A new research-based series encourages early years educators to take advantage of everyday teaching and learning opportunities to improve young children’s scientific understanding, and shares four step-by-step activities for the classroom or learning at home.

In the second of two articles, Kate Coleman and Abbey MacDonald explore some of the resources to eventuate from the creative pressure cooker circumstances of the COVID-19 lockdown, and how they can be used to maximise studio time and learning into the future.

In the first of two articles, teacher educators Kate Coleman and Abbey MacDonald share practical examples of how visual arts teachers and artists transformed the ways they connected and communicated with students, and each other, during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown to ensure a continuity of learning.

How have the COVID-19 school restrictions affected pre-service teachers and their ability to complete their professional placements while students are learning remotely? We speak to Associate Professor Miriam Tanti, from Australian Catholic University, about how pre-service teachers have used it as an opportunity to develop a unique set of skills, knowledge and undestanding so early in their careers.

ACER researchers Dr Amy Berry, Kellie Picker and Rachel Parker discuss some of the characteristics of playful learning at school, share examples of classroom practice, and explain how Australian teachers can contribute to our understanding of learning through play in the classroom.

Professor Pasi Salhberg from the Gonski Institute at UNSW Sydney joins Teacher to discuss the findings from Phase 1 of the Growing Up Digital Australia study. It’s an ongoing research project that explores how the widespread use of media and digital technologies is impacting the wellbeing, health and learning of Australian children.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some unique challenges for early years educators as they move to a remote learning approach. In today’s article, Dr Deborah Price discusses some practical ways for embracing the teaching and learning opportunities this new environment provides.

The amount of time children and teenagers are spending on digital technology inside and outside school is having a significant impact on their classroom learning, and physical and mental wellbeing, according to teacher and principal data from an Australian research study.

In our latest reader submission, Dr Chris Drew discusses an education approach that’s a mandated element in Finland’s national core curriculum – Phenomenon-based Learning.

How might teachers best support struggling learners in the classroom? In our latest reader submission, teacher educators Dr Bryan Matera and Dr Joel Traver suggest five principles that can increase results when supporting struggling learners in the primary years.