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Early childhood expert joins ACER ACER has expanded its breadth of knowledge in the area of Early Childhood Education with the appointment of an internationally renowned expert to the research team. In October 2010 ACER welcomed Senior Research Fellow Professor Bridie Raban to the Teaching, Learning and Leadership research program. Raban conducts research and development in the field of Early Childhood Education. In addition to her the role at ACER, Raban is a Professorial Research Fellow (Early Childhood) at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts. Raban’s research focuses on language and literacy development, and on curriculum and assessment in the early years of childhood. Raban has published in excess of 150 publications including books and monographs, journal articles, research reports, chapters to books and international encyclopaedias. Given her impressive list of publications, it is somewhat surprising that Raban confesses to being 15 years old before reading her first book. “At school during silent reading time, I’d turn the page, wait around 15 seconds then turn the next page,” Raban said. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t read, I just didn’t want to.” Raban says that today, reading needs to be introduced at a young age as something fun and never as a punishment. Originally based in the UK, Raban completed her PhD at the University of Reading and post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford University in 1989. From 1991 to 1995 Raban was Professor of Primary Education (Early Years) at Warwick University and between 1994 and 1995 held the position of President of the UK Reading Association. Raban arrived in Australia in 1995 to take up the inaugural Mooroolbeek Chair of Early Education Childhood Studies at the University of Melbourne. This appointment saw Bridie become the first early childhood professor in Victoria and only the second in Australia. From 1999-2000 Raban was seconded to the federal government department of education (then DETYA) as their first Research Fellow, where she worked with policymakers in developing a research agenda for the early years of education. During this time Raban also worked with the OECD, completing the Country Note for Denmark, which involved travelling throughout that country visiting services provided for children before they entered school. Raban has raised in excess of $4 million in research funds while at the University of Melbourne, and is currently a Chief Investigator there of an ARC Linkage Grant “The Young Learners’ Project”, following the early literacy development of 350 children aged 4, 5, and 6 years-old as they move into school. As part of her role at the University of Melbourne, Raban is also working with Collette Tayler, the Chair of Early Childhood Education and Care, on developing a draft discussion document for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority on assessment from 0-5 years of age. Raban has involved herself in a number of research projects since joining ACER in October. In conjunction with ACER Senior Research Fellow Marion Meiers, Raban has already completed an evaluation of the Literacy Lessons implementation pilot for the Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and is currently introducing the ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study in preschools. Raban is also currently working with ACER Senior Research Fellow Prue Anderson to develop diagnostic Early Literacy tools for DEECD, with ACER Principal Research Fellow Sheldon Rothman on a National Standards Quality project for the federal government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), and with ACER Principal Research Fellow Glenn Rowley to map and analyse the early childhood education courses available from higher education providers for DEEWR. « Back to eNews
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ACER has expanded its breadth of knowledge in the area of Early Childhood Education with the appointment of an internationally renowned expert to the research team.

In October 2010 ACER welcomed Senior Research Fellow Professor Bridie Raban to the Teaching, Learning and Leadership research program. Raban conducts research and development in the field of Early Childhood Education. In addition to her the role at ACER, Raban is a Professorial Research Fellow (Early Childhood) at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.

Raban’s research focuses on language and literacy development, and on curriculum and assessment in the early years of childhood. Raban has published in excess of 150 publications including books and monographs, journal articles, research reports, chapters to books and international encyclopaedias.

Given her impressive list of publications, it is somewhat surprising that Raban confesses to being 15 years old before reading her first book.

“At school during silent reading time, I’d turn the page, wait around 15 seconds then turn the next page,” Raban said. “It wasn’t that I couldn’t read, I just didn’t want to.”

Raban says that today, reading needs to be introduced at a young age as something fun and never as a punishment.

Originally based in the UK, Raban completed her PhD at the University of Reading and post-doctoral fellowship at Oxford University in 1989. From 1991 to 1995 Raban was Professor of Primary Education (Early Years) at Warwick University and between 1994 and 1995 held the position of President of the UK Reading Association.

Raban arrived in Australia in 1995 to take up the inaugural Mooroolbeek Chair of Early Education Childhood Studies at the University of Melbourne. This appointment saw Bridie become the first early childhood professor in Victoria and only the second in Australia.

From 1999-2000 Raban was seconded to the federal government department of education (then DETYA) as their first Research Fellow, where she worked with policymakers in developing a research agenda for the early years of education. During this time Raban also worked with the OECD, completing the Country Note for Denmark, which involved travelling throughout that country visiting services provided for children before they entered school.

Raban has raised in excess of $4 million in research funds while at the University of Melbourne, and is currently a Chief Investigator there of an ARC Linkage Grant “The Young Learners’ Project”, following the early literacy development of 350 children aged 4, 5, and 6 years-old as they move into school. As part of her role at the University of Melbourne, Raban is also working with Collette Tayler, the Chair of Early Childhood Education and Care, on developing a draft discussion document for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority on assessment from 0-5 years of age.

Raban has involved herself in a number of research projects since joining ACER in October. In conjunction with ACER Senior Research Fellow Marion Meiers, Raban has already completed an evaluation of the Literacy Lessons implementation pilot for the Victorian Government Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and is currently introducing the ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study in preschools.

Raban is also currently working with ACER Senior Research Fellow Prue Anderson to develop diagnostic Early Literacy tools for DEECD, with ACER Principal Research Fellow Sheldon Rothman on a National Standards Quality project for the federal government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), and with ACER Principal Research Fellow Glenn Rowley to map and analyse the early childhood education courses available from higher education providers for DEEWR.

Early childhood expert joins ACER