Posts tagged fine motor
Navigating the Festive Season with Ease
Navigating the Festive Season with Ease

Christmas - the season of joy, festivities, and, let's be honest, a touch of chaos. As parents, we've all been there, juggling the demands of the season while trying to keep our cool. Why is it that the most wonderful time of the year often comes with a side of emotional turbulence, especially for our little ones?

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attention, clubs, activities, attentiondevelopment, games, word gamesComment
Supporting the development of social communication in children
Supporting the development of social communication in children

As things start to edge back to normality, parents are understandably anxious about how the pandemic has affected their young children’s development in many areas. One of the most concerning for parents is the impact on the development of their social communication skills.

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attention, clubs, activities, attentiondevelopment, games, word gamesComment
Getting the most from Orchard Games
Getting the most from Orchard Games

We are big fans of Orchard Games in our house. We have quite a few and both oF my girls have really enjoyed playing the games.

If you haven’t tried them out yourself, the Orchard Games range has a variety of simple, structured games for playing with young children. Everything from lotto to shopping!

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attention, clubs, activities, attentiondevelopment, games, word gamesComment
Tips for building attention skills
Tips for building attention skills

Attention and listening skills are the bedrock of language development and allow us to learn other skills. Learning to focus is a really important part of early development that helps us to listen to others and engage in shared activities. But how can we help our children to develop their attention skills?

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attention, clubs, activities, attentiondevelopmentComment
How many clubs?
How many clubs?

I have read several articles about how modern children are ‘over scheduled’ with a plethora of structured activities and clubs and that modern children need more time for unstructured and outdoor play. Kids can become overtired when they are engaging in too many sports and clubs and need the less structured playtime to develop their imagination, communication and negotiating skills.

This all sounds reasonable but how do you know how many activities to choose, when is it too much?

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attention, clubs, activitiesComment
Tips for reducing separation anxiety
Tips for reducing separation anxiety

Separation anxiety is a natural part of childhood development. Often, separation anxeity first kicks in when a baby is about six months old and can be a relatively regular occurrence throughout their toddler years. However, at times of significant change such as starting school, moving home, a new baby in the family or having a new nanny can bring the anxiety back to the surface.

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attention, anxiety, seperationanxietyComment
Five Favourite Fingerplays for Fine Motor Development
Five Favourite Fingerplays for Fine Motor Development

Fingerplays (action songs) are a tool widely used at home and in early years settings. These songs are a wonderful way to support early development in a number of areas.

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Development, EducationSarah Billinghamspecial needs, SEND, toys, early years, early learning, language development, speech and language, child development, communication tools, communication, communication skills, social interaction, social communication, homelearning, homeschooling, homeschool, attention and listening, listening skills, listening, learningtolisten, fingerplays, fine motor, attentionComment
Top 5 Toys for Early Turn Taking
Top 5 Toys for Early Turn Taking

Turn taking is a valuable skill which supports the development of early social interaction and communication skills. Developing an understanding of reciprocation through the exchange of two way communication is a vital foundation for shared attention and conversation skills later on.

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EducationSarah Billinghamearly literacy, numeracy, pre writing, bilateral skills, special needs, early years, fine motor, turn taking, communication, interaction, speech and languageComment