Fostering a love of stories in a child’s first years is key to lifelong reading, writes Elaine Reese Children’s literacy rates are falling around the globe. In response, a number of governments, including New Zealand’s, are overhauling the way reading is taught in primary school. One...
Nick Fuller looks at 5 picky eating habits – and how to help your child overcome them. Have you ever found yourself negotiating with a pint-sized dictator about eating a single pea? You’re not alone. Almost half of kids go through a stage of picky eating,...
Kayla Mildren looks at the recent Queensland tribunal ruling that it is not discriminatory for a school to require girls to wear skirts at formal events. The private high school said girls needed to wear skirts for occasions including excursions, ceremonies and class photographs. A female student...
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is a common but relatively unknown disability that affects about 1 in 14 children. Despite its prevalence, many Australian teachers haven’t heard of the disorder, much less know how to help a student living with DLD. The DLD Project Foundation is pushing for...
A recent survey conducted by Act for Kids, a national child protection charity, highlights the severe effects of Australia's cost-of-living crisis on children and families. Key Findings from the Survey: Health Care Accessibility: 43% of respondents reported difficulties affording health care for their families. Educational Needs:...
The government’s social media ban for kids will exempt ‘low-risk’ platforms. Lisa M. Given looks at what this means. In a speech to the New South Wales and South Australian government social media summit today, Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland announced more details of how...
Research conducted online amongst Australian parents finds two-thirds of parents feel guilty about their kids’ internet use, writes Dr Kimberley O’Brien. A national survey of more than 1,000 adults with children aged up to 18 years found more than two-thirds (70%) of parents report feeling anxious...
A behavioural optometrist provides some insight into the effect screen time has on children’s eyes and how to combat this....
One in three are children short-sighted, a study reports, so how can parents protect their child's vision? Children’s eyesight is steadily worsening, with one in three now suffering from short-sightedness, or myopia, according to a global study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. The study, involving...
Jane Tuckerman and Danielle Wurzel report, but researchers can’t say one causes the other yet As winter rolls on into spring in Australia, respiratory viruses are everywhere. One of the main culprits is respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which has caused more than 145,000 infections around...
