Keynote Speakers

Claire Vallotton | Professor of Human Development and Family Studies | Michigan State University

Claire is a scientist of child development, helping the world better understand babies, and support their parents and educators. Her work on early development and infant mental health has been honoured by the National Institutes of Health, the World Association of Infant Mental Health, and she was named an Exceptional Emerging Leader in childcare research. Her current work focuses on helping caregivers of young children understand their own strengths, and work toward their goals for themselves and the children they love and care for.

Keynote address:
Developmental Sensitivity: Find your own “Sensitivity Superpowers” so you can learn from infants how to support their development.

Infants’ cues tell caregivers what they need to support their development, but educators see those cues through our own cultural and personal lens and respond within the bounds of our immediate context. Understanding your lens and context can help you use your own “Sensitivity Superpowers” to respond to babies in ways that support their development.

Jane Torr | Honorary Associate Professor in Early Childhood Language and Literacy | Macquarie University

Jane specialises in the study of young children’s language, literacy, and literary development, in the home and in Early Childhood Education and Care settings. Her research explores how educators’ interactions with infants and toddlers in various contexts, including shared reading of picture books, can support early language development.

Keynote address:
Reading picture books with infants and toddlers

Many infants and toddlers enjoy looking at picture books, and research shows that this activity is associated with children’s future language and literacy skills. The term shared reading refers to the picture book-focused verbal and non-verbal interactions between an educator and one or more children. This presentation will explore how and why this seemingly simple and enjoyable practice has such power to support early learning and build new knowledge.

Emma Pearson | Professor of Early Childhood Education | Maynooth University Ireland

Emma has worked with international, regional and national government and non-government early childhood agencies to advocate for policies that promote community-centred, equitable access to early childhood support. Emma's research centres around understanding the unique needs of children, families and practitioners in communities at risk of marginalisation. Recently, she has focused on research into workforce needs to deliver ethical and impactful early childhood education and care in low-resource and fragile communities.

Title:
‘From my world to yours’: Why we need relational ethics in early childhood care and education

Australian psychologist Tim Moore describes the first steps of relationship-building as ‘tuning (in) to’ each other’s worlds. The idea of ‘tuning in’ explains just how critical and fine-grained authentic relationships between children, parents and practitioners are. In this presentation, Emma returns to the concept of ‘tuning in’ as it relates to families caring for very young children across diverse contexts, to explain why we need ‘relational ethics’ in early childhood care and education.

Main campus

Wallumattagal Campus
Balaclava Road
Macquarie University NSW 2109

City campus

Angel Place
Level 24, 123 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Event Contact

events@mq.edu.au

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Macquarie University stands - the Wallumattagal Clan of the Dharug Nation - whose cultures and customs have nurtured, and continue to nurture, this land since time immemorial. We pay our respects to the Elders, past and present.