This conference proceedings compiles papers presented at the Institute of Early Childhood in September 1999, the fourth in a series examining the challenges which the schools of Reggio Emilia present the early childhood profession in Australia. The conference focused on the practices of observing children and documenting their thinking, the cornerstones of the Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education, as the Reggio Emilia approach is implemented in preschools in Australia, Sweden, and Italy. Following an introductory editorial, the academic papers included are: (1) "Early Childhood Pedagogy in a Changing World--A Practice-Oriented Research Project Troubling Dominant Discourses within the Field of Early Childhood Education" (Gunilla Dahlberg); (2) "Personalised Learning" (Alma Fleet); (3) "Three Different Constructions of the Child--The Childhood Landscapes" (Gunilla Dahlberg); and (4) "Observation and Documentation: 'Interpreting the Journey'" (Janet Robertson). Documentations of various projects at preschools are described. The final paper, "The Last Word" (Alma Fleet), distinguishes documentation and display, and highlights the challenges presented by the Italian educators of Reggio Emilia. Each academic paper contains references. (KB)