Fostering Independence in the Early Years: Harnessing the Power of Play and Building Cognition

Early Learning educators and researchers are invited to our inaugural Early Learning conference, ‘Fostering Independence in the Early Years: Harnessing the Power of Play and Building Cognition'.

This will feature keynote presentations by Dr Rachel Jones (Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong) as well as Lili-Ann Kriegler (Founder of Kriegler Education). There will be a series of breakout sessions with each of the above presenters as well as Dr Rosalyn Muir, who developed the SOWATT (Executive Function) Framework which has been used at The King David ELC for the past 8 years.

Bios:

Rachel Jones is an Associate Professor at the University of Wollongong. She enjoys working with early childhood educators to promote risky play and physical development/movement. She is the lead author on the first Risky Play Position Statement for Australian Young Children and facilitates the MOVERS Professional Development program (which is currently listed on the School Readiness Funding Menu). She has published over 100 peer reviewed journal articles and has contributed to six books.

Lili-Ann Kriegler (B.A Hons, H. Dip. Ed, M.Ed.) is a Melbourne-based education consultant and award-winning author with 30 years' experience spanning all educational levels from preschool through to tertiary. Specialising in Reggio Emilia-inspired approaches, she transforms educators' practice to implement advanced play- and project-based curricula for children from birth to nine years. As founder of Kriegler Education, Lili-Ann's comprehensive frameworks support educators in enhancing their programs. Her recent work focuses on embedding sustainability practices through action-oriented projects. Certified in thinking skills and language development, she empowers educators through targeted training. As a family and child advocate, she champions education as a transformative force for an optimistic future.

Dr. Rosalyn Muir is passionate about setting children up for success. With over 30 years in education, her career has spanned five continents in a variety of roles and settings. She has always had a strong interest in developing students’ thinking and helping them to maximise their potential. Rosalyn’s PhD studies focused on how self-regulation and executive functions can be intentionally developed through daily practice using the SOWATT approach. She is now on a mission to bridge the gap between theory and practice and heighten everyone’s awareness of how critical these skills are for academic success and general wellbeing.

Conference agenda will be distributed to attendees shortly.