This practice resource emerged from AERO’s 2025 research to co-design and test an intentional teaching model and supporting resources with educators from 13 diverse ECEC services. It provides information on foundational knowledge, beliefs and practices that support play-based learning with intentionality.
This practice resource centres on the model. It also collects the final supporting resources, which are designed to support effective intentional teaching by helping early childhood teachers, educators and leaders understand:
- what intentional teaching is
- what it looks like in practice
- how to strengthen it in ECEC services.
This practice resource brings evidence-based approaches to effective intentional teaching together with the wisdom of educators and teachers to ensure both evidence informed rigor and usefulness in everyday practice.
You can find more information on the research underpinning this practice resource in AERO’s discussion paper, Play-Based Learning With Intentionality. Findings from AERO’s co-design research to develop the materials can be found in our intentional teaching model research report and research summary.
Keywords: ecce, evidence-based education, evidence-based teaching