Sonya Nedovic

Background

About Sonya Nedovic

I am a former Early Childhood Teacher, now completing my PhD at Monash University under the supervision of Laureate Professor Marilyn Fleer. I hold a Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Scholarship and work as part of The Conceptual PlayLab Project (a programmatic study of conceptual play and STEM learning in early childhood). Prior to commencing my PhD, as inaugural Early Childhood Teacher at The Royal Children’s Hospital, I developed an organisation wide learning program for children with chronic health conditions. I won several national teaching awards for my work in innovation and advocacy including the Hesta Outstanding Young Graduate Award and the Barbara Creaser Young Advocate Award. I was also a finalist in the Vera Scantlebury Brown Scholarship and the Victorian Education Excellence Awards. I have written material for both practitioners and parents across a broad range of publications including Early Childhood Australia, Raising Children Network, The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Australian Teacher Magazine. My pedagogical approach has been featured on The Project, 3AW, The Herald Sun and The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. I have sat on the book selection panel for the Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards and presented at the Early Childhood Australia National Conference, the Centre for Strategic Education and Digital Learning and Teaching Victoria. I have authored academic work in the area of nature-based play and am currently writing papers about STEM learning in the home setting whilst preparing for my PhD Confirmation Milestone in May 2022.