During the 2020 remote learning period our school newsletter highlighted some terrific podcasts and news apps for children. These have the potential to act as a great support for children as they develop the important skill of listening. I’ve repeated this again for you consider exploring.
The Squiz Kids is a news podcast for 8-12 year olds. It gives a daily run down in a few minutes of news around the world. It is an easy one to put on in the car on the way to school so that you can spark a conversation with your child in a safe space and time. It also works to build childrens’ confidence to discern between real and fake news.
Short & Curly is an ABC fast-paced fun-filled ethics podcast for kids and their parents that asks those curly questions. From banning lollies to trusting robots, and from colonising other planets to eating pets, Short & Curly covers it all.
Fierce Girls is another ABC podcast that highlights Australian girls who dare to do things differently. This podcast ranges between 15-20 minutes and includes highlighting women such as Mary MacKillop, Bindi Irwin, Jacki French and Dr Abigail Allwood. And it’s not just for girls!
Kinderling Kids Radio has a meditation series for children called
Bedtime Explorers. This app guides children at bedtime on an imaginative journey as they fall asleep. Kinderling Kids Radio is a family friendly kids radio for children andtheir parents.
Mackaroy Uncovered is a serial story for 8-12 year olds where the town’s school principal disappears. Best friends Mitch and Tang begin a mystery-adventure of uncovering what is actually going on in Mackaroy.
I don’t think we can underestimate the power of offering small supports such as this to our children’s learning. In our fast paced world we tend to overlook some of the most important skills that children need. Listening sparks conversation, imagination and offers a new way of looking and interacting with the world.