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Key dates for presenters

Monday 2 June 2025 Abstract submissions open
Monday 20 October 2025 Abstract submissions deadline
Monday 1 December 2025 Notification of speakers
Monday 8 December 2025 Reminder registration for speakers
Monday 12 January 2026 Registration deadline for speakers
Thursday 30 April 2026 Presentations to be submitted by today
Thursday 30 April 2026 Finalization and distribution of program
Thursday 21 and Friday 22 May 2026 Early Years Conference 2026

All attendees and speakers are required to register as a delegate

Note: The early bird offer ends 12pm Thursday 29th January 2026

  1. Nominate preferred presentation times: 40 minutes = 30-35 minutes oral presentation at least 5 minutes for question time OR 30 minutes = 20-25-minute oral presentation with at least 5minutes for question time
  2. Your abstract should be a minimum of 150 words and a maximum of 200 words. Abstracts in excess of the word limit will be returned for editing or not considered.
  3. References are not required within abstracts.
  4. Abstracts should be targeted at an inter-disciplinary audience.
  5. All speakers are required to register as a delegate. 
  6. The presenting author is required to ensure that all contributors and funding organisations are aware of the content of the abstract before submission.
  7. All abstracts accepted for presentation will be published prior to the Conference.
  8. You may submit more than 1 abstract. However, presenters that are accepted for oral presentation will be permitted to give only 1 oral presentation.  
  9. All abstract submissions will be acknowledged, and authors will be notified if their abstract has been accepted. If receipt of your abstract is not acknowledged or you are not notified of acceptance or otherwise by the date specified please email the Abstracts Receiver.
  10. Abstracts close midnight 20th October 2025.
  11. Accepted abstracts will be published in the Book of Abstracts.
  12. Abstracts will be considered/evaluated according to the following criteria: 
  13.  Research value and/or Early Years value
  14.  Clarity and quality
  15.  Content and methodology
  16.  Fit with symposium theme/s
  17.  Connections to ARACY “The Common Approach” (see Figure 1)

      (Adapted from: ARACY The common approach, 2010)

HOW TO WRITE AN ABSTRACT

Title: [This should be concise and accurately link key features of your project together. Limit to 10-15 words maximum]

Background and rationale: [Try to limit to 5 or fewer sentences. Start with a sentence or two that summarises previous work. Follow with the purpose, aims and research question. Explain why this project is important/why it matters/what it will add to the field.]

Methods: [Include the design, setting, sample population, measurement tools and analysis approach. The method should be appropriate to the aims.]

Results: [Please include results/findings here.  Include the sample size, composition, simplified demographics, and primary outcome results. Do not include tables or graphs in your abstract.]

Evaluation/Implications for practice: [Focus is around the aim or purpose of the project. What was answered, what was not? What are the practice/research/education implications? Should the intervention be adopted? What are the questions that still need to be addressed? Where to from here?]

Key message: [1-2 sentences. What is the take home message for the audience?]

Please ensure you have read the Abstract Submission Guidelines before submitting your abstract.

Submit your abstract here.

*** NEW FOR 2026 ***   In 2026 the program is being updated to reflect feedback from our previous conference. Sessional speakers can now select either a 40-minute session (ie: 35mins presentation plus 5mins for Q&A, or 30-minute session (ie: 25mins presentation plus 5mins for Q&A). Please ensure your final presentation meets these strict time criteria.

Registrations will open Monday 1st September 2025

Note: The early bird offer ends 12pm Thursday 29th January 2026