Dr Jane Williams has been working with families and young children for over 45 years. She is currently the Director of ToddlerROO, KindyROO and GymbaROO, and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the College of Health Sciences at James Cook University, Queensland.
Jane’s key focus in the last 20 years has been on the well-being of babies and very young children, particularly in relation to their neurological health and how this plays a fundamental role in a child’s later ability to enjoy school, learn easily and be successful in life. Her PhD investigated the reasons why many children are not detected with subtle developmental and learning problems until they reach school. She has also undertaken research in young school-age children, implementing a movement program and determining the effect of this on development and learning.
Jane’s work has been published extensively: she has updated and revised 365 weekly handouts for GymbaROO-KindyROO parents, written hundreds of articles on early childhood development for families, co-authored the brilliant Active Babies Smart Kids (ABSK) 12-part online series for families with a new baby, and provided educational material to help train professionals in early educational settings. She has presented at conferences all over the world and has been on advisory committees for the ‘Global Scientific Parenting Alliance’ and the Johnson & Johnson Baby Care Advisory Board, Pacific Region.
Dr Tessa Grigg has a wide range of experience within the Early Childhood Education field. She is currently the Research and Education Manager for ToddlerROO, KindyROO and GymbaROO, and a part-time lecturer and teaching assistant at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. She has taught in a Primary School, supervised a Pre-school with specialist work in the sensory-motor area, worked as a Child and Family Therapist, taught adult students in the area of teaching and child development, and has owned and operated a GymbaROO centre for 9 years.
Tessa is also the “Tessa” in Tessarose Productions, a business that has produced music for children for over 30 years. Along with musician Brian Ringrose, Tessa formed Tessarose Productions in 1999. The music (all 700 songs) was created with young children’s developmental needs and the latest findings in early education in mind. The songs are simple and slow enough for young children to understand and then respond to, and the words are repetitive and clear so children can sing along.
