Amplify! Blog

Amplify’s series on school readiness around Australia showed how widely the states and territories still differ in their policies and practices around transitioning children to school. We can’t even agree on the name for the last years of early learning and the first year of school. 

Darren Brisbane, program manager at Sherpa Kids St Pauls, returns to share a story that began as an article about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in OSHC for Science Week this week, but it became something more – something quite special.

CELA writer Margaret Paton spoke to three services in chilly areas of Australia for their tips on making the most of winter play.

Last month we shared a story on the startling $30,000 pay gap that exists between teachers who have the same kinds of degrees and same kinds of responsibilities: early childhood teachers, after 10 years of work, can expect to earn $30K less than their colleagues in primary schools.

An inclusive preschool, Learning Links, of Peakhurst NSW, reveals to CELA writer Margaret Paton how it goes about welcoming children of all abilities into its service.

Darren Brisbane returns to Amplify with another practical, thoughtful post addressing a major pain-point in outside school hours care (OSHC): how do you keep senior students occupied? With a leap in his service’s senior student numbers this year, Darren’s team had to get creative.

Elesha Nounnis, an early childhood teacher at Wellbank, shares their story with Amplify readers, showing how social justice can become a positive and meaningful aspect of early years learning and have a real impact on children, educators, families and the hard working and caring teams working to improve the lives of disadvantaged people everywhere.

With the same degree, the same responsibilities, but often shorter holidays and less professional support, why are early childhood teachers paid so much less than their primary school colleagues?

Early childhood educators in Australia need to be proactive about building STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – into their programs. What holds them back?

Provocative posts by Rebecca Thompson regularly make it onto Amplify Top Ten lists. An inclusion support professional, Rebecca has a wealth of experience in the sector and an active presence on social media both personally and with her business, Stone and Sprocket.