Posts

‘Stretched time’ in early childhood education and care

‘Stretched time’ in early childhood education and care

Sometimes a question can stay with you: ‘Are we making the best use of children’s time?’ This was Chloe Kerr1’s question after an In Service day in Shetland last year about slow pedagogies. Chloe’s question is key to reconsidering…
Rethinking ‘School Readiness’: It’s Time for Schools to Be Ready

Rethinking ‘School Readiness’: It’s Time for Schools to Be Ready

‘School readiness’ programs are advertised across the nation, with some early learning services and preschools promising to provide children with literacy and numeracy skills for a head start in school. On social media, parents frantically…
“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before”. (Maya Angelou)

“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before”. (Maya Angelou)

The privilege of working with our youngest citizens. The engine room of any organisation is the most important and influential. This is where the key driving force for ongoing propulsion happens. Everything moves forward when this room is in…
‘I wish I was small enough’, How could a green screen make this a reality?

‘I wish I was small enough’, How could a green screen make this a reality?

‘I wish I was small enough to go inside the house!’ (Audrey, age 4) Statements like this open the door to think differently about how children engage with technology. Why couldn’t they shrink and jump into or out of an imaginary world…
Playwork at Forrest Out of School Hours Care

Playwork at Forrest Out of School Hours Care

In this article, the FOOSHC team discusses the Playwork Principles, which the service has embedded in its practice, resulting in strong developmental outcomes for children and awards for excellence. Forrest Out of School Hours Care…
Eight Reggio Emilia ideas to inspire your early learning environment

Eight Reggio Emilia ideas to inspire your early learning environment

Even if you aren’t working at a Reggio Emilia-inspired early childhood education and care service, there are plenty of ideas from this acclaimed approach that you can use in your own early learning environment.  What is Reggio Emilia?  Reggio…
Neuroscience in early childhood: What do we know? What do we need to know, and how do we translate this knowledge to practice?

Neuroscience in early childhood: What do we know? What do we need to know, and how do we translate this knowledge to practice?

Neuroscience is not an overly familiar term or topic of conversation heard in our early childhood settings. Defined as the study of the structure and function of the human brain and nervous system, neuroscience has been a growing focus of research…
Bush kinder program: taking the classroom and learning outside

Bush kinder program: taking the classroom and learning outside

Imagine walking through your local nature trail and seeing a group of kindergarten children playing and exploring. Some are climbing a tree and playfully hanging on a branch. Some are jumping in puddles and splashing muddy water all over themselves.…
Nourishing bodies and relationships

Nourishing bodies and relationships

Nourishing bodies and relationships: Ritualising and celebrating slow mealtimes It’s fair to say that many educators would use the descriptor ‘busy’ to describe their days with children. With workdays full of routine care mechanics…
What’s the ‘big ideas’?

What’s the ‘big ideas’?

How quality STEM education can be integrated into family day care through children’s everyday activities. Research shows that young children— including infants—are capable of learning mathematics and science concepts (Baroody, 2003).…
Leading play-based pedagogies

Leading play-based pedagogies

In this article, Lennie Barblett, Sandra Cheeseman and Catharine Hydon emphasise children’s right to learn through play no matter the age. Additionally, they suggest that all educators lead and be articulate in their advocacy of play-based…
Creative arts in early childhood

Creative arts in early childhood

Artistic pursuits such as music, dramatic play and the visual arts contribute to how children understand creativity and develop their own sense of identity. Popular theories in this field suggest that children’s artistic abilities are often…