Last month on the 22nd of September, Macquarie University hosted the second Infants and Toddlers: Pedagogy, Practice and Research conference - the only national two-day conference that focuses on the care and education of children under three. The conference is the result of collaboration between Macquarie’s Department of Educational Studies and Gowrie NSW.
About the conference and delegates
The conference was attended by 200 or so delegates from both within Australia and across the globe. From early childhood educators and managers to researchers, policy makers and professionals from cultural and community organisation, the issues discussed at the conference attracted a wide variety of attendees.
The conference was opened by Andrew Johnson, NSW advocate for Children and Young People. Andrew stressed that every child, no matter how young, has the right to participate in the kinds of learning and care experiences that will best foster their development and wellbeing.
Keynote speakers
Those in attendance were able to choose from over 25 different sessions presented by both early childhood educators and researchers. Keynote speakers included nationally renowned early childhood expert, Anne Stonehouse, Macquarie’s own Dr Helen Little, and Professor Diane Horm from the University of Oklahoma, Tulsa.
What can we take from Professor Horm’s research?
Professor Horm presented research about the significance of providing high quality early education and care for our youngest children. As part of her visit to Macquarie, she also presented a public lecture in which she provided powerful evidence to show the impact that high quality infant-toddler early childhood programs can have on children’s learning.
Diane emphasised that like Australia, many children in the US start school at an educational disadvantage having not had the opportunity to engage in experiences that establish foundational language, academic and social skills. Professor Horm’s research on infants and toddlers attending high quality early childhood centres has demonstrated the role that early education can play in preventing this early achievement gap.
Professor Horm’s work indicates that investing in raising the quality of infant-toddler early childhood programs provides real long-term educational returns. Her work therefore has clear implications for the educational policy-makers of today.
Email: