Back when I first started teaching (all those years ago!) I used to love to fill the walls of my classroom with an array of children’s art work. But in later years, due to a massive consumption of research around brain development and effective learning environments, I have learnt to encourage educators to strip back their walls, and the clutter in their rooms, to create a calm classroom which promotes learning for all children. It’s an idea that continues to evoke a cringe i

With the introduction of the Early Years Learning Framework (2009) we have seen an increased emphasis on children’s emotional and social learning. However even now, 9 years on and we still seem to see a heavier focus on social rather than emotional development. But you can’t have effective social skills without strong emotional development. A child’s emotional development feeds heavily in to their social, cognitive and language skills. It should be at the foundation of all ou

The Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009, p. 13) sets out five principles of early education and the fifth and final one is “Ongoing learning and reflective practice”. These principles are founded on early childhood research and theory, as are the practices and outcomes. This blog is designed to help educators understand the links between early childhood theory and this fifth and very important principle of the EYLF, in addition to how this theory has now been reinforc

The Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009, p. 13) sets out five principles of early education and the fourth is “Respect for diversity”. These principles are founded on early childhood research and theory, as are the practices and outcomes. This blog is designed to help educators understand the links between early childhood theory and this fourth and very important principle of the EYLF, in addition to how this theory has now been reinforced with current research in to

The Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009, p. 12) sets out five principles of early education and the second is “High Expectations and Equity”. These principles are founded on early childhood research and theory, as are the practices and outcomes. This blog is designed to help educators understand the links between early childhood theory and this third and very important principle of the EYLF, in addition to how this theory has now been reinforced with current research

The Early Years Learning Framework (DEEWR, 2009, p. 12) sets out five principles of early education and the first is “Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships”. These principles are founded on early childhood research and theory, as are the practices and outcomes. This blog is designed to help educators understand the links between early childhood theory and this first and very important principle of the EYLF, in addition to how this theory has now been reinforced with

With possible changes to sexual consent laws in NSW, the ABC recently interviewed Deanne Carson from Body Safety Australia sparking an international discussion about how to create a culture of consent and promote protective behaviours with children (Carson, D. 2018). While not all the media attention has been positive in regard to Ms. Carson’s interview, there is no debating she has successfully opened up a topic of discussion which was well overdue in this country. In the ea

A strong quality improvement process is integral to achieving your vision for your service. A meaningful process involves all stakeholders i

This week I visited a service on the Central Coast of NSW called Follyfoot Farm Educational Children’s Service. As the name suggests, upon the grounds of the service is a farm, and we’re not just talking a few chickens here. This is an actual farm with cows, lambs, chickens, guinea pigs and even a pig named Wilmer. I, myself was raised around animals and even learnt to ride horses at a school called - wait for it - Follyfoot Farm. So needless to say I felt a certain affinity

Early childhood is a field which is losing educators every day. Recent studies found one in five educators plan to leave their job in the next 12 months. Why? Because being an early childhood educator can be hard. This is a profession which draws on all aspects of our wellbeing and in which we have to wear many hats. Throughout any given day we may have to put on our counsellor hat, our mediator hat, our salesman hat, our mentor hat, our nurses hat, our repair man hat and the

So it is time for your service to go through the assessment and rating process? Try not to let the pressure get to you. Here are some useful tips for a successful A&R….. Quality Improvement Plan..... Your quality improvement plan is possibly the most important document you keep in a service, and is definitely the most important when it comes time for A&R. Your quality improvement plan is the first impression you have to make on your authorised officer. Prior to the A&R proces

When I completed my degree, I did so without a deep understanding of children’s brain development. And, if I’m being honest, I didn’t think I really needed it. I mean, I could teach. I understood theory, developmental milestones, curriculum development - I was ready to go. Then, 5 years ago I went to a two day conference that changed everything for me. The name of the conference was ‘The neurobiology of complex trauma’. Sound complicated? It was, at first. But it was also int

There has been a huge amount of online discussion recently around gender issues in early childhood education. From complex discussion surrounding assigning gender at birth, to simple opinions about what constitutes appropriate dress ups in play, the discussion has ranged from intelligent reflection to general trolling. However throughout there has been one notable theme. And it is a common theme whenever political discussions arise in ECEC. Educators have, in some cases, told

As early childhood educators we work in a sector that is under appreciated and underpaid. This is why the latest studies show that 1 in 5 educators plan to leave their job in the next 12 months. We lose quality educators every day because this is a sector with high expectations and little monetary reward. As leaders in the sector we have an obligation to advocate for recognition. However there are also techniques we can implement in our service to keep our educators engaged a

There is a video on youtube (link at the bottom) which gets under my skin every time I watch it. When I do I am reminded of the awe and wonder of childhood and the magic to be found within this world. In the video a little girl is experiencing rain for the first time. As she runs out in to the rain arms spread wide and face upturned, she beams with pleasure as the water pours down, soaking her tiny body. It is a simply beautiful scene to watch and as I see it I find myself wo

The age old debate in children’s services around the time available for the completion of documentation vs time spent with children has been long standing in ECEC. This often divides the sector as some view that you must either choose to document learning or spend time with children. The position of early childhood educator working in a children’s service is complex, sophisticated and requires many diverse skills. The low pay and lack of recognition that is associated with th

Since the introduction of the National Quality Standard and the Early Years Learning Framework there has been a huge emphasis on documentation. Arguments about the best way to document have ensued with the traditional observation vs the learning story debate taking over. Now I am all for meaningful pedagogical documentation. In fact, I confess to being a bit of a documentation queen - I love it. I take great pride in representing the learning that has taken place in my room i

Before I started to write this blog I attempted to undertake some research in the area first and I found something surprising – the early childhood field really hasn’t shown a great deal of interest in the debate over fairy tales, at least not in terms of peer related contemporary articles. There are however a plethora of opinions out there so let me add mine to the list. I have two issues with fairy tales. One is simply the role of the princess, always the damsel in distress