Early Learning Matters

Jacqui Ward and Nicci McDowell discuss the updates to the Early Years Learning Framework. This includes providing an overview of the key changes and what educators need to do to be ready for 2024 implementation.

Nicole Burgess and Sarah Wenham join Jacqui Ward to discuss the importance of play-based learning in early years.

Sibylle Seidler, Heike Hendershot and Haley Bates from Little Scientist join Jacqui Ward to discuss the importance of STEM in the early years.

What is the AEDC and what type of information is in the AEDC?

How to engage with the AEDC data

Lisa Wicks talks to a Kindergarten and Preschool teacher from Woy Woy public school about using the transition to school statement effectively

This is the third podcast in a series about numeracy in the early years. In this podcast, Jacqui Ward, Linda De Marcellis and Juliana Lagana discuss the numeracy concepts. They provide links to research that highlight the importance of developing strong understandings of these concept in early childhood and examples and resources to support educators broaden their understanding of how these concepts fit together to develop children’s numeracy skills.

This is the second podcast in a series about numeracy in the early years. In this podcast, Jacqui Ward, Linda De Marcellis and Juliana Lagana discuss the intentional and explicit teaching of numeracy in the early years. They unpack the importance of planning for intentional mathematics and numeracy learning and highlight pedagogical practices that support that planning. They provide links to research and resources around mathematical talk and touch on some practical strategies and tools that...

This is the first podcast in a series about numeracy in the early years. In this podcast, Jacqui Ward, Juliana Lagana and Linda De Marcellis discuss the importance of numeracy in both early childhood and school curriculum. They clarify the relationship and interconnectedness of mathematics and numeracy and speak about how numeracy development in the early years supports later learning.

This podcast explores the importance of creative arts in the early years including early childhood and the first years of school.

In this podcast, Jacqui and Lisa discuss the elements of effective assessment in early childhood settings. They discuss the ways that early childhood educators can focus in on assessment as the first part of the teaching and learning cycle and how the new assessment tool can support educators to more effectively engage in assessment practices linked to the outcomes of the early years learning framework.

In this podcast, Ruth and Chris discuss the topic of children as researchers, and how inquiry-based learning supports children's authentic engagement. Chris provides examples of children working alongside educators to explore a topic as equal partners in the learning.

In this podcast, Jacqui Ward and Lynda Lovett discuss the difference between high potential and gifted and how the department’s policy and The Early Years Learning Framework align. They also delve into the importance of transition to school for high potential and gifted children.

This podcast looks at how parents can support learning for each of their children across age ranges by involving them in every day, fun activities that allow each child to be involved and learn at their own level. Many everyday home activities can support concepts and learning outcomes across early childhood to school learning areas all at the same time.

When a child plays alone, or solitarily, they have a chance to engage deeply and can make mistakes and create solutions, feeling accomplished. Playing with others supports the ongoing development as children ‘practice’ what they learned. This episode discusses the benefits of letting your child take the lead in their own play.

In this episode, we explore how children learn everyday through play in the early years and how helping your child learn at home through play, can lay strong foundations for reading and writing and more formal school learning.

This episode explores how the 'Early Years Learning Framework', as the mandatory curriculum for early childhood education, supports teachers to deliver learning programs that improve learning outcomes for children and support learning in the early years. We also look at how that supports a strong start to school.

Learning in the everyday introduces a series of podcasts about how children learn through everyday experiences and play at home, not only at preschool, school or early childhood services. This episode focuses on recognising the learning that comes from the activities and routines that parents and families do every day.

This is the second podcast in the series about literacy in the early years. In this podcast, Vanessa Dimitroulas and Janice Gorrie discuss the demands of school and academic language and the role educators play in supporting children’s oral language development in the early years.

This is the first episode in a series about literacy in the early years. Vanessa and Janice discuss the oral language development of children and how it is shaped by their early experiences and interactions.