Did you ever fantasise about having an extra assistant in your classroom? Would you like someone else to help teach the children, to make clean-up exciting or to explain why maths is fun? You can make this happen by bringing puppets into your classroom. Puppet play brings a myriad of gains to the classroom, especially […]
‘Boo!’ shouts Connor (one year, eight months), arms outstretched and eyes wide as he bounces out from behind black net curtains hanging across the front of a shed in the nursery’s outdoor area. He turns and hurries behind the curtain, followed by Li-li (one year, six months). Kerryn (educator) notices their game and begins to […]
This article was written in the midst of extreme weather events and bushfires that are again reminding Australians that climate change is real; neither politicians, nor early childhood educators can ignore the imperative of sustainability. As I and others have advocated (Davis, 2010), there is a unique opportunity in early childhood settings to culturally embed […]
This month on We Hear You, Meghan Woods, an early childhood teacher and member of the Educational Leadership Working Group at Gumnut Cottage, located on the campus of Macquarie University in Sydney, reflects on the important role of a service’s philosophy and the key issue that might be driving practice in early childhood education and […]
When I first became an educator the idea of being a professional was seldom discussed, much less the concept that when you work with children and their families and your colleagues there would be agreement about how we would be expected to behave. Don’t get me wrong—there were subtle and implied statements about how we […]
Dirty Dinosaur by Janeen Brian Viking For a prime example of Australia’s innovation economy in action, look no further than the humble picture book. Staple of bedtime reading, offering textual delights beyond the verbal, picture books are a hidden treasure. Australian picture books sell around the world, and are translated into many languages — take […]
Many refugee families come to Australia each year from different parts of the world and with a vast range of experiences. As early childhood leaders and educators, we can be prepared to receive refugee children and families at all times, and ensure that our services are as welcoming and as inclusive as possible. Australia has […]
Australian families most in need of high-quality early learning environments that make a positive difference to development outcomes have access to fewer, and often lower quality, programs. This E4Kids study finding poses particular policy and program implementation challenges related to serving families from low socioeconomic status (SES) neighbourhoods. These families experience a form of double […]
What is your approach to your own learning? How do you incorporate new skills, knowledge and experiences into your professional practice and private life? In ECA’s digital technology projects including the Digibiz survey of childhood educators, carers, directors, principals and managers we found some interesting patterns. Being intentional, applying the same approaches to technology learning […]
This is part of our Reimagining New South Wales (NSW) series. For this series, vice-chancellors in NSW asked a select group of early and mid-career researchers to envisage new ways to tackle old problems and identify emerging opportunities across the state. Peter Siminski, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Wollongong; Marian Vidal-Fernandez, Senior Lecturer in […]
