Grow safely this Spring There’s no doubt that many Australian services have a long tradition of gardening and natural surroundings for young children. Equally, there’s no doubt that through the 1990s and Noughties there was an explosion of ‘plastic fantastic’ outdoor areas for early childhood education, driven in part by a community-wide fear of insurance […]
Mother’s Day is only a fortnight away and many educators are reflecting on how – or if – they should help children celebrate the occasion. Instead of craft templates, today we’re introducing you to Beth Sebesfi, an early childhood teacher and writer who also happens to be the ever-learning mother of three girls now aged […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
Welcome back to Amplify in 2019. We’re starting the year in traditional style, looking forward and back. Looking ahead, there’s a story tapping into the New Year resolutions many of you are making to improve your own and the children’s physical activity and guess what? Research is saying that improving educator and parent activity is […]
Happy new year! We’re resuming publication with a story that is probably close to your heart right now: what makes an exercise or physical activity program really ‘stick’ so it goes beyond a new year’s resolution and becomes a daily part of your life. In this case, we’re talking about children’s programs and Amplify editor […]
Sarah Riddell returns to Amplify this week to share her understanding of the causes, signs and support actions for children who have experienced some form of trauma. As Sarah says, the first thing to accept is that this is a complex area, but her guide and suggestions will simplify your professional role and this article […]
Early Childhood Australia’s biennial* conference was held in Sydney this year and Community Early Learning Australia, a long-time supporter of ECA, attended as an exhibitor. The experience of immersion among 2000 educators left CELA CEO Michele Carnegie pondering the nature of the early childhood and OSHC sector in Australia, and led to this reflection and […]
Handwashing and drying might sound trivial to the uninitiated, but getting it right is a major action for reducing the spread of infectious diseases and staying healthy when working with children. This story is by CELA Writers Margaret Paton and Bec Lloyd Along with curriculum and ethics, work safety and inclusion, there’s another core topic […]
