{"id":360,"date":"2020-09-24T18:34:14","date_gmt":"2020-09-24T13:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momuninterrupted.com\/?p=360"},"modified":"2020-09-24T18:34:14","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T13:04:14","slug":"expert-advice-by-an-early-years-educator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momuninterrupted.com\/expert-advice-by-an-early-years-educator\/","title":{"rendered":"Ashrita Johnson, an Early Years Educator, answers questions on Learning Approaches, Screen Time and More for Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ashrita Johnson is a bachelors in Arts and Psychology from the University of Mumbai, and a Masters of Arts in Teacher Leadership from the University of Northern Iowa. So powered with a background in education and psychology and a passion for technology, Ashrita began working in elementary education, twelve years ago. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator and currently teaches at the American School of Bombay, where she works with six year olds. With her new baby, and the global pandemic, she is finding ways to make play happen at home for her one year old. She shares these invitations to play and the research behind them on her Instagram page makingplayhappen<\/a> that she started during the lock-down\u00a0to support families during these difficult times.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is a two-part interview, where we will also cover on Positive Language for babies to set them up for success. For now, excerpts from the first part:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1)There are various approaches to learning when it comes to kids. What approach do you, as an early years educator, recommended?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to choosing a school, parents are often harrowed about which approach\/ board to choose. There’s no one approach that fits all children but we know children learn best by doing.<\/strong> They learn by using all their senses.<\/strong> When it comes to young children, we want to pick a school that focuses on developing the soft skills<\/strong> instead of the academic rigor. We want our children to be inquirers and love learning<\/strong>. So it’s crucial to pick a school that encourages children to ask questions<\/strong>, provides opportunities to express themselves<\/strong> in different ways and fosters creativity.<\/strong> At such a young age, parents and teachers must work in partnership to bring out the best in a child.<\/strong><\/em> Look for a school that allows parents to volunteer frequently.<\/strong> A school might call itself many things, but instead of going by the name, delve deeper to find out what the school truly has to offer. We want our children to be open minded and embrace different cultures<\/strong>. They learn this best at school. Talk with the teachers, find out more about the approaches to learning, take a tour of the learning space while children are in it and see if it’s a good fit for your child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) What are the five things parents must absolutely invest in for their babies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The number one and most important thing parents must invest in their children is their time.<\/em> <\/strong>Nothing you buy can beat the time you spend with them. A lot of learning happens from conversations, singing together, cooking or having a family meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n