Sending children to Kindy has become extremely popular with parents across the world. World statistics show that a lot of children aged between 4 and 5 years old are enrolled in various Kindy schools.

Yet, the positive numbers also see negative numbers in children that don’t attend kindergarten. Kindergarten is not a compulsory early childhood learning program and it’s up to parents if they find it necessary to let their children attend kindergarten.

However, children that are given a chance to attend kindergarten start to love it. Here’s why:

• They get an opportunity to become a part of a group of peers while having fun learning new things
• They get a chance to meet and interact with other adults and kids their age, or younger, or older
• They get a chance to form special friendships and socialise with new people
• They get a chance to have fun and play
• They get a chance to learn a wide variety of skills from counting, reading, and more

Succeeding later in formal education becomes possible with the solid social and academic foundation provided by kindergarten. Here’s how:

Provides a chance for child growth development

Kindergarten is often the first structured setting experience of most children. Being exposed to new groups of children and other adults provide an opportunity for children to follow instructions, to share, and start the process of learning that is sure to happen during the formal years of schooling.

A smoother transition to formal elementary education

The formal academic setting of kindergarten offers the best way for a successful launch toward formal elementary education. Often, parents worry that kindergarten cuts into playtime to make a child quickly grow up.

The structured learning environment of kindergarten is often a confusing issue for parents that listen to varied bits of advice and opinions from well-meaning family and friends.

Fortunately, high-quality kindergarten understands this important issue. This means that organisation of activities, space, and time set up by high-quality kindergarten should be in sync with the physical, social, cognitive, and emotional abilities of children under their care.

Promotes children’s emotional and social development

Teachers of high-quality kindergarten make sure that every child feels secure and cared for. They understand that trust has to be nurtured with their charges before they could implement learning activities.

The consistency of care between a child’s school and home makes children feel secure and happy. To this end, high-quality kindergarten schools make it a point to consult parents through regular meetings and conferences. The regular meetings between teachers and parents enable teachers and staff of kindergarten schools to respect and understand the values and goals of parents when it comes to the education of their children.

A formal and structured learning environment

Kindergarten is a notch higher than the pre-school learning environment. However, while the educational setting of kindergarten is more formal and structured than pre-school, it is organised to nurture positive social interactions between children and their teachers as they learn together.

Choosing the right kindergarten school for your child depends on your values and goals. However, making the choice right means opting for high-quality kindergarten schools ensures that your child will be able to develop academically and socially while feeling safe, secure, and happy. Contact us at kindercottage.com.au to know more.

A notebook and pencil are usually the essential art supplies serious hobbyists start with. Over time, professional art supplies are needed to match the acquired skill and art knowledge.

The best tools to be on hand for every budding or serious artist are professional art supplies.

Long-lasting and quality art supplies are the essential tools to have when you are serious about your artwork. Investing in good quality professional art supplies provides the next level to your sculpting, painting, and other artwork expressions.

Investing in high-quality pencils

A drawing pencil is the most essential and basic art material for any artist. However, not any pencil will do. The pencils to pick out are the best ones that highlight your particular style of drawing.

Trying out several types and brands of pencils is highly recommended. Doing it this way eventually gets you the right pencil for colouring-in or drawing.

The pretty packages contain drawing pencil sets can be pretty awesome. The varied numbers showing on the pencils tell you the ones to go for. For instance, 6B sets are softer graphite pencils while 9H sets are the harder graphite types.

A longer sharp tip and lighter marks are produced by the harder graphite pencils. On the other hand, constant sharpening and darker marks are provided by the softer graphite pencils.

Investing in both sets of pencils enables an artist to create diverse art variations and styles. However, investing in single pencils is the usual route taken by many artists. Not only does it cut costs, but they also do not feel the need to invest in full sets either.

A great sketchbook

A good sketchbook provides the best medium for drawings or sketches. It is a must-have for all artists to hone their skills.

Canvas

Canvas is available either rolled-up or stretched using materials such as cotton or linen. The lighter weight and affordable price tag are with the rolled-up canvas. However, self-stretching or framing the canvas can be hard work.

The choice of a drawing surface

Any surface will not work well for artworks and sketches. The quality of the surface also matters. The finished artwork is significantly impacted by the choice of the drawing surface.

• The paper weight should directly relate to the thickness of the paper used.
• Smoother-textured surfaces provide smoother lines while broken lines are with the heavier textures.

Kinds of papers:

• Bristol Paper is a heavy and smooth type of paper. They are great to use in depth-line work using ink or smooth gradations.
• Drawing paper especially the medium tooth variety is the best to use with graphite pencils, coloured pencils, chalks, and pens.
• Charcoal paper is semi-transparent and lightweight. They are great to use not only for charcoal drawings but also with coloured pencils.

Choice of erasers

Erasers are cleaning tools that artists should never have without. Some of the options include:

• Plastic erasers can erase almost any mistakes. This is by far, considered the sturdiest eraser of all.
• A rubber eraser is a conventional type used for erasing graphite mistakes.
• Gum eraser is the best choice for removing marks and inks from tearing to delicate surfaces.
• Kneaded eraser does not require friction to remove mistakes from all sorts of surfaces.

There’s no end in sight when it comes to professional art supplies for artists. Some supplies are essential while some are great additions.

Does your child attend a private school or you have one in mind you would like to send him to? If that’s the case, then you must know that some schools are better prepared in helping children who may have learning challenges. 

Another thing you should bear in mind is the impact of special education law on private schools. If your child happens to qualify for special education, coupled with you sending him to a private school, there is a probability that the public school district covers for some of the special education services.

In private schools that offer special education, there are certain things you must know and verify before deciding to enrol your child. Here are some of the essential things to know:

Evaluations for Special Education Services

For students who attend private schools, there are laws in place which have made it mandatory that public school districts should make their findings/investigations on students who may have learning disorders. Meaning, the child’s teacher can decide to request an evaluation, which the public school will cover if that teacher perceives the child may have a learning disorder. 

This is why it is often recommended to speak to your child’s teacher before sending an evaluation to the district. The decision is then made whether to undergo an assessment of your child or not as the cost will be the responsibility of the public school district in your location. 

Equitable services

So your child has now been qualified for special education, you are at liberty to transfer to any nearby public school of your choice, provided he will receive all special education services needed. Or, if you continue in a private school, you can be entitled to certain privileges referred to as “equitable services.” These are services covered by the public funds for students with learning disorders who enrol in a private school. However, these funds could be limited for students who enrol in a private school than a public one.

Adaptations

Private schools are usually known for providing specific support structures such as more time and use of technology. They may also offer the opportunity of your child getting tutored by an assigned private teacher, even during school hours, at your own expense.

Still, there is a possibility that a private school in Brisbane may not have the adequate resources to meet your child’s needs and hence may advise you to transfer him to a public school that is more equipped/sophisticated.

Service Plan

By deciding to send your ward or children to a private school, the school, as well as the district, can create a “service plan” for you. 

A service plan is developed for students in private schools receiving special education services that describe the special education and related services the private school district will receive from the school district. This plan could be likened to the IEP (Individualised Education Program), yet a little less in-depth like the IEP.

To close, one final thing you must note is that each child is unique. And hence you cannot afford to treat child A like you would child B, even if facing similar learning disorders. So, parents should work with private schools to know the best option for their child. Be sure to conduct your research to know which option is best for you and your children.

Toowoomba is one of the major towns in Queensland in Australia that is known for its acumen in commerce, great education, and the development of industries. This should give you a glimpse of how busy the city is while everyone is going about their daily work to make the end meet.

Mothers and young millennial parents in the city are not spared either. They have to report to work. This is where the need to have a reliable daycare in Toowoomba becomes a very vital thing for most mothers.

Getting an excellent daycare in Toowoomba is not a walk in the park. It requires you to get references and carry your private investigation before settling for one daycare that will be looking after your child or children while in office.

In such a large city in Queensland, you should know that there are also counterfeit daycares that aim at stealing your child. In this article, we are going to take you through the red flags that the daycare you are considering to take your child is a no-go zone. So just keep reading.

Red Flags that it is a Bad Daycare

Not Registered

If you happen to visit any Toowoomba day care centres and ask for their registration and they take you around without showing you their registration number, just know that they are counterfeits. Instead of regrets after your child goes missing, you should just keep off. If they are not registered, it means the municipal council of Toowoomba does not know their existence. That means they can do anything like stealing your child without being traced.

No license

Where is their license that they are supposed to be operating a daycare? Toowoomba city authority requires that every person owns any kind of business, including daycares, to have a license. If they cannot show you a written license with the original logo of the municipality, then they are not genuine. Be careful of other crafty daycare operators that forge documents and licenses to operate.

Not static

This means that they don’t have a specific location. One day you find them in this building, the next day in another building. This could just be a game to trick your mind before they disappear into thin air with your child. Toowoomba is a large city and getting a trace of where a certain daycare disappearance could be a very hard thing.

Unfriendly nannies

If they are treating you badly as the parent, how will they treat your little angel? Such caretakers will even beat up your child when you are away. Whenever you leave your child in a daycare, and in the evening, the child seems calm, and when he or she sees you run to you and cry, it means there is mistreatment somewhere. A good daycare in Toowoomba should have friendly nannies.

Unqualified caregivers

How will a person who has never changed a diaper in a baby know how to do it? Of course, they cannot. That should tell you that your child will remain wet for prolonged hours before being changed. And that can consequently affect their health. A good daycare must have experienced and qualified nannies.

Poor communication

Now, sometimes during the day, you may need to talk to your child, but you find that their calls are not clear or are not going through. Well, it can happen once, but if it is a daily occurrence, then you need to change your child immediately. You should speak to your child any time in a good daycare.