Many early childhood educators are well versed in Loris Malaguzzi’s poem referencing the hundred languages of children. In it, he reminds the reader that systems, structure and defined ways of working can limit children, an anchor of conformity and regiment which weighs them down. In this piece, The Sector contributor, Michelle Walsh, shares her reflections on leadership, asking readers to consider if they make space in their leadership style for the hundred languages in their team to be expressed.

‘Child injured’, ‘child hospitalised’ are news headlines that catch the attention of the public, and rightly so. No one who cares about children wishes to see them hurt. Such headlines are often followed by a detailed and emotive description of the incident but rarely , if ever, followed up with the headline ‘child makes full recovery’, leaving the public with the false impression that all injuries sustained in those reported cases are catastrophic.

Have you ever felt like you’ve wanted to throw your hands in the air, stamp your feet or just scream out loud, when you’re working with children? Working with children in early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings can be a demanding and challenging role.

Rainbows are a big hit with preschoolers. On a daily basis, children at Tiny Trees Preschool will find some way to incorporate rainbows into their day- through conversation, drawing, clothing, or, given our region’s magic, witnessing one in person.

Leading up to the election, Labor campaigned on an ambitious suite of early childhood policies, including 15 hours of funded preschool for every Australian three-year-old and A$4 billion to increase childcare subsidies.