Evidence and Insights to Inform Early Years Practice

Anne Keary is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education in the School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education, Faculty of Education, Monash University. Her research, teaching and engagement work enhances the provision of socially just education in diverse cultural and linguistic educational settings.Lucas Walsh is a Professor of Education Policy and Practice, Youth Studies, at the Faculty of Education at Monash University and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, a national research centre seeking to understand and improve the life outcomes of children and young people.Janet Scull is an Associate Professor at Monash University in the Faculty of Education. Her PhD and subsequent research have focused on young children’s language and literacy acquisition processes, early years teaching and assessment, and practices that support children’s transition from early childhood settings to school. Susanne Garvis is a Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University. She is an international expert in pedagogy and learning, quality improvement and early childhood teacher education. She has worked in higher education institutions in Australia and Sweden.

• 1.Introduction 2. Building an Evidence Base for Teaching Phonics in Early Years Classrooms 3. Spiritual Practices in an Early Childhood Classroom: A Narrative Study of Practice 4. Evidence-Informed Practice Through Research-Engaged Early Childhood Teachers: Supporting Young Children’s Oral Language 5. Using Diverse Evidence Sources and Practices to Explore Intergenerational Family Play and Language Practices in Early Childhood Education and Care 6. Nurturing National Belonging: Immigrant Background Parents’ Perspectives on Received Support in Early Childhood Education and Care 7. Transforming Research, Researchers, and Educators Through Partnership: Collaborative Action Research Embedded Within an Early Childhood Preparation Program 8. Bridging the Gap! Immigrant Early Childhood Educators’ Perceptions of Languages in Pedagogical Practice in Australia and Finland 9. Gender Equality, Sustainability, and Early Childhood Education: Gaps and Ways Forward 10. Reframing Social Sustainability for Indigenous Education in the South Saami Context 11. Understanding Evidence Use in Early Childhood Education and Care Practice 12. Conclusion