Resources
Here you'll find a range of helpful, easy to use resources created to support parents in understanding key aspects of child development. These tools offer practical tips and insights to help you guide your child’s growth with confidence—at home, at school, and beyond.
What is Social Emotional Learning?
In a world where academic skills are often viewed as the priority, social-emotional skill development may not always be on the forefront of most parents’ and teachers’ minds. However, research has shown that social-emotional skills are crucial for children to become successful both socially and academically.
Social-emotional skills help children to persist on challenging tasks, to effectively seek help when they need it and to be thoughtful in their actions. The below video made by the "Committee for Children" highlights the benefits in improving your child's Social & Emotional skills. Although this video was made in the USA, Australian research has shown the same advantages and benefits.
What are the key social and emotional skills?
Research has identified core skills that are widely recognised as critical social-emotional skills:
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Self-awareness is the ability to recognise your emotions and understand the links between emotions, thoughts and behaviours the ability to regulate emotions, thoughts and behaviours.
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Social awareness is the ability to take other’s perspectives and demonstrate empathy.
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Relationship skills are the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.
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Responsibility is the ability to make good choices about your behaviour and interactions with others.
Free Child Development Screeners
You can access a range of free developmental checklists through ChildDevelopment.com.au. These charts outline what is considered typical development for children at different ages and highlight areas where support may be needed if milestones are not being met.
Please keep in mind that these checklists are general guides, not formal assessment tools. They are designed to help parents, carers, and teachers gain a clearer understanding of a child’s developmental progress.
Some of the available checklists include:
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Fine Motor Skills Development
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Gross Motor Skills Development
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Phonological (Sound) Awareness
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Play and Social Skills
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Self-Care and Organisation
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Sensory Processing
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Speech Sounds (Articulation)
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Stages of Language Development
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Written Communication Development
How to use these checklists:
Simply go through each checklist and tick "Yes" or "No" based on whether your child demonstrates each skill. This can give you a general sense of whether your child’s development is on track for their age. If you notice areas of concern or delays, it may be helpful to seek advice from your GP or Child Health Nurse for further support.