To declare that infants are capable and connected is to disrupt the quiet assumptions that shape our environments, our materials, and our gaze.

This session invites educators to move beyond entertainment-based provision and explore how intelligent materials can provoke thought, agency, and connection. Through an inquiry lens, we’ll reflect on how our image of the child is revealed in the materials we offer, the spaces we design, and the questions we choose to hold. Together, we’ll consider how everyday decisions, from what we place on a shelf to how we respond in a moment of discovery, communicate trust, respect, and belief in each child’s potential.

What You’ll Notice, Rethink, and Refine

• Notice how your environment and materials express your image of the infant.
• Rethink daily interactions and routines as opportunities for inquiry and connection.
• Refine how you design and respond to support agency and curiosity.
• Strengthen reflective team practice through intentional questioning and shared observation.

Completing The Capable and Connected Infant may contribute one-hour of PD that aligns with the NESA (NSW) approved criteria and addresses:

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: APST 1: Know children and how they learn

Early Years Learning Framework Learning Outcomes: Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners

The National Quality Standard: QA 5: Relationships with children