Keeping you up-to-date on early childhood

Welcome to another issue of ECA WebWatch packed with practical resources and inspirational ideas.

In this issue:

• strategies for building vocabulary
• children who are fussy eaters
• consultation on national framework for protection
• intentional teaching
• successful partnerships across sectors.

Plus our regular quality-assured publications, latest news and dates for your diary.

Breaking news

Media release: Delivering access to universal early childhood education
Earlier this week the Minister for Education, Julia Gillard and the Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and Child Care, Maxine McKew, announced a $10 million fund to improve access to high-quality early childhood education programs over the next year. A state-by-state breakdown of how the funding will be spent is available (PDF).

ECA Biennial Conference

Register online now
Online registration for Early Childhood Australia's Biennial Conference is now available.

You can also register by fax or post by downloading the conference registration form (PDF).

Early Bird registration closes 31 July 2008 – book now and save up to $150.

ECA Biennial Conference Awards
Time is running out to get your applications in for the ECA Biennial Conference Awards. These are unique opportunities to support your growth as an early childhood professional, including:

• Early Childhood Leadership Development Scholarship ($8000)
• Early Childhood Student Encouragement Award ($3000)

The awards are offered by McArthur Management Services and Early Childhood Australia to provide opportunities for early childhood educators and carers to advance their skills – which is essential to the continued improvement and growth of the sector.

The deadline for applications is 4 July 2008.

Strategies for building vocabulary

Small kids, big words
This article from the Harvard Education Letter provides an easy-to-read discussion of the value of introducing young children to higher-level language.

Children who are fussy eaters

How to handle a picky eater
Practical advice for all carers about how to help with children who often refuse foods or eat the same food over and over.

Consultation on national framework for child protection

Australia's children: Safe and well
Last month Jenny Macklin, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs launched the Australia's children: Safe and well discussion paper. The Federal Government is calling on individuals to have their say on the framework.

The closing date to provide feedback on the paper is 30 June 2008.

Confidence coaching for kids

KidsLife
For children, self-esteem is linked to a sense of belonging, feeling that they are capable and knowing that their contribution is important, valued and worthwhile. Being acknowledged for their abilities and contributions is important to a child's feelings of self-worth.

Intentional teaching

Self-regulation: Searching intentional practices – Part 1 and Part 2
This two-part article provides useful insights into ways educators and carers can use intentional practice to help children develop self–regulation through the early years.

Joan Brink, the highly-regarded expert on intentional teaching, is one of the inspirational keynote speakers who will be presenting at Early Childhood Australia's 2008 Biennial Conference. Joan has served as an enthusiastic High/Scope field consultant since 1995, and was an adjunct early childhood professor at Siena Heights University, teaching the High/Scope curriculum to primary teachers.

High/Scope (Supporting Best Practice)
High/Scope is an educational approach based on engaging children in stimulation interaction, involving them in planning, carrying out and reflecting on intentional activities. These six links from Early Childhood Australia's Supporting Best Practice web directory address commonly asked questions about the approach and its use in a range of contexts.

Dates for your diary

Early Childhood Australia National Conference
Children: A nation's capital – Investing in our children
3–6 October 2008
National Convention Centre, Canberra

Don't miss Early Childhood Australia's 70th birthday conference – Early Bird registration closes 31 July 2008.

Birth to Three Matters: Foundations for Research, Policy and Practice
5–6 July 2008
Griffith University, Queensland

This conference aims to provide delegates with the current Australian perspective of child development using both a multidisciplinary and a transdisciplinary approach to supporting children's development.

Engendering Leadership through Research and Practice Conference
21–24 July 2008
University of Western Australia, Perth

A conference designed to generate new thinking about gender and leadership by providing a forum for researchers and leaders from business, government and communities.

Visit Early Childhood Australia's online calendar – it's the easy way to keep track of important events, conferences and dates.

Successful partnerships across sectors

The successful integration of health and health care into broader early childhood initiatives (PDF)
This is a valuable brief exploring four different multi-sector partnerships around the world, including the Centre for Community Child Health in Melbourne. It reports on common characteristics and provides recommendations on roles practitioners and key stakeholders can play in forging public-private partnerships to support children's development.

Social School Clubs scholarships

Social School Clubs is a national program which encourages public and private schools to use healthy, ethical and innovative programs for fundraising. The organisation has announced two scholarships: the Annual Professional Development Scholarship and Annual Student Achievement Scholarship. Both awards are valued at $2000 and can be spent on education expenses.

To order an application pack phone 1300 792 457.

Early childhood resources from ECA

We understand that professional development is an important part of early childhood advocacy, and encourage all educators and carers to invest in their growth as professionals by using Early Childhood Australia's high-quality resources – all publications in our online book catalogue are quality-assured by early childhood experts.

Everyday learning about loss and grief is full of insightful advice assisting our understanding of what loss means to children, as well as outlining positive strategies to help children manage grief and other challenging emotions by providing comfort and support.

Literacy learning in Australia: Practical ideas for early childhood educators is full of insightful advice assisting our understanding of what loss means to children, as well as outlining positive strategies to help children manage grief and other challenging emotions by providing comfort and support.

Help us expand the ECA WebWatch community
Please pass this e-newsletter service on to friends and colleagues with this link to subscribe: www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/mail

Early Childhood Australia's strength is determined by the strength of its members and supporters. It is only through your support that we can advocate for and on behalf of the sector. As a reader of ECA WebWatch you can make a big difference to the sector. By forwarding this newsletter to colleagues and inviting them to subscribe, you extend our advocacy chain – increasing our ability to communicate and work with the sector.

Let us know what you think ...
We welcome any suggestions or comments you have: webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au.

Past issues of ECA WebWatch are available on the Early Childhood Australia website.

Subscribing
If you have received this copy of ECA WebWatch from a friend and wish to subscribe yourself, simply send a blank email to subscribe@earlychildhood.org.au.
Unsubscribing
If you do not wish to receive ECA WebWatch, send a blank email to unsubscribe@earlychildhood.org.au from the email address it was sent to.
Change of address
Please send an email to webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au, clearly stating your old email address as well as your new address.

(Please remember to add webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au to your safe senders list to ensure that you receive your copy of ECA WebWatch promptly.)

ECA WebWatch - Issue 54, June 2008. © Early Childhood Australia.