Articles on Early childhood learning

Displaying 1 - 20 of 26 articles

Parents can use everyday tasks and routines to encourage learning maths in early childhood. OnlyZoia/Shutterstock

July 11, 2017

Eleven games and activities for parents to encourage maths in early learning

Sivanes Phillipson, Monash University and Ann Gervasoni, Monash University

There are several ways to help children learn and be interested in maths – even the reluctant ones.

Ask your child what their toys did while they were out today or invite them to help you read the mail. Evgeny Atamanenko/Shutterstock

July 10, 2017

How to encourage literacy in young children (and beyond)

Louise Phillips, The University of Queensland and Pauline Harris, University of South Australia

Supporting early childhood literacy is not just about reading to your child. Research has found there are many and varied ways to increase literacy in early learning.

Enrolling children in in pre-school is essential for their development. Flickr

May 17, 2017

Kids on social grants are less likely to be obese. They also go to school earlier

Jenita Chiba, University of Johannesburg and Jacqueline Moodley, University of Johannesburg

Child support grants are an income resource that enables caregivers to make healthier food choices and provide the means to send their children to school earlier.

Having good, well-trained teachers in their early lives benefits children enormously. Reuters

February 1, 2017

Foundation teachers are more than simply childminders. Here’s why

Sarah Gravett, University of Johannesburg and Nadine Petersen, University of Johannesburg

Many people look down on foundation phase teachers, believing it requires little training or expertise. This couldn't be further from the truth.

The number of children with flat head has risen in recent years in part due to SIDS guidelines, which recommend placing babies on their backs to sleep. from www.shutterstock.com

January 25, 2017

Do you need to worry if your baby has a flat head?

Alexandra Martiniuk, University of Sydney

Parents who notice their child has a flat head should talk to a GP or specialist to see if any treatment is needed.

Children with at least two years of preschool achieve much higher scores than those who attend no preschool or only one year. from www.shutterstock.com

October 30, 2016

Two years of preschool have more impact than one, research shows

Stacey Fox, Victoria University

Two years of high-quality preschool is one of the most effective strategies we have to change the trajectories of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Children who attend preschool are more likely to be ready to learn when they start school. from www.shutterstock.com

May 25, 2016

Why is childcare such a hard sell in the federal election?

Stacey Fox, Victoria University and Megan O'Connell, Victoria University

Government funding of childcare is seen as something that helps get mums back into work, instead of setting children up for learning before they start school.

Trying on new roles. Boston Public Library/Flickr

April 6, 2016

Why make-believe play is an important part of childhood development

Tracy Gleason, Wellesley College

Research has found a relationship between pretend play and a child's developing creativity, understanding of others and social competence with peers.

The shadow minister for early education, Kate Ellis, said child care costs had undergone a ‘massive increase’ since the last federal election. AAP/Mick Tsikas

March 17, 2016

FactCheck: has there been a massive increase in child care costs under the Coalition government?

Robert Breunig, Australian National University

Labor's shadow minister for early education, Kate Ellis, said there has been a massive increase in child care costs under the Coalition government. Is that an accurate reflection of the data?

A boy in the Ivory Coast practises reading his letters. Children can learn a lot about reading from each other during the “School Game”. EPA/Legnan Koula

November 24, 2015

How playing the ‘School Game’ helps kids on their journey to literacy

Caroline van der Mescht, Rhodes University

The benefits of learning through play are well documented. In rural communities in South Africa, "playing school" produces passionate lifelong readers.

What children learn in their first 2000 days of life is the most vital, so early learning shouldn’t be dismissed as babysitting. Lukas Coch/AAP

September 24, 2015

What a difference a portfolio makes: early learning is not babysitting

Susan Krieg, Flinders University

The reorganisation of federal ministerial portfolios this week moved early childhood education and care from social services to education. This is a good thing.

Children need to get involved in classroom decisions that affect them, rather than just answering questions when prompted to do so. Thomas Mukoya /Reuters

June 23, 2015

Being seen as well as heard can transform children’s lives

Naseema Shaik, Cape Peninsula University of Technology

At its simplest, participation is about allowing children to get involved in making decisions that affect their own lives and their own learning experiences.

The Productivity Commission’s report on childcare will help inform the Abbott government’s soon-to-be-unveiled ‘families package’. AAP/Paul Miller

February 23, 2015

Productivity Commission childcare report shows blind faith in market

Eva Cox, University of Technology Sydney

Many of the Productivity Commission's proposals derive from assumptions that the funding of these services should ensure minimal interference, with a classic, market-based model for meeting "demand".

Research shows children in early learning benefit from having a stable relationship with one teacher, but with 180 qualified early learning teachers leaving every week, that can be difficult to maintain. Shutterstock

October 29, 2014

Will the Productivity Commission deliver for the childcare sector?

Gerardine Neylon, University of Western Australia

Last year in an open letter to the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, early childhood employers and peak bodies joined forces to ask for a commitment to early learning. They warned the political…

Giving today’s kids a flying start with early education will be crucial to helping them fill the gap left behind by retiring Baby Boomers. Kevin Conor Keller/Flickr

October 24, 2014

Baby Boomers, be nice to your grandkids: they may save Australia

Brendan Churchill, University of Tasmania and Lisa Denny, University of Tasmania

The problem with Australia’s population ageing is not that there are too many older people – it’s that there are not enough young people to support them. That presents many challenges to Australia’s continued…

Long-term reforms are required to address the causes of early school leaving. Shutterstock

October 9, 2014

Keeping kids in school is not as simple as carrots and sticks

Linda J. Graham, Queensland University of Technology and Marianne Fenech, Macquarie University

The OECD’s 2009 Jobs for Youth report, released on the heels of the global financial crisis, made a number of policy recommendations to the Australian government to prevent a rise in youth unemployment…

Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion with students in the Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory. Research shows acting on overcrowded housing could greatly improve Indigenous kids’ school attendance in remote communities. AAP/Neda Vanovac

September 15, 2014

How crowded homes can lead to empty schools in the bush

Sven Silburn, Menzies School of Health Research

Tony Abbott is spending this week in North East Arnhem Land, part of his long-held hope “to be not just the Prime Minister but the Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs”. We asked our experts: what stories…

The Productivity Commission report reflect the limits set by Tony Abbott when he announced terms of reference focused on economic benefit. AAP/Alan Porritt

July 29, 2014

PC logic: let the market solve childcare market failure

Eva Cox, University of Technology Sydney

The Productivity Commission’s Draft Report on Childcare and Early Childhood Learning shows the serious limitations of market economics for analysing social policy. The report’s 900-plus pages offer a collection…

The Productivity Commission contains many positive measures for Early Childhood Learning, but are they implementable? AAP

July 22, 2014

Good results for early learning, but the devil is in the detail

Susan Krieg, Flinders University

The recommendations of the Productivity Commission into Childcare and Early Learning appear to be a win for early childhood learning. However, as with many reports such as this, the devil is in the detail…

Grandpa, I want to touch the Dalek! Danny Lawson/PA Archive

July 21, 2014

Don’t stop toddlers running around museums – it could help them learn

Abigail Hackett, University of Sheffield

As the school summer holidays beckon, families will be seeking out places to visit with their children, including museums, art galleries and science centres. It may be a way of keeping older children occupied…

Top contributors

Susan Krieg
Associate Professor, Flinders University
Eva Cox
Professorial Fellow, Jumbunna IHL, University of Technology Sydney
Stacey Fox
Policy Fellow, Mitchell Institute, Victoria University
Brendan Churchill
Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
Lisa Denny
Demographer/PhD Candidate, University of Tasmania
Alexandra Martiniuk
Associate Professor, University of Sydney
Marianne Fenech
Senior Lecturer, Institute of Early Childhod, Macquarie University
Ann Gervasoni
Associate Professor in Numeracy, Monash University
James Law
Professor of Speech & Language Sciences, Newcastle University
Sandra Mathers
Principal Investigator and Senior Researcher, University of Oxford
Elizabeth Meins
Professor, Department of Psychology, University of York
Linda J. Graham
Associate Professor in the School of Early Childhood & Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology
Irina Verenikina
Associate Professor, School of Education, Faculty of Social Sciences; Early Start Research Institute, University of Wollongong
Abigail Hackett
Research Associate for the Centre for the Study of Childhood and Youth, University of Sheffield
Sven Silburn
Co-director, Menzies Centre for Child Development and Education, Menzies School of Health Research