Children need to spend two hours a day outdoors to combat the increasing risk of short-sightedness, new research has found. Short-sightedness – otherwise known as myopia or nearsightedness – is caused when light received by the eye doesn’t focus directly on the retina, but ...

A childcare centre network has developed an app to help educators work with the upcoming National Disability Insurance Scheme to create a more inclusive environment for kids with disabilities. KU Children’s Services free ‘Inclusion Matters’ app offers practical tips and tricks ...

The Australian Nanny Association has expressed severe concerns about the federal government’s Nanny Pilot, saying it is “set up to fail.” The two-year, $246 million pilot, announced in this year’s federal Budget, offers an hourly subsidy for those accessing home-care ...

A Charles Sturt University expert has questioned whether a spelling bee TV show could inhibit a child’s development. Airing on Channel 10, The Great Australian Spelling Bee involves 52 children competing to be champion speller. Tessa Daffern, a PhD researcher at CSU’s Research Institute ...

Managing children’s behaviour by instilling obedience in them is largely ineffective, as it encourages rebellion and disruption, an early learning educator has said. Sandi Phoenix, from Phoenix Support for Educators, argues that many established early learning practices manage behaviour rather than guide ...

A leading autism expert has reiterated the importance of early intervention for children with autism. Benison O’Reilly, co-author of the Australian Autism Handbook, stressed the importance of individualised and intensive early intervention treatments for children diagnosed with autism as vital for ...

Networking and professional development was the focus of the Australian Nanny Conference over the weekend. The first of its kind in Australia, the conference had a wide range of speakers and programs , with seminars presented by various childcare and nannying ...

Treatments for speech and sound impediments must take into account the needs of children from multilingual backgrounds, research from Charles Sturt University shows. Sarah Verdon, research fellow at Charles Sturt University, found in her research into speech and sound disorder ...