Research Around The World

The website that I chose to review is

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au

What are some of the current international research topics?

There are many current research topics on this website. One that caught my attention was research on asthma. I found this section under the subheading Learning Hub. Under that section was a drop down menu and it brought me to Educator Sources. The first research was titled “Asthma and Asthma Management”.  At this point, I was able to access the Asthma Australia website which provided further research and very informative information.

There is also a subheading for parents. This section is called “Parent Resources” with links to very informative research/information regard the health and wellbeing of children. This section included links to information on health and nutrition, physical activity and quick links for even more information.

There is a section called “Kids Matter”. In this section, I found information and research related to current issues in the social and emotional and mental health and wellbeing issues for young children and families. This is such a current topic in Early Childhood Education and an initiative being put into practice in Australia.

I found a whole section regarding flexibility of care for early childhood settings. One research topic being discussed was flexibility in service as far as hours of operation for preschools. This would include schools providing care exceeding eight hours and nighttime care to better serve children and families.

All of these topics are international topics. They are universal for the entire field of early childhood. These are not issues solely in Australia.

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

It was surprising to see how easy it was to manipulate this website. I learned that many of the same issues and concerns face children and families. I understand that the issues in early childhood are universal.

The idea of flexibility in care as far as really extended hours of operation is a new idea for me. I see that this type of care may very well be the next trend in early education. As this may help families gain access to the kind of quality care they really need for their children. I find this information surprising. I cannot imagine such care here where I live in Orlando, Florida.

The Kids Matter section of this website was very interesting and intriguing. I would be very interested to do further research into this area. There are so many children in our programs with varying abilities and special needs many of which are rooted in social emotional as well as in mental health.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

This website uses evidence based research to advocate for children and families in Australia. I enjoyed going through the website and look forward to continue to use the valuable information.

I found it noteworthy that there was so much information for parents as well as early childhood professionals and people that care for young children. There is so much information on this website for practitioners, parents and anyone interested in the early childhood field.

I was very impressed with the Publications Section. There are so many opportunities to acquire information. There is so much to be gained that can be applied to classrooms and information for families. Very easily spotted was the topic discussion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Early Childhood Australia’s vision is that every young child thrives and learns. Their work is guided by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child). They see their role in achieving this vision is to be an effective advocate for young children and a champion for quality outcomes in early childhood education and care.

Reference:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au