The EYLF talks about educators creating a culture of professional inquiry, where educators work together to discuss issues and explore new ideas. This process does not lead to ‘quick fix’ solutions but rather encourages educators to respond to all parts of the NQF.

Part of this professional inquiry can be to ask probing questions to address the ‘certainties’ of our practice, how they come about and how we should reconsider them.

Individual children’s records will note the ‘distance travelled’ by each child in relation to the five Outcome areas.

There is one right way/no right or wrong way to assess and plan.

Everything must be child-initiated—you cannot use any teachers’ ideas.

You have to do a fixed number of learning stories (or observations or whatever) for each child each week (or fortnight).

• 1.2.1 Each child’s current knowledge, ideas, culture and interests provide the foundation for the program.
• 1.2.3 Each child’s learning and development is assessed as part of an ongoing cycle of planning, documenting and evaluating children’s learning.
• 1.2.4 Critical reflection and evaluation of children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, is used as a primary source of information for planning and to improve the effectiveness of the program and teaching strategies.

In addition … regulations and schedules will include:
The program is planned, documented and evaluated.

• Neither the EYLF nor the NQS state specifically how educators should plan for children’s learning since the context and the setting of the service will guide the methods used. However, there is an expectation that planning is undertaken and that this planning will ‘demonstrate over time’ children’s ongoing learning.
• Educators will need to make their own professional judgements on how/what they record and the number of records they need to take.
• Educators are required to plan and implement a program for every child so there needs to be regular review of children’s records so that no child is overlooked.
• The emphasis in the EYLF is on planning for learning—not just planning activities. Some activities and resources may regularly be available to children, but as well, educators need to plan and organise particular experiences that support children to make progress towards each learning outcome. Educators may also plan other strategies, such as specific one-on-one interactions, to assist each child’s learning and development.

• Focus on strengths (what the child can do) rather than deficits.
• Focus on the whole child (reflecting the holistic way children learn) rather than focussing on separate developmental domains.
• Include groups of children—reflecting the collaborative way that children learn.
• Mean that documentation is recorded in a way that is accessible to families and children.
• Focus on children’s interests and strengths as a way of extending their learning but also as a way to support their areas of need.
• Use a combination of learning experiences based on children’s interests and planned opportunities for intentional teaching and knowledge building. Educators have a responsibility to increase children’s general and content knowledge.

• Traditionally, anecdotal records attempted to describe events ‘from outside’. ‘Learning Stories’ include the voice of the educator and relevant information about the context.
• They can include the names, voices and actions of other children involved and reflections or ‘wonderings’ by the educator about the learning that seems to be happening.
• Most educators use a range of ways to capture children’s learning–sticky notes, jottings, anecdotal records, daily journals or diaries, annotated photographs and ‘stories’.
• Quality, not quantity is what matters and the best records are those that are sifted through regularly with only the most significant kept and used for planning, documenting and communicating children’s learning.

Intentional teaching encompasses ‘being intentional’ throughout the day in the way we do routines as well as in more obvious ‘teaching’ aspects of the program.

• The Early Years Learning Framework (or other approved learning framework) guides curriculum decision making and enables each child’s learning in the five outcomes.

• Portfolios or ‘Learning Journals’ are one way that meet this requirement but there is no stated requirement that portfolios are a compulsory part of  documenting children’s learning.
• Portfolios should be more than just a scrap-book of children’s art work.
• Portfolios should be unique for each child as their age, developmental stage, interests and strengths will be different. Therefore there should not be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach and the essence of the individual child should be evident in what is recorded.
• Records can include information for the family about the purpose of the portfolio, information about the EYLF, information from the family about their child, observations, samples of work, learning stories, photos and regular analysis of the child’s progress towards the Learning Outcomes and the identified focus for further learning.

• They help to make learning visible for families.
• They are a shared way for educators and families to collect visual and written information about the individual child’s experiences and progress.
• They give a long-term perspective of the child over a year or more and provide a memento that families may keep after the child leaves the setting.
• They strengthen the partnerships between educators and families.
• They promote a sense of belonging for children.
• They provide a way for children to revisit their interests and achievements.

Disadvantages:

• They can be time-consuming.
• There is a risk that the focus is not on the ‘distance travelled’ but on how beautifully presented the portfolio.

If used, photos need to have explanatory notes that describe the learning that is taking place so that they are more than just ‘The children had fun playing with the water’.

Young children will be ‘working towards’ the Learning Outcomes and our observations and processes should enable educators to make this visible to others.

A number of educators begin by ‘mapping’ previous ways of viewing learning against the EYLF Learning Outcomes as they learn to use the EYLF terms for planning and documenting.

• Educators must form strong relationships with children and provide a setting where children feel trust and acceptance and have a culture of respect for each other.
• Emergent curriculum approaches respond to the children’s interests rather than focusing on narrow, individual, or calendar-driven topics. It is process rather than product-driven.
• However, it does require professional knowledge, forward thinking, and planning for learning.

We are the stage directors; curriculum is the teacher’s responsibility, not children’s. People who hear the words emergent curriculum may wrongly assume that everything simply emerges from the children. The children’s ideas are an important source of curriculum but only one of many possible sources that reflect the complex ecology of their lives. (E. Jones, K Evans, & K Stritzel.The Lively Kindergarten: Emergent Curriculum in Action. Washington DC: NAEYC. 2001, p.5).

Educators have a professional responsibility to engage children in new ideas and areas of learning outside of the child’s current interest, experience and knowledge.

Educators have a responsibility to find ways that meet the needs of families in order to exchange information and ideas to support children’s learning. There are numerous ways to do this— in person, formally or informally, verbally, by telephone, in print or through various multi media.

Not receiving a returned form does not absolve educators from the responsibility of seeking information from families nor does it absolve us of the responsibility to plan for children’s learning.

Building relationships is critical to this—it is unlikely that families will contribute to the program if educators have not established a partnership relationship with them.

Just as our families are varied so must the methods of communication be. For example, we could engage families and children in deep, sustained and respectful conversations about their experiences and use this information, with their agreement, as a platform for learning at the setting.

• The vision of promoting Belonging, Being and Becoming applies to children of all ages. The Principles help educators to understand the important values, beliefs and behaviours that underpin high quality early childhood practice. The Practice section reminds educators of the importance of working with all children in these ways to support their ongoing learning and development.
• The Learning Outcomes are designed to help educators assess children’s learning and to plan for further learning.
• The ‘evidences of learning’ under each Outcome heading, are only some examples of what educators might see that indicate children are learning in relation to that Outcome. Educators, including those working with babies and toddlers, need to look for their own pointers that show the learning of their group of children.
• ECA has a new title in the Research in Practice (RIP) Series by Anne Stonehouse coming out soon. That book—The more you know, the more you see—will be particularly helpful for educators working in nursery settings.

Staff meetings are one opportunity where reflection could take place and the minutes may include notes that summarise a process of critical reflection engaged in by the team.

Planning—FDC were told it will only take a few minutes during quiet time.

Quiet time maybe an opportunity to seize the moment to document children’s learning. Some educators may choose to start work later or finish earlier allowing for planning in work time without children. Their hourly fee could reflect this planning time.

1. Whilst the QLD Building Code currently requires this, the Learning Environments section of Practice described in the EYLF might require educators to re think this minimum requirement and make additional plans.
2. What the EYLF actually says (p.16) is:
   Play spaces in natural environments include plants, trees, edible gardens, sand, rocks, mud, water and other elements from nature. These spaces invite open-ended interactions, spontaneity, risk-taking, exploration, discovery and connection with nature. They foster an appreciation of the natural environment, develop environmental awareness and provide a platform for ongoing environmental education.

Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety

2.1 Each child’s health is promoted.

2.2 Healthy eating and physical activity are embedded in the program for children.

2.3 Each child is protected.

The detail under each of these elements is not specified in the NQS. Educators will be required to refer to other authorities and the particular needs of the setting and families to determine the specific requirements for health and safety, including risk taking.

Exploring texts that support children’s creativity such as Rapunzel’s Supermarket and Is it a bird yet? by Ursula Kolbe, provides further ideas for educators and could assist families to understand the importance of creativity.