Research Around the World

1) What are some of the current international research topics? I explore the Early Childhood Australia website at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. Some of the topic that I found on the website are similar questions that are commonly explored by early childhood organizations in the states. One of the topics explores how different states rate in early childhood reforms. I found this an interesting topic since I find that this seems to be an international question that is explored by many early childhood professionals. Another interesting topic was how to minimize stress during the first year of school and whether teachers often are ask to teach content but are not asked to deliver it competently. A last topic that I found interesting was that quality is more important than costs.
I think what I found most interesting about the current international research topics on the Australian website is that most of them are very similar to research topics found in the US. This showed me the importance of all them.

2) What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
One of idea I learned from the website is how you can help children prepare for school. I like reading different tips about what parents can do to help children with the anxiety they feel before their first day of school.

3) What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
The website had a lot of good information. I liked a piece on how to encourage exploring and discovering through the different ages. I find that teachers often teach rather than having children explore and discover on their own. I found several articles on the website that gave useful information and helped me find many different ways to teach others the importance of letting children be the little scientists they are and explore the world at their own pace.