The first issue of Every Child for 2022 looks forward to both the challenges and opportunities the new year brings. Editor Julie Rutups suggests that we attend conferences (especially the upcoming ECA National Conference) to ‘take a break from the routine, be sociable and have fun’, while Lisa Murray and her colleagues advocate for changes to educators’ working conditions to relieve some of the burdens and pressures of the profession, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cover of Every Child Magazine Vol.28 No.1 2022

Also in this issue are several important articles on pedagogy and practice in early childhood education and care settings. Building on the vision of the House Rabbit Movement, which has revolutionised our understanding of rabbits as household pets, Tracy Young discusses ways of incorporating rabbits into early childhood contexts. Similarly, Nicole Leggett builds on the vision of the Slow Food movement to advocate for slow pedagogy, whereby educators slow down and spend time with children according to their own tempos. Rachel Konstantinou from Hawthorn Early Years shares a fascinating photo essay about the pedagogical (and nutritional!) benefits of participating in the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program in her service. To help celebrate ECA’s Year of Play, Lennie Barblett, Sandra Cheeseman and Catharine Hydon contribute an informative piece on encouraging children to learn through play from infancy through to early primary school age. Lis Mathiasen and Janet Fletcher describe the exciting outcomes of a Year 2 experiment in democratic pedagogy—books published by children!

Of interest not just to educators but to parents and carers as well is Amanda Binns’s article on the benefits, in terms of their development and learning, of reading aloud to babies and young children.

In this issue we also feature two esteemed 2021 winners of prestigious Barbara Creaser Awards: Penny Andersen, who reflects on her long career dedicated to early years education, and Ann Farrell, whose reflections on leadership are accompanied by an appreciation by her colleagues from ECA Queensland. Our reconciliation piece is by renowned author and Wiradjuri woman Anita Heiss, who advocates for yindyamarra (‘respect’) in the context of introducing Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) into early childhood services.

Spark meaningful conversations with this edition of Early Childhood Australia’s Every Child magazine, available now.

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