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Kids who attend playgroup do better at school

New research by The Kids Research Institute Australia has found children who attend playgroups achieve better early primary school outcomes.

Playgroup Week celebrates importance of early childhood intervention

National Playgroup Week, the annual event run by Playgroup Australia, will take place across the country from 20 March to 27 March.

Child development census shows most kids are on track

The national report released today from the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) shows that in 2015, most children in Australia were on track.

Early Years Strategic Priority – Scoping and Mapping of the South Australian Early Years System

Yasmin Harman-Smith BA, BHlthSc(Hons), PhD Head, Early Years Systems Evidence; Head, Tenders Support Unit Yasmin.harman-smith@thekids.org.au Head,

Evaluation of the Learning+ Pilot Program

Yasmin Harman-Smith BA, BHlthSc(Hons), PhD Head, Early Years Systems Evidence; Head, Tenders Support Unit Yasmin.harman-smith@thekids.org.au Head,

Innovative Playful Learning Approaches to Improve Children’s Readiness for Primary Education in Uzbekistan

The Government of Uzbekistan has committed to reforming preschool education, prioritising upskilling teachers to use international best practice.

Informing Resource Allocation for Investment in Early Childhood: A Review of the International Peer-Reviewed Evidence

Early childhood investment decisions represent critical policy frameworks that ideally reflect a strong evidence base. This review seeks to assess early childhood intervention priorities based on return on investment without limitation by health, education or social science sector.

Breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional engagement at school: A cross-sectional population level study

Research on the consequences of breakfast skipping among students tends to focus on academic outcomes, rather than student wellbeing or engagement at school. This study investigated the association between breakfast skipping and cognitive and emotional aspects of school engagement.

Promoting Mental Health in New Zealand: Building Resilience in Teenage Children

There has been concerns about the increasing incidence of youth depression and anxiety, with school teachers seeking out ways to better equip youth with skills to help them deal with daily life. A resilience training programme for youth was implemented in one region of New Zealand.

Findings from the Kids in Communities Study (KiCS): A mixed methods study examining community-level influences on early childhood development

There is increasing international interest in place-based approaches to improve early childhood development (ECD) outcomes. The available data and evidence are limited and precludes well informed policy and practice change. Developing the evidence-base for community-level effects on ECD is one way to facilitate more informed and targeted community action.