As a professor of human development at Oxford University, Ted Melhuish has been working in early childhood development for 45 years and is a leading authority on early learning and brain development.
He acts as a pro-bono consultant to charities and voluntary organisations involved with child wellbeing, such as Our Place in Seymour, and gave a presentation on childhood development at Seymour College on Tuesday, August 30.
Dr Melhuish believes a child’s early experiences lay the foundation for the rest of their lives.
He said the biggest single predictor of how successful that child would be in further education and life was where they stood in their development at the age of five.
He gave some simple and practical advice on how to engage with your child.
Dr Melhuish said that talking broadly about ideas and events helped a child understand the world around them. Any communication with a child also taught them how to communicate, which was fundamental to the success of their long-term development.
“Provide lots of interactions for your child and talk to your child a lot so that child learns good language and learns how to communicate well with other people,” he said.
“If you can’t read to your child, you can tell your child stories. All of these things help the child to communicate better.”
The ability to effectively communicate will be beneficial to your child’s development and create positive behaviour.
“Where children get frustrated, that probably indicates they are having difficulty communicating their needs with others,” Dr Melhuish said.
Dr Melhuish encourages parents to look at the world from their child’s perspective.
“You need to give the child a sense of security in the environment around them, to show them that the environment around them is non-threatening,” he said.
Confidence, curiosity and a willingness to engage with people are all good signs that indicate a child is secure in their environment.
Enrolment into early childhood education is important in setting a child up for the future and preparing them for school.
“If they are well prepared to start school, they are going to do much better throughout school and throughout their lives,” Dr Melhuish said.
According to Kids First Australia early years manager Leanne Rodriguez, accessing services and support for children can be more challenging in regional locations.
Australian Early Development Census data demonstrates there are some developmental needs, such as social and emotional regulation, that can be challenging to meet.
Ms Rodriguez said play was one of the most crucial elements of early childhood development.
“Play looks different to everyone, so sometimes it is about educating the parents on what is play,” she said.
If you are looking to facilitate more play in your child’s life, Ms Rodriguez suggests contacting your child’s kindergarten so the child’s interests can be discussed.
From there, any interests of the child can be carried on between home and kindergarten.
Ms Rodriguez said there was a range of ways early childhood educators could support parents and children at home. For example, if a child showed an interest in jigsaw puzzles at kindergarten, the teachers could then send home a puzzle so that parents could join in on activities the child enjoys.
She also recommends looking at online resources such as Better Health Channel for ways you can support your child’s development.
If you are worried about your child, Ms Rodriguez suggests speaking to the family GP or your child’s education team, who can refer you on to different support services.