Welcome again to ECA WebWatch

ECA WebWatch is available at www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/eca_webwatch and is a free service for the early childhood field.

To ensure that you receive your ECA WebWatch e-newsletter promptly, please add webwatch@earlychildhood.org.au to your email address book.

This issue's links

Our first two links remind us of the fundamental importance of early childhood education and care – providing the theory and evidence to support this.

The two other links focus on the wonder of children's early experiences – and how we can understand and support children’s emotions through this time.

The importance of the early years

Policy Brief alert: Quality in children’s services (PDF)
Research-based evidence shows that the quality of children’s services has a profound influence on children’s development throughout the life-course. This Policy Brief, from the Centre for Community Child Health, contributes to the current childcare debate by drawing attention to the evidence around the importance of quality in children’s services.

From Whitlam to economic rationalism and beyond: A conceptual framework for political activism in children’s services
Associate Professor Jennifer Sumsion (Macquarie University) reignites recent debates about child care that dominated the political landscape in 2005, which continue to affect us in the early stages of 2006, and are shaping up to be a key issue throughout the year. Full-text article from the Australian Journal of Early Childhood.

Children’s experiences

Wondering with children: The importance of observation in early education
Teachers gain insight into children's thinking through the process of observation, documentation and interpretation. Using video clips as examples, this paper demonstrates how engaging children in conversations and investigations has the potential to extend their learning.

Children’s emotions (Supporting Best Practice)
These 6 links from Early Childhood Australia's free web directory, Supporting Best Practice, cover a range of issues surrounding children's emotions: naming and talking about feelings; how children adapt to different social situations; listening to children with empathy; and more...

Testimonials

Below are some of the fantastic responses we’ve received from past issues of ECA WebWatch. Thank you to all our readers!

It would be great if every subscriber could attract another colleague or friend to this free service for the early childhood field. We’ll let you know how many new subscribers we get.

Awesome! I have been able to garner a lot of info from this one email & continue to learn more & more, I have also passed on heaps of info. It's great to have such relevant & interesting information to read. Well done, keep up the great work.
- Amanda, childcare centre director

Congratulations and commendations on your new e-news. It is comprehensive and succinct, current and pertinent. Without exception, articles and items of value have been drawn from each edition and shared with my colleagues across NAPCAN. Keep up the great work.
- Adam F Blakester, executive officer, NAPCAN Foundation

Well done, this is an invaluable resource for EC professionals.
- Cherrelle

Thank you so much for giving early childhood teachers the opportunity to gain the most current and helpful research, ideas and tips. The weblinks are absolutely invaluable. Sometimes it has taken me so long to find something worthwhile reading over the internet. It has been so easy to follow the links from your WebWatch. Keep up the great work.
- Julie

I have been reading your articles and have always been so impressed with the things that you have been doing with child education in Australia. Your articles have been informative and thoroughly enjoyable.
- Oi Fun, Malaysia

Early childhood events

Under Eights Week 2006
Celebrate Under Eights – Celebration of 50 Years!
19-26 May 2006
There are daily and weekly events going on all over Queensland. For detailed information about Under Eights Week 2006, check the program online. Organised by the Early Childhood Australia Queensland Branch.

Early Childhood Australia books