It’s December and in the Australian ECEC sector we know what that means! Somewhere out there, a tabloid editor has added “Outrage as childcare bans Christmas” to their story list, and a parent has expressed outrage they must keep paying fees even though their family is heading up the coast for a fortnight.

We’ve reflected on at mud kitchens lately with fascinating results, so how about another must-have feature of the modern early childhood education service: the book nook?

Last week’s article from Sarah Riddell explored what it means to support a child with trauma and suggested actions including building your knowledge of referrals for families to help their children.

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 is an excellent starting point for QIP discussions or professional development plan.

This week, we look to meaningful inclusion of children’s voices in developing an end of year celebration, and examines how big a part families really do play in the much-discussed ‘expectations’ for graduations.

Danielle Bopping is one of Amplify’s original contributors and we’re always glad when she has time to put fingers to keyboard and share her thoughts. This is part one of a two-part reflection + advice article about the practice of early learning graduations.

The effects of ‘fidget’ behaviours on children, educators, and of course, the fidgeter themselves. Is the fiddling child still learning? What tools can help them settle? How can we help them want to be included in group times? How can we make it fairer for all the children?