It is easy to get lost in translation when talking about early childhood. There are a number of barriers to being heard and understood. The public has multiple ways of thinking about children’s development and the factors that shape it. This guide synthesizes findings from the map the gaps report and presents them in a more concise format. It provides guidance on navigating public beliefs and assumptions. It can help build better understanding of how children develop in the early years and why this matters to everyone. This guide is part of the Core Story for Early Childhood Development and Learning in Australia, commissioned by CoLab, a partnership between the Telethon Kids Institute and the Minderoo Foundation. It builds on previous work on early childhood and parenting in Australia and precedes a comprehensive re-framing strategy to be published in 2020.