Last week I attended the launch of a NSW Government initiative to provide a visual guide to existing National Quality Standard (NQS) ratings. The graphic, to be displayed at the entrance to early childhood education and care services from January 2020, would reflect the existing rating of each service; information that is already public and […]
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 […]
On June 5 British toy manufacturer Makies announced cochlear implants were available to buy as accessories in their toy store. Makies uses 3D printing technology to make one-of-a-kind dolls. It was the first company to respond to #ToyLikeMe, a social media campaign to “increase diversity in the toybox” initiated by three UK mothers with disabilities. […]
I will start by asking two questions: at what age did you know your gender, and do you think someone else had to tell you what it was? I’m director of mental health at a leading gender clinic in the US. Our clinic is a half-decade old – and in that short period the number […]
Child abuse, and especially child sexual abuse, concerns everyone who works with children. Over the last thirty plus years protective behaviours programs of different kinds have been developed and used to try to help protect children from this kind of abuse. These programs are usually provided in schools or early childhood services such as preschools. […]
Little transitions, moving from one setting to another or one activity to another, constantly happen during a child’s life and they offer many learning opportunities. Transitions are opportunities for educators to: Engage and build relationships with children Nurture the development children’s social and emotional skills Communicate to children that they are in a safe, secure […]
This blog was originally posted in 2015 and updated in September 2020. By learning about and incorporating elements of home into children’s daily experiences educators assist the growth of a child’s sense of identity, belonging, and connectedness. Knowing about a child’s world beyond the early learning service has another benefit; educators can support children and […]
Several shops in my neighbourhood have blackboards on the footpath with daily messages, mostly advice. One caught my eye recently and made me wonder if the writer or selector was an early childhood educator who had decided that the hospitality industry was a better career option. The sign read ‘Just be, don’t become!’ Good advice […]
