Projects
Current projects
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Child Wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic
The REEaCh Hub are conducting an online survey with members of the Research Network to understand more about EC professionals’ thoughts and experiences in relation to the social and emotional health of children in early childhood settings.
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Early Language in Victoria Study (ELVS)
ELVS is a longitudinal epidemiological study of the emerging communication, language and literacy skills of approximately 1800 Victorian children born in 2002.
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Early Learning Teaching Trial
The REEaCh Hub, in partnership with the Centre for Program Evaluation, have been engaged by the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Skills and Employment to deliver the Early Learning Teaching Trial (the trial), an initiative under the Commonwealth Closing the Gap Implementation Plan.
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Early Years Assessment for Learning Tool
The Assessment Research Centre, in partnership with the Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood Hub (REEaCh), is working with the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training to develop a Teaching Tool for Kindergartens (the Tool).
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EDGE - The Educational and Developmental Gains in Early Childhood Study
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Examining evidence use in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and schools
The REEaCh Hub, in partnership with the Centre for Program Evaluation (CPE), is working with the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) to examine educators’ use of evidence in Early Childhood Education and Care services and schools across Australia.
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Family engagement with Early Childhood Education and Care during the COVID-19 pandemic
Led by Dr Penny Levickis, this research project aims to find out if the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way families use and interact with their early childhood education and care services.
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Learning from COVID-19 crisis in early childhood education: Educator wellbeing and family engagement
Led by the REEaCh Hub, this project is a partnership with the Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH) at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), and Goodstart Early Learning.
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Mini-Maddern Pop-up Playground
This project is a study of the critical elements in designing temporary play spaces for children.
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Research Network of Early Childhood Professionals
The Research Network of Early Childhood Professionals was established in 2019, with the aim of inviting early childhood professionals in Australia to generate and facilitate high quality research into common, real-world issues in Early Childhood Education (ECE).
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School Readiness Funding Initiative Evaluation
The Centre for Program Evaluation in collaboration with the Research in Effective Education in Early Childhood Hub have been engaged by the Victorian Government Department of Education and Training (DET) to undertake an evaluation of the School Readiness Funding (SRF) Initiative.
Recent projects
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Building a Bridge into Preschool in Remote Northern Territory Communities
In collaboration with Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in the NT Department of Education (DoE), the study aims to increase the school readiness of young Indigenous children in two remote communities in the Territory.
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Early Childhood Learning at the Museum
The project explored language and concepts used in museum programs for young children, and how this learning was embedded in the early childhood curriculum after museum visits.
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Every Toddler Talking Research Evaluation
The Every Toddler Talking (ETT) research trial aligns with the Victorian Government Education State priorities to achieve earlier engagement in high quality learning, better connection between services, and better support for children and families experiencing disadvantage.
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Families as First Teachers (FaFT) Online Coaching study
The FaFT online coaching study is a one-year project funded by the Northern Territory Government’s Department of Education to examine the impact of targeted coaching and web-based support on FaFT Family educators’ (FE’s) and Family Liaison Officers’ (FLO’s) fidelity of implementation of conversational reading teaching strategies in their daily interactions with mothers and young children attending the FaFT playgroups in 10 remote Northern Territory communities.
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Improving children's language, literacy and mental health: Evaluating the impact of the Classroom Promotion of Oral Language (CPOL) approach
This project is led by the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, La Trobe University, Deakin University and partnering with Catholic Education Melbourne and the Victorian Department of Education.
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Improving Teaching Skills for Early Childhood Educators (ITSECE)
Improving Teaching Skills for Early Childhood Educators (ITSECE) is a project carried out in partnership with the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) to validate and test the reliability of a self-reflection tool that focuses on the quality of instructional support provided by teachers of children aged from three to five years.
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Literacy Teaching Resource
This study aims to document effective teaching strategies in reading, writing speaking and listening in Victorian early childhood centres and primary schools.
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Parent and child wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic
In 2020, REEaCh conducted an Australia-wide survey about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parent and child wellbeing, parent-child relationships, the home learning environment, and young children’s learning and development.
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The Victorian Advancing Early Learning (VAEL) Study
The Victorian Advancing Early Learning Study was a three-year research project funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training.
Related projects
Global Childhoods: Life-worlds and Educational Success in Australia and Asia
This project investigates how everyday life-worlds of Year 4 students (9-10 years of age) in Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore shape children’s orientations to educational success. Situated in the global cities of Melbourne, Hong Kong and Singapore, the study explores connections between policy contexts, school experiences and everyday activities of children growing up in the Asian Century. Findings will advance knowledge of factors that contribute to children’s understandings of how their experiences in and out of school prepare them for futures in a global world. This will enable policy-makers, educators and parents to provide improved learning opportunities in children’s lives. Australia’s capacity to maintain a strong position in the global economy depends upon its ability to learn from and share knowledge with its regional neighbours. This research impacts Australia’s knowledge of educational and cultural practices in four major global cities, producing social and economic benefits for Australia’s future.
Student projects
The influence of coaching interactions on early childhood educators’ learning
Catriona Elek. Supervisors: A/Prof Jane Page and A/Prof Tricia Eadie
Implementing Inclusive Education in Early Childhood Settings
Olivia Penna. Supervisors: Prof Tricia Eadie, Prof Lorraine Graham & A/Prof Jane Page
Enacting the Northern Territory Preschool Science Games: Supporting Teacher Practice in Early Childhood Science Education.
Cristina Guarella. Supervisors: Professor Jan van Driel and Associate Professor Caroline Cohrssen
Counter narratives from the field: the lived experiences of early childhood educators of colour.
Claudia Lam. Supervisor: A/Prof Kylie Smith
Connecting policy and parents in the early childhood education and care sector
Phyllis Jackson. Supervisors: A/Prof Jane Page and Dr Di Mulchavy
The perceptions and experiences of professionals in the early childhood sector regarding ways in which professional reading has supported them to engage with evidence-based practices to improve learning, development and wellbeing outcomes for young children
Jackie Brien. Supervisors: A/Prof Jane Page and Dr Jeanette Berman
Early Years Learning in a Remote Kimberley Community
Carolyn Pickett. Supervisors: A/Prof Jane Page and Dr Sue Mentha
Research interest: Looking at effective teaching practices in kindergarten classrooms in low and middle income countries.
Adeola Monty. Supervisors: Prof Janet Clinton, A/Prof Jane Page and Dr Rhonda di Biase
Young children making meaning through co-creating art installations.
Jo Dean. Supervisors: Dr Marnee Watkins and Dr Robert Brown