In many cultures, queuing is a crucial act of social organisation and courtesy. Considered by some to be a basic preschool skill, others say there’s no need for young children to wait in line before meals, outdoor play, or even on excursions. Is there an argument – for safety, or school-readiness – that young children […]
The annual Clean Up Australia Day (Sunday 1st March) is almost upon us – yep, that means February is pretty much in the rearview mirror already! If you haven’t managed to take the children out into your local community yet this year, this could be the nudge you’ve been looking for. In this week’s Amplify […]
There are many benefits to introducing water play both in connecting children to a natural element and opportunities for learning. While some regions have recently experienced flooding and may have replenished their water tanks, we mustn’t forget that much of Australia is still in drought. The ongoing drought and water restrictions mean that early childhood […]
Amy Pratten, Lara Hernandez and Paul Gordon – Munch & Move State Team NSW Office of Preventive Health Whether food is brought in from home or prepared on the premises, the National Quality Framework encourages early childhood education and care (ECEC) services to consider food intake and the nutritional well-being of children in care. Ensuring […]
International Mother Language Day, which will be observed on Friday 21 February, celebrates linguistic and cultural diversity and draws attention to the loss of languages – 43% of the world’s 6000 languages are considered ‘endangered’, and we lose another language every fortnight. The United Nations declared 2019 The Year of Indigenous Languages in order to […]
By Kathryn Albany, Early Childhood Teacher (preschool room), Explore and Develop, Lilyfield In early 2019, educators at our long day care centre decided that we wanted to celebrate family diversity. This was partly to represent the different families in our centre, however we also wanted to model inclusion for all children and families. This is […]
How do you know when to seek medical help for a baby or young child? Babies can’t tell us in words when something hurts, or when they feel sick. Sometimes there may be physical symptoms, but at other times the only change may be behavioural. Sarah Hunsted, registered nurse and founder of CPR Kids, tells […]
According to a report in Psychology Today which surveyed 200,000 employees in 500 companies, the most highly rated workplace motivators for most people are: peer support and camaraderie (20%); the intrinsic desire to do a good job (17%), and getting recognition and encouragement (13%). Experts warn not to wait until the end of the year […]
Being a great colleague is about much more than signing each other’s birthday cards, sharing content from professional development and having each other’s backs to cover shifts —as early childhood professionals there are a range of professional and legal obligations we have to each other. Our employers also have obligations to protect our welfare. Here’s […]
The Dictionary of Psychology (1999) defines stereotyping as an ‘over-generalised’ belief that people from a certain group will behave in a certain way. Our brains nurture stereotypes because they help us to rapidly respond to other people. It’s a form of prediction: a temptation to think we can see a little into the future by […]
