Sometimes a question can stay with you: ‘Are we making the best use of children’s time?’ This was Chloe Kerr1’s question after an In Service day in Shetland last year about slow pedagogies. Chloe’s question is key to reconsidering the relationship with time in early childhood education and care (ECEC). This has been the focus […]
The words we use daily with children matter. How we communicate and the words we use with children has a great effect on the relationships we build with them. UNICEF (n.d.) explains that ‘Every interaction you have with your child is a form of communication. It’s not just about the words you say: The tone […]
Recently I was asked to speak at a career expo for pre-service early childhood teachers preparing to transition to the field. I guess the universe heard me loud and clear when I said I was ready to say ‘yes’ to new challenges and things that terrify me (like public speaking and playing team sports) in […]
It is naive to think our young children are growing up in the same way that adults did. Young children today are growing up in a digital world, and a vast range of digital technologies are shaping young people’s lives, learning and wellbeing. More research is needed into how digital technologies have affected child health, […]
The date 26 January holds a complex place in Australia’s history. While some celebrate it as Australia Day, this date also marks a day of mourning for First Nations people as the date the first British colonies landed, starting centuries of mistreatment and displacement for Aboriginal people. In early childhood education this day presents an […]
It was early December 2023, and I was talking with a colleague, a Tertiary Supervisor visiting student pre-service teachers on their first ECEC placement. The student she had visited that day was experiencing a challenge. As with most practicums, the student was required to observe and document play and learning and then develop and evaluate […]
An internationally recognised stereotype of modern Australia is that of athletes, weekend sports and physically active citizens enjoying the sun outdoors. However, when we begin to delve deep into the research and studies in relation to physical literacy, we realise that Australia is a nation in crisis within all stages of childhood. For example, Australia’s […]
