Earlylearningwithjem (2025)

19/11/2025

Ohhhh the temptation of eight perfectly identical Christmas trees hanging in a row.
Yeah sure they can look cute…
BUT
They can also scream adult led, product driven and closed ended.

If you are looking for an alternative this holiday season why not plan a Christmas provocation table.
Pop out boxes, coloured card, Christmas ribbon, paints, markers, tape, glue, sparkly bits, recycled treasures, whatever lives in the craft cardboard or art trolley.
Add some inspo pics,
real Christmas trees, cartoon elves, reindeers, santa statues, ornaments… anything that speaks to children and says “what do you feel like making?” Add an invite, such as “would you like to make a Christmas craft”.

Then we….
Let them explore.
Let them imagine.
Let them follow their creativity , even if the outcome has zero resemblance to anything on display.
Christmas tree? Maybe.
Spaceship? Sounds good!

P.S. As a mumma, I would much rather a reindeer drawing where there’s an eye missing, six legs, and purple hair than something that looks identical to everyone else’s.

Thoughts? Save for later or share with your team and have some critical reflection.

16/11/2025

So many little people are getting ready to head off to big school. It reminded me of a chat I had with an amazing primary school teacher about resilience.

Coping with small challenges like not being able to tie their shoelace or misplacing their jumper can happen.
So, my tip, especially when starting school, is supporting children to know who and where to go to for help, when things feel tricky.

Do you have any helpful tips?

12/11/2025

I’ve just been reflecting on what an incredible year of Tailored teaching it has been. I’ve just wrapped up with some beautiful services and now 2026 is calling!

If you are looking for a hands on approach, a year of workshops designed for your team, observations, e.books and more, all shaped around your team and what you actually need.

I won’t be a stranger; I’ll feel like one of the team, working alongside you.

Reach out as bookings are limited. Send me a DM or email today. Let’s make professional development fun again!

29/10/2025

Ever wonder why a child spends weeks lining up cars, throwing their food off the highchair, or hiding behind curtains or under the table?
Whilst not always the case, quite often it’s not some random action or interest,
It’s a schema!

Their brains wiring skills, emotions, and understanding of the world.

My little guy, spent months tying up anything he could get his hands on, from connecting cars & trailers to connecting himself to bikes or toys, it was everyday and definitely not a phase?
That was connection schema in action.
And by exploring this schema he was able to feel regulated and safe.

In my Play Schema Workshop you’ll:
✅ Learn the theory
✅ Recognise different schemas in real time
✅ Support children in ways that actually help their development
✅Uncover how easy planning for 0-5 can actually be, especially the 0-2 classroom.

Send me a DM to book in a date for Term 4 or get organised for 2026!

26/10/2025

I’m Jem!
Early Childhood trainer and Murray River local. I deliver face-to-face ECEC workshops across VIC & NSW that are practical, relatable and actually useful in the day-to-day chaos of education.

My focus? Supporting educators to feel confident in what they do, because strong teams build strong outcomes for children. Simple as that.

Planning Term 4 or locking in 2026 PD?
Hit the link in my bio to check out my upcoming workshops, send me a DM or email to secure.

Let’s make training feel worthwhile, not like a box to tick!

08/10/2025

If we’d asked this 4 year old to paint rainbows or butterflies, we might’ve missed this!

A few days after overhearing an older child discussing the tooth fairy, my four year old drew this and asked, “Why does the fairy take teeth?”

Open-ended art prompts give children space to explore ideas, ask questions, and process new concepts, building curiosity, imagination, and agency. Art was the tool that helped him process what he had heard as well as the confidence to initiate a conversation he might not of shared otherwise.
As educators, it’s a reminder:
Let them lead, observe closely, and notice the thinking behind the marks.

05/10/2025

What’s your pace? 🐌🐆

We talk a lot about routines and rituals in early childhood.
We know predictability helps children feel safe, and we work hard to create flexible, responsive rhythms that support them.

But what about pace?

We might give the five-minute reminder… but are we actually giving five minutes? Maybe that five minutes really needs to be ten, or even twenty. Maybe some children don’t need “reminders” at all, while others may need several.

Or maybe we’re speeding through it, rushing children along, expecting them to drop everything now.

Maybe we have visual routines, but still feel that pressure to have things done at specific times.

⏰ Does the clock dictate the day?
Do you feel that pull of “what’s next” before you’ve even finished what’s now?

I’ll be honest…
Pace hasn’t always been my strong suit.
I’m a fast talker, my brain jumps from one idea to the next, and when I worked in the classroom, I was absolutely guilty of focusing on what’s next instead of being fully present.
Slowing down has been, and still is, a learning curve for me.

So, let’s be real…
Are slow transitions your jam, or something you’re still working on too?
You might have heard them called “soft transitions”, same thing, just with a gentler rhythm.

💭 My STP Lens workshop dives deep into the temporal environment, unpacking all the little things that shape children’s experiences.

Contact me today for more info!

#

10/07/2025

A little reminder for your Thursday night….

If a child’s play is making you a little twitchy… it might be time to “redirect”, not shut it down.

My little one has been obsessed with pulling and putting things in and out of containers lately, and while it’s tempting to just remove the item causing grief, there’s something bigger going on;
👉 a play schema in action!

This one? It’s often called enclosing or enveloping,
Your little one is not trying to “challenge you” they’re trying to understand and make sense of their world.

Instead of saying the same thing on repeat, try offering a simple cost effective activity like this:
📦 A cardboard box with a cut out slot + some wooden coins = happy hands, happy brain!

Respect the urge. Redirect the action. It’s seriously awesome to watch!

15/05/2025

Driving to kinder this morning, my 3-year old casually dropped: “I don’t want to play with girls at kinder, only boys because I am a boy.”

What the actual? 🤨

I’ve worked with 3/4 year olds for years and yeah I’ve seen this… but it still totally threw me. Especially since my son usually gravitates to girls, cousins, friends, and, ahh, me and his baby sister.

I stayed calm whilst I processed and said,
“Maybe just find people who like playing the same things as you and remember to always be kind.”

Then I did what I do best and reflected and researched. Here’s what I found. Maybe it’ll help you too.

What’s going on?
Around 3/ 4, kids start sorting the world including putting things and people into categories.
Gender becomes one of their first identity markers (categories)

•“I’m a boy”
•“He’s a boy”
•“We play the same!”

Some refer to this as identity building.

Why does it happen?

•Hearing it from someone else
•Linking toys/play or colours to gender
•One disagreement causes this new view

What we don’t need to do:

•Panic or worry
•Shame
•Force friendships

What we can do:

- Gently expand: “Remi (his sister) loves building too!”
-Focus on shared interests
-Model inclusive language & choices

I feel more prepared, hopefully you do too. 🥰

14/05/2025

How many times do you think the EYLF mentions “partnership with families”?
Once? Twice?

Try 50+ times. 🧐
Yep. It’s that central to what we do.

If partnership still feels like “just another thing” on your list, you’re not alone.
But what if it could actually make your days smoother?

My online workshop “Partnership with Parents (AKA Customer Service) breaks it all down and gives practical strategies.

•What families really want
•What the NQS actually expects
•And how to build trust in 2 minutes

Because real partnership isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing it differently and doing it well.
DM for access. Jem x

www.create4me.com.au

13/05/2025

How many times do you think the EYLF mentions “partnership with families”?
Once? Twice?

Try 50+ times. 🧐
Yep. It’s that central to what we do.

If partnership still feels like “just another thing” on your list, you’re not alone.
But what if it could actually make your days smoother?

My online workshop “Partnership with Parents (AKA Customer Service) breaks it all down and gives practical strategies.

•What families really want
•What the NQS actually expects
•And how to build trust in 2 minutes

Because real partnership isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing it differently and doing it well.
DM for access. Jem x

08/05/2025

We often think of “family involvement” as forms, surveys, or newsletters.
But what if it’s already happening, in those quick, casual convos at the door?

Like when I told my son’s teacher he’d been loving The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Just a passing comment. Nothing formal.
But the next day, there it was. A beautiful setup inspired by the story. His face lit up, and so did mine.

That moment?
Genuine partnership.
Child-centred programming.
Parent involvement made easy.

Those little chats? They’re you’re golden ticket.

What’s a parent comment that’s shaped your programming lately?

Earlylearningwithjem

19/11/2025

16/11/2025

12/11/2025

29/10/2025

26/10/2025

08/10/2025

05/10/2025

10/07/2025

15/05/2025

14/05/2025

13/05/2025

08/05/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share