A reflection by Indigenous producer and educator, April Johnson.

Through developing the new children’s series Kokum & Dot, April Johnson spoke a lot about truth and reconciliation with her diverse cast, crew and growing audience. The series explores the relationship between a Cree grandmother (aka Kokum) and her inquisitive young friend, Dot, and their conversations highlight intergenerational Indigenous family dynamics as well as model age-appropriate approaches to tackling truth and reconciliation in the following ways:

1.     Start local – Truth and reconciliation is a process.

Understanding the history of the lands we live, learn and play on is a great start and connects everyone living on the same territory.

Starting off for the first time and/or returning for a second year of their first day of preschool or childcare is a very big deal for our little learners & explorers. After all, we are that bridge from home to school for the very first time. This is why creating a soft, cozy space that doesn’t feel like a huge leap from home is my favourite way to approach this change for them.

THE LEAVES ARE FALLING ON THE GROUND, THEY’RE FALLING ALL AROUND

There is something so cozy and comforting about the leaves changing colours in the fall and our Music & Language Arts Lesson, The Leaves Are Falling, offers so much opportunity for enjoying this fall theme with music, movement, and through expressive words using poetry and riddles.

Today, I am so excited to be sharing these super playful activities for kids from PreK right up to Grade 2, depending on the interest levels of the students and their abilities to follow along.

A child’s self-expression becomes stronger through adult-lead prompting, and a little bit of trickery…” 

Written by Kelli-Ann Oakey

Speaking what’s on your mind is a skill that needs to be taught. Believe it or not, it is not something that comes naturally to children, especially in social situations, or in the presence of adults. 

Without resorting to directly saying, “Speak up, kid!” there are a few clever strategies to encourage children to share their thoughts without the internal hesitation of being right or wrong or feeling external pressure from adults. 

School counsellor, mom to 3, and author of her first children’s book, Your Heart’s Voice, is teaching our kids about intuition.

Born and raised in New York, Renée Greene Murphy, MS ED, is a mom, a wife, a daughter, and a sister. She is also a school counsellor and the author of her first children’s book, Your Heart’s Voice. Renée worked as a School Counsellor for ten years before having three beautiful children – ages 3, 6, and 9 – all of whom she is thrilled to be at home raising. And during this time at home with her children is also where books have become an integral part of their days, Renee explains.

Music teacher and singer/songwriter, Kim Noller’s New song, BIG is anything but small.

Written by Kim Noller

As the youngest child in a family FULL of large personalities and talent, I sometimes felt like I had to “play small” to not detract or upset others. I did somehow know that my feelings were big and important — I just couldn’t always explain them. 

LEARN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS AND THE EXTRA LEARNING SUPPORT THAT’S AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN

Where do you go for support if you suspect your 3-5-year-old child has learning challenges? How do you know when your child might need some extra support?

An innovative early years program at LDS – Learn. Develop. Succeed. is a place to begin. LDS is a nonprofit charity dedicated to empowering all children, youth, and adults with learning differences. They recognize their unique strengths and help students develop the tools needed to achieve lifelong independence, confidence, and success. You can learn more about their core values and programs here. 

Starting off with our list of recommended books, we begin with two titles, Adventure With Moose and Les adventures D’Ori.

ReadAbilities Publishing House Ltd. – Celebrating Neurodiversity in Children’s Literature

Samantha Clusiau-Lawlor and Renée Tessier, two long-time friends from Ottawa, are on a mission to fill a crucial gap in children’s literature. As the co-founders and authors behind ReadAbilities Publishing House Ltd., they noticed a significant lack of books featuring neurodiverse characters. Determined to make a difference, they set out to create a series of books that not only educate children and families about neurodiversity but also help remove any stigma associated with it.