Kerry's PhD journey has emerged from more than twenty-six years of teaching and a sustained inquiry into how children access the linguistic, social, and relational life of the classroom. She currently teaches full time across all stages from pre-kindergarten to stage 6 at Port Macquarie Adventist school. She is the year 12 coordinator and secondary school careers advisor. Kerry's broader teaching experience spans every year level from Pre-Kindy to Year 12 across schools in South Africa, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. This breadth of experience has given her a rich and comparative understanding of curriculum, pedagogy, and the ways educational priorities are interpreted differently across contexts.

I have come to understand language not simply as an academic competency or precursor to literacy, but as a vital means through which children form friendships, negotiate belonging, participate confidently, and construct a sense of identity within the school community. As a young teenager educated in a language other than my mother tongue, I experienced first-hand the complexity of entering friendships, interpreting social cues, and finding one’s place through unfamiliar linguistic practices.

My PhD builds on this professional and personal history, as well as my Master of Education research into speech and language development in early years classrooms. Through this study, I seek to examine how pragmatic language is positioned within curriculum documentation and how NSW Early Stage One teachers perceive their confidence and preparedness to teach it intentionally.