Early Intervention: Supporting Every Child’s Journey

When we think about early childhood education, we often focus on play, friendships, and learning through exploration — becoming ready for school. But behind all of this is something even more powerful: the role early childhood educators play in identifying early signs of developmental differences and supporting children to reach their full potential.

Children Can Behave Differently at Home and in Care

Your child spends a significant amount of time in their early learning environment. In this space, they interact with peers, follow routines, and face challenges that may not exist at home.

It’s completely natural for a child’s behaviour to vary between home and the early learning setting as they adapt to different environments, relationships, and expectations — just as adults behave differently between home and the workplace.

Sometimes, educators might notice things that seem unusual — perhaps a child isn’t engaging with others as much as expected, struggles with communication, or finds transitions particularly difficult.

Our goal in discussing your child’s learning and development is to identify any potential needs or supports that may help them gain the tools they need to thrive. These conversations are not about criticising parenting choices or labelling, but about working together to scaffold each child’s growth and success.

By recognising and responding to every child’s individual strengths and challenges, we can create meaningful strategies that set them up for positive learning experiences — because we care deeply about your child’s development and wellbeing.

Trust Their Professional Insight

Families place immense trust in educators every day to provide high-quality programs in safe, nurturing environments. This trust should also extend to educators’ deep understanding of child development.

Early childhood educators and teachers are trained professionals who have observed and supported hundreds of children over the years. This gives them valuable insight into what is typical at different stages — and what may need a closer look.

If your child’s educator suggests observing or exploring certain behaviours further, please trust that advice. It doesn’t mean there’s something “wrong” with your child — it means that early support can make a world of difference. Acting early is always easier and more effective than waiting until challenges become bigger and more complex in later schooling.

Early Action Can Change a Child’s Future

Too often, children who could have benefited from early support instead struggle for years — misunderstood, labelled as “naughty” or “disruptive,” and left without the help they need. Later, these same children might receive diagnoses such as ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent conditions.

While diagnosis can bring clarity and support, it often follows years of frustration and exclusion that could have been avoided.

Seeking help early doesn’t have to be daunting. There are many free or low-cost services available for children aged 0–6 that can support families in understanding their child’s development and provide practical strategies.

Support Services and Resources

If you or your educator have concerns about your child’s development, you can contact:

• MACH (Maternal and Child Health) Clinics – ACT MACH Services

• Child Development Service (ACT Government) – Child Development Service Information

• Raising Children Network – www.raisingchildren.net.au

• Parentline – www.parentline.org.au or call 1300 30 1300 for guidance and referrals.

Recognising Educators as the Professionals They Are

It’s time we stop referring to early childhood educators as “just childcare workers.” These are highly skilled professionals with expertise in child development, behaviour, and learning.

Just as you are a professional in your field, early childhood educators are experts in theirs. Their observations are grounded in both experience and knowledge — and when they raise a concern, it comes from a place of compassion and responsibility.

Together, We Can Make a Difference

Many educators have faced resistance when sharing concerns with families. They’ve been met with closed doors, defensiveness, or even insults. Yet, years later, those same families often return, acknowledging that the early concerns were valid.

While it’s wonderful that children eventually receive the help they need, it’s heartbreaking to know how much easier things could have been with early action.

Early intervention isn’t about labelling children — it’s about empowering them. It’s about giving every child the best possible start before they enter formal schooling.

When families and educators work together, the outcome is always stronger.

Celebrating 10 Years of Nature Pedagogy at WVELC: A Home, Not an Institution

This year, we celebrate a remarkable milestone—10 years since Woden Valley Early Learning Centre (WVELC) began its dedicated journey into nature pedagogy. More than just a philosophy, this approach has become the beating heart of our daily practice, shaping not just the environment but the lives of the children, families, and educators within it.

But nature pedagogy is not a garden bed. It’s not a worm farm. It’s not a chicken in a coop.

It’s a way of being—a deep, responsive relationship with the natural world, grounded in research and children’s developmental needs. And after a decade of commitment, we can say with confidence: it works.

🌱 Why Nature Pedagogy?

Research continues to confirm what our hearts already know—children thrive when they are connected to nature. At WVELC, we’ve seen first-hand how a consistent, intentional relationship with the outdoors contributes to:

• Reduced challenging behaviours: With open-ended environments and meaningful, self-directed tasks, children regulate emotions more naturally.

• Separation without tears: The natural world provides a calming transition from home to care, easing anxiety for both children and parents.

• Stronger language and communication: Whether it's storytelling under a tree, negotiating roles in bush play, or explaining the life cycle of a butterfly, children’s language skills flourish in authentic contexts.

• Improved collaboration: Shared experiences in nature foster genuine teamwork, empathy, and problem-solving.

  
  

These are not short-term outcomes—they’re deep developmental shifts made possible by years of consistent, thoughtful practice.

🌱 More Than a Pretty Garden

Too often, services misunderstand nature pedagogy as something decorative—install a vegetable patch, get some hens, and tick the “nature” box. But real nature pedagogy can’t be bought or borrowed. It must be lived, reflected upon, and embedded across every layer of practice.

At WVELC:

• Children play and learn outside every single day, in all weather conditions (with appropriate gear!).

• Nature is not a “scheduled activity”—it is a living, breathing classroom that evolves with the seasons.

• Educators plan emergent experiences grounded in children’s natural curiosity about the world around them.

• Risky play is embraced, not avoided. We believe children grow stronger and wiser when trusted to climb, build, and explore.

• Nature is a co-teacher—not a backdrop. It helps children negotiate space, notice detail, develop patience, and build resilience.

🌱 A Home Away from Home

Our nature-based approach is about more than curriculum. It’s about creating a home-like environment where every child feels a deep sense of belonging, agency, and freedom to be their whole selves. WVELC is not an institution. We are not a business harvesting children for profit.

We are a community—a collective of passionate educators, families, and children, committed to raising kind, capable, and environmentally conscious humans.

And you can’t fake that.

🌱 Looking Back, Growing Forward

As we reflect on this 10-year journey, we are filled with gratitude—for the trust of our families, the dedication of our educators, and the wisdom of the land that guides our pedagogy. Our hope is to inspire others not to replicate what we have done—but to dig deeper into their own environments, values, and relationships with nature.

Nature pedagogy isn’t a trend. It’s a responsibility—and a gift.

Boys, Brains and Big Energy: Why Sitting Still Is Not the Answer

At Woden Valley Early Learning Centre, we’ve seen it time and time again: a child’s spark dimming the moment they’re told to sit still, be quiet, and stay within the lines. More often than not, that child is a boy.

There’s growing concern across schools and early learning environments about the rise in behavioural challenges among young boys. Suspension rates are increasing, and many are being referred for behavioural assessments or prescribed medication — not always because they have a developmental disorder, but because they don't fit the rigid expectations of conventional classrooms. So the question we must ask is: are we designing environments that allow boys to thrive? Or are we forcing them to fail?

The Problem: A Mismatch Between Brain and Desk

Neuroscience tells us that boys’ brains typically develop differently to girls’. Research from Gurian & Stevens (2005) and others has highlighted that in early childhood, boys often have less serotonin and oxytocin — chemicals that promote impulse control and calm. They also mature later in areas of the brain linked to language and emotional regulation. This doesn’t mean boys are less capable; it means they often need different kinds of learning environments in the early years.

Yet, despite this, many schools still expect young boys to sit at desks for long periods, engage in quiet, verbal instruction, and regulate their energy — all before their brains are developmentally ready for such demands.

Risky Play and Movement: A Biological Need, Not a Behaviour Problem

Young boys often learn through movement, risk, and hands-on exploration. Climbing, jumping, building, rough-and-tumble play — these are not distractions from learning; they are the learning. Risky play teaches boys (and all children) how to problem solve, assess danger, build resilience, and regulate their emotions.

A study by Brussoni et al. (2015) found that children who engage in outdoor risky play tend to be more physically active, have better social skills, and show fewer signs of anxiety. Physical play also promotes executive functioning — the very skills we expect in the classroom, like attention, memory, and self-control.

The Consequences: Pathologising Normal Development

The issue isn’t that boys are “too energetic” or “too disruptive.” It’s that we’re asking them to thrive in an environment that often goes against their biological wiring. Instead of adapting the environment to meet the child, we try to medicate, suspend, or label the child.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2023), boys are disproportionately overrepresented in suspension data and ADHD medication rates. This doesn’t always reflect clinical need — it reflects a mismatch between expectation and support.

A Different Way Forward

At Woden Valley ELC, we approach learning differently. We believe in big body movement, outdoor exploration, and nature-based learning. We see first-hand how boys who struggle in traditional settings come alive when given space to move, climb, build, and take risks — safely, purposefully, and with supportive adults nearby.

We’re not afraid of mud, scraped knees, or climbing trees. We know that a child who learns to assess risk in play will better manage risk in life. And we know that allowing boys to be boys — rather than punishing them for it — leads to better social, emotional, and academic outcomes.

Let’s Rethink the Box

What if instead of forcing children to sit still, we reimagined classrooms to include more movement, more challenge, and more agency? What if instead of suspending children who don’t fit the mould, we redesigned the mould?

It’s time we stop asking, “What’s wrong with her/him?” and start asking, “What does she/he need?”

Let’s build a system that honours difference, nurtures potential, and gives every child — boy or girl — the space to grow, learn, and thrive.

References:

• Brussoni, M., Gibbons, R., Gray, C., Ishikawa, T., & Hansen Sandseter, E. B. (2015). What is the relationship between risky outdoor play and health in children? A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(6), 6423–6454.

• Gurian, M., & Stevens, K. (2005). The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life. Jossey-Bass.

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). (2023). Youth justice in Australia 2021–22. Canberra: AIHW.

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