en1996-2004 by Commonwealth of Australia. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this document in whole or in part, provided it is done for educational and non-commercial purposes only and that this entire copyright notice remains attached.askedna@edna.edu.auhttp://api.edna.edu.au/headline.rssEarly Childhood News HeadlinesNews for the early childhood education sectorEducation Network Australiahttp://www.edna.edu.auhttp://www.edna.edu.au/images/edna_online_logo.gifFamily meals, adequate sleep and limited TV may lower childhood obesityhttp://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/osu-fma020210.phpA new U.S. study suggests that preschool-aged children are likely to have a lower risk for obesity if they regularly engage in one or more of three specific household routines: eating dinner as a family, getting adequate sleep and limiting their weekday television viewing time. The study showed that 4-year-olds living in homes with all three routines had an almost 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity than did children living in homes that practiced none of these routines. EurekAlert, 8 February 2010.Progress on promise to expand kindergarten places in Qldhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/08/2813600.htmThe Queensland Government says it is making progress on its commitment to give every child in the state a kindergarten place within four years. Premier Anna Bligh says the aim, in partnership with Creche and Kindergarten Queensland, is 240 new services by 2014. ABC News, 8 February 2010.Helping our kids become great readershttp://www.pm.gov.au/PM_Connect/PMs_Blog/Childrens_LiteracyThe Prime Minister's blog is an opportunity for the community to provide comments and engage with each other in relation to the policy initiatives under discussion. Join the blog 'Helping our kids become great readers' open from 12pm 2 February to 5pm 12 February 2010. Prime Minister of Australia, 2 February 2010.$5.4 million to manage asthma in schoolshttp://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr10-nr-nr016.htmA new $5.4 million initiative is set to begin - ensuring schools and preschool communities are better equipped in the management of asthma and other respiratory conditions. The Asthma Child and Adolescent Program (ACAP) will extend asthma information and training to preschools, and provide a specific focus on support for self-management in adolescents. Department of Health and Ageing, 2 February 2010.Less talk from parents can encourage more speech from childrenhttp://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=4447A University of Sydney study has found children with well below average language skills performed almost as well as their normally developing peers just four months after their parents made a few simple changes in the way they interacted with them. University of Sydney, 4 February 2010.Tasmanian educator wins early childhood scholarshiphttp://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=29183Tasmanian educator Sally Giacon has been awarded an inaugural scholarship designed to promote professional development in early years education. The scholarship was launched by the Tasmanian Early Years Foundation and the University of Tasmania's Faculty of Education in 2009 to support its learning and development strategy. Tasmanian Government Media Release, 4 February 2010.A flying start for Queensland Childrenhttp://deta.qld.gov.au/aflyingstart/The Queensland Government has launched a discussion paper on the future of education as part of its plan to provide all Queensland children with a flying start in life. People can complete an online survey or send a response by 30 June 2010. Queensland Government, February 2010.Shaping brains: shaping communitieshttp://www.bensoc.org.au/director/whatwedo/policyandresearch/research/shapingbrainsshapingcommunities.cfmShaping Brains: Shaping Communities is an exciting new research project that has the potential to change thousands of lives in Australia. The project will help us to extend our knowledge and understanding by looking at neuroscientific research and existing practice applications of the scientific evidence base. Benevolent Society, January 2010.My School website launchedhttp://www.deewr.gov.au/Ministers/Gillard/Media/Releases/Pages/Article_100128_102905.aspxThe My School website was officially launched on 28 January. My School contains important information about each of Australia's 10,000 schools including the number of students at the school, the number of teachers at the school and how the school is performing in national literacy and numeracy testing. DEEWR Media release, 28 January 2010.Making the most of the Pre-prep advantagehttp://www.news.qut.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/News.woa/wa/goNewsPage?newsEventID=31162Attending quality Pre-prep classes is excellent for helping young children prepare for a lifetime of learning, says a Queensland University of Technology early childhood lecturer. Jennifer Eaton said a quality Pre-prep program provided children with play-based learning experiences that stimulate their thinking and engage them in hands-on learning, rather than structured teacher-directed lessons. Play-based learning is still very important for this age group. QUT News, 25 January 2010.