Introduction

Abstract

Introduction amelia church and amanda bateman Talking with ChildrenIn early childhood education and care (ECEC), the importance of extended conversations with children is emphasized through professional practice principles (i.e. what teachers should do) and in learning outcomes for children (i.e. what children should be able to do). Early childhood curricula, frameworks, or statements of learning goals for young children necessarily respond to the historical, educational, and political priorities of their communities. There is, however, a universal understanding of the primacy of talk-in-interaction as both the medium of learning and a skill for children to develop. All early childhood curricula reference the fundamental importance of talking with children.Early childhood curricula do not, however, specify how talking with children might be done. The deliberate lack of explicit directions on how to talk with children allows teachers to develop pedagogical strategies that incorporate each child's experiences, abilities, and interests, forming a continuum of learning from their home and community environments. The flexibility and responsivity of curriculum frameworks for early childhood education -frameworks developed and evaluated through national education and care policy -enables teachers to create individualized learning for the children and families they work with. The fact that early childhood curricula are not prescriptive aligns with a sociocultural approach to education where programmes can adapt and respond to the needs of local communities. It does mean, however, that the practices to implement national curricula and enable learning outcomes are less visible to teachers; this illusiveness can be problematic, as learning outcomes for children are specified in ECEC curricula. Teachers know where they are going (i.e. learning goals) and why (i.e. professional knowledge, beliefs, and theory), but they are not always sure how to initiate, navigate, and extend conversations with children throughout this journey.Research reveals the extraordinary range of skills required for engaging in learning interactions with infants, toddlers, and young children in everyday moments. Studies in pedagogy demonstrate the demands on early