Healthy Outcomes : Australia

21/09/2025

29/08/2025

11/08/2025

03/08/2025

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the World Economic Forum, and Unicef (and according...

02/08/2025

As a teacher and leader, I often felt dissatisfied with the systems for planning. I thought that they didn’t enable or honour the ideas we were noticing and considering for learning. Nothing ever felt like it did that work justice.
So we would play around, try, test, and adjust… always on the search for a system that supported the evolution of learning for children and adults.
This continues to be my work each week, alongside teams, considering and playing with systems that enable us to plan meaningfully, think deeply, and stay connected to what matters.

I am in the thick of this thinking right now as I curate my presentation for the upcoming National Educational Leader Conference, Reimagining & Revitalising: Planning & Documentation in Action with Semann & SlatterySemann & exploring how we might reimagine planning so it truly serves learning.

This isn’t new thinking. Alma Fleet and Patterson reminded us years ago in 'Beyond the Boxes: Planning for Real Knowledge and Live Children,' that planning should be about real knowledge and live children, not paperwork. Their provocation continues to echo: how do our systems truly honour the complexity of what happens in learning?

And I wonder…

What if our planning systems were approached playfully, as creative spaces for generating ideas, rather than filling in boxes or linking to outcomes?

What if they helped us dwell in curiosity, drawing out insights about children’s learning that are worthy of being offered back as meaningful encounters?

What if planning honoured the intentionality of learning, always keeping the group and the uniqueness of individuals in mind as we design for meaningful, unfolding experiences?
With co-constructed systems that are responsive to context, it transforms.
It becomes authentic, meaningful, and generative.

How might we bring our creativity to designing planning systems that truly serve the unfolding of learning?

Join me and other esteemed presenters at the Educational Leader Conference: Reimagining & Revitalising: Planning & Documentation in Action with Semann & Slattery.

29/06/2025

21/06/2025

DID YOUKNOW THAT SCRIBBLING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF BRAIN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT?

Scribbling is an art form that stimulates creativity!

13/06/2025

Engage with the Smiling Mind Creek series of 18 2-minute animated episodes. The videos explore positive mental health and emotional wellbeing lessons for children aged 3 to 8: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-creek

19/04/2025

“Crossing the midline” is a foundational skill in occupational therapy that refers to the ability to reach across the middle of the body with the arms or legs crossing over to the opposite side. This skill is essential for many everyday tasks and is closely linked to bilateral coordination, brain development, and motor planning.

Why Is It Important?

Crossing the midline is crucial for:
• Writing across a page
• Reaching for objects on the opposite side
• Putting on socks or shoes
• Brushing hair
• Tying shoelaces
• Efficient reading and writing (visual tracking)

Difficulty with midline crossing can affect a child’s:
• Academic performance (especially writing and reading)
• Independence in self-care
• Motor coordination
• Cognitive development (because it reflects communication between the brain’s hemispheres)

Activities to Promote Crossing the Midline

Here are some OT-based activities to help develop this skill:

1. Figure 8 Drawing

Have the child draw large horizontal figure 8s (infinity symbols) on a whiteboard or chalkboard.

2. Ball Pass Across the Body

Pass a ball or object from one hand to the other across the body while seated or standing.

3. Windmill Exercises

Standing with feet apart, touch the left hand to the right foot and vice versa.

4. Simon Says with Cross-Body Movements

Include actions like touching the left knee with the right hand or reaching across to the opposite shoulder.

5. Lacing and Threading Activities

Set up materials so the child has to reach across the body to grab items.

6. Twister or Yoga Poses

Encourage whole-body movements that require reaching across the midline.

7. Obstacle Courses

Set up stations that require crossing midline movements — like picking up a bean bag on the left and placing it in a bucket on the right.

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Tips for Parents:
• Observe how a child moves during activities — are they avoiding crossing over?
• Encourage bilateral hand use — such as one hand stabilising while the other works.
• Make it fun and goal-directed — engaging in games helps with motivation

16/04/2025

Planting Seeds of Knowledge: Gardening Activities for Early Learners 🌼🌱

Spring is the perfect time to dig into hands-on learning with gardening activities that spark curiosity, exploration, and STEM skills! 🌿🦋 Gardening encourages children to observe, measure, sort, and predict, building early math and science foundations while fostering a love for nature. 🌎💚

Through play-based learning, little hands can plant, water, and nurture while strengthening fine motor skills, responsibility, and patience. Whether it’s sensory-rich soil play or watching seeds sprout, every moment in the garden is a lesson in growth! 🌞🍓

📖 Read the full blog for fun, age-appropriate gardening ideas! https://tinyurl.com/bdf42mve

03/04/2025

Executive functioning skills are not just academic — they are deeply tied to social and emotional learning (SEL). Teaching these skills explicitly helps students build stronger relationships, emotional awareness, and self-management, all while improving learning outcomes. Integrating EF into SEL lessons creates holistic support for neurodiverse learners.

16/03/2025

Proprioceptive Behaviors: Typical vs. Atypical & Intervention Strategies
Follow IEP Individualized Education Program