2025 Mallee Early Years Conference (previously known as Mildura Early Years Conference)

Welcome to the 2025 Mallee Early Years Conference! 

We have a fantastic line-up of presentations for the Conference and look forward to seeing everyone there. 

This year our focus is on 'Every voice matters: Let's listen, learn & grow together' 

Keynote speaker: Dr Justin Coulson Phd: Psychology degree and a PhD in Psychology.

Dedicated to helping families thrive through his research-backed and hard-won wisdom, Dr Justin Coulson is a leading voice in parenting in Australia.

Justin is the co-host and parenting expert on Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance and his Happy Families podcast, which he co-hosts with his wife Kylie, is the most downloaded parenting podcast in Australia.

Justin is also the founder of happyfamilies.com.au and the author of 9 books, with his 10th book (on raising boys) soon to be published.

He is a sought-after public speaker, appears regularly in the media and his viral content has racked up over 100 million views.

Workshop 1: Compass Children's Consulting: Flipping the lid: Responding with Connection, Not Correction

Presented by Krystal Gallace (Compass Children's Consulting)

Join us for a practical, heart-led session that explores what really happens when young children lose control — and how we can respond with empathy instead of correction. This session introduces brain-based strategies like the 3 R’s (Regulate, Relate, Reason) and emotion coaching tools that help children navigate big feelings and strengthen secure relationships.
Ideal for anyone working with children aged 0–8.

Understanding and responding to children’s big emotions is essential in the early years. This workshop introduces early childhood professionals to the concept of flipping the lid (Dan Siegel), the power of naming and confirming emotions, and Bruce Perry’s 3 R's framework: Regulate, Relate, Reason.

Participants will walk away with simple, powerful tools to support emotional regulation, nurture connection, and build the foundations of emotional intelligence — even amidst everyday classroom challenges.

Participants will:

• Understand what "flipping the lid" means in terms of brain development and how it presents in young children.

• Learn how naming and confirming emotions builds emotional awareness, empathy, and trust.

• Apply the 3 R’s — Regulate, Relate, Reason — to support children through dysregulation.

• Use practical scripts, visuals, and strategies to embed emotional coaching into everyday practice.

Workshop 2: Shine Bright Irymple Kindergarten: Empowering voices through the Learning Wall

Presented by Michelle Riordan - Shine Bright Irymple Kindergarten (Early Childhood Teacher & Nominated Supervisor) & Georgie Goddard (Shine Bright Advisor)

The Learning Wall is a collaborative, inclusive, and dynamic way of documenting learning at Shine Bright Irymple Kindergarten. It captures the voices of children, families, educators, and the community, creating a living and responsive record of our shared learning journey.

Children’s ideas, interests, words, and dreams are displayed alongside family hopes and insights from home, as well as educator observations and professional knowledge. These three voices guide our programming and are linked to learning outcomes and frameworks, ensuring the curriculum is meaningful and reflective of the learning community.

The Learning Wall builds a strong sense of belonging, encourages community connection, and promotes transparency and collaboration. It is visible and accessible to all, inviting regular interaction, reflection, and contribution.

Come and explore how the Learning Wall can support your documentation and practices by meaningfully capturing voice and turning it into a powerful tool for learning and engagement. The learnings from this workshop are transferable to a variety of service settings that work with children and families.

Workshop 3: Mallee Domestic Violence Service: Recognising and Responding to Child Sexual Abuse Disclosures/Concerns

Presented by Eli Miller (Principal Practitioner Mallee Sexual Assault Unit) & Marnie Hedley (Snr Worker Mallee Sexual Assault Unit)

Handling disclosures of sexual abuse requires sensitivity, knowledge, and readiness. This workshop helps participants to:

• Identify indicators of abuse in the form of verbal and behavioural cues

• Respond to disclosures in a trauma-sensitive, child-centred way

• Know what to do next — including recording, mandatory notification, and referrals

• Gain confidence to identify developmentally typical versus red flag sexual behaviour

• Resources, scripts, and referral materials will be provided to assist in your response and child-carer and carer support structures.

Workshop 4: Sunraysia Community Health Services: Gestalt Language Processing

Presented by Emily Leslie (Sunraysia Community Health Services - Speech Pathologist)

Gestalt Language Processing is a type of language development where children learn language from scripts, which are whole phrases or chunks of language. This differs from Analytic language development where you start with single words and build phrases and sentences from there.

Literature and research to date suggests that it is not a case of ‘one or the other’, but that children use both processes to learn language with a preference or dominance of one.

A child with a language delay who mostly uses analytic processing might be stuck using single words, whereas a child with a language delay who mostly uses gestalt processing might be stuck using echolalia.

This workshop will explore what Gestalt Language Processing is and what it might look like in young language learners. Practical strategies will be shared about how to validate, respond to and support their communication in a variety of settings.

With thanks to the Foundation of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies for their grant contribution.

Please note:

• Registration, refreshments and networking opportunity will be available from 9am - 10am. There will be no food or drinks permitted in the auditorium. (Except for water)

• Attendees must be seated in the auditorium by 9.55am ready for the prompt commencement of the conference at 10am. 

• We encourage you to bring information about your service/program to share with others. There will be bags available to aid in the collection of these resources.

• If you are unwell, please do not attend.