Early years

131 total results
Six features of high-performing school playgroups
Six features of high-performing school playgroups

School playgroups benefit children, their families, schools and communities. New Australian research has identified six key features of high-performing school playgroups.

Teacher resources: Little J and Big Cuz are back!
Teacher resources: Little J and Big Cuz are back!

Little J, Big Cuz and their teacher Miss Chen are heading back to class for a third season of their Logie-award winning animated children’s series, which supports the transition from home to school for Indigenous children and their families.

The Research Files Episode 71: Nature play
The Research Files Episode 71: Nature play

Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University, joins The Research Files this month to talk about the Childhood Nature Play study. We’ll be chatting about the different types of nature play, and the teaching and learning resources that have been co-designed as a result of the research project.

‘Invisible transitions’ – supporting students who enrol unexpectedly
‘Invisible transitions’ – supporting students who enrol unexpectedly

It’s common for schools to begin supporting first year primary school students and their families through the transition process before the school year begins. But, what about students who enrol unexpectedly? How can you, your colleagues and the school community support these students through the transition process?

Integrating algorithm tasks into early years teaching
Integrating algorithm tasks into early years teaching

Algorithms are a key component of computational thinking, and the foundations for developing these skills starts in the early years. What are some of the day-to-day ‘unplugged activities’ that offer teachers easy opportunities for emphasising and building these skills?

Preschool parents’ confidence in fostering reading and maths skills
Preschool parents’ confidence in fostering reading and maths skills

Effective teacher-parent relationships and parent engagement in their child’s learning improves student outcomes. Researchers in the United States have surveyed parents and carers of preschoolers about their role in their child’s learning, and the support they’d like from teachers.

How teachers are depicted in picture books
How teachers are depicted in picture books

Families will often engage in the shared reading of picture books about starting Kindergarten to help children with their transition. But, how are Kindergarten teachers demographically represented in the books that children read during this time? And importantly, who is missing from these representations?

Teacher resources: NAIDOC Week 2021
Teacher resources: NAIDOC Week 2021

NAIDOC Week is a chance for schools in Australia to celebrate the rich histories, diverse cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The official celebrations run from 4-11 July, but there are lots of teaching and learning resources that can be used throughout the year.

Targeting school readiness in the early years
Targeting school readiness in the early years

In today’s article, Assistant Principal at Kerrimuir Primary School, Jo Jolly, updates Teacher readers on the progress and impact of an intervention program for incoming Foundation students to ensure they are well-equipped with the essential skills needed to be ready to learn.

Research Q&A: Increasing physical activity in the early years
Research Q&A: Increasing physical activity in the early years

A new study by researchers at the University of Canberra has seen three- and four-year olds increase their daily total physical activity by 28 minutes, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by 16 minutes. In today’s Q&A, Dr Rohan Telford and Professor Dick Telford discuss the key findings and the importance of physical literacy in developing primary school readiness.