This month, we are highlighting Fatemeh Niloufar Bakshayesh (aka Nilou)
Nilou demonstrates how a strong routine can support children to feel at home and settle into a stimulating learning environment. She has a great range of indoor and outdoor activities to activite babies and toddlers couriosity through sensory play. Niloo has been focusing on sensory activities to help babies and toddlers to connect with their world. She utilised the Early Years Learning framework (EYLF) practice and principles like secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships, partnerships with families and holistic approaches to learning through play.
Connection to children
Importance of Routine:
Uncertainty and change can be stressful for children, so routines play an important role in providing familiarity, predictability and and comfort in anticipating what is coming next.
Getting parents involved not only in passing on key routines from home, but also sharing in key routines for your early childhood service, will strengthen the security and comfort for children as they move between home and care arrangements.
Benefits of structured routines:
- Routines are important because they give children a sense of security and control over their environment.
- Children learn what to expect at various times in the day and as they begin to participate in these routines, they will experience a sense of control and satisfaction at being able to perform part of or all of the tasks associated with the routine.
- Some of the important skills children learn through routines include: self control, positive behaviour and social skills.
- Routines provide a context for learning to take place.
Importance of Sensory Play
Squeeze, spin, splash, bang, run, scoop, shake, drop, smear, toss, spray and ooze – babies and toddlers absolutely delight in exploring their world through their senses.
It sounds and is messy, so you may often be inclined to cut this type of play short. But in fact, sensory play-play that stimulates any of a child’s senses – has an important role in a child’s health and development. Through it, children build cognitive skills and learn about their world. In essence, sensory play includes play that engages any of your child’s senses. This includes touch, smell, sight, sound and taste. But it also covers movement, balance, and spatial awareness. Babies and Toddlers are usually developing their thinking abilities and will start trying to do things for themselves
Benefits of Sensory play:
- Sensory play encourages learning through exploration, curiosity, problem solving and creativity.
- It helps to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages the development of language and motor skills.
- There are many benefits that may go unnoticed, such as the development of abilities to focus and block out distractions.
- Sensory play is an important part of childhood and, within reason, there are really no limits to what you can use in sensory activities. Nature can often be your best friend when it comes to sensory play
Educator of the month:
Nilou has worked hard to establish a strong routine in the design and implementation of her FDC environment. She has beautifully illustrated how children can make a connection between their environment through routines which helps them to settle down in care.
Transition is difficult for little children and it's a common scenario that both parents and children are struggling in the beginning.
Niloo’s success is in her ability to get parents involved in the transition process and helping families bridge home life with care life. The children learnt to trust her with routines and parents also established open and respectful communication with Nilou.
Nilou is also leading by example as she is focusing on sensory activities to enhance children’s learning and development. Sensory play is especially important for babies and toddlers, it helps to build nerve connections in the brain and encourages development of language and motor skills. Nilou has created an environment full of open ended sensory play which is stimulating and enjoyable
What can we learn from Nolou?
Educators who are working with 0-2 years old children can get inspiration from Nilou’s continuous efforts to establish routines by working together with parents and how she has incorporated Sensory play to promote learning in her FDC.
When you look at your learning
environment, we would like you to think for a moment and ponder these questions -
- Does my FDC have a structured routine for transition?
- Are parents involved in the transition process?
- How can I communicate with parents and get them involved?
- Is there enough open ended sensory activities for children to explore and learn?
We hope that you will get inspiration from Nilou to work on or as a parent, explore daily routines and create lots of sensory opportunities for children to become confident and involved learners.