School readiness. Are there two words more likely to provoke ‘lively discussion’ in any group of early childhood educators? Then if you bring some parents and school teachers into the group, and add another two words – say, ‘standardised testing’ – that discussion will almost certainly escalate from ‘lively’ to ‘heated’. School readiness as a […]
As we move steadily past winter’s halfway mark, in many parts of Australia the days are not only longer but also sunnier and much more inviting for outdoor activities. In previous articles, Amplify has looked at different aspects of winter for early childhood education. This story gathers inspiration and resources for an artform that, while […]
Darren Brisbane is the author of many inspiring and insightful Amplify stories, often sharing lessons learned at the expense of his own preconceptions. This story about how he took a complete turnaround on templates for children’s art activities is another example of his candid style. While Darren works with school-aged children, this article will appeal […]
Annie O’Sullivan returns to Amplify with a wonderful (and wonder-full) contemplation on intentional teaching, play-based learning, mathematics, sciences, and puddles. Not sure how all of that comes together? Read on! Annie’s story covers theory and practice around connections with children and makes use of the puddles that naturally occur in many children’s services and schools […]
Annie O’Sullivan is an early childhood educator and mentor of 30 years experience who now shares her knowledge, with a colleague, as the Early Years Education Specialists. Annie lectures part time at Wollongong University and recently graduated from Macquarie University with a Master of Early Childhood. In today’s story, Annie celebrates her experience of embracing risky […]
Beth Sebesfi is an early childhood teacher and mother of three daughters aged 5, 3 and not-yet-1. From time to time she shares with us the professional insights arising from her personal experiences with children at work and home. Today’s story is a reflection on the impact of seeing children through a lens of ‘cuteness’. […]
The Front Project has commissioned the first comprehensive Australian analysis of the economic impact of early childhood education. CELA CEO Michele Carnegie attended the release event in Melbourne last week. You can read more about The Front Project and the significance of the research to the business community in this article. For the first time, […]
We introduced you to Linda’s family day care (FDC) and some ideas on risky play with an Amplify article featuring her ‘River Kindy’. If you missed it, catch up here. Last week we began a new piece from Linda, sharing the thought processes and experiences that led to her adoption of such a strong nature play […]
We introduced you to Linda’s family day care (FDC) and some ideas on risky play with an Amplify article featuring her ‘River Kindy’. If you missed it, catch up here, and if you’re one of the people who then asked to find out more about risky and natural play, you’re in for a treat today. […]
We open Beth Sebesfi’s story about screens today with a reminder of the recently updated World Health Organisation guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep, for children up to five years old. Keep reading the article for Beth’s take on the reality of screen time in the lives of the young families educators’ are […]
