Storykate: an early childhood teacher and trainer, armed with ukulele and the gift to generate endless curriculum ideas.
Hello, fellow educators!👋🏻 I'm Kate, an experienced early childhood teacher and tertiary education instructor passionate about enriching early learning. With extensive experience across various roles—from nanny and storyteller to educational leader and early childhood trainer—I bring a wealth of knowledge and innovative teaching strategies to the table. At Storykate, I'm dedicated to sharing engaging educational practices through stories, puppet shows, action songs, ukulele, mind maps and circle games. Whether you're teaching young children or training future educators, you'll find invaluable resources here. I offer a treasure trove of free resources, creative ideas, and digital products designed to enhance your teaching methods and pedagogy. I helped hundreds of students and educators achieve their professional goals. 👇Why Subscribe? Subscribe to get your hands on exclusive content that blends storytelling, puppetry, and music with effective teaching techniques. These resources are perfect for keeping your programs lively and educational, especially during circle time. 🐞Join me at Storykate to explore new ways to jazz up your teaching style and connect with a community of like-minded early childhood educators. Let’s make learning fun and meaningful together!
Storykate Stories: Happy New Year
Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators!Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!🎄 A new year always feels like a fresh start, doesn’t it? It’s a magical time to reflect on where we’ve been and dream about where we’re going—both in our professional and personal lives. This newsletter is here to remind you of the joy in teaching, the magic of childhood curiosity, and the little moments that make all the difference. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s dive into another Storytime with Kate. "Nothing without joy."
This simple yet profound statement by Loris Malaguzzi captures his belief that joy is central to learning, teaching, and the human experience, reflecting the core of the Reggio Emilia philosophy.
Kate's story from practiceWhen I worked at a Montessori Early Childhood Centre, there was a little boy named Elijah who had his heart set on one of his classmates. It was sweet, really—he followed her around with dreamy eyes, clearly fascinated by her every move. From what I could see, Elijah was trying to sneak in a kiss, and though the girl didn’t seem to mind, it wasn’t exactly what we encourage in early childhood settings! As educators, we stepped in gently, reminding Elijah and his friend that hugs are a wonderful way to show kindness, but kissing is for adults only. Despite our best efforts, the situation unfolded in a way that made us reflect and adjust how we supervised moments like these. Interestingly, the next day, the girl seemed to have moved on and wasn’t particularly interested in being friends with Elijah anymore. Kids are like that—ever-changing in their friendships and fascinations. This little incident wasn’t just a funny moment; it reminded me of the importance of guiding children in understanding boundaries and respect, while also navigating their big emotions and early social connections. It’s always a balancing act, but these moments are where some of the most meaningful learning happens. Song in a different languageIn this video, I talk about the importance of singing in different languages
Theorist of the monthLoris Malaguzzi is the founder of the world-famous Reggio Emilia Approach. First, let’s learn about where to find the information to learn more about this approach. This is a link to an Italian website, where you will find online learning resources, pictures, background information or information about tours. First, let’s learn about where to find the information to learn more about this approach. This is a link to an Italian website, where you will find online learning resources, pictures, background information or information about tours. https://www.reggiochildren.it/en/reggio-emilia-approach Loris Malaguzzi’s words always resonate with me: “The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences.” The innovative approach to education in Reggio Emilia (the approach born thanks to the values and efforts of Malaguzzi) is based on the following principles:
What do you know about Reggio Emilia? Would you like to learn more?
Resource of the month
Why use Tangram?A tangram is a traditional Chinese geometric puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are cut from a single square. These seven pieces include:
The goal of the tangram is to rearrange these pieces to form a specific shape or figure, such as animals, people, objects, or abstract designs, without overlapping any pieces. Tangrams can be used for educational purposes to develop spatial reasoning, geometry skills, and creative thinking. Game of the month: Dead Fish I love playing Dead Fish during group times or free play times. The goal of the game is for participants to practice stillness and self-control while having fun. Here's how it's played (watch the video for an explanation).
Why It's Great? WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE RESOURCE, BOOK OR GAME FOR YOUNG CHILDREN? Thanks for reading, and I hope these resources spark new ideas in your classroom. Stay tuned for next month’s edition; remember, creativity is key to keeping the joy in learning! All the best,
P.S. Share the Love!
Explore More on Storykate What would you like me to make articles and videos about? What resources would you like me to create? Send me a message via DM or FB and I will try my best to make it. |
Storykate: an early childhood teacher and trainer, armed with ukulele and the gift to generate endless curriculum ideas.
Hello, fellow educators!👋🏻 I'm Kate, an experienced early childhood teacher and tertiary education instructor passionate about enriching early learning. With extensive experience across various roles—from nanny and storyteller to educational leader and early childhood trainer—I bring a wealth of knowledge and innovative teaching strategies to the table. At Storykate, I'm dedicated to sharing engaging educational practices through stories, puppet shows, action songs, ukulele, mind maps and circle games. Whether you're teaching young children or training future educators, you'll find invaluable resources here. I offer a treasure trove of free resources, creative ideas, and digital products designed to enhance your teaching methods and pedagogy. I helped hundreds of students and educators achieve their professional goals. 👇Why Subscribe? Subscribe to get your hands on exclusive content that blends storytelling, puppetry, and music with effective teaching techniques. These resources are perfect for keeping your programs lively and educational, especially during circle time. 🐞Join me at Storykate to explore new ways to jazz up your teaching style and connect with a community of like-minded early childhood educators. Let’s make learning fun and meaningful together!
Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators! "Writing precedes reading. One who writes learns to read with greater ease and understanding." – Maria Montessori 18 years ago telling children stories and teaching them to read using innovative approach Kate's story from practice When I was working with a group of 4- to 5-year-olds, we set up a soccer goal one day. The children seemed excited, especially the boys, who quickly organised themselves and started a game. One of the girls walked up...
Welcome to storytime with Kate! Hey Educators! How are you? Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and let’s dive into another Storytime with Kate.☕ I am recovering from the operation on the voice chords, which, fingers crossed, can give me the ability to sing and talk without tension soon. Stay tuned and you may watch my new videos with ukulele! I love hot chocolate and all sorts of weird teas, including turmeric latte with almond milk. What about you? Kate's story from practice I started working in...
Welcome to storytime with Kate! I am glad you are here! Grab a cuppa, settle in, and let’s dive into another Storytime with Kate. Hey Educators! How have you been? It has been a bit of a challenging time for me, as I had an operation on my voice cords to get on top of the chronic dysphonia. The thing is it stops me from singing with children, teaching face-to-face classes. It turns out, that losing voice while teaching is quite a common professional risk (remember WHS unit of study?) Whether...