The way you can measure a society’s soul is by the way that it treats its children.
Nelson Mandela
Issue No. 22 – 27th July 2006
Welcome to Kidz Newz especially to all new subscribers. Kidz Newz is a regular newsletter with information and teaching tips for anyone involved with young children. Please forward this to anyone you feel it may be of interest to.
Feedback is welcome.
My PD Updates
Watch this space for forthcoming presentations.
Monday 22nd May – Hereford, England – am and pm
Wednesday 24th May – London, England – full day
The above workshops were very well received and were a lot of fun to present. I thought a full day workshop might have been a bit much but actually it was fantastic. I felt I was able to present the full Kidz-Fiz-Biz program properly. As a result, the participants got a lot out of it. I hadn’t come to the UK prepared for a PD so when my publisher asked me to do so, of course I said ‘yes’ but had no equipment. The Hereford School (thanks to Jenni Axtell) provided musical instruments, hoops and a parachute and allowed me to borrow them to take to London. How generous is that? For the London PD I also borrowed scarves from my cousin and made ribbon sticks out of chopsticks!
I will be in New Zealand in October. If you have any contacts in New Zealand who would be interested in hosting a PD in early childhood music and movement, please let me know their contact details and I will contact them direct. Many thanks.
New Book
Kidz-Fiz-Biz has gone international with the release of the new UK version (revised 2nd edition) of the original 2 book pack. This has been released simultaneously throughout the UK, USA and Canada. When stocks of the original are all sold in Australia, the UK version will replace the original. What that means is that the original will become a valuable collector’s item. It will not be reproduced so if you own a copy, celebrate! As there is limited stock still available, if you would like to purchase a pack or know someone who would, please get them to get in touch with me asap before they all go.
I have had a lot of positive feedback about the e-book. This describes my journey from self-publishing to being a published author and even I get inspiration from it when need be! If you’d like a copy, please contact me or download from the website (www.kidzfizbiz.com) and go to the products page. Please contact me if there are any problems with the download.
It was a wonderful experience visiting the publishers (Crown House) and getting to know them. Publishers often get bad press, especially from disgruntled authors, but my experience has only been positive. I include here a professional review that came in when they sent my book out into the world ‘
Review by Kathleen Ginn
Developer of Rapid Sensory Learning & Conscious Creation
I was asked to review this book, despite the fact that I focus more on educating adults on how we learn so that they may in turn be able to inspire their children or for adults who have low self esteem and need to start learning in their work environments. Why? I believe because no matter what age you are, the key thing is to understand that true learning (or mastery) requires certain skills to be developed within the mind/body.
And what I like about the more modern era of education is the demonstration that in the years past there are educators who don’t subscribe to the ‘accepted norm’ and who are willing to develop the innate potential in the little people in a creative manner and way. Marlene Rattigan is such a person.
The first thing you notice about this book is part of the title states ‘learning through drama, dance and song’.
For me, this is key when it comes to learning, because the primary learning sense is auditory and the fact is that no matter what skills, talent or ability you have it has come about through the actions of practise. By combining the auditory with the kinaesthetic sense and intelligence, the children are encouraged to create neural pathways that develop co-ordination, spatial awareness, respect for their bodies, better memory and an ability to master information and tasks in a single unit.
I believe the uniqueness of the author’s approach to learning is by using combined senses and intelligences to help children have fun with learning, to grow confidently as a person and to encourage good development of neural pathways which are essential in our mind/body co-ordination later on in life. Children love being involved and listened to and this book has some excellent practical examples which will allow this to happen.
However most importantly the methodology used by Marlene understands the importance of an integrated approach to create balance within motor skills and memory function. True learning is more than photographic memory, it is when the information becomes us and that is where drama can fire up our imaginations to play a part. Every philosophy from around the world tells us that our thoughts create our reality and even Einstein acknowledged that imagination is more important than any other skill in learning.
This book offers any educator and parent a chance to actively engage a child’s imagination, sense of play, sense of fun and natural curiosity whilst learning to develop memory, spatial awareness, co-ordination, body awareness and the importance of relaxation.
Recently at the University of Westminster where I have been carrying out some research on the Rapid Sensory Learning programme, we discovered that more than 63% of the students were kinaesthetic dominant and yet were learning in highly auditory/visual environments. Educators like Marlene Rattigan, should be encouraged to share their knowledge and information because by using multi-intelligences in the classroom and encouraging children from a young age to use their imaginations, to become aware of their body and the necessity for listening, participating and knowing that they are a success because they tried something new, will I believe reap extra-ordinary results in the future citizens of this glorious planet we live on. I will certainly recommend this book to nursery school educators and parents with young children.
Quote of the Week
If you treat an individual as if they were what they ought to be and could be, they will become what they ought to be and could be. Shelley Taylor Smith
Entertainment
Simple Pleasures
A 78 year old man who loves to fish was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say, “Pick me up.” He looked around and could not see any one. He thought he was dreaming when he heard the voice again, “Pick me up.”
He looked in the water and there floating on the top was a frog.
The man said, “Are you talking to me?”
The frog said, “Yes, I’m talking to you. Pick me up. Then, kiss me and I’ll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I’ll then give you more pleasure than you could ever have dreamed of.”
The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully, and placed it in his front breast pocket.
Then the frog said, “What are you crazy, didn’t you hear what I said? I said kiss me and I will give you pleasures like you have never had.”
He opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, “Naah, at my age I’d rather have a talking frog.”
From Dennis Moore’s ‘Circus of Life’ newsletter. (www.moorespeak.com)
Feedback
Hi Marlene
thanks for a great session this afternoon at Broadlands school. You said the first person to contact you could have a free copy of your e-book. I do hope I am the first….it would be so useful for my future career development…. at present I am a TA working in a special needs school but in September I begin my Early Years (3-7yrs) PGCE/teacher training and I hope to use the techniques and advice you have given me in my own class 🙂 Working with older children I found your session a brilliant insight into what and how I will have to teach younger children music and drama 🙂
Thanks again for such a fun session
Take care
Nicky
{Nicky was indeed the first from the UK to contact me & was delighted with the e-book – Congratulations Nicky!}
About The Author
Marlene Rattigan B.A., Dip. Ed. (ECS), CELTA
Marlene Rattigan is an Early Childhood teacher, a teacher of English as a Second Language, and from 1987-2000 was a nationally accredited fitness leader. Her background is in music education. A keen interest in motor development in children led to the creation of Kidz-Fiz-Biz which she taught successfully for 13 years. Marlene also conducts workshops for children, teachers and parents at schools, in the community and at festivals. She has produced teaching manuals complete with audio CDs which are an extension of her ‘Kidz-Fiz-Biz’ program.
Kidz-Fiz-Biz
57 Henry Lawson Walk, East Perth WA 6004
T: +61 8 9325 1204 M: 0410 64 2781 E: info@kidzfizbiz.com
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Until next time – continue being a legend in your classroom.
Marlene Rattigan, Editor
Kidz Newz
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