Optimising young children’s learning: play matters

The value of play in optimising young children’s learning cannot be underestimated. It is paramount that children have access to quality time, space and resources to inspire creativity, develop self-regulation and resilience, support the achievement of educational outcomes, and nurture self-identity and well-being. Sandra is currently involved in Early Childhood Australia WA campaign events aimed at raising community awareness about the importance of play - that play matters! The campaign is seeking development of a WA Play Strategy, so as to ensure that the child’s right to play is clearly transparent and accountable. A play strategy is timely given the demise of play in children’s lives, particularly in the early years of schooling

Action needed on play based learning

The State School Teachers’ Union of WA has called on the state government to secure all early childhood students’ right to access play-based learning (PBL) at WA schools..

Play is Learning

Action 3: Alternative learning centre

Allow our kids time to play

Formal schooling too early may be a counterproductive ste

A call for a WA Play Strategy in Early Childhood Education and Care

In 2013, ECA WA members were invited to contribute to the development of a strategic plan that would set priorities, focus energy and resources, and work toward the core function of Early Childhood Australia: to advocate for the rights and well-being of children in early childhood education and care (ECEC). Members identified the diminishing opportunities for children (aged birth to eight years) to access quality play in these environments as a major concern necessitating it as a key priority in future planning. The vision that child-initiated and self-directed play be reinstated as a fundamental right in early education and care settings, including the early years of schooling, was similarly shared by members of other leading early childhood advocacy organisations in WA (OMEP, ECTA, EYES and the SSTUWA). Moreover, the demise of play in ECEC was considered by key stakeholder representatives (of Playgroup WA, CareWest, Family Day Care WA, Meerilinga, and Childcare Association of WA) at the ECA WA AGM (2014) during a Panel Discussion on Play. Shortly thereafter, ECA WA pledged its commitment to developing a play strategy initiative

Cryogenic magnetometer development Final report, 1 Jul. 1964 - 7 Mar. 1967

Magnetometers for measuring stable magnetic fields produced by low field superconducting shield

A call for high quality early childhood education in the early years of school in Western Australia

This paper has been written in response to the growing concerns from educators of children in the early years of school (kindergarten to year 2) and university teacher educators who are experiencing first-hand a rapid increase in the formalisation of the early years of schooling in many classrooms in Western Australia (The West Australian, 2013). Concerns for the general and long term health and wellbeing of young children have surfaced in the early childhood profession as we witness increased pressure placed on improving school achievement in national literacy and numeracy tests (King & Janson, 2009; Wescombe-Down, 2013)

Reviving botany in the curriculum: The botanical journey of two Western Australian early childhood teachers

Environmental education across the early years has become increasingly important in Australia since the implementation of the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum. These documents promote a connection to nature for young children as well as environmental responsibility. In Western Australia, large areas of natural environments are bush spaces, accessible by young children, families and schools. There is no existing research investigating early childhood teacher’s knowledge of plants in these bush spaces and the utilisation of these spaces in teaching botany as part of their teaching practice. The discussion in this article examines part of a larger year-long multi-site case study of the changes in the botanical understanding of two early childhood teachers of children aged 5–8 years, in Western Australian schools both before and after the Mosaic Approach, botanical practices and Indigenous knowledges were incorporated into their teaching practice. This article focuses on the changes of botanical literacies of the early childhood teachers specifically. The findings suggest that using inquiry-based and place-based methods and including First Nations Peoples’ perspectives about plants whilst teaching in the bush can significantly increase the plant knowledge and understanding of teachers, as well their own scientific and botanical literacies

What’s in your refrigerator? Children’s views on equality, work, money and access to food

This study investigates young children’s theorising about families and their differential access to food from a perspective of wealth and poverty. Fifty-two children, aged 6–7 years, attending a Western Australian school were invited to share their perspectives on this global issue. The single case study method utilised three children’s focus groups to gather a range of perspectives from the children. Photographs of full and empty refrigerators were used elaborate a story told to the children about two families with significantly different amounts of food in their refrigerator at home. The study demonstrates that researchers and educators may fruitfully consider social sustainability with young children whose insights into these issues provide evidence of their clearly formed perspectives on complex global issues. Conversations about global “wicked problems” enable children to express their point of view on economic and social as well as environmental issues. The findings indicate that the young children in this study hold clear and sophisticated opinions regarding fairness, poverty, the relationship between paid work and money, food security and social justice. They also had an optimistic outlook on how to address inequality. Significant insights into children’s theorising around social sustainability are presented in four themes

Everyone benefits when children play

Early Childhood Australia (ECA), advocates for the rights of all young children during the critical early years (from birth to the age of eight), to thrive and learn through play at home, in the community, within early learning and care settings and through the early years of school