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Toy libraries Welfare reform National Child Protection Week Surviving the bully in early childhood Code of Ethics Agenda – special update Australia’s premier national early childhood magazine VOL.11 NO. 3 2005 g im ildh changin ages of ch ood Early Childhood Australia Biennial Conference Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre Brisbane 28 September - 1 October 2005 Registration Brochure available NOW Telephone: 07 3368 2644 www.eca2005.com Email: [email protected] Keynote Speakers Joe Tobin, Professor Early Childhood Education, Arizona State University, USA Children, their families and cultures are a total package. Joe Tobin’s presentation will help us tackle what this means for our everyday work. He will draw on his innovative international project that looks at children of immigrant families from the perspective of the parents and preschool staff. Also conducting workshop about children, their families and culture being a total package and what this means for our everyday work with children. Dr Jackie Marsh, University of Sheffield, UK Marsh advocates the incorporation of cultural icons, such as the Teletubbies, into the curriculum so that children can make the link more easily between their home and school environments. She undertook a study to explore the potential that popular culture has for motivating literacy and oracy practices. Also conducting workshop tackling the practicalities of using children’s television/films, toys and computer games to support early literacy. Associate Professor Margaret Carr, University of Waikato, NZ Unless we find ways to assess complex outcomes in early childhood, children will be excluded from teaching and learning. Carr describes a way of assessment that stays close to the children’s real experiences and provides an alternative to mechanistic and fragmented approaches. Also conducting workshop talking about using Learning Stories, stories about a child’s learning journey, to describe, discuss, document and decide what to do next. Associate Professor Ann Sanson, University of Melbourne, Sanson has played a central role in the Australian Temperament Project that has involved detailed observation of the interaction between child temperament, parenting and social context with social and emotional outcomes for young children. Professor Andrew Hills, Queensland University of Technology, Childhood obesity is one of the major health problems of the 21st century. Hills will challenge us to tackle this issue in our day to day work with young children. Dr Rosemary Stanton, One of Australia’s best-known nutritionists, Stanton has been awarded an OAM for her services to the community. She says that, in relation to the increase in childhood obesity, ‘it is tempting to focus on the positive as it doesn’t offend anyone. (Clearly) physical activity is important but we must also address food issues.’ Conference Patron Contents ■ Editorial ■ Features ■ Ethics 2 Ensuring children’s futures 6 Toy libraries: A resource for the 8 Code of Ethics Agenda special ■ Guest Statement whole community update 4 Protecting children. 10 Northern Territory children: ■ By Emeritus Professor, Freda Book Reviews How old should they be before 18 Our babies, ourselves: Cultural Briggs AO entering pre-compulsory differences in development ■ Regular school? 18 The Bilbies of Bliss 5 National Child Protection 19 Dimensions: Excellence in 14 Surviving the bully in early Week many ways childhood – without the 19 Zen Shorts 9 Welfare reform: What it broomstick means for sole parents and ■ Profile 16 Acting together to give our their children 22 Q and A with Neville Dwyer, kids a head start: Tackling the recent winner of the National 12 Supporting children through early years Excellence in Teaching Award disasters 26 School readiness. ■ Parents’ page When should we consider 20 A process of discovery: 24 Nappy dilemmas. Disposable early entry? Indigenous students or cloth? That be the question enrolled in pre-service 30 Initiating and carrying out teacher education research in a work place. ■ What’s happening 28 ■ By 2005 Kaleidoscope Innovation ■ Viewpoint 13 The Blue Mountains Transition conference speaker, Doreen Blyth 32 Advocating for our children, to School project valuing our work www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au Copyright © 2005 Advertising Policy: Editorial Policy: Early Childhood Australia Inc. Early Childhood Australia reserves the right The material published in the magazine will aim to ISSN 1322-0659 Print Post PP 232100/00035 to determine the suitability and quality of any be inclusive of children in Australia wherever they ABN 44 950 767 752 camera-ready artwork supplied by advertisers. No live, regardless of race, gender, class, culture, or Printed by: Pirion advertisements for products that would be harmful disability. The magazine will not publish material to families, children and their environments will be which runs counter to the wellbeing and equality of Editor: Alison Elliott accepted. Claims made in advertisements are the all children and their families, and those who work Editorial Board: Pam Linke (Chair), responsibility of the advertiser. with them. Early Childhood Australia is a registered Alison Elliott, Carmel Richardson commercial publisher with DEST. Early Childhood Australia Disclaimer: Marilyn Fleer and Geraldine Mackey. Address correspondence and advertising The opinions expressed in this magazine are those In-house Editor: Rebecca Meston queries to: of the authors and not necessarily those of Early Graphic Designer: Claire Connelly Childhood Australia. The Publishing and Marketing Section PO Box 7105 Watson ACT 2602 Publishing and Marketing Manager: Sue Wales By publishing a diversity of opinion, we hope to Tel: (02) 6242 1800 Fax: (02) 6242 1818 provide a forum which promotes professional Publishing and Marketing Officer: Dave Kingwell Email: [email protected] growth, creativity and debate in the early childhood Website: www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au Marketing Assistant: Amanda McDonald field. Cover Photograph: L & J Purtle About Early Childhood Australia: For further information visit Photographs: K. Buttner, C. Connelly, istock www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au images, A. Sikorski www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au 1 Editorial Ensuring children’s futures Further, the complex mix of national and Research study showed that although rich, State and Territory government involvement well-targeted literacy programs helped in early childhood education and care means improve children’s reading skills in the first that levels of expenditure between and within three years of school, the best predictor of States are difficult to compare. Expenditure reading achievement in Year Three was entry is applied to different groups and services level reading and language skills (Ainley & on behalf of children of different ages. For Fleming, 2003). example, the Australian Government’s funding Many children, from the most vulnerable covers children up to 12, while state funding is families, have little opportunity for sustained typically for children three to five years of age. participation in rich preschool language and Any doubts about the value of quality early learning environments—at home or in formal childhood services have long been dispelled. care and education programs. This puts them recent meeting in Canberra brought The evidence is clear. The early years are at an immediate disadvantage at school entry. important to later social and academic the National Agenda for Early For the sake of equity, issues relating to quality competence. A Childhood much closer. The National and effectiveness of early childhood services Agenda is an Australian Government Well-planned learning experiences impact must be addressed as part of a coherent early initiative designed to provide a national positively on children’s social and cognitive childhood services vision and framework. vision and framework for the early years. It is outcomes. They help close the traditional Fundamental to the issue of quality and being informed by input from wide-ranging school-entry ‘achievement gap’ between outcomes for young children is dismantling consultation around the country. children from lower income groups and the ‘care’–‘education’ divide to create more those from middle and upper income family Mapping the best path for early childhood seamless, development and learning programs backgrounds. provision is critical to children’s wellbeing and for young children. That this divide still exerts academic success and the National Agenda is a The socioeconomic-linked differences in such strong influence on policy, practice and major step in the right direction. early childhood support and educational perception of early childhood services—despite The social and educational benefits of early participation are particularly disturbing. The contemporary knowledge about children’s childhood education are as important as safe resulting social and academic disadvantages patterns of growth and development—is care while parents work. Evidence that these experienced by children from low-income worrying. families when they begin school are difficult benefits are especially significant for children Terminology can set perception and while the to overcome. North American data show more from more vulnerable and lower income distinction between ‘care’ and ‘education’ and than a year’s gap between low-income and families is compelling. between ‘early childhood teacher’ and ‘child middle-class children on an array of school Nationally,

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