Posts

Reflective Practice: Making a commitment to ongoing learning

Reflective Practice: Making a commitment to ongoing learning

Whether reflective practice takes place ‘in the moment’ or ‘later’, with a colleague or alone, in this all-time favourite blog, Dr Anne Kennedy draws attention to the crucial role of ongoing learning, providing examples, strategies…
The Self-Reg View of: Overcoming Barriers

The Self-Reg View of: Overcoming Barriers

When children build forts and stock them with toys, pillows and blankets what role does this play in their lives? DR STUART SHANKER—self-regulation expert, psychology and philosophy lecturer—applies the ‘self-reg’ lens to overcoming…
What is reconciliation?

What is reconciliation?

National Reconciliation Week (27 May–3 June) is a time for all Australians to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, share that knowledge and help us grow as a nation. This year’s theme—‘Don’t…
Live and learn: living spaces

Live and learn: living spaces

As summer heat drives us inside we revisit concepts from an ECA Research in Practice Series, Living Spaces—Indoor learning environments written by Luke Touhill. Young children’s play is so much deeper than the ‘game’ visible to adults…
Routines: Opportunities for learning and connecting

Routines: Opportunities for learning and connecting

Routines are a big part of our lives. They give us order and stability and the reassurance that comes from reliable, consistent patterns of activity. They support us to regulate our lives in a world that is often fast-paced and busy. And they…
Children’s right to play and its benefits

Children’s right to play and its benefits

Play. We think we all agree on what it is when we talk about it. But it has no agreed definition (Burghardt, 2011; Sutton-Smith, 1997), and unless we can describe what play is—and is not—we will struggle to describe how it leads to learning.…
Play is vital for children’s mental health and wellbeing

Play is vital for children’s mental health and wellbeing

Originally posted in 2015, this post was updated in August 2020.  Play helps children to develop healthy bodies, minds, social and emotional capacities, thinking and learning abilities. Play is essential for children. Play can be pretending,…
Health benefits of gardening for children

Health benefits of gardening for children

Being outside and involved in activities in the fresh air with gentle sunlight—such as gardening—is an amazing experience for many people. But did you know that gardening can also have a great effect on the development of various skills…
How animals can help autistic children

How animals can help autistic children

Daniel the “emotional support duck” is a pretty big deal, both in the animal and human world. His 15 minutes of fame began after he was spotted on a flight in the US – from Charlotte to Asheville, North Carolina – waddling around the…
Embracing inclusion—an educator’s experience

Embracing inclusion—an educator’s experience

During my time as an educator, the children in my group spanned across a three-year age range and hailed from 15 or more distinct cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Two were funded for educational support, one with an Autism Spectrum Disorder…
the documentation pilgrimage

The documentation pilgrimage

In the children’s literature classic Alice in Wonderland there is the following exchange between the curious, brave and intelligent Alice and the mysterious and devious Cheshire cat. “Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought…
Cultural considerations Welcoming refugee children and families into our services

Cultural considerations: Welcoming refugee children and families into our services

Many refugee families come to Australia each year from different parts of the world and with a vast range of experiences. As early childhood leaders and educators, we can be prepared to receive refugee children and families at all times, and…