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 […]
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 […]
NQF Review 2019 Hands up who needs a deadline to get things done? Good news! You’ve now got a very real deadline to have input into the NQF Review 2019, and a very simple way to make that happen. The sector survey for NQF Review 2019 closes on 30 June, that’s just over a week […]
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. […]
While Easter occupies many early childhood educators’ thoughts and programs at present, this year Anzac* Day is less than a week after Good Friday. Will your service be commemorating both events? Neither? One but not the other? Let us know in the comments or on CELA’s social media accounts. In the meantime we’ve put together […]
Early childhood and early primary years educators are quite possibly the most active poetry readers in Australia. Don’t laugh: it’s true! Regardless of whether you have sonnets by your bedside, or you don’t know your iambic from your pentameter, chances are that you read aloud from a book of poetry nearly every day at work. Poetry […]
17-23 March 2019 Almost 50% of all Australians were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas, a fact that the organisers of Harmony Week 2019 are keen to share this year. That’s right: Harmony Week. This year is the first time organisers (currently the Australian Department of Home Affairs) have extended […]
“Thank you for opening up a productive discussion in Amplify about how early childhood educators can use a range of resources to talk to colleagues and parents about the importance of the first five years.” We loved receiving this message from Carolin Wenzel and the team at Early Childhood Australia after we invited contributions of […]
