This paper describes the research protocol for the Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood (EDGE) Study, which will examine the implementation of two years of funded kindergarten prior to the first year of school in Victoria, Australia. EDGE will examine whether children's language, cognitive, social-emotional, and behavioural…

Home-based parenting interventions foster positive parent-child relationships and parenting skills that reduce risks to child outcomes associated with social disadvantage. This article extends evidence about the value of one such program -- the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) -- through qualitative examination of a new…

Community Elders in Boorloo (Perth) identified early childhood education (ECE) as a priority area for Aboriginal children's research. This is due to a lower number of Aboriginal children attending ECE programs compared to non-Aboriginal children. Attending ECE programs sets children up for school success and is an indicator for positive life…

Developmental vulnerability in children often impacts social, educational, and health outcomes that then determine a child's developmental trajectory into adolescence and adulthood. It is widely accepted that early detection of vulnerability and implementation of targeted educational support can optimise children's outcomes, particularly when…

The literature on play and learning attests many developmental benefits for children. The Australian curriculum endorses play-based learning (PBL) as an age-appropriate teaching pedagogy. However, what enables or prevents PBL in the classroom is not well documented. The present study examined the responses of 334 teachers currently employed in…

Attendance at high-quality early childhood education and care services can have positive impacts on children's learning and development, particularly for disadvantaged children. Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory are among the most disadvantaged in Australia and stand to benefit in the short- and long-term from attending high-quality…

Interventions to develop functional capacity for children with developmental difficulties have tended to be therapist driven. Such approaches can present difficulties for parents who describe increased stress and feelings of incompetence in a paradigm that can feel imposed. Recent findings have questioned the efficacy of the approach, given a…

This paper aims to explore the impacts of a Learn to Play programme in specialist schools for children with multiple developmental issues. Specialist schools are schools dedicated to children with IQs below 70 and who may also have other developmental issues. The Learn to Play programme focusses on facilitating children's enjoyment and ability to…

Three Australian Government reports released between 2011 and 2017 highlight a child development theory-practice gap in Australian early childhood initial teacher education. This qualitative study explores what informs university lecturers' teaching of child development theory in tertiary programmes. Grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological…

The early years before compulsory schooling are crucial for children's identities, including their cultural identities. This article reports on a community-collaborative educational program that aimed to promote children's positive Samoan identities in a culturally safe environment. Data were collected through ethnographic methods, including…

The forest school approach to nature learning has gathered momentum in the UK and across parts of Europe including Scandinavia for well over 50 years. In other contexts that include Canada, China, New Zealand and Australia, nature-based early childhood education and care settings, influenced by European forest school approaches, are in a rapid…

This study theoretically aligns with research that purports that nature play positively contributes to sustainability stewardship. Early childhood teachers can plan for and nurture children's capabilities and dispositions for sustainability stewardship. Initial teacher education programs contribute to the professional learning of preservice early…

Studies show that executive functions and motor development are associated with each other and with learning ability. A more technological lifestyle combined with digital culture should be considered a viable alternative to stimulate children's development. Therefore, this study aimed to present a systematic mapping of the literature involving…

Concern has been raised recently in relation to excessive use of digital technology and the detrimental effect this has on familial relationships, well-being and development, andon people's connection with nature. This article provides a timely response to this concern by presenting the findings of a qualitative evaluation of a supported nature…

Otitis Media (OM) is an important global issue that can have a long-lasting impact on a child's life. There is no easy fix! For a family who has a child with OM, the ramifications can be short term and have minimal consequences, or they can be very complex and involve medical, educational, behavioural and wellbeing issues, and may even be…