Box of Provocations for EC Educators

The Box of Provocations for EC Educators is a powerful and practical tool designed to support early childhood educators in engaging in deep professional reflection, dialogue, and continuous growth. Created by renowned early childhood expert Anne Stonehouse and published by Early Childhood Australia (ECA), this resource is ideal for individuals and teams looking to challenge thinking, unpack beliefs, and elevate practice across early learning settings.

This boxed set includes 100 cards, each containing thought-provoking questions grouped into 10 themed areas. The provocations are designed to stimulate meaningful conversation, debate, and self-inquiry-encouraging educators to examine their values, approaches, and the complexities of their professional roles. The ultimate goal is to enhance learning experiences for children, families, and the educators themselves through ongoing critical reflection.

Themes Covered in the Set:

• Children's agency and identity
• Children's behaviour and learning
• Curriculum components
• Documenting and assessing
• Images of children
• Relationships with families
• Pedagogy
• Planning the program
• Being a professional educator
• Being a critically reflective educator

Educational Benefits:

• Supports the development of reflective teaching practice
• Encourages open, honest dialogue within educator teams
• Strengthens professional identity and ethical decision-making
• Improves outcomes for children through deeper educator self-awareness

Suggested Use in Educational Settings:

• Use cards as prompts in team meetings or professional development workshops
• Select a theme to explore weekly or monthly for continuous reflection
• Encourage educators to journal responses or create action plans based on provocations
• Use provocations as part of mentoring or leadership conversations

Product Information:

• Suitable for early childhood educators and leadership teams
• Contains 100 cards organised into 10 themes
• Developed by Anne Stonehouse for Early Childhood Australia (ECA)
• Designed to promote critical reflection and improve practice