Dr Red Ruby Scarlet

04/09/2026

Such a privilege to have been part of this incredible day. Each and every presentation from across the world marking the miracle of Te Whāriki and what it has enabled for children, teachers and communities across the globe.

Louise Dorrat and I were gifted the opportunity to perform our musical in the magnificent mix and it really was the most joyful encounter.

So much love ELP for your unwavering and inspirational advocacy for decades. And to our dearest Wendy Lee for the all encompassing nurture 🎶💙💃🏻

What does 30 years of Te Whāriki look and feel like?

We tried to capture some of the spirit of our recent celebration in this short article.

Thirty years of ideas, decades of Learning Stories voices from Aotearoa and around the world, thought-provoking conversations, music, laughter and plenty of joy.

Most importantly, a community of people committed to creating meaningful learning experiences for tamariki and whānau!

This was more than a conference. It was a celebration of a curriculum that continues to influence the way we think about children, learning and relationships.

Here's a glimpse of the day. https://elp.co.nz/30-years-of-te-whariki/

02/09/2026

Make music part of your everyday practice.

Explore That Music Book on your own or alongside your team—and discover practical, playful ways to bring more music into your early childhood setting.

Link in comments or bio.

01/09/2026

Joyful collective finale at the learnplaythrive_ conference 🎶💃🏻🎭❤️

27/08/2026

It’s Red’s birthday—and she’s celebrating by giving you a gift! 🎉🎈

For Red’s birthday, The EYLF Playbook is 50% off. Because curiosity, cats and curriculum are always worth celebrating. 🐈‍⬛

🫶 Shop the birthday sale now!

Purchase link in comments or bio.

25/08/2026

Thank you to the bodacious team at Semann & Slattery for inviting me into your beautiful Pedagogy+ Magazine for this very special interview. To be under the spotlight is a great privilege that I cherish.

Three of the loves of my life - Irish Dancing, playing music and singing, and Early Childhood Education - all designed into these beautiful pages fills my spirit.

I still feel eternally grateful to the spectacular children of Margaret Hendry School (in the ACT) for choosing me to name their Early Learning Community (consisting of 4 preschools).

At almost 54 years of age and in the 36th year of my career as a teacher - I still love learning and like many of us who had teachers we adored - my fabulous Irish Dancing teacher Emily Kennedy of Kennedy Dance School features here…

💃🏻🎶☘️❤️📕🎓 Semann & Slattery Kennedy Dance School, Sydney Red Ruby Scarlet

23/08/2026

Oh my heart when the voice of the people is heard raw and real… The Captain nurturing young Pirates brings me hope for this and generations to come!

As usual I am in awe of these water women and I welcome The Sharp Quill and her precise penning. Finally someone who has explained the planning cycle and its function clearly…

There are three fabulous parts crafted by this pirate duo… Sail over to Anarchy & the EYLF Pirates and have a peek… I’ve popped all of the links in the comments… 🏴‍☠️🪶📜⚔️🗡️☠️⚓️🚢🛸🐈‍⬛🐦‍⬛🦜🪢🪎❤️

Part 1: The (Real) Planning Cycle

There’s a new pirate on deck.

They’re relatively new to the profession, armed with qualifications, enthusiasm, a freshly annotated copy of the EYLF V2.0 and the rather dangerous assumption that when the sector tells educators to think critically, it actually wants them to think critically.

We’re calling them The Sharp Quill.

And The Sharp Quill has been observing.

At first, they observed exactly what educators are taught to observe: children, environments, interactions, learning, relationships and all the tiny moments that make up an early childhood day.

But somewhere along the way, they stopped observing only what was happening inside the room and started observing the system around it.

They noticed who funded whom. Who sponsored whom. Who invested in whom. Who regulated whom. Who claimed to speak for whom. And, most interestingly, how often the same names seemed to appear when they started drawing the arrows.

So The Sharp Quill did what any good educator would do.

They documented their observations.

They looked for patterns.

They critically reflected.

And then they drew a planning cycle.

Just perhaps not the planning cycle anyone was expecting.

Welcome to The (Real) Planning Cycle.

20/08/2026

Theory is often seen as something separate from practice.

Something we read…
rather than something we do.

Something removed
from the everyday.

But theory is always present.

It shapes how we see,
what we notice,
what we value,
and how we respond.

It sits beneath the decisions we make
in our work with children.

Whether we name it or not…
it is already there.

And when we begin to engage with theory more intentionally,
we begin to make sense of practice differently.

👇 We’d love to hear your thoughts — share them in the comments below.

For more information, visit the link in our bio or check the comments.

18/08/2026

Dr Red Ruby Scarlet’s Political Playground…



Thank you to everyone who joined us for The Political Playground.

If you missed the live event—or would simply like to revisit the conversation—we're delighted to share the full recording with you.

Join Dr Red Ruby Scarlet, Senator Steph Hodgins-May and Abigail Boyd MLC as they explore the realities, possibilities and challenges shaping the future of early childhood education and care. The evening offers practical ideas for continuing the conversation through advocacy and reminds us that meaningful change begins when we all find ways to use our voices.

To support your advocacy beyond the webinar, we've also included links to the Early Childhood Education Summit 2026 Demands, along with contact details for Senator Steph Hodgins-May and Abigail Boyd MLC (NSW) if you'd like to continue the conversation directly with your elected representatives.

Watch the recording here:
https://learning.theinclusionroom.com.au/courses/Welcometothepoliticalplayground

Read the Summit demands here:
https://redrubyscarlet.com.au/the-early-childhood-education-summit-2026/the-ece-summit-demands-2026/

Senator Steph-Hodgins May (Federal)
https://greens.org.au/vic/person/steph-hodgins-may

Abigail Boyd MLC (State)
https://greens.org.au/nsw/person/abigail-boyd

17/08/2026

Sparkly thanks to the wonderful folks from learnplaythrive_ for a spectacular art and music afternoon in gorgeous Tamworth.

Fabulous sharing space with the tender thoughtful Kirsty Liljegren - Education Consultant who filled the room with opportunity and openness in her The Creative Collection clay encounter.

Such a privilege to share my pedagogical stories of making music, documenting dancing and wit(h)nessing Ravens and the places and spaces that are the soundtracks of children’s lives.

Our sonorous scapes include a majikal finale that my beautiful talented cousin Guiniviere led with me as we became our own early childhood pub choir. Lifting the roof singing together and colouring in the room with joy filled collective sounds and sights on Gamilaraay County.

We were also gifted Captain Claudia to fly us home! Always wonderful to have women in spaces where they are in the minority! Go the pilot girls!

You can listen to some reflections of the day on the Learn Play Thrive Podcast hosted by the dynamic Simone Brand and features Rachel Phillips, Linda Harrison, Kirsty Liljegren and myself 🎤🎶💃🏻☘️❤️📕

13/08/2026

Anti-bias approaches are not an “extra” in early childhood education.

They are the foundation of the EYLF.
There is no curriculum without anti-bias approaches.

But in the tangle of rules and regulations, literacy and numeracy, fine motor and gross motor, black holes and unicorn magic… it can be easy to lose sight of the values that underpin our work.

Anti-bias approaches call us to recognise and respond to unfairness — not only for children and families, but also within our teams, workplaces, and professional cultures.

Children learn best, and educators teach best, in environments that foster confidence, family pride, belonging, and positive social identities for everyone.

Whether you are just beginning your anti-bias journey or deepening work already underway, Dr Red Ruby Scarlet can support your thinking and practice through:

- practitioner-focused books and resources
- anti-bias webinars and workshops
- keynote presentations
- consultancy and organisational support
- pedagogue, artist, thinker, curriculum expert or researcher-in-residence collaborations

Because anti-bias approaches are not separate from curriculum.
They are the curriculum.

Contact: [email protected]
Explore further: https://redrubyscarlet.com.au/
Explore further via the link in bio or comments.