2015 Wild Things Annual Workshop
The Wild Things Annual Workshop, held on 17 October 2015, was a great success! It was conducted by renowned educator Nathan Wallis on "Laying the Foundation for Social Competency" in children. The full-house 100 attendees were treated to a wealth of information. The main take-home messages that relate to a child’s brain development are:
* Recognizing the importance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life (from conception);
* The dyadic relationship that fosters attachment; and
* The early years are crucial in fostering a child’s learning dispositions – to being curious, expressive and exploring.
Background
Past two decades of active research on infants and children had enabled us to understand the neuroscience in brain growth. These new perspectives on brain development gave us many insights into the developmental needs of children. Nathan’s workshop incorporated these research findings to further our understanding of social/emotional competence and how it relates to the later cognitive development of a child.
Nathan delivered the workshop in an easy-to-understand manner that connected to participants’ knowledge and related it to day-to-day practices. He was indeed a lively and engaging speaker who used humour and plain language to make a complex topic came to life.