Story

There is always a reason for a child’s behaviour and as Early Childhood Educators, it is our job to uncover where it’s coming from; to always be trying to understand it within the context of each individual child.

Written by Ana Cassidy, Early Childhood Educator & Author

No two children have the same exact experience in any given situation. Once you get to know each child, you understand where their behaviour stems from. Each one is unique and as such, they all react to any given situation differently. Some children thrive on adult attention and will often seek us out to play with them one-on-one. Others may have us rescue them from a situation they don’t yet have the confidence they can solve for themselves. We, of course, are always better off guiding them through their challenges as opposed to just solving them for them.

Can kids learn complex creative skills like music, songwriting, creative writing, drama and dance through play?

Written by Lorrie Holmes

Based on my own experiences as a Creative Arts Instructor & Mentor, over the past decade, I’ve certainly learned that the answer is yes. As a matter of fact, the more creative freedom that’s given, the more focused these kids are on developing a skill or completing a project to the best of their ability. Provide these young artists with the right environment and support and their creativity will blossom. They will automatically:

I love to use fairies and other folklore in my songs that I create to teach my students about science and other fun topics.

Mr. Brown, Educational Songwriter & Science Teacher

This month’s playful personality is Mr. Brown. His songs are full of imagination and have a tenderness to them that is quite magical. I was instantly charmed by each of his videos on his Youtube channel which we’ve included at the bottom of this story. Topics covered in each of his songs are diverse and unique and range from his seasonal fairy series to many science-related topics, to a fun spelling song. You see, he’s a science teacher and has a playful approach to teaching through songs but what’s even more unique about his collection of songs is his use of fairies & folklore that can’t help but appeal to the magical side of a child’s imagination – the perfect place to teach from! He’s speaking to kids in their language – the language of wonderment and curiosity. We are excited to be featuring Mr. Brown and his educational songs just before Earth Day and appreciate his commitment to sharing his passions for nature and science with these impressionable, young minds – and hearts!

Lee Edward Fodi is Teaching Kids How To Put Their Own Daydreaming To Good Use

Interviewed by Lorrie Holmes

Lee Edward Födi is an author, illustrator, and specialized arts educator—or, as he likes to think of himself, a daydreaming expert. He is the author of Zoone series (HarperCollins) and the Kendra Kandlestar series (Simply Read Books). He has also illustrated books for other authors. Lee teaches kids how to put their own daydreaming to good use at schools, libraries, and through workshops with the Creative Writing for Children (CWC) Society, which he co-founded in 2004. During his free time, he’s a traveler, adventurer, and maker of dragon eggs. He lives in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife, son, and unhelpful cat. Lee’s latest book, The Secret Of Zoon, will be released on April 9th. Published by HarperCollins, this book is the perfect middle-grade fantasy for kids ages 8 & up. Let’s see what Lee has to say about this book and all the other wonderfully magical things he’s up to.

Mr Doug uses music, poetry, and storytelling while promoting themes that encourage positive child development. He does this quite effortlessly by engaging his audience with his unique brand of humour. Though we love Mr Doug’s appreciation for funny things, there is much more to him than just hitting our funny bones. His messages of love, self-worth, and kindness towards others resonate deeply with children, parents, and teachers alike. We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mr Doug about the release of his Responsible Songables. I checked them out myself the other day and was very impressed with his catchy melodies, professional production, and the positive impactful lyrics and vocals that I feel will speak to the kids while also impressing their parents and teachers. I’m looking forward to testing each of these songs out in classrooms in the near future and will review them shortly. The messages in these songs are impactful but not preachy. Now let’s see what Mr Doug has to share with us about songwriting and kidding around.

 Introducing children’s author and creative writing mentor, Lee Edward Fodi, and his VALENTINE, actress and creative wonder, Marcie Nestman. They are both being interviewed here by one of Lee’s creative writing students, Chloe Kang, who he first met at CWC (Creative Writing Society for Children of British Columbia) which Lee is the co-founder of. This Valentine’s Day, we decided to focus on FRIENDSHIP + PARTNERSHIP. Having said that, we are happy to share such a story with you about what it looks like when you marry your BFF. These two lovebirds are both very creative in their own rights and a little bit nerdy as well. Let’s see what happens after they decide to join their ‘creative forces’ in a lifelong connection of their hearts and minds.

From the first time I saw you spinning on the ice, I knew you were for me, and hoped I would be for you. So be my Valentine, now and forevermore, and let’s continue this little adventure we have started together. From mountain to shore, and dawn to night, you are the one who makes everything feel right.

I can’t seem to help myself when I write songs. What comes out is the indescribably powerful emotions I feel about the most important people in my life.

Jarome Lochkrin, Singer/Songwriter

From our children to our art, our businesses to our charities of choice, there are many different kinds of legacies that we can leave behind for our loved ones; those that live on while keeping a little part of us still here in some special way. Today we are happy to introduce you to someone who is creating his own legacy, one song at a time.

We are so excited to be starting off a new year by expanding on our goals of connecting kids from across the world, through their own stories about their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about everything that is important to them. This is such a wonderful way to bridge the gap of communication and to offer more insight to us adults – parents, teachers, and caretakers alike – about what it is that is going on in the lives of our children and youth and how we can support them in this ever changing world.