children

How emojis can help children learn and communicate

For young children, emoji can aid inclusion in aspects of society previously closed to them, such as active participation in increasing knowledge of childhood well-being, and being heard in educational and care settings.

Emoji can also support children's learning in areas of health, well-being, safety and diversity.

These are key aspects of supporting children in becoming knowledgeable, confident and informed citizens, essential aspects of high-quality education.

Does having children help you live past 80?

You may feel that your kids are sending you to an early grave, but parents live longer than childless people, especially once they reach 80, found a study in Sweden — and the longevity edge becomes greater as parents get older.

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Kids turn their hands to making 3D-printed prosthetics

Ivanhoe Grammar School has partnered with e-NABLE, a community of online 3D designers, so students can learn how to make and produce prosthetics.

Steve Brophy, the school's director of information and communication technology and eLearning, said the school had used 3D printers for years but was looking for more meaningful projects.

"We wanted to move past the kids just printing knick-knacks and thinking that things like bobble heads and little toy cars were good enough.

Simple breath test during pregnancy could prevent asthma in babies

Hunter Medical Research Institute scientist Adam Collison who ran the study called it an "amazing finding".

"Ultimately, it means that kids will grow up without asthma who would have had it," Dr Collison said.

The breath test measured levels of nitric oxide, a marker of lung inflammation.

In the study, half the participants were prescribed medication doses based on how the women assessed their own symptoms.

The other half kept track of how they felt, but they were also assessed more precisely using the breath test.

Exercise levels decline 'long before adolescence'

Sitting is replacing physical activity from the time children start school, the research suggests.

Children should get at least an hour of exercise a day.

Many of the 400 children enrolled in the study did less than this as they got older.

The experts from Glasgow and Newcastle tracked the activity levels of the children over eight years using monitors worn for a week at a time.

The amount of exercise the children did was measured at age seven and then again at age nine, 12 and 15.

School using fresh food to change lives

Sunset State School in Mount Isa offers students breakfast, morning tea, and lunch free of charge — something teachers say is helping the entire community.

"It's available to everyone that comes here — any families, any children, any background," said principal Bryon Burke.

"We believe it's highly beneficial for our school and our kids, and certainly that's what the data is telling us."

Attendance rates improve

The index of community socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) ranks schools according to their level of educational advantage.

Day care emphasises on children’s welfare

“This is important to their development – physically, emotionally and intellectually,” she stressed.

This concept is emphasised at her day care which she has been running for the last three years.

Just Like Home – ANEZ’s Childcare services stands as a family advocate.

“We discourage baby-sitters in a family unit as this is not healthy for the child. A child will not learn much this way. They need love and affection from their parents,” Polum said.

'Why compulsory sex education is important to faith schools and LGBTQ pupils'

Campaigners are celebrating the ruling, saying giving more children access to sex and relationship information from an early age will be beneficial.

It means faith schools, where sex education has previously been limited, will now teach pupils about sex.

However, parents will still be able to opt children out of these classes.

The ruling is "really important" as it will equip young people with essential information on sex and relationships, Laura Hannah, the education and training manager for leading UK sexual health charity Brook, says.

Preserving mother tongue through children

And interestingly, the future of their existence lies with the children of this generation.

April Hope, a Language Surveyor with Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) PNG says teaching children tokples (mother tongue) will go a long way towards preserving this country's diverse languages and cultures.

“Children are amazing language-learners, and it will be much easier for them to learn to speak their tokples fluently if that's the language their parents speak to them every day in their homes,” she says.  

Madonna granted permission to adopt two children from Malawi

The country's High Court made the ruling today.

The singer already has two children from the African country - David, adopted in 2006, and Mercy, adopted in 2009.

Malawian judiciary spokesman Mlenga Mvula said the singer was inside the court in Lilongwe when the ruling was given.

"In fact, at the time we were granting her the permission she was in the courtroom with her lawyers," Mr Mvula said.

But less than two weeks ago Madonna denied reports she'd applied to adopt any more children, during a charity visit to Malawi.