, in the water tub. Float several large sponges of assorted colors on the water. Have the children sort the counters by colour and place them on the sponges. To make the activity easier, colour coordinate the colour of the sponges with the colour groups of the manipulatives. Many variations of this activity can be developed. You can use coloured plastic plates for the rafts and various colours of milk jug lids for the sorted items.   
• Catching Fish! Place plastic fish, or any other small manipulative, in a water tub filled with water. Using small goldfish nets, encourage the children to “catch” whatever they can in the net. This could be turned into a classification game by asking the children to fish out certain items. For example, “See if you can catch the items that are blue.” 

Always keep in mind safety when using a water centre. Wet floors can be a safety hazard when they are left unattended. Always monitor the children and have basic ground rules for keeping the water in the centre. When the environment is kept safe, the water centre can provide many days of enjoyable learning and fun activities for play.  

There are many other activities that can be performed in a well thought-out water table centre. Carefully look at the academic skills required in your program, as well as the thematic units that you have planned for the children. The water centre will usually fit in nicely and be a lively and entertaining centre for the children. 

John H. Funk, M.Ed., is currently the Early Childhood Manager for SLCAP Head Start in Salt Lake City. He is also an adjunct professor of teaching and learning at the University of Utah. John taught preschool through grade 2 for 24 years and was the1996 Utah Teacher of the Year.

Children are a primary target group for SunSmart. With their sensitive skin, young children and babies are at particular risk of sunburn and the effects of overexposure to ultraviolet radiation or ‘UV’.

Too much sun in childhood increases the risk of developing skin cancer later in life.

Are you aware of your centre’s SunSmart policy? If not, familiarise yourself and ensure that you are always role modelling appropriate Sun Smart procedures.

What is A Problem-Solving Environment?

Recently a program director called me to inquire about training for her staff. She wants to convert her program to one based on Problem Solving. Before answering her questions, I asked a question of my own: Since it may be necessary to make changes in your environment before you adopt Problem Solving, how will your team react to making such changes? Her reply was that some of her staff had been with her for twenty years and had never rearranged their playrooms. 

Change for the sake of change is not necessarily beneficial, but everyone needs some change from time to time. Change brings stimulation, challenge, even excitement to a program, as long as the change is for the better and not so drastic that it upsets young children. Best of all, change has the potential of making the learning experience more meaningful for carers and children alike.

Take a fresh look at your environment. You may even want to develop a check-list of ways to make improvements. Is your environment child-centred? Does it allow children to solve their own problems, make decisions, take risks, and learn through hands-on experience? Does your environment encourage creativity, play, and social interaction by providing large amounts of time, space and privacy? Are virtually all of your toys and materials (including art) within reach of all children, whatever their age? If not, it’s time to think about ways to bring your environment to life and expand it to meet the developing needs, desires, and curiousity of your children. 

Why do some staff resist this kind of change? Many believe that by making materials available on the child’s level will cause problems. They envision terrible messes of paint and glue, puzzles strewn all over the floor, and sand or water creeping across the room. Some of this may actually happen at first, but believe it or not, we can teach very young children to take responsibility for these kinds of materials, and as they learn to take responsibility, their overall behaviour improves dramatically. A great deal of inappropriate, even aggressive behaviour is due to lack of stimulation and complexity in the environment. 

Although I have known many resistant caregivers, those who stayed in their program and made the changes found that after getting it used to a Problem-Solving environment, they would never want to return to the old way. Change is always painful to some degree, but when you can see positive results, the pain quickly vanishes. The environment influences children’s behaviour so profoundly that, although your playroom won’t turn into paradise, it will be a happier, more productive place where children feel welcome and you find joy in your work.

Take charge of Change 

Change is not simply a matter of moving things around. Establish your goal and stay focused. If your goal is to make better use of Problem Solving, offer many choices and alternatives so children can really solve their own problems. Have more than one of each item when possible so you can encourage negotiation when there’s a conflict over a toy. This is especially necessary for toddlers. 

A one-page article can’t possibly supply all the information or ideas needed for a major change in the environment but you can find a comprehensive description of the Problem-Solving environment in Guiding Young Children: A Child-Centered Approach. Meanwhile here’s a minimal check-list for change: 

• Picture yourself in every area, supervising the play. Effective supervision is the key to “letting children do what children do.” You must see everyone at all times without interfering with their play, yet approach quickly when a problem requires facilitation. One of our roles as caregivers is to teach children how to put away their toys. This may take a lot of time at first, but less and less as you follow through. 
• All toys and materials for children’s use should be on low shelves, each in its own container (follow safety guidelines for developmental stages), in amounts that make clean-up easy for children. 
• Use bright-colors. Children shouldn’t have to spend days in institutional settings. If you must have white walls, paint cupboards, tables and chairs in bright oil paints and accent wherever possible. 
• Imagine the room during routines and transitions. Will rearranging make things run more smoothly? Take at least a week to try out a new arrangement and see if your routines and transitions work better. 
• Replace toys that are one-piece plastic “things” with ones that offer challenge and complexity. Even a tiny infant will be bored by a single-purpose toy. 
• Have lots of areas and activities that accommodate several children at once. A large tub of multi-coloured beans, an indoor sandbox, water table, blocks, playdough, rhythm instruments, books, dress-up clothes, and from toddlers on up, an easel. 
• Provide for physical activity indoors and outdoors. Riding toys and a climber of some kind in every room, with a mat to jump or wrestle on. Outdoors, safe and easily supervisable, yet risk-encouraging (but safe) equipment, along with grass, sand, water, shade, a garden, when possible an animal or two (but be aware of the care that is required). Remember, this is only a partial list! 

Eleanor Reynolds, M.A., is the editor and consultant for The Problem Solver Newsletter and is currently teaching preschool at the Play and Learn Preschool in Seattle, WA.  She is the author of Guiding Young Children - A Child-Centered Approach.  For over twenty years she has worked in children’s programs and trained hundreds of teachers.  For ten years, She was co-owner of The Discovery Center in Mukilteo, WA.  She was also the Program Supervisor at Green Tree in Seattle and at Everett Community College, worked in Head Start and various other children’s programs. 

The “Power” of Self-Discipline

Ever notice that children get into fights? Ever trace the fights back to what caused them? It’s always the same thing: wants in conflict. Sometimes two children want the same thing (“That’s my chair, I had it first!”), or they want mutually exclusive things (Younger Sibling: “I want to play!”/Older Sibling: “Get lost!”). And no matter how little they succeed, they just keep on wanting.

These conflicts used to happen all the time at our child care center until we decided we would either have to get rid of the children or teach them to work it out! So we began to experiment with conflict resolution procedures. The children got pretty good at it with time, but there were still a lot of conflicts. So we watched carefully to find out where all the conflicts came from. Lo and behold, most conflicts began because someone had not asked directly for what he wanted or because he had asked and the other person said no. Frequently, it wasn’t so much that the other person said no; it was the way he said it loudly, threateningly, disrespectfully.

So we got to work and developed a little human-relations skill curriculum. We began to give workshops during our community time on how to ask for something. We also worked on how to say no and get the other person to live with it. And we began to teach our four-step conflict resolution ritual.

We taught the children the language of asking: “May I please...?,” “Would it be okay if ...?,” and “Would you mind if ...?”

We taught them to sweeten these requests with a compliment: “That’s a beautiful doll. May I hold her?” Or they could sweeten with reassurance: “May I borrow your marker? I promise not to use it all up.” Humour is another sweetener: “May I borrow your pencil? I promise I won’t eat the whole thing.”

We noticed what made our own no’s easier to take. Giving a reason when we said no made the “no” more easily accepted. It helped when we explained if the “no” was in the best interests of everyone (for example, if it were a matter of safety). And it helped if the receiver could understand and identify with what the “no”-giver wanted: “I’m sorry, but this is my new pencil. My grandmother just brought it back from holiday, and I don’t really want to lend it.”

If we added sweeteners again, no’s were even more readily accepted. The child could reassure: “It’s not that I don’t trust you with it. It’s just new.” Or she could give hope: “Maybe in about five minutes I’ll be done and you can borrow it.”

Of course, children needed a back-up skill for the times when they just couldn’t live with no. At those times, they could go to conflict resolution. We designed and tinkered until we settled on a little ritual with four steps:

Step 1. Signal that a conflict is to be settled win-win by standing in the “Position of Strength” arms folded across the chest with fists holstered but still feeling strong.

Step 2. Each person states 1) what they want and 2) why they want it without talking about the past. Talking about the past just makes people angrier. For example, don’t say, “I want the chair because I was there first.” Say instead, “I want the chair so I can sit next to my friend.” This two-part “want” says what you want and why you want it. Remember, no’s are more easily accepted when the other person is given a reason. Each party in the conflict must listen to the other’s two-part want and repeat it back: “You want the chair so you can sit next to your friend, but I want the chair because I want to sit to eat my snack.” Then the other child repeats: “You want to sit to eat your snack.”

Step 3. Anyone can suggest a way to resolve the conflict by giving each of the parties enough of what they want so they can live with it. These proposals come in three forms.

1) Not enough/get more. First, just try getting another chair.

2) Share/include. If both parties want to sit next to the same friend, one child sits on either side so they can share the friend.

3) Make a deal. If both parties want to talk to the same friend and the friend can’t listen to both at the same time, they make a deal that one goes first but gets to talk for less time.

If none of these proposals works, ask each party to add a third layer of wants:

Kid 1: “I want the chair (layer 1) so I can sit next to Paul (layer 2), so I can plan an after-school soccer game (layer 3).”

Kid 2: “You want to sit next to Paul to plan an after-school soccer game, but I want to tell Paul all about my weekend.”

The third layer of wants may show Child 1 that he only needs two minutes to plan. Child 2 may realise he needs more time, so he may see an advantage in going second but getting more time to talk.

Step 4. Sign with a thumbs-up acceptance of a win-win proposal.

Soon our human-relations skill curriculum became our Citizenship Quest. When the children demonstrated these skills four times in real living, they were credited with “possessing” that skill (called a Power). When a child possessed all the Powers, they became a Citizen. Citizens were given more freedom because they had earned the trust to manage their own affairs. But they also had more responsibility. They could be expected to use their Powers.

National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not-for-profit beyond cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:

Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Hawlk, N. (1995). The “Power” of Self-Discipline. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.). *School-age connections* 4(6). Urbana, IL: National Network for Child Care at the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

DOCUMENT USE/COPYRIGHTNational Network for Child Care - NNCC. Part of CYFERNET, the National Extension Service Children Youth and Family Research Network. Permission is granted to reproduce these materials in whole or in part for educational purposes only (not-for-profit beyond cost of reproduction) provided that the author and Network receive acknowledgment and this notice is included:Reprinted with permission from the National Network for Child Care - NNCC. Hawlk, N. (1995). The “Power” of Self-Discipline. In Todd, C.M. (Ed.). *School-age connections* 4(6). Urbana, IL: National Network for Child Care at the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.

The Online Leadership Program – Amy’s journey

I had the opportunity to further my career by accepting a position of centre co-ordinatior. I did this without a second thought knowing that it would provide me with the additional challenges I was looking for. One of those challenges was to complete the leadership competencies within the Advanced Diploma of Children’s Services.

The program was delivered online, which was a little threatening for me, as I am not very friendly with computers! I was looking forward to the content of the program but a little anxious about the whole online thing. However with the support of my co-workers I quickly over came this.

Once I started undertaking the prescribed readings, I was unaware of the importance of self-reflection, in relation to the success of this program. This significance soon presented itself; as I was able to use a journal to jot down my experiences. I was able to clearly identify my strengths and weaknesses throughout the week. This was obviously the main key in increasing my skill level. I was then able to break the weaknesses down into small achievable goals.

Reflecting back, I could analyse the process I took to reach my goals and whether they were successful. The text I read supported the growth I made throughout this time, offering me some of the answers I might have been looking for to strengthen weaknesses. If I still was unsure about the process offered to me or attempted it without success, I had my trusty trainers to turn to, who gave me encouragement and could point me in the right direction.

The online discussions that occurred were a great support. Other people also doing the leadership program would gather online in a chat room on One World’s site with the trainers. Most evenings we would have a specific topic up for discussion. This was a time for all of us to speak of our experiences and the way in which we dealt with them. We would also offer guidance for one another if we had a difficult situation to deal with or were unsure of how to manage it.

The assessments needing to be completed were very manageable as they were to be completed at ones own pace, allowing for individual schedules and lives. I found this very valuable during the couple of weeks I was unwell. I felt no pressure to complete any tasks during this time, and soon after was looking to get back into it as the goals I made gave me direction.

I found it very rewarding reading through text and information provided to us online by the trainers. I was able to identify situations which I had managed well and in a similar manner to being advised. There were also many occasions that occurred at varying levels of importance. In some cases I had read about strategies a day or two prior and was able to implement the strategies advised. This enabled me to recognise the practical applications I was learning.

The self-reflection helped me to analyse these skills and improve my knowledge. I have seen a great improvement in my skills, knowledge, confidence and relationships since first commencing this training experience.

I will continue on this journey of self-reflection, to ensure that I offer the staff, parents and children the best of my knowledge and ability, to make certain quality outcomes are achieved for all.

Let your fingers have a rest, let your cappuccino cup refresh, as we take a break from our weekly Wednesday nite “Happy Hour” chat sessions. A special thank you to Deb and Kristen for their valuable weekly chats. We hope that in the new year even more participants will join our informative and entertaining chat sessions as we offer Happy Hour Mondays to Thursdays on a rotating weekly basis. Stay tuned as we will certainly be returning bright and early in the new year with this new scheduled format.

Take advantage and save yourself time

Why not send your assessments to us via e-mail?
It will save you time and your assessments will get to us promptly and safely. All trainers have direct email addresses, so you can send all assessments to individual trainers.

Individual addresses are:
carol@oneworldforchildren.com.au
michelle@oneworldforchildren.com.au
tammy@oneworldforchildren.com.au
val@oneworldforchildren.com.au
sue@oneworldforchildren.com.au
susan@oneworldforchildren.com.au
karyn@oneworldforchildren.com.au
chelsea@oneworldforchildren.com.au
ange@oneworldforchildren.com.au
sarsha@oneworldforchildren.com.au
kim@oneworldforchildren.com.au
karla@oneworldforchildren.com.au
lisa@oneworldforchildren.com.au

Any administration queries may be made directly to:
angela@oneworldforchildren.com.au
chelle@oneworldforchildren.com.au
diana@oneworldforchildren.com.au

How to Read a Story to a Group of Children

Here is how to captivate your audience.

Difficulty Level: easy     
Time Required: 10 minutes

Here’s How:

1. Be sure all children can see and hear the story.
2. Choose a story that will appeal to your audience and suit the children’s attention span.
3. Choose a book with bright and large illustrations.
4. Provide an alternate activity for those who lose interest.
5. Choose books that invite participation though repeated verses or rhymes.
6. Start by grabbing their attention with “magic story dust” or a calming fingerplay.
7. Ask questions to set the stage for listening. For example,” What do you think will happen to Miffy mouse?”.
8. Substitute the children’s names for character names to add interest.
9. Be flexible. Skip or alter parts of a book as the needs of your young listeners dictate.
10. Use props to bring a story alive.

ACT’s Newest Graduates

Jeremey	Julie	Amanda

Congratulations to the Eleven individuals who recently gained qualifications in children’s services and out of school hours through undertaking a RCC program funded by Training and Adult Education in the ACT.

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One World For Children Pty Ltd

• Finalist in the Victorian Training Awards 2006 for Training Initiative of the Year: Online Advanced Diploma of Children's Services

• Highly Commended in the 2006 Victorian Community Services Health Industry Training Board's Innovation in Training and Assessment Award:Innovative Product

• Finalist in the 2006 Victorian Community Services Health Industry Training Board's Innovation in Training and Assessment Award: Recognising Competency RCC

• Winners of the 2003 Victorian Community Services Health Industry Training Board's Innovation in Training and Assessment Award: Innovative Training Product"

One World For Children Pty Ltd
P.O. Box 701 North Geelong Delivery Centre 3215
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Telephone (03) 5272 2714, Fax (03) 5272 3039 <% end if %>

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