Amplify! Blog

Cindy Davenport, a registered midwife and safe sleep training expert, shares vital tips for understanding sleep in infants and toddlers and how to approach parental questions.

A new curriculum is available in Australia that aims to teach children kindness. The Kindness Curriculum is available for children of all ages and has been designed to complement existing curriculums. There is a specific section for children aged birth to five years that links to The Early Years Learning Framework.

The topic of school readiness stirs emotion and provokes debate. Some educators fear their children will struggle with the primary school transition – socially and academically. Other educators are concerned about the unnecessary pressure on children to reach benchmarks because early childhood education is about being and belonging, not just becoming.

Risky play  is always a hot topic in Facebook groups, forums and PD sessions. While many of these discussions focus around sharp tools, climbing to great heights and engaging with heavy loose parts, the common garden stick rarely rates a mention.

Protecting children from harm is a fundamental part of being an early childhood professional. Preventative education is also crucial and should be an integral part of any child-safe organisation.

STEM Storytime is a new activity for early learners and carers, presented by Australia’s Women in STEM Ambassador Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith and supported by Questacon.

Regular Amplify writer Deborah Hoger, a Dunghutti woman and early years Indigenous educational resources specialist, shares how we can ensure that Acknowledgement to Country is done with respect and as a way to extend learning and understanding.

Outdoor Classroom Day is a global initiative that promotes outdoor learning and love for the natural world. Children are spending more time indoors compared to previous generations, and academic learning is often prioritised over free play outside.

Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) are completed so that services can self-assess their performance in order to provide children with quality education and care, and to plan for future improvement. Therefore, it makes sense to ask the children themselves about the changes they would like to see at their centre.

Children’s Week (24 October to 1 November) is an annual event that celebrates and highlights children’s rights and achievements, including the right to enjoy childhood.