Inspiring Ideas to Support Children's Interests

Children under 5 years of age share many common interests. Inspiring Ideas takes 10 areas of interest (the ocean, space, dinosaurs, gardens and minibeasts, farms, wild animals, transport and buildings, literature and community, culture and identity) that most early childhood services would cover in their programming and explores them in detail. Each area has a whole classroom curriculum outlined and demonstrated, providing educators with a variety of learning experiences they can implement. Packed with photographs and innovative ideas that support learning and the acquisition of relevant information, it fully supports educators to understand and develop the links between the experiences they offer children and the EYLF and NQS.

PAGES: 84
ISBN: 9781925145007

Susie is currently the owner/operator of Holy Trinity Early Learning Centre in Melbourne. Previously, she was the Executive Director at Bubup Womindjeka, a large centre in Port Melbourne. She was the Director at St Paul’s Anglican Kindergarten in Canterbury and has completed both her Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood at Melbourne University and her Bachelor of Education Early Childhood at Deakin University. In 2011 Susie began studying her Masters of Education and is writing her thesis on the topic of ‘How early childhood educators engage with the Early Years Learning Framework’. She has been working in kindergartens for 16 years.

In 2009 Susie earned the ‘exemplary’ teacher classification, and has completed two Leadership Programs run by Bastow Institute. In 2011 she won the NEiTA ASG Inspirational Teachers State and Territory Award and was nominated for the National award.

Susie supports the wider community by running training workshops, mentoring and presenting at conferences on the topic of implementing the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Standard and Developing Philosophy.

Susie specialises in art and children’s artistic development, and lectures at Deakin University teaching Early Childhood Art

Natalie has been an early childhood educator for more many years. After completing her Certificate III in children's services, she travelled to the UK where she worked in a kindergarten and ran an English as a Second Language course for the pre-prep groups. On her return, she began working at St Paul's Kindergarten while also studying her Diploma in Early Childhood. Her passion for leading programs that focus on sensory activities and creating imaginary play spaces meant that she jumped at the opportunity to coauthor her first book 'Inspiring Play Spaces'.