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When heat shapes learning before school: What a major cross-national study means for ECEC practice
Heat management in early childhood services is usually framed as a health and safety issue, sun protection, hydration, rest, and reducing the risk of heat illness. New research suggests it may also be a learning and development issue, with unusually high temperatures linked to lower rates of being “developmentally on track” for some foundational skills in the preschool years.
2026-01-15 08:30:08
by Fiona Alston
Economics
Policy
Provider
Quality
Workforce
Cost of living eased with Three-Day Guarantee
For many Australians, the Three Day Guarantee launched this week may pass quietly in the background, particularly for those not directly engaged in the early learning system... But for families raising young children today and participating in early learning, the Albanese Government’s decision to provide three days of subsidised child care each week for all children, is a tangible and long-overdue step toward easing household pressures through cost-of-living relief.
2026-01-15 07:00:50
by Fiona Alston
Policy
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Practice
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NSW signals tougher child safety oversight: what a funding boost to the Office of the Children’s Guardian could mean for ECEC services
Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services across New South Wales should expect increased compliance activity after the NSW Government announced additional funding to strengthen the Office of the Children’s Guardian (OCG), the state’s independent child safety regulator.
2026-01-14 13:45:15
by Fiona Alston
Practice
Quality
Research
Play-based learning and early years science: New framework maps how intentional teaching builds scientific literacy
A Charles Sturt University study published in Research in Science Education has mapped a three-stage pathway showing how educator planning, play-based action and reflective practice can work together to strengthen young children’s scientific literacy. The research is based on video observations in one preschool, but it offers a practical lens for ECEC teams aiming to make science learning visible, sustained and intentional.
2026-01-14 08:30:01
by Fiona Alston
Practice
Quality
Research
Unfamiliar songs, quieter hearts: What a new study suggests about preschoolers’ physiological responses in music sessions
A preliminary study tracking preschoolers’ heart rate during weekly music classes has found a curious pattern: heart rates tended to be lower when the music was unfamiliar than during familiar songs or transition moments. The work is small and not yet in final published form, but it raises practical questions for early childhood programs about novelty, predictability and group regulation during musical experiences.
2026-01-14 07:56:33
by Fiona Alston
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One in six Aussie children at risk of missing the basics for school: Through the Officeworks Back to School Appeal you can help change that
2026-01-13 08:30:29
by Fiona Alston
Workforce
Provider
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Edge Early Learning becomes first QLD provider to embed Life Ed wellbeing and safety program across all centres
2026-01-12 07:30:23
by Contributed Content
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Supporting families through separation anxiety: Guidance for educators
2026-01-14 07:14:49
by Fiona Alston
