ABSTRACT
Practical and hands-on experience is important for effective learning, as John Dewey pointed out over a century ago. However, Dewey also insisted on a sound theoretical platform to inform that practical experience. Prac is not the only opportunity for combining theory with practice. Broader contexts for work-integrated learning include opportunities for volunteering in community services. Many students realise the benefits in seeking opportunities to work with children, aged people, the under-privileged and communities. Early childhood contexts historically have reflected differences in their purposes. Kindergarten/preschool programs traditionally have emphasised learning through play. In Australia, the provision of for-profit and not-for-profit early childhood education and care is the result, to an extent, of child care policy—who can provide it, how it is funded and how it should operate.
