Risky play can sound intimidating and many parents feel the same way. In fact, these concerns are natural, but they also often limit our ability to allow children to fully explore their surroundings and be exposed to new opportunities. Although risky play can sound dangerous and sometimes scary, it is important to remember that it is an essential part of development in several domains.
Finding a great preschool or kindergarten readiness program is half the battle. Your child will still need support at home to continue their development.
A good pre-kindergarten program offers important skills development such as social interaction, school readiness, and improved executive function. Let’s look at them further:
At Oak Learners, we are fortunate enough to have professional musicians on our team, and this time we are spotlighting our drum/percussion/piano teacher, Adam! When he is not touring or gigging around the city, Adam can be found teaching at both the RY and LS locations!
Music has been used as a form of expression for centuries. It is a powerful tool that can convey emotions and feelings in both a verbal and non-verbal setting. Learning to play an instrument allows individuals to express themselves in a limitless creative way, providing a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. This is especially important for children and teenagers who may struggle expressing themselves or have many stressors and anxiety in their life.
Oak Learners is proud to have developed a partnership with long-time members of LEGS (Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society), a local community-based gardening organization, that provides outdoor education and stewardship enrichment programs for our students! This...
The concept of teaching and learning matching is that it impacts learning in a way that encourages students to respond more positively to instructional methods while informing faculty about effective teaching practices. This encourages collaboration between the teacher and student which in turn reduces classroom management issues.
Recent research has shown that it is not as effective for a teacher to change their teaching preferences to suit the students in their classroom because they may not be as comfortable teaching in that manner.
At Larchwood Nature OT we are developing courage, confidence, coordination and deep care for our precious environment in all of our clients. Nature offers many opportunities for supporting development of the mind, muscles, senses, and emotions.
If there’s one thing we love, it’s educational spaces that are totally aligned. The Little Rebels mandate and vision line up magically with the Oak Learners vision to inspire creativity, foster technique and encourage confidence.
There are a lot of virtual games that can be played in-class. Young students have thousands of games now a days, with easy access on the internet. There are many to choose from, with some being educational and some that aren’t as much. We’ve compiled 5 educational and fun interactive games for young students to try out for themselves!
With 2021 Summer Camps fully booked and even a waitlist being created, you could say this year was a great achievement and success for all staff and members at Oak Learners. Parents and children were excited to return back to yearly Summer Camp and connecting again with their fellow peers and camp counsellors.
We’re excited to announce that Kelly Farrell, Oak Learners director, is featured on the front page of the August 2021 issue of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press!
The goal of Oak Online is to foster learning by utilizing an “authentic skill-based curriculum”. Oak Online teachers always ensure they are supportive of the curiosities that children display while exploring the world they live in and this is done by conducting experiences virtually that are student-centered.
Fitness doesn’t stop at sports and going to the gym.
The question is, how do you make these playdates fun and exciting, especially after months of Facetime and Zoom calls? We have created a list of activity ideas that will keep your children engaged, even if they can’t be with their friends in person. These activities will allow you to build in some much-needed social time for your kids, while also encouraging their creativity and communication skills! They are great ideas to keep in mind for virtual family game nights and other social events taking place online!
Students of all ages are fascinated by animals! Aquariums, farms and zoos give children and families the chance to learn about animals and discover new things! Due to the pandemic, many of these facilities are not open for in-person visits. However, they have established some incredible (and free!) virtual experiences and programs! Here are just a few of the many animal adventure virtual field trips that exist!
One thing that students often look forward to in the summer is visiting amusement parks and carnivals. It’s hard to come close to the real thing, but these virtual field trips offer a taste of excitement that can be enjoyed safely from home.
Field trips give children the chance to learn and explore new things outside of the traditional classroom. However, the pandemic has significantly limited access to field trip experiences. Not only does this impact teachers, it impacts many parents, who look forward...