It can be hard to keep up with new ideas and early childhood developments during the year, so to help you catch up or for inspiration to start the year on a strong footing, we’ve put together a list of ECA’s top reads from across the last year (2019). It’s a mix of favourites and […]
Tag Archives: Children’s interests
ECA perspective: Australia’s First Nations children
Two important papers about Australia’s First Nations children were released in the same week in February. Both have implications for young children in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The joint ECA and SNAICC—Voice for our Children position paper reflects both organisations’ commitment to ensuring that First Nations children get equal opportunities in Australia and […]
Why getting early education right is so critical for children & our future
The future of Australia rests on early education. Early Childhood Australia’s (ECA) National President, Christine Legg talks about children’s early development and why Australia needs to invest in and support a high-quality early childhood education system. If you imagine a child’s brain as a five-drawer filing cabinet, research indicates that the majority of those drawers […]
Fathers need to get involved in the first 1000 days of children’s lives
This article, written by Tawanda Makusha and Linda M. Richter, examines fatherhood under pressure and the essential role fathers can play in the first three years of a child’s life. While it explores the issues in a South African context, the messages are widely relevant. The article first appeared in The Conversation on 7 August […]
The time for first steps is over: Doing better for all young children
‘Children have taught me the most important lessons about advocacy’ says DR CINDY BLACKSTOCK. They are ‘experts in love and fairness’ yet ‘we often view children in ways that reduce their dignity and development’. Dr Blackstock, an international keynote speaker at the 2018 ECA National Conference in Sydney (19–22 September), spoke with ECA about moral courage and […]
Climate Matters: never too young to learn about sustainability
Sustainability, climate change and inter-generational equity have long-term impacts for all children globally argues DR SUE ELLIOT. Young children’s natural interest in how the world works and their capacity to integrate sustainability practices into their daily experience means it’s never too early to involve them in working towards a sustainable future. This is how … […]
Towards a Statement on young children and digital technology
Why is guidance on young children and digital technology needed now? As a Discussion Paper is released—Towards a Statement on young children and digital technology—co-chairs of ECA’s Digital Policy Group (DPG), Professor Susan Edwards and Professor Leon Straker, address this question and reveal some of the findings from work so far. You may have heard or […]
Early childhood is the ideal setting for learning about rights and respect
This article was first published in Every Child, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2016. For more information, click here. In 1948, the international community, through the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights, affirmed that each and every one of us should have access to a number of fundamental human rights. Decades later they agreed that children, by […]
Young and digital: Responsible citizen or babe in the (technology) woods?
Digital citizenship sounds like a weighty topic. Perhaps too weighty for the youngest children. Is it even relevant to very young children and if so, what does it mean for their families, educators and carers? This is one of the issues that surfaced during the Early Childhood Australia conference keynote and workshops by Dr Chip […]
Kids prefer maths when you let them figure out the answer for themselves
Peter Sullivan, Monash University A common view is that students learn maths best when teachers give clear explanations of mathematical concepts, usually in isolation from other concepts, and students are then given opportunities to practise what they have been shown. I’ve recently undertaken research at primary and junior secondary levels exploring a different approach. This […]
