TCHR5003: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
ASSESSMENT 1: Critical Review
Title Assessment 1: Critical Review
Due Date 11:59pm AEDT (Week 4)
Length 1500 words
Task Instructions
Develop a professional response to each scenario below (500 words each) to demonstrate your understanding of the importance of relationships and how to build and foster them with children, families, staff and the community respecting the diversities of their histories and backgrounds. Refer to the EYLF, NQS, unit materials, and academic literature to support your points.
Scenario 1:
You are the early childhood teacher in the toddler room. Increasingly, you notice some of your colleagues have a deficit view of the toddlers in their care. Your colleagues demonstrate behaviours that suggest the toddlers are not capable of making choices and completing routines on their own.
Critically analyse this learning environment in terms of a) the need for children’s agency and b) the practices you would implement for improved children’s agency in this setting.
When synthesising your response, justify your analysis with one NQS Quality Area (ACECQA, 2020), one EYLF Principle and one EYLF Practice (AGDE, 2022) and academic literature.
Scenario 2
As the early childhood teacher responsible for the Preschool room at a long day care service, you are eager to introduce a healthier eating program. Your goal is to involve both families and the community in this initiative. Your service caters to a diverse range of family backgrounds, each with unique cultural influences and dietary requirements and preferences.
How can you effectively implement a healthier eating program, considering the diverse backgrounds and preferences? Additionally, how can you ensure participation and support from both families and the broader community in this initiative?
When constructing your response, justify your answer with one NQS Quality Area (ACECQA, 2020), one EYLF Principle and one EYLF Practice (AGDE, 2022) and academic literature.
Scenario 3
You are the educator in the 0–2-year-old room. You have a number of new families who are concerned about their children who become very upset at drop-off time. You are to formulate a strategy that will enable you to a) reassure the new families that their children’s behaviour is common, and b) communicate to the families the practices you undertake to settle the children each morning and build trust.
When detailing the strategy use one NQS Quality Area (ACECQA, 2020), one EYLF Principle and one EYLF Practice (AGDE, 2022) and academic literature to justify your decisions, and the importance of these for the child and family
TCHR5003 Assessment 1 Brief
TCHR5003 Assessment 1 Brief
Scenario 1
The learning environment in this particular scenario lacks a fundamental aspect that should not be lacking in any early childhood education environment. In this particular learning environment, educators have failed to understand that children have the capacity to make some of the choices. These educators do not seem to understand that these toddlers may be young but they can express themselves in some ways and they should be allowed and even encouraged to. As educators, it is wrong to assume that toddlers need to be helped with everything as this can greatly hinder their growth. The educators in this learning setting are in dire need of the children’s agency. The children’s agency will help the educators to foster positive relationships with the children. It will also encourage them to respect the toddlers’ growth process. Instead of trying to do everything for them, this agency will help them to encourage responsive interactions between the kids and their teachers.
According to the National Quality Standard (2023), educators have a responsibility to foster positive relationships with toddlers. Educators are supposed to help the children to grow and even learn independence. If these educators cannot value the children’s ability to make some decisions and even complete some routines without help, they will only be hindering this process. According to NQS’ fifth quality area, a good relationship with the children can help improve the toddlers’ independence (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2023). Such a relationship can enable them to work with their peers. It can also help them to understand their own behaviours, how they affect others, as well as how to change them to accommodate each other. Children learn by imitating the adults around them (Boyd et al., 2021). This means that they get to watch the educators, how they relate with the children, and then imitate that. Thus, if educators show them they cannot make any decision on their own, they are bound to take that right away from their peers as well. Children’s agency can also help achieve EYLF’s principle of respect for diversity (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022). Educators should not view toddlers as helpless. Rather, they should acknowledge and show that they value the unique strengths, interests, and abilities embodied by different children (Jerome & Starkey, 2022). The children’s agency can also help achieve EYLF’s practice of responsive interactions. By acknowledging children’s agency, early childhood teachers can help the children to develop their autonomy and confidence instead of ignoring their right to this.
To improve children’s agency in this learning environment, I would come up with activities and materials that can help the toddlers make different choices and even complete some of the tasks on their own. This can help embrace children’s autonomy. It can also help to sharpen their strengths and improve their abilities, while still teaching them how to collaborate (Jerome & Starkey, 2022). I would also leave some of the daily routines for children to do on their own. These activities can include dressing themselves, cleaning up after a play session, and even serving their snacks. While I would ensure there are educators around to offer help when needed, allowing them to develop these skills will allow them to learn how to be independent. To improve children’s agency, I would also ensure that all educators engage in reflective practices. These practices can be very helpful as they can help the educators to reflect on how they are relating to the children. It can also help educators learn how this relationship affects child development.
Scenario 2
Implementing a healthier eating program in preschool can be quite beneficial. However, it can also be challenging since one has to factor in diverse cultural backgrounds and family preferences for it to be successful (Utami, 2020). To effectively implement such a program, I would need to ensure that the meals in the program not only have the nutrient needs of the children, but that they are also interesting enough for the children to be interested. According to NQS’s quality area 1 (educational program and practice), Children need to follow programs that are stimulating to them, not something that will just be a bore to them (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2023). Secondly, have a sit down with the families and educate them on the importance of healthier eating for preschool toddlers. According to the EYLF’s principle of partnerships with families, involving the parents in decision-making can help earn their respect and even ensure that the program is culturally relevant and that it can accommodate all the dietary preferences of various children. Lastly, for this program to be effective, I would have to draw upon EYLF’s practice of holistic approaches. This practice is crucial as it can help me to create a program that will suit not just the nutritional but also the physical, social, and even spiritual needs of the children (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022). This practice can also help me to celebrate diverse cultures represented in preschool through my healthier eating program. This can be done by adding foods that have a special meaning to the children and their culture. This will not only help the children to embrace the program but it would also help them to feel seen and included.
This healthier eating program can only work if families and the broader community embrace it. To ensure the participation and support of the families and community at large, I will have to ensure the program is culturally inclusive. This can be done by consulting with families and the community regarding various traditional dishes as well as dietary practices (Minnican & O’Toole, 2020). Consulting families and community and creating a culturally diverse menu will help them to be confident not just in the program but also in the environment in which their toddlers spend their time (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership, 2016). I would also take time to educate families and the broader community on the importance of healthy eating, thereby, fulfilling NQS quality area 1 of educational program and practice (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2023). This will help ensure that these children get to enjoy healthy meals not just at preschool but also at their homes, something that will shape their eating habits as they grow up. EYLF’s principle of partnerships with families dictates that parents need to be part of decision-making while developing and implementing any program (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022). I would also partner with families and the community at large by involving them in menu planning and even taking part in community events such as visiting farmers’ markets and cooking events and demonstrations. Regular communication with parents and the broader community can help ensure that they are always updated on the progress of the healthier eating program. This can also help ensure that I get feedback regarding how the program is doing and even tips on what needs to be changed or removed to make the program a greater success.
Scenario 3
Separation anxiety is a common occurrence for children aged 0-2 years (Crittenden, 2017). This is because their family is their place of comfort and being separated by that comfort does not sit well with them. To assure the parents that they have nothing to worry about, I would share with them stories of how other children have overcome this anxiety and what they did to get there. I would also provide them with reading materials that will help them learn all about separation anxiety and how they can help their toddlers with the transition (“Separation anxiety,” 2021). I would also invite the parents to watch the settling process. Parents may think that children are distressed because there is something wrong with how the educators interact with them. Allowing them to observe this process will help to not only calm their nerves but also build trust. I would not only invite parents inside but also explain to them the strategies we use to deal with separation anxiety and ensure that the children are well-settled (Arthur et al., 2021). But more than sharing our strategies, I would also invite the families to communicate any concerns they might have or even preferences. For instance, there is a child who calms down when given their favourite toy or bear, while another one can calm down when they hear a certain song. This collaboration can go a long way in ensuring that the child overcomes this separation anxiety quickly.
Several things can be done to reduce the distress and settle the children each morning. Offering them a warm welcome is the first step. Educators can welcome the children while smiling at them, maintaining eye contact, and remaining calm even when the child is not calm. This positivity and warmth can help reassure the children that all is well. The second step would be to create a routine for the children. A consistent routine will allow the children to know what to expect each morning, something that can help to build trust. Such a routine can include hanging up their coats and bags, washing their hands, singing a song or even doing a little dance (“Separation anxiety,” 2021). Offering personalized care can also help the children settle in the morning since it is in line with EYLF’s practice of responsive engagement. This can be done by paying attention to each child as an individual, engaging them in a comforting ritual such as singing a calming song doing a special handshake, or even just providing them with their comfort objects to give them emotional support. Allowing the parents to participate in the settling process can also help establish trust between all three involved parties (that is, the child, the educator, and the parent). According to the EYLF principle of respectful relationships and NQS quality area 6 – Collaborative Partnerships with Families, participation in the settling process by all the parties can help establish respectful relationships (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2023; (Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE], 2022 ). There is no perfect strategy for settling children in the morning. This strategy would require continuous adjustment as educators observe the children’s behaviour and changes in such behaviour. For instance, if a routine song makes one child overly distressed during the settling process, this can be changed to remove the excess distress.
References
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S., & Farmer, S. (2021). Chapter 2: Children in the context of their families and communities. In Programming and planning in early childhood settings (8th ed.). Cengage AU.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA]. (2023, October 18). Guide to the NQF. ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide
Australian Government Department of Education [AGDE]. (2022). Belonging, Being & Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (v2.0). Australian Government Department of Education for the Ministerial Council. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf
Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership. (2016, April 21). Respecting local culture, history and language [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/kh1RopJsAPM
Boyd, W., Green, N., & Jovanovic, J. (2021). Chapter 7: Fostering meaningful and respectful relationships with children. In Learning and teaching in early childhood: Pedagogies of inquiry and relationships. Cambridge University Press.
Crittenden, P. M. (2017). Gifts from Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 22(3), 436-442. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104517716214
Jerome, L., & Starkey, H. (2022). Developing children’s agency within a children’s rights education framework: 10 propositions. Education 3-13, 50(4), 439-451. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2022.2052233
Minnican, C., & O’Toole, G. (2020). Exploring the incidence of culturally responsive communication in Australian healthcare: The first rapid review on this concept. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4859-6
National quality standard. (2023, June 6). ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard
Separation anxiety. (2021, May 27). Early Childhood Australia. https://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/parent-resources/separation-anxiety/
Utami, F. B. (2020). The implementation of eating healthy program in early childhood. JPUD – Jurnal Pendidikan Usia Dini, 14(1), 125-140. https://doi.org/10.21009/141.09
