Early Learning Matters – Every Day
18th – 24th August 2025
Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange (REAIE) proudly joins with Early Childhood Australia (ECA) and communities across the country to celebrate the significance of early learning opportunities and contexts in the lives of children, families, and society.
Consuelo Damasi, Atelierista at the Andersen Municipal preschool in Reggio Emilia and speaker at the REAIE Conference 2025, shared:
“If we can share with families that school isn’t a place where they leave their children for a certain number of hours, but that schools are extraordinary places where children have experiences with other children and adults – where children and adults learn together – we can then construct, with parents, occasions where we can all learn together: children, teachers, and families.”
Her words remind us that schools and early learning settings are not only educational spaces — they are living communities of shared learning and transformation.
Affirming the Right to Learn
REAIE advocates that it is the right of all children to access high quality learning experiences and environments which affirm children as competent, curious citizens.
In this week of celebration, we are reminded that:
- The first 1000 days of a child’s life are foundational – a time when children shape their identity through their interactions and engagement with significant ‘others’ in the child’s world.
- Learning is a relational act – we grow and learn with and from each other.
- Listening deeply to children nurtures trust, respect and positive, robust relationships. When we walk alongside children, we walk towards a more just and fulfilled society.
The significant role of families and community
Early learning truly matters — not just this week, but every day. Parents remind us of the power of spaces that provide early learning programs and opportunities for relational growth:
“We get to see different ways families do things — to learn from each other.”
“It fosters a sense of community for both children and families.”
“You can see how far [our children] have come from being around their peers, and all these opportunities.”
