Learning Outcomes

OUTCOME 1 – IDENTITY
Children have a strong sense of identity

1. Children feel safe, secure and supported
2. Children develop emerging autonomy, inter dependence, resilience and sense of agency
3. Children develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities
4. Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy and respect

OUTCOME 2 – COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world

1. Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active civic participation
2. Children respond to diversity with respect
3. Children become aware of fairness
4. Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment

OUTCOME 3 – WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

1. Children become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing
2. Children take increasing responsibility for their own health and physical wellbeing

OUTCOME 4 – LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners

1. Children develop dispositions for learning such as curiosity, cooperation, confidence, creativity, commitment, enthusiasm, persistence, imagination and reflexivity
2. Children  develop a range of skills and processes such as problem solving, inquiry, experimentation, hypothesising, researching and investigating
3. Children transfer and adapt what they have learnt from one context to another
4. Children resource their own learning through connecting with people, place, technologies and natural and processed materials

OUTCOME 5 – COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators

1. Children interact verbally and non-verbally with others for a range of purposes
2. Children engage with a range of texts and get meaning from these texts
3. Children express ideas and make meaning using a range of media
4. Children begin to understand how symbols and pattern systems work
5. Children use information and communication technologies to access information, investigate ideas and represent their thinking

Practice Principles

FAMILY–CENTRED PRACTICE

Professionals engage in family-centred practice by respecting the pivotal role of families in children’s lives

·         Use families’ understanding of their children to support shared decision-making about each child’s learning & development

·         Create a welcoming and culturally inclusive environment where all families are encouraged to participate in and contribute to children’s learning & development experiences

·         Actively engage families and children in planning children’s learning & development

·         Provide feedback to families on their children’s learning & information about how families can further advance learning & development at home and in the community.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROFESSIONALS

Professionals use multidisciplinary approaches to provide better support to families and draw on the skills and expertise of their peers

·         Work collaboratively to share information and plan to ensure holistic approaches to children’s learning & development

·         Understand each other’s practice, skills and expertise, and make referrals when appropriate

·         Acknowledge the significance of transitions within and across early childhood services and schools, and ensure that children understand the process and have an active role in preparing for these transitions

·         Build on children’s prior learning and experiences to build continuity for their learning & development from birth to eight years of age

HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR EVERY CHILD

Every child has the ability to learn & develop

·         Commit to high expectations for all children’s learning & development

·         Ensure that every child experiences success in their learning & development

·         Recognise that every child can learn, but some children require different opportunities and supports to do this

·         Work with families to support children’s learning & development at home and in the community

EQUITY & DIVERSITY

Children’s personal, family and cultural histories shape their learning & development

·         Support children’s evolving capacities to learn from birth

·         Ensure that the interests, abilities and culture of every child and their family are understood, valued and respected

·         Maximise opportunities for every child

·         Identify areas where focussed support or intervention is required to improve each child’s learning & development

·         Recognise bi- and multi-lingualism as an asset and support these children to maintain their first language and learn English as a second language

·         Promote cultural awareness in all children, including greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being

·         Support children to develop a sense of place, identity and a connection to the land

·         Encourage children to as active participants for sustainability, influencing the quality of life now, and for future generations

RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS & RESPONSIVE ENGAGEMENT

From birth, secure attachments formed through warm and respectful relationships with familiar adults are fundamental to children’s learning & development

·         Initiate warm, trusting and reciprocal relationships with children

·         Provide safe and stimulating environments for children

·         Develop learning programs that are responsible in each child and build on their culture, strengths, interests and knowledge to take their learning & development forward

·         Understand, communicate and interact across cultures by being aware of their own world view

·         Respect the views and feelings of the child

INTERGRATED TEACHING & LEARNING APPROACHES

Guided play & learning / Adult led learning / Child-directed play & learning

·         Encourage children to explore, solve problems, communicate,  think, create and construct

·         Use their judgement to support children’s learning & development through a combination of child-led and adult-led play-based learning, as well as active teacher-led learning

·         Create physical environments  that support a range of opportunities for learning & physical activity, both indoors & outdoors

·         Build on children’s interests, abilities, cultures and previous learning experiences to extend their thinking, learning & development

·         Use child-centred approaches to explicitly teach particular knowledge and skills

·         Recognise the connections between aspects of children’s learning & development

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

Assessment is designed to discover what children know and understand, based on what they make, write, draw, say and do

·         Inform their practice

·         Include children’s views of their own learning

·         Are authentic and responsive to how children demonstrate their learning & development

·         Draw on families’ perspectives, knowledge, experiences and expectations

·         Consider children in the context of their families and provide support to families when necessary

·         Value the culturally specific knowledge embedded within communities about children’s learning & development

·         Are transparent and objective, and provide families with information about their children’s learning & development, and about what they can do to further  support their children

·         Gather and analyse information from a wide range of sources to help them assess and plan effectively

·         Provide the best possible advice and guidance to children and their families

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE

Professionals become more effective through critical reflection and a strong culture of professional enquiry

·         Gather information that supports, informs, assesses and enriches decision-making about appropriate professional practices

·         Continually develop their professional knowledge and skills to enable them to provide the best possible learning & development opportunities for all children

·         Promote practices that have been shown to be successful in supporting children’s learning & development

·         Use evidence to inform planning for early childhood experiences and practice

·         Challenge and change some practices