bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Intersection of Physical Activity Opportunities and the Role of Early Childhood Educators during Outdoor Play: Perceptions and Reality
Authors: Dyment Janet , Coleman Bianca
Published: March 2019

WITH A VIEW TO TACKLING the growing obesity epidemic in young children, a number of interventions are being trialled at preschools seeking to engage children in more physical activity. In this paper, we add to this knowledge by exploring the actual and perceived physical activity levels of preschoolers during outside playtime as well as the actual and perceived role of early childhood educators in facilitating physical activity opportunities during outdoor play. Over a 30-day period in July 2009, 16 preschoolers at four preschools in Australia were observed for 50 minutes while in the playground. During each minute of observation, the preschoolers' intensity of physical activity (Sedentary, Moderate, Vigorous) and the role of the educator (Teacher Initiated/ Child Responsive Activities, Teacher Initiated/Directed Work, Child Initiated/Teacher Responsive Activities, Child Initiated/Child Directed Activities) were recorded. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 16 educators to ascertain their perceptions of the physical activity levels of preschoolers as well as their role during outside playtime. Results reveal that the children were engaged in Sedentary physical activity in almost half the observations (46.1%). Most of the time, preschoolers were engaged in Child Initiated/Child Directed Activities (85.5%). The interviews revealed that educators perceived preschoolers to be getting adequate amounts of physical activity. They also revealed that the educators felt a need to prioritise supervision and safety over the provision of physical activity opportunities. This paper concludes with a discussion of these findings and suggestions to enable educators to engage children in more physical activity opportunities. These strategies should be considered alongside a range of other interventions that are being used to enhance the physical activity behaviours of preschoolers.
Young School-Aged Children's Behaviour and their Care Arrangements after School
Authors: Simoncini Kym , Caltabiano Nerina , Lasen Michelle
Published: March 2019

CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) has increased significantly over recent years. From 1996 to 2005, the number of school-aged children attending afterschool care doubled from 6% to 12%. Despite the large numbers of children accessing OSHC, little is known about the outcomes of attending such programs. This study aims to investigate how parents, teachers and OSHC coordinators from seven schools in a regional city perceived children's behaviour according to their afterschool arrangements. Three arrangements were compared: full-time afterschool care; full-time parental care; and a combination of afterschool care and parental care (e.g. three days at home and two days at afterschool care). The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to rate children's behaviour. According to teachers' and OSHC coordinators' reports, children in full-time afterschool care had more behaviour problems than did children who received parental care or a combination of parental care and afterschool care. Teachers and coordinators also rated boys as having more behaviour problems than did girls. Mothers' reports revealed no differences in children's behaviour according to afterschool care arrangements or gender. All three informant groups reported year-level differences in behaviour, with children in Year 1 having the highest scores.
Creative Technologies as a Conduit for Learning in the Early Years
Authors: McDonald Susan , Howell Jennifer
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE use of robotics in an Early Years classroom as a tool to aid the development of technological skills in a creative environment rich with literacy and numeracy opportunities. The pilot project described illustrates how a three-phase process can result in: (1) the development of emergent literacy and numeracy, and (2) the development of digital literacy and digital access for Early Years learners. The pilot study was conducted in a combined Prep–Year 1 class over a six-week period, during which students were introduced to and engaged in the creation of robots and simple machines via the use of LEGO WeDo©. The pilot was designed around three distinct phases: modelling, exploring, and evaluating. These phases provided scaffolding for the students to engage with the technology and for the class teacher to develop her own skills. This use of WeDo© is unique to Australia, unique to Early Years, and marries hands-on, fine-motor development with 21st century learning. The outcomes of the project astounded and delighted the teacher, the principal and the researchers.
How do Immigrant Parents Support Preschoolers' Bilingual Heritage Language Development in a Role-Play Context?
Authors: Li Liang
Published: March 2019

THE RESEARCH REPORTED HERE is part of an overall study drawing upon a Vygotskian cultural–historical approach to explore Chinese-Australian families' pedagogy in supporting children's bilingual heritage language development. Imagination is a psychological process for the child, where the development of speech is linked to the development of imagination as a higher cultural function (Vygotsky, 1987a). This study gives insight to the links between imagination in play and language development through play pedagogy at home. In the larger study, from which this paper draws its data, the methods of data generation included video interviews and observations with three families. The focus was on interactions that contributed towards language development in the home context. Drawing on Vygotsky's (1987a, 2004b) theory of imagination in children's play, Fleer's (2010) dialectical model of play, and Kravtsova's (2009) subject positioning theory, this paper specifically investigates parents' interactive support of children's bilingual heritage language development in role-play. The paper analyses the play experience of a four-year-old girl, Lin, and her father in a park, in order to discuss the importance of imagination in adults' instructions within the child's zone of proximal language development through play. This provides the foreground for approaching language development within a dialectical process of collective and individual imagining in play. It is argued that Lin's father uses play as a pedagogical tool to support Lin's bilingual heritage language development.
Interrogating the Spiritual as Constructed in Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia
Authors: Grajczonek Jan
Published: March 2019

AUSTRALIA'S FIRST DOCUMENT TO articulate a national approach to learning for young children in care, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (DEEWR, 2009) makes several references to the spiritual aspects of children's learning and their lives. It also assigns early childhood educators particular roles associated with that spiritual aspect. These are significant inclusions that deserve closer attention. What is the nature of the spiritual aspects of children's lives and learning, and further, what is the nature of educators' roles in responding to these spiritual aspects? This paper reports on research that interrogates how the Early Years Learning Framework refers to children's spirituality.
Practitioners' views on involving young children in decision making: Challenges for the children's rights agenda
Authors: Hudson Kim
Published: March 2019

THIS ARTICLE PRESENTS THE key findings and discussion from a research project and subsequent report: Involving young children in decision making: An exploration of practitioners' views. This research explored early childhood practitioners'—childcare workers, kindergarten, preprimary and grade 1–2 teachers—views on decision making for young children (aged six years and under). The key findings raise some important observations and challenges for the children's rights agenda and its efficacy in childcare and educational settings. Practitioners' views highlighted inconsistencies and tensions from theory to practice where involving young children in decision making is not always straightforward. It is argued that, if decision making is to be an authentic vehicle for children's rights, there needs to be a comprehensive dialogue on what decision making is in age-relevant terms and its practical importance to children's rights in early education and childcare environments. Importantly, this dialogue needs to address some of the practical inhibitors to participative decision making such as practitioners' views on children's capacity to make decisions, the practitioner–child relationship, parameters of discipline and behavioural control, curriculum requirements and practitioners' time and resources.
It's in the bag: Parental involvement in a numeracy at-home program
Authors: Muir Tracey
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES A project conducted with the parents of children in early childhood classes from two different district high schools 1 . The project investigated the perceptions held by these parents in relation to mathematics education, and used an intervention program designed to encourage them to engage in numeracy activities with their child. Preliminary results indicated that, although the parents were not necessarily familiar with contemporary numeracy classroom practices, they were able to describe and evaluate their children's mathematical understandings. The findings add to the limited research available on the ways parents can support their child's mathematical education at home through encouraging home–school community partnerships.

1 District high schools in this context refers to rural schools with classes ranging from Kindergarten–Year 10.
Reframing early childhood leadership
Authors: Stamopoulos Elizabeth
Published: March 2019

RAPID CHANGES IN AUSTRALIAN education have intensified the role of early childhood leaders and led to unprecedented challenges. The Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2011), mandated Australian National Quality Framework (NQF) for Early Childhood Education & Care (DEEWR, 2010b) and the National Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (DEEWR, 2009) have heightened the need for leaders to guide and move the profession forward. Leaders need to build professional knowledge, pedagogical capacity and infrastructure in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) workforce in order to deliver reforms and achieve high-quality outcomes for children.

Yet research on early childhood leadership remains sparse and inadequately theorised, while the voice of the early childhood profession remains marginalised (Woodrow & Busch, 2008). In this paper I draw on my previous research in leadership and change management which investigated principals', early childhood teachers' and teacher-aides' conceptual and behavioural positions on educational changes in work contexts. I present a model of leadership that connects to practice, builds professional capacity and capability, and recognises the importance of relationship building and quality infrastructure. The model calls for robust constructions of leadership and improved professional identity that will reposition the profession so that it keeps pace with the critical needs of early childhood professionals. Within this model, tertiary educational institutions and professional organisations will play their role in guiding the profession forward as new paradigms evolve and federal and state initiatives begin to surface.
Don't forget to pack my EpiPen® please: What issues does food allergy present for children's starting school?
Authors: Sanagavarapu Prathyusha
Published: March 2019

FOOD ALLERGY IMPAIRS THE health-related quality of life of both the affected children and their families. In particular, parents and children become anxious about the potential risks and consequences of food allergy, including disruptions in families' and children's social activities, the need for constant vigilance, children's safety, and the daily management of children's health and illnesses. These anxieties tend to increase during children's transition to school because of the increased risks outside the home, as outlined in the review of literature in the present paper. However, there is a gap in research on the concerns and support needs of families and children when starting school. Attention to parents' and children's needs and concerns is vital to ease their smooth transition to school.
Children's strategies for making friends when starting school
Authors: Danby Susan , Thompson Catherine , Theobald Maryanne , Thorpe Karen
Published: March 2019

STARTING SCHOOL IS A critical and potentially stressful time for many young children, and having supportive relationships with parents, teachers and peers and friends offer better outcomes for school adjustment and social relationships. This paper explores matters of friendship when young children are starting school, and how they initiate friendships. In audio-recorded conversations with researchers, the children proposed a number of strategies, including making requests, initiating clubs and teams, and peer intervention to support a friend. Their accounts drew on social knowledge and relational understandings, and showed that having someone, a friend, to play with was important for starting school. Children gave serious attention to developing strategies to initiate friendships.
Support for quality delivery of outside school hours care: A case study
Authors: Simoncini Kym , Lasen Michelle
Published: March 2019

THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE research investigating Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) despite the growing demand for it in Australia. OSHC services can be managed by schools, Parents and Citizens' Associations, local councils, non-profit organisations or for-profit companies, and have varying levels of support available to them. This study investigates the different models of OSHC adopted by seven schools in a regional city in Queensland, with the aim of identifying elements that enhance quality of care. The schools—including two state, three Catholic and two independent—were all located in middle-to-high socioeconomic status (SES) suburbs in a small geographical area. In all seven, the OSHC services were on school premises. Data collection methods included interviews with principals, OSHC coordinators and area coordinators, as well as researcher observations. Quality Profiles awarded by the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) and themes emerging from an interview with the director of the Queensland Network of Children's Activities (QCAN) were used for triangulation and validation of results. Findings suggest that models of OSHC that provide coordinators with additional levels of support are more likely to deliver quality care to children. While support from the principal is important, that from outside the school in the form of area coordinators is vital in providing assistance with accreditation, professional development and networking. One key recommendation for services managed by Parents and Citizens' Associations is the additional support of an area coordinator.
Chinese parents' perspectives on home–kindergarten partnership: A narrative research
Authors: Chen Feiyan , Agbenyega Joseph
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER PRESENTS A study on what it means to practise home–kindergarten partnership differently. Using Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory, this study draws on the narratives of six Chinese parents' successful involvement in home–kindergarten partnerships. Data was gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with parents whose children attend three different kindergartens in Zhejiang, China. Narrative analysis was employed to analyse the data. Critical to the findings is the parents' willingness to grapple with initial complexities and educationally constructed borders and boundaries and to move beyond simplistic partnership with the kindergartens.
Retained primary reflexes in preprimary-aged Indigenous children: The effect on movement ability and school readiness
Authors: Callcott Deborah
Published: March 2019

THE RESEARCH REPORTED IN this paper links children's movement skills with learning difficulties, particularly school readiness, in the early years. The aim of the research project was to (a) determine the prevalence and severity of retained reflexes, predominantly the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR), and (b) investigate the movement skill ability of preprimary-aged Indigenous children in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. This provided an important first step in understanding and addressing movement skill deficits that may compromise the acquisition of foundation school readiness skills in young Australian Indigenous children. This project challenged the stereotypical assumption (by non-Indigenous Australians) that the majority of Indigenous Australian children have well-developed or even above-average movement skill development, based on their being more likely than non-Indigenous children to engage in regular physical activity and perform well in sport. It was important to test this assumption if a comprehensive picture of the developmental challenges and educational disadvantages faced by Indigenous Australian children, particularly those in remote regional areas, was to be established. Sixty-five per cent of the sample of Indigenous children were found to have retained moderate to high levels of the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) which in previous research has been linked to developmental delay, not only in movement skills but also in areas strongly related to academic achievement.
How we view our theoretical competency: Early childhood pre-service teachers' self-evaluation of a professional placement experience
Authors: Agbenyega Joseph
Published: March 2019

RECENT EFFORTS TO RENOVATE the teaching of young children have led to a greater emphasis on teachers' theoretical understandings of children and teaching, and how they translate their understandings into practice. This qualitative research analysed and discussed how early childhood pre-service teachers in one Australian university perceived their theoretical competence and how they used this in their pedagogical decision making and adaptations in their professional placement. The paper investigated how the pre-service teachers justified and enacted decisions about which pedagogical and theoretical approaches to use in their classrooms, and how they reconciled potential conflicts and contradictions between their own ideas, pedagogical and theoretical knowledge, and those of their mentor teachers. A framework analysis of rich qualitative data obtained through focus groups in class illuminated the pre-service teachers' theoretical competency, theoretical confidence, theoretical preparation and theoretical reflexivity. The paper concludes with recommendations for improving early childhood pre-service teachers' professional practice.
Hearing parents' and carers' voices: Experiences of accessing quality long day care in northern regional Australia
Authors: Harris Nonie , Tinning Beth
Published: March 2019

THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES PARENTS’ and carers' experiences of accessing quality long day care in northern regional Australia. The data was gathered in 2009, after the collapse of ABC Developmental Learning Centres (herein referred to as ABC Learning) and before the implementation of the National Quality Framework, and provides a snapshot of respondents' experiences at this key moment of transition in the long day care landscape. In communities often characterised by distance from friends and family, fluctuating economic growth and limited services for those outside the mainstream community, the experience of many parents and carers was of a childcare landscape that was unresponsive to their unique needs. More broadly, this research provides policy-makers with insight into the material implications of a childcare policy environment that encouraged over-reliance on the ‘market’ to provide accessible, quality long day care services.
Yarning space: Leading literacy learning through family–school partnerships
Authors: Flückiger Beverley , Diamond Pat , Jones Will
Published: March 2019

EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN PARENTS, teachers and the community have universally been heralded as crucial to improving young Indigenous Australians' participation in early childhood education and their literacy development. This study of one remote preschool setting identifies the features that successfully framed family–school and community-led partnerships there. Our account is based on reported experiences with Parents and Learning (PaL), a long-established program, and Mums n Bubs, a recent initiative in the community preschool. Mothers said they felt empowered when equal value and respect were accorded to them as key participants in what we have described as a ‘yarning space’. This was a jointly constructed space and an intercultural strategy centred on the preschool where everyone listened carefully and respectfully to each other, helping to build and lead a literacy learning community. The co-researchers were privileged to be invited into this space to hear the mothers speak with pride of their achievements.
Using ‘Slowmation’ for intentional teaching in early childhood centres: Possibilities and imaginings
Authors: Fleer Marilyn , Hoban Garry
Published: March 2019

INCREASED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL attention towards early childhood education has resulted in the development of an Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) called ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’ (DEEWR, 2009) for realising agreed practice, principles and outcomes. The EYLF highlights the importance of educators using intentional teaching to deliberately promote many important elements of early education. These include children learning about conceptual development, skills and values. In this paper we show how a new teaching approach called ‘Slowmation’ (abbreviated from ‘Slow Animation’), a simplified way for children to co-construct a stop-motion animation, can be used to support intentional teaching in early childhood settings. We present the outcomes of two exemplars, which used video and field observations to document how scientific concepts become conscious to both children and preservice teachers as they co-constructed Slowmation creations. In drawing upon cultural-historical theory, we argue that Slowmation provides a mediating context where a system of interdependent concepts can be held constant, while the relations between a particular everyday concept and scientific concept can be interrogated through action and thought. Slowmation is an innovative way of realising intentional teaching in early childhood settings as young children co-construct digital animations about science concepts.
Learner engagement: Has the child been lost in translation?
Authors: Harcourt Deborah , Keen Deb
Published: March 2019

A CORPUS OF LITERATURE HAS argued the fundamental importance of learner engagement in early years' classrooms and identified the association between engagement and academic and social success. In the current education policy, educational theories typically influence curriculum development which, in turn, guides pedagogical practice. In the case of literature pertaining to learner engagement, the relationships between theory, curriculum and teaching pedagogy are unclear; hence the interconnections are often implied. Furthermore, decision making about learner engagement is assumed to be in the best interests of the child. However, upon assessment of the literature, the child's presence in learner engagement in classrooms appears to be absent. This paper explores the existing concepts of learner engagement in relation to adult observations of the child. Engagement, as reflected in current Australian early years' curriculum frameworks, is examined. An argument is then presented for the inclusion of the child perspective on learner engagement.
Repeating patterns: Strategies to assist young students to generalise the mathematical structure
Authors: Warren Elizabeth , Miller Jodie , Cooper Thomas
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER FOCUSES ON VERY young students' ability to engage in repeating pattern tasks and identifying strategies that assist them to ascertain the structure of the pattern. It describes results of a study which is part of the Early Years Generalising Project (EYGP) and involves Australian students in Years 1 to 4 (ages 5 – 10). This paper reports on the results from the early years' cohort (Year 1 and 2 students). Clinical interviews were used to collect data concerning students' ability to determine elements in different positions when two units of a repeating pattern were shown. This meant that students were required to identify the multiplicative structure of the pattern. Results indicate there are particular strategies that assist students to predict these elements, and there appears to be a hierarchy of pattern activities that help students to understand the structure of repeating patterns.
Literacy Trails: A whole-of-community program to encourage literacy and numeracy awareness for children in preschool and early primary
Authors: Ollerenshaw Alison
Published: March 2019

THIS ARTICLE DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION outcomes of an innovative, community-based educational initiative to enhance and promote the awareness of literacy and numeracy in young children in two regional communities in Moorabool Shire, Victoria. With the support of committed educational and community partners (through the Moorabool Best Start Partnership), the Moorabool Literacy Trails were first established in 2006 to promote and nurture children's awareness of literacy and numeracy, and to encourage active participation in the Trails by facilitating local community involvement. In 2010 an evaluation of the program used a mixed, qualitative and quantitative methodology (surveys and interviews with teachers, parents, community participants, program partner representatives) to examine the program's effectiveness in promoting literacy and numeracy awareness for children in their early years, and also whether the program is an effective catalyst for increasing community awareness and capacity. There was strong evidence that the project achieved its aims, as quantified by the continued interest in the program through the large numbers of children participating and the continued commitment to the project by its partners and the local community. This whole-of-community approach helps to promote important educational principles for children and their parents. This program has large appeal at many different levels and offers great potential for similar educational programs to be adapted and/or transferred to other communities and regions.
A Critical Analysis of the National Quality Framework: Mobilising for a Vision for Children Beyond Minimum Standards
Authors: Fenech Marianne , Giugni Miriam , Bown Kathryn
Published: March 2019

THE NATIONAL QUALITY FRAMEWORK (NQF) has been heralded by the Australian Government as a significant reform that will raise the quality of early childhood education and care (ECEC) across the country. Drawing on Foucault's (1991) conceptualisation of governmentality this article critically analyses the NQF. From this analysis we conclude that while overall, children in ECEC settings across Australia will be somewhat better off, the NQF nonetheless falls well short of its intended outcomes. Sumsion's (2006) conceptual framework for political activism in the ECEC sector is used to propose one way forward for early childhood advocates and activists to work for policy reform that may more effectively meet the Government's goal of giving children the best possible start in life. Central to our proposal is what we believe is currently lacking in early childhood policy: a bold, innovative vision for children's right to a high-quality early education.
Getting the Balance Right: The Challenge of Balancing Praise and Correction for Early School Years Children who Exhibit Oppositional and Defiant Behaviour
Authors: Fields Barry
Published: March 2019

INCREASINGLY, EARLY CHILDHOOD PRACTITIONERS are faced with children who present with significant levels of oppositional and defiant behaviour. The management of this behaviour is often difficult and stressful. Efforts to minimise disruptive behaviour and to encourage more prosocial behaviour have very much revolved around the teaching of appropriate behaviour and the acknowledgement and reward of it when it occurs. More and more schools are using approaches like School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) to achieve a better positive acknowledgement to correction balance in teacher–child interactions. Just how successful schools are in this respect and with particular reference to interactions with children who display oppositional and defiant behaviours was the subject of two exploratory investigations, results of which are reported in this paper.
Metacommunication, Social Pretend Play and Children with Autism
Authors: Douglas Susan , Stirling Lesley
Published: March 2019

THIS ARTICLE INVESTIGATES PROCESSES of engagement in social pretend play between children with autism (age range 3.6 to 7.2 years) and adult play partners, using a large corpus of conversational data. We take a qualitative discourse analytic approach to investigate the metacommunicative strategies used by the children. Our initial framework for exploring these issues is Giffin's (1984) model of verbal and nonverbal metacommunication in sociodramatic pretend play, and we develop this model further by proposing a cline of engagement along which we situate the children in our study. We found that, while all the children do participate in pretend play, and engage with the adult play partners to at least some extent, the children vary in the range of metacommunicative strategies they use, and in the degree to which they negotiate the creation of play sequences with their interlocutor. Furthermore, even for the most competent children, the metacommunication exhibits atypical characteristics.
Preschool Children's Transition to Formal Schooling: The Importance of Collaboration between Teachers, Parents and Children
Authors: Skouteris Helen , Watson Brittany , Lum Jarrad
Published: March 2019

TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NO PREVIOUS literature review has focused specifically on the effectiveness of transition programs that target collaboration between primary school and preschool teachers, parents and children. Hence, in this paper we sought to review the literature on this topic. The findings of published studies to date reveal that, internationally, the value of teacher collaboration across the early years of schooling has been recognised, with research acknowledging the benefits of creating meaningful relationships between the teaching professionals, the children they teach, and their parents. However, further research is needed both globally and within Australia to evaluate the effect that programs promoting collaboration between teachers and families can have on facilitating the transition to primary school for all preschool children.
Exploring Current Arts Practice in Kindergartens and Preparatory Classrooms
Authors: Garvis Susanne
Published: March 2019

THE ARTS ARE AN IMPORTANT AREA of development for young children in their early years. By engaging with arts activities, young children are able to use their senses to explore the world. This paper reports on current arts practice in two kindergartens and two preparatory classrooms in Queensland, Australia. All sites are located in neighbouring suburbs. Findings reveal children in kindergarten are exposed to an arts-rich environment. In preparatory classrooms, few examples of arts activities could be observed, with children mostly accessing only one weekly 30-minute music lesson with a specialist teacher. Arts practice in classrooms was related to each teacher's philosophy of arts education, and the amount of arts education exposure they received during teacher education. Findings bring to the surface the tensions between kindergarten and preparatory education, and highlight the importance of adequate arts education in early childhood teacher education programs.
Active versus Passive Screen Time for Young Children
Authors: Sweetser Penelope , Johnson Daniel , Ozdowska Anne , Wyeth Peta
Published: March 2019

IN THIS PAPER WE REPORT SOME initial findings from our investigations into the Australian Government's Longitudinal Study of Australian Children dataset. It is revealed that the majority of Australian children are exceeding the government's Screen Time recommendations and that most of their screen time is spent as TV viewing, as opposed to video game play or computer use. In light of this finding, we review the body of research surrounding children's engagement in Screen Time activities and the associated positive and negative effects. Based on existing evidence, we define two categories of Screen Time—Active Screen Time and Passive Screen Time. It is proposed that this distinction provides a more accurate classification of Screen Time and a more informative lens through which to consider the associated benefits and detrimental effects for young children.
Is Quality More Important if You're Quirky? A Review of the Literature on Differential Susceptibility to Childcare Environments
Authors: Davis Elspeth , Eivers Areana , Thorpe Karen
Published: March 2019

EVIDENCE CONCERNING THE IMPACT of child care on child development suggests that higher-quality environments, particularly those that are more responsive, predict more favourable social and behavioural outcomes. However, the extent of this effect is not as great as might be expected. Impacts on child outcomes are, at best, modest. One recent explanation emerging from a new theoretical perspective of development, differential susceptibility theory, is that a minority of children are more reactive to both positive and negative environments, while the majority are relatively unaffected. These ‘quirky’ children have temperamental traits that are more extreme, and are often described in research studies as having ‘difficult temperaments’. This paper reviews the literature on such children and argues for the need for further research to identify components of childcare environments that optimise the potential of these more sensitive, quirky individuals.
Boys' Bodies in Early Childhood
Authors: Drummond Murray
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER IS BASED ON QUALITATIVE research data from a project investigating early childhood boys' constructions of masculinities in relation to sport, health and the body. The focus group data, with 33 boys, has been collected in each of the boys' first three years at school. It is part of the data that will be collected over eight years with the same cohort of boys, as they continue through their primary school years. The paper will highlight important issues the boys raise about sport, health, masculinities and the body, including descriptions and interpretations of how the male body should look and how it should perform. These are pivotal in terms of how these boys in early childhood perceive the hegemonic masculine male body. Given the challenges in accessing qualitative data from boys in early childhood, the paper will also highlight methodological processes by which the data was attained.
Family Day Care in Australia: A Systematic Review of Research (1996–2010)
Authors: Bohanna India , Davis Elise , Corr Lara , Priest Naomi , Tan Huong
Published: March 2019

FAMILY DAY CARE (FDC) IS a distinctive form of child care chosen by many Australian families. However, there appears to be little empirical research on FDC conducted in Australia. The aim of this study was to systematically review the recent published literature on FDC research in Australia, assess its quality, and identify pertinent topics for future research. FDC research has been conducted on topics such as use and cost of care, aspects of child and caregiver health, and nutrition and physical activity. Studies were generally quantitative and descriptive, with a notable lack of intervention studies. Small sample size and limited analysis of FDC data were the two major issues compromising the quality of the studies. Overall, there is great potential to increase the amount of research on FDC in Australia, and improve its quality. Important topics requiring further research include the effect of training on the caregiver, and the social and emotional wellbeing of children and educators.
Social Competencies and the Early Years Learning Framework: Understanding Critical Influences on Educator Capacity
Authors: Jones Lesley , Harcourt Deborah
Published: March 2019

CONTEMPORARY RESEARCH HAS FOCUSED on the imperatives for social competence in young children. This work has explained the diverse ways this complex construct is defined and the implications for social and academic outcomes for children. As a result of this research, social competence has become an embedded feature of early childhood curriculum frameworks at both an international and national level, the most recent of which is Australia's Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Underpinning these frameworks are both implicit and explicit expectations that educators have, in fact, the capacity to support children's development and competence in this area. This paper explores the imperatives for the inclusion of social competencies within contemporary curriculum frameworks. It will be argued that an understanding of the influences that shape educator capacity is critical in supporting effective professional practice.
So What Happens after the Event? Exploring the Realisation of Professional Development with Early Childhood Educators
Authors: Inglis Sue , Brown Alice
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER CONSIDERS WHETHER simply providing and attending professional development and training opportunities enhances quality in early childhood education, or whether the educators' actual practices are a better indication. It reports on research that examined factors impacting on early childhood educators' realisation of professional development once participants returned to their organisation.

Using case studies, the paper points to a range of factors educators identified as either enabling or hindering endeavours to practise and sustain new understandings within their early childhood service. It concludes by recommending a number of strategies that lead to a more effective realisation of professional development opportunities, including the importance of continued dialogue with all stakeholders about understandings of effective professional development in the field of early childhood education.
Books, Bytes and Brains: The Implications of New Knowledge for Children's Early Literacy Learning
Authors: Hopkins Liza , Brookes Fiona , Green Julie
Published: March 2019

THE EARLY YEARS OF CHILDHOOD are critical for the successful development of adult literacy, whatever that literacy might look or feel like in the oncoming digital age. Two questions that become important are what sort of literacy (or literacies) will children need in the future to navigate new information pathways, and how can we use recent advances in neuroscience to help us understand optimal pathways for developing the fundamentally social skills of literacy. This paper reviews recent research from the two traditionally separate areas of contemporary literacies and infant brain development to re-examine the underpinnings of literacy learning in the early years.
Once You'Ve Built Some Trust: Using Playgroups to Promote Children's Health and Wellbeing for Families from Migrant Backgrounds
Authors: Warr Deborah , Mann Rosemary , Forbes Danielle , Turner Colleen
Published: March 2019

IT IS WELL-ESTABLISHED THAT household and neighbourhood disadvantage and migrant background impact on children's cognitive, developmental and health outcomes. While participation in early childhood services and programs can mitigate the effects of such multiple disadvantages, there are barriers for families in accessing services, including local circumstances and the perceived risks of contact with services and programs. In this paper, we discuss data collected in a study that explored a supported playgroup initiative targeting parents and children from non-English-speaking backgrounds. The findings offer insights into the barriers that migrant-background families experience in accessing early childhood services and effective strategies for engaging and sustaining families within early childhood settings.
Integrated Services for Aboriginal Children and Families
Authors: Lee-Hammond Libby
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES AN EMPIRICAL research study based on a community consultation process for the development of an integrated children and families centre. Conducted in Western Australia in 2009, the consultation was designed specifically for the Noongar Aboriginal community, drawing on Indigenous research methods and sociocultural theory. The paper discusses the study's findings, considers its Australian policy and international contexts, and explores challenges to providing integrated child and family services for Aboriginal families. It identifies key elements of successful service delivery and highlights the significance of consultation and collaboration in developing culturally appropriate services. The paper concludes that the widely recognised need to ‘close the gap’ in Indigenous health and education services is not being met with sufficient funding, and notes the ever-widening gap between purported policy imperatives and the process of addressing inequalities.
Promoting the Development of Children's Emotional and Social Wellbeing in Early Childhood Settings: How can we Enhance the Capability of Educators to Fulfil Role Expectations?
Authors: Temple Elizabeth , Emmett Susan
Published: March 2019

THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES THE expectations implicit in both Early Years Learning and National Quality Frameworks regarding the role of early childhood educators in promoting the development of children's social and emotional wellbeing. There is a specific focus on factors that may impact on the ability of early childhood educators to successfully adjust their practice to meet these expectations. Suggestions are made in relation to the training and education of pre-service teachers and the professional development of the current early childhood workforce to ensure that all early childhood educators are able to promote the development of social and emotional wellbeing in children.
Leadership Development during Times of Reform
Authors: Fenech Sylvana
Published: March 2019

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN EARLY childhood education and care settings has been integrated within the National Quality Framework in Australia, which came into effect on 1 January, 2012. While the appointment of educational leaders within the field is a step in the right direction, leadership development has been overlooked at governmental level until recently. The issue is being examined at this time due the regulatory reforms currently underway within the field in Australia. The paper calls for more leadership development within the field since most educators with leadership responsibilities have been appointed to their position with limited, or no, leadership training. A cultural shift is recommended in order to significantly improve the status of the profession.
A Comparison of Segregated and Integrated Infant and Toddler Programs in One Childcare Centre
Authors: Rutherford Lynne , Whitington Victoria
Published: March 2019

TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT more conducive to the needs of very young children from January 2011, Gowrie SA replaced age groupings, which separated infants and toddlers with integrated infant–toddler programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate this program change by comparing the two types of infant and toddler programs, before and after implementation. The evaluation focused on those areas considered to have most impact on children's development (Ackerman, 2008): the overall length of time educators and children spend together, the depth of documentation and assessment of children's learning as evident in learning stories, and the quality of interactions between educators and families during drop-off and pick-up times. Statistically significant differences were found for the first two areas and higher frequencies in the third area, showing overall improvement under the integrated program. Parents' and educators' perceptions about the advantages and challenges of integrated infant–toddler programs were also included in the study.
What are Children Learning in Early Childhood Education in New Zealand?
Authors: Blaiklock Ken
Published: March 2019

IT IS WIDELY ASSUMED that children's learning is enhanced through being involved in early childhood education but the evidence to substantiate this in New Zealand is limited. Sources of information that could be expected to show what children are learning include the national curriculum, documentation provided by early childhood centres, evaluations from the Education Review Office, and government-funded research reports. This article examines each of these sources and finds they provide little evidence about what children are learning. One of the difficulties is the strong reliance on Learning Stories as the main form of assessment in centres and research investigations. A case is made that it is time for the Ministry of Education to reconsider the advice it is providing on how to assess young children's learning.
Which Agenda?: Inclusion Movement and its Impact on Early Childhood Education in Hong Kong
Authors: Zhang Kaili Chen , Advisor Senior
Published: March 2019

TO EXAMINE THE CURRENT status of inclusion in early childhood in Hong Kong, this article highlights the overall structure of early childhood and special education services in the region, the historical movement toward inclusion before and after 1997 (the year Hong Kong returned to the People's Republic of China), and its impact on early childhood education. The author addresses the question of whether the development of inclusive education was driven by an educational agenda or other factors, and discusses challenges of inclusive practices in early childhood education, and future possibilities.
Self-Authored E-Books: Expanding Young Children's Literacy Experiences and Skills
Authors: Shuker Mary-Jane , Terreni Lisa
Published: March 2019

THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE ROLE of self-authored e-books as a vehicle for helping early childhood professionals to engage young children in new literacy and language experiences. The rationale for using information and communication technology (ICT) in the early years is examined along with the changes that have occurred in written texts and textual practices. It is our opinion, as New Zealand early childhood teacher educators working in the area of multi-literacies, that self-authored books present an opportunity for early childhood professionals to develop a partnership between ICT and reading. The common software application PowerPoint is ideal for helping young children to make basic self-authored e-books. By helping children self-author and produce e-books, early childhood professionals can make the use of computers more interactive and personal. The potential ethical issues, cautions and constraints that need to be taken into consideration when developing self-authored e-books are examined.