The word gap Hands up who knows about the 30 million word gap? You probably learned it in your diploma or degree as an article of faith in research terms, or maybe you’ve read about it since in a journal article or heard it at a conference. The concept is so well accepted that you […]
First five Back when the National Quality Framework was new and the world was young, there was a buzz in government and sector circles around one particular project being developed to help parents understand why quality education and care mattered so much to Australia’s children. It went by various names over a two or three […]
When we talk about quality early childhood education, one of the commonly accepted prerequisites is qualified educators. It’s a pillar of the National Quality Framework and the NQF’s support of higher levels of qualification for all people working with children has had a life-altering effect on many in the sector. Amplify’s editor Bec Lloyd spoke […]
If animals can be a child’s fourth educator, have you thought about a two legged beastie becoming a bestie for children at your service? We’re looking at hens this week, one of the closest living relations of dinosaurs and yet also one of humanity’s longest running domestic animal companions. Amplify editor Bec Lloyd checks out […]
Goals for the year ahead The year ahead is full of promise for improvement. Your diary is still crisp and clean. Your calendar still has potential for meaningful development time for your room, team or organisation. You even have a bit of budget to work with…So why haven’t you set your professional development goals yet? […]
Great conversations make us feel good about ourselves and our place in the world, no matter how old we are. Orders, directions, and demands for information, on the other hand, make us feel at best dutiful and at worst, resentful and annoyed. Often we fall into a pattern of verbally directing and demanding without intending […]
The source of some of Amplify’s most popular articles on excursions, Su Garret of Explore and Develop Annandale, returns with a story about taking the children on bird watching excursions from their inner Sydney service all the way to Central Australia, without even needing a permission slip! Read Su’s story now to find out how […]
“Just how much a child is put at risk by their parent’s mental health difficulties depends on how much support the family has.” A new analysis shows early childhood educators are especially valued by parents with mental health difficulties, who are less likely to have other trusted adults to turn to for advice about their […]
Sarah Riddell, early childhood teacher and blogger, returns to Amplify with this consideration of technology in documentation. While some in the sector remain vexed about the use of image captures for documenting children’s learning stories, Sarah takes a strongly practical approach and examines how educators could make technology work harder for them. With most of […]
Amplify has often explored ways of thinking about outdoor education, with stories like this one on excursions, this one on nature and anxiety, and this one on children’s attitudes, among our most-read. We’ve also carried many reflections and provocations that point out the elephant in the room: trendy approaches that could do with deeper consideration, […]
