Blog

Helping children think outside the box is one of the most important roles of the child care environment. Lucky there are so many ways to engage and excite young minds while having fun. To help children think outside the box, we’ve got five approaches to share with you. Try these and you will be opening up […]

In early childhood education you obviously work closely with children on a daily basis, but you can also develop relationships with one or both parents or the family of the children in your care. Some of the children in your centre may be very young, or some may have siblings born around the time they […]

Allowing children the opportunity to have a variety of experiences through play-based learning is the best way for them to learn and grow. Play-based learning is the approach within the majority of Australian child care centres, offering children this essential free play time. Taking children’s play outside provides children with even more benefits and can […]

The role of child care worker involves challenges and patience, but it also involves a lot of fun. For example, cooking with children is not only an enjoyable activity — it’s perfect for children’s development too! Give children the chance to see how the food they eat is made. In some centres educators are even […]

Creating a hazard-free workplace is something that all employers and employees should aim to achieve – for plenty of reasons. From an economic point of view alone, workplace injuries cost the Australian economy more than $60 billion every year according to Work Focus Australia. And then there are the social, organisational and personal impacts on […]

Working in childcare means you’re more than likely to come across children who are unwell from time to time, but a little knowledge can go a long way. Learn how to identify an illness and find out the right steps to take care of the child – and how to prevent germs from spreading. What […]

  As a child care worker, chances are you will have one or more children in your care who live with an allergy and allergy symptoms. The allergy may be to a range of different and common allergens, including: foods such as peanuts, cow’s milk, soy, seafood, and eggs dust animals like cats, dogs, horses […]

  Childcare is required fairly equally for both boys and girls, so it makes sense that educators can also be male or female, doesn’t it? As children grow up in a society that is increasingly focused on equality issues, early childhood is definitely an area where a greater presence of male role models is needed. […]

Though practiced for thousands of years, yoga is still relatively new in western cultures – but it’s popularity just keeps growing. Yoga cultivates health and wellbeing through the regular practice of different movements, postures, breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation. It helps to build physical, emotional and mental strength and its benefits are certainly not confined […]

Graduates of vocational education and training (VET) are on average finding jobs faster and gaining better starting salaries than those with university degrees, a landmark study has revealed. The research, conducted by McCrindle and released by Skilling Australia, goes a long way to expel the myths often associated with VET, and according to Skilling Australia […]

Easter is a time of the year when working in child care is especially fun! Children love Easter and the fun and games that come with it. From the concept of a magical bunny to the permission to eat more chocolate than usual, there are plenty of things for children to get excited about. When […]

What do children want from their child care providers? It’s a super-important question that’s surprisingly seldom asked. Surprising since ultimately, it’s children who child care professionals spend the most time with and have the most impact on. So aside from the expectations of employers, parents and co-workers, today we’re asking what’s important to children? Anyone […]

In recent years, Australia has witnessed a massive surge in demand for child care services. Today, more than 1.2 million children attend around 17,000 government-approved child care services nationwide; numbers which have grown massively over the past five years.   Like all industries, working in child care comes with a unique set of challenges and […]

The beginning of a new year gives us an excellent opportunity to reflect on all that we’ve achieved, not to mention our plans for the future. For many, this includes starting a new career and commencing study for the first time (or again!) Every year, we welcome thousands of enquiries from people interested in following […]

When it’s time to study and absorb all the facts, ideas and theories that you’re learning and apply your understanding of them, it’s important to be organised. You can prepare for the most effective use of your study time with some handy digital tools that will help you to plan, revise, take cohesive notes and […]

Technology is prolific in this day and age, as we are surrounded by iPhones and iPads, television and computers (just to name a few). Statistics from the ABS show that households with children aged under 15 years have an average of 7 devices they use to access the internet, and that over 79% of children […]

It’s an awesome feeling when you’ve decided that you know what you want to study. You know child care is the path for you – you want to play a vital role in children’s lives, enriching their education and setting them up for lifelong learning. Choosing from the many child care courses in Melbourne (and […]

Working in child care and aged care, it’s essential to maintain the highest safety standards at all times, no matter how busy it can be. Every day you must take the necessary precautions to protect those in your care to avoid falls, choking and even the spreading of germs. But, seeing as we are heading […]

Now that you’ve decided to apply to enrol in an child care or aged care course at Selmar Institute of Education, don’t let your motivation slip during the festive season. With parties to attend, gifts to buy and family and friends to spend time with, it’s easy to push your goals to one side during this […]

We all know it’s important to take work seriously – a career in child care means a lot of responsibility. After all, you’re looking after young children and playing a role in shaping their future. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a laugh on the job too… In fact, working in child care is […]

When it comes to amazing, rewarding careers, we think working in childcare is the best. You often hear what a rewarding job it is working with children, but have you ever wondered WHY it’s so rewarding? We’ve narrowed it down to three reasons that explain why working in childcare really is so rewarding.   1. […]

When you work in child care you can feel pretty lucky – working with children is one of the most rewarding jobs you will find. Of course, we have personal lives to enjoy as well. Thankfully, working in the early childhood industry allows you to enjoy all the rewards of a job you love while […]

Did you know that some of the most significant wiring of our brains occurs in our first five years of life? According to the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC), at age three a child has approximately 1000 trillion brain connections (also known as synapses). By the time they hit adolescence the number is halved and […]

  Allergies in children and allergic reactions can be quite serious so it’s important to understand what they are and how to spot them. What is an allergy? According to the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, an allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to a substance (allergen) in the environment which is […]

Birthdays can be a really exciting time for kids, but as an early learning educator or assistant, it’s crucial to remember that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to celebrating children’s birthdays. Whether you hope to (or already) work in a kindergarten, childcare or early learning centre there are a number […]

Iron is a nutrient that most of us have heard of, but often underestimate. It’s essential for helping people of all ages and stages to feel strong and well. It supports oxygen to move through the body, contributes to energy production and helps keep our immune system fighting fit. So of course, it’s incredibly important […]

International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) has been celebrated since 1967 on or around 2nd April, which is the birthday of celebrated fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen. Created by The International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), the day aims to highlight the importance of children’s literature and instil a love of reading at an […]

We sat down with a few of our early childhood trainers and asked them about their experience in the industry. Getting to the lighter side of early childhood, we asked “What’s the funniest thing you experienced while working as an educator?” One time a girl stopped mid-puzzle and turned toward me, looked me squarely in […]

We sat down with a few of our early childhood trainers and asked them about their experience in the industry. We’re posting a series of their responses, starting here! This time round we asked, “What two qualities do you think are essential for an early childhood educator?” “A caring nature and a compassionate soul.” Ebonie. […]

It is only natural for young children and babies to explore their environment. As they become more inquisitive and mobile, the risk of falls and bumps increases. Pre-school children quickly develop the ability and confidence to reach great heights, yet they don’t have any fear or understanding of the dangers of their explorations. According to […]