TCHR5003: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
ASSESSMENT 2: Report
Title Assessment 2: Report
Due Date 11:59pm AEDT (Week 6)
Length 2000 words
Task Description
This task requires you to reflect upon the Early Years Learning Framework [EYLF] (AGDE, 2022) principles and practices and write a report demonstrating your ability to identify and critique high- quality early childhood pedagogy.
Rationale
Early childhood educators are required to understand the importance of high-quality practice and be able to identify what high-quality practice looks like. In this assessment, you will be asked to identify high-quality practice and determine the principles, theory and research that underpins such practice.
This assessment aims to develop your understanding of how to align practice, principles, theory and research.
Instructions
please kindly make sure the quality of the assignment, answer the assignment question correctly without sounding general – be specific please
– the main document that this assessment is about is EYLF
– https://www.acecqa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-01/EYLF-2022-V2.0.pdf
– please make sure we include reference from it and these below document
– https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard
– https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/about/guide
+ please follow the structure below
Introduction (around 250words):
What is this report about?
Explain how the EYLF guides high-quality
pedagogy.
Principles (around 900 in total – 300 for each below)
– Respect for diversity
– Sustainability
– ONE principle of your choice
Practices (around 900 in total – 300 for each below)
– Responsiveness to children
– Learning environments
– ONE practice of your choice
Conclusion (100 words or less)
I need 15 referes, the ones mentioned above, also check previous orders under 5003 module 1 for more references, Minimize outside references.
Remember not to pass 2000 words by more than 10%
TCHR5003 Assessment 2
Student’s Name
Institution
Due Date
TCHR5003 Assessment 2
Introduction
This report aims to explore the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)’s role in guiding high-quality pedagogy. EYLF is a framework that has been developed to support the intellectual development of children from 0-5 years. EYLF is a great framework for educators as it helps them prepare stimulating and inclusive learning environments that help prepare toddlers holistically for lifelong learning. Children require a strong foundation if they are to grow up to become strong, all-rounded grownups. They not only require a strong academic foundation, but they also require a strong social, cultural, and even spiritual foundation as this is the only way they can become not just academically ready but also emotionally and socially adept. An all-rounded person is more likely to become successful in the future and lead a more fulfilling life as compared to someone whose only skill is academic prowess. EYLF can help educators to make this possible for all the children under their care.
EYLF plays a critical role in high-quality pedagogy as it emphasizes the importance of play-based learning. Toddlers learn better when the learning environment is not only stimulating but fun. EYLF also promotes intentional teaching, where educators are not concerned with just finishing a day or making sure that the children get to the next academic level. Instead, intentional teaching helps ensure that the teachers are concerned with the development of each toddler. EYLF provides student-centered teaching strategies that are more concerned with the well-being of the children and how prepared they are for lifelong learning.
Principles
Respect for diversity
Learning environments often have children from various backgrounds, something that makes it extremely crucial to make the learning environment more inclusive (Minnican & O’Toore, 2020). Respect for diversity is one of the most critical principles of EYLF especially when it comes to promoting high-quality pedagogy (“National quality standard,” 2023). This principle shows why it is so crucial to embrace strategies that help children feel valued and seen regardless of their cultural background, language, or even learning environments (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022). Such an environment can help make the children feel comfortable and confident enough to express themselves (Watson & Newman, 2023). It can also help ensure that educators plan their teaching curriculum to include these diverse needs. For instance, children whose native language is not English may have a hard time reading and understanding materials in English (Cho et al., 2021). An all-inclusive learning environment can help ensure that these children are considered when the reading and learning materials are chosen and that by the time they are moving to the next learning stage, they can comfortably understand the English language, without necessarily being stripped of their native language. An inclusive environment can also help children to feel confident in their skin since they are accepted by both the educators and their peers (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022). For instance, most African American children who find themselves in learning environments that are not inclusive enough might feel odd either because of the color of their skin or the texture of their hair (Mitchell Dove & Powers, 2018). One of the children’s story books tells of a story of a young African American girl who could not understand why her hair made her stand out and feel unaccepted in school and within her circle. Respect for diversity is a principle that can help ensure that no little girl feels like this, thereby promoting high-quality pedagogy. Using this principle, educators can help make the children develop a sense of belonging and acceptance, something that can help them embrace their differences.
Sustainability
Sustainability is another fundamental principle in EYLF. This is a principle that encourages educators to integrate sustainable practices into the curriculum (Silo et al., 2024). Such practices include recycling initiatives, gardening, exploring the natural world, water conservation, and the beauty of nature. These practices can help the children grow to be responsible adults who care for and protect the environment (Borg & Samuelsson, 2022). EYLF’s second outcome is to ensure that children not only contribute to their world but are also connected to it. Such a connection can help them develop a fierce need to protect their environment. For instance, taking nature walks can help young children to interact with the natural environment firsthand. Some so many children grow up only seeing most of the natural environment either in their books or in movies. Being able to interact with this environment and even identify various plants, birds, and animals can help these children understand the things they learn in the classroom (Borg & Samuelsson, 2022). It can also help them to develop a sense of wonder and curiosity, traits that can serve them well as they grow up. Initiatives such as water conservation and recycling can help them understand more about their environment and how to protect it. Nurturing a garden can also help these children to grow into confident and responsible adults. Responsibility is something that people need to learn earlier on in life. Young children who are not taught any responsibility grow up to become a nuisance in society (Justicia-Arráez et al., 2021). EYLF helps ensure that educators create a curriculum that not only helps children excel academically but also that they learn to take care of their environment and each other. A child who has learned how to water plants and nurture them can also easily develop the ability to take care of anything or anyone that is left in their care.
Critical reflection and ongoing reflection
Pedagogical approaches are not set in stone. This means that in early childhood education, there is a need for continuous improvement of the practices and approaches used. For instance, one approach can work perfectly for a particular institution and not for another one, either due to geographical factors, resource allocation, staff training, or even the institution’s culture. EYLF understands this, which is why it encourages educators to take time and reflect on their practices and values and their effect on children’s development (Ruming & McFarland, 2021). For instance, putting children in groups can help educators observe their interactions and see what needs to be changed. An educator can, for instance, notice that one child does not participate in a playing session, something that can help them reach out, understand why this is so, and make changes to ensure that every child is comfortable to take part in. Such observation can also help the educators to see if their facilitation skills are great or if there is need for improvement. Reflecting on the children’s learning experiences can also help educators to identify areas that require improvement or even some of the practices to completely do away with (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2019). Critical reflection can also help these educators to realize the areas that they might need help with. For instance, if an educator is struggling with handling behavioral problems, they might seek help from other educators who have successfully dealt with this problem, or they might even decide to carry out research (Boyd et al., 2021). Collaboration with other professionals and research can help ensure professional growth, thereby improving the quality of the education and care that these educators give to the young children under their care (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA], 2019). Cultural reflection is one of the EYFL principles since this framework understands that only educators who are continuously learning about their environment and their skills can help build a great foundation for their children that will help them prepare for lifelong learning.
Practices
Responsiveness to children
The role of educators in early childhood education is not to check some boxes and leave it at that. The role of educators is to be responsive to the children under their care. This means that educators need to know the interests of the children, strengths, weaknesses, and needs. To know this, educators need to spend quality time with these children. They also need to observe the children as they learn and play, and even engage them to know their learning styles and preferences. This knowledge can help them to come up with learning strategies tailor-made for each child under their care (Lagerlöf et al., 2022). It can also help them to know the kind of support these children need and how to provide it. For instance, a child might be very good in other areas but struggle with something like reading. This can be especially so when the child’s native language is not English. To help such a child overcome their reading challenges, educators need to understand their native language and how this language differs from English in terms of phonetics and pronunciation. A child whose native language is Spanish or Italian might struggle with reading English since in their language, each letter represents a specific sound while in English one letter can represent various sounds (Cho et al., 2021). Understanding this challenge can help educators to anticipate these challenges whenever a reading session comes up, and even develop strategies to help the children. Responsiveness to children is a practice that can also help educators learn a child’s learning style and use it for maximum benefit. (Lagerlöf et al., 2022) For instance, this practice can help a teacher to notice that one child enjoys music a lot but is struggling in some areas. Such a teacher can use this information to incorporate music into the child’s learning strategy, something that can help them not only perform better but also become more creative and confident.
Learning environments
EYLF emphasizes the need for early childhood educators to create rich, inclusive, and stimulating environments. Such environments can help young children to develop curiosity, a sense of exploration, and creativity. The learning environment that these educators create can be what makes a child develop either into a curious adult or an indifferent adult who has no enthusiasm to learn or explore new ideas or experiences. An indifferent child or adult has no interest in discovering the world and there are comfortable with their little place in the world. This EYLF practice can help ensure that educators bring up children whose curiosity is not snuffed out at a young age (“National quality standard,” 2023). More than curiosity, EYLF encourages educators to create an environment that is flexible and inclusive. Young children need to learn how to exist both in structured and spontaneous environments as this can help them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. For instance, educators can create structured learning experiences such as storytelling or science experiments while still encouraging spontaneity by giving these children open-ended materials such as art supplies that will help them learn how to create. Children in such an environment get to enjoy learning in both indoor and outdoor spaces instead of just being rigid. Such an environment can also help them to engage with the learning materials, the educators, and with each other. It can also help them become independent, learning to exist in any environment they find themselves in (“National quality standard,” 2023). Independence is something that children can learn from a young age. For instance, educators can leave these young children to clear up a playground after a play session, teaching them how to clean up after themselves. A great learning environment can help ensure that educators provide these young children with every opportunity to become all-rounded adults and even prepare them for life-long learning.
Holistic, integrated, and interconnected approaches
EYLF is committed to promoting the interconnectedness of children’s physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. Holistic, integrated, and interconnected approaches is a crucial practice since it helps ensure that educators come up with a curriculum that not only caters to intellectual development but also to all other aspects of development. This is a practice that helps educators learn how to deal with children with behavioral issues. Most of the children with behavioral issues grow to become students who are always cast out of the classroom if this problem is not addressed from a tender age. Children with behaviors such as aggression can grow to become bullies if the educators do not take note of this problem earlier on and seek the help of the family and professionals whenever needed (Justicia-Arráez et al., 2021). This practice can help educators learn how to deal with the emotional outbursts of young children and how to ensure that these outbursts do not become something that defines them as they grow up. Educators can use practices that will not only help these young children calm down whenever they have an outburst, but they can also help them learn how to deal with their conflicts and what to do the next time such an incident happens again. This practice can also help the children to learn how to collaborate and communicate with each other (Ashokan, 2015). For instance, not having enough toys during a play session can help the children learn how to share while the interactive sessions can help them learn how to collaborate. Incorporating various cultural perspectives in the curriculum can also help these children not only to embrace their cultural identity but also embrace and accept their peers regardless of their differences (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership, 2016). Through this practice, educators learn how to address all aspects of development, something that can help the children grow into successful, yet socially and emotionally intelligent adults.
Conclusion
EYLF is a crucial framework for early childhood education as it provides a great guide for educators to follow as they build a strong foundation for the children under their care. EYLF has principles and practices such as respect for diversity, holistic development, sustainability, critical reflection, learning environments, and responsiveness to children. These principles are practices act as a blueprint for educators as they help transform young children into intellectual, well-rounded adults whose all-roundedness is a gift to society.
References
Ashokan, J. (2015). Holistic Approach for Early Childhood Education. Center for EarlyChildhood education & Development.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority [ACECQA]. (2019, November 13). Critical reflection in practice [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/UqjEY-kJFjo
Australian Government Department of Education. (2022). Belonging, being and becoming: Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Commonwealth of Australia.
Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership. (2016, April 21). Respecting local culture, history and language [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/kh1RopJsAPM
Borg, F., & Samuelsson, I. P. (2022). Preschool children’s agency in education for sustainability: The case of Sweden. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 30(1), 147-163. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293x.2022.2026439
Boyd, W., Green, N., & Jovanovic, J. (2021). Learning and Teaching in early childhood: Pedagogies of inquiry and relationships. Cambridge University Press.
Cho, Y., Kim, D., & Jeong, S. (2021). Evidence-based reading interventions for English language learners: A multilevel meta-analysis. Heliyon, 7(9), e07985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07985
Justicia-Arráez, A., Pichardo, M. C., Romero-López, M., & Alba, G. (2021). Can we manage behavioral problems through the development of children’s social-emotional regulated behavior? Longitudinal study of a preschool program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8447. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168447
Lagerlöf, P., Wallerstedt, C., & Pramling, N. (2022). Participation and responsiveness: Children’s rights in play from the perspective of play-responsive early childhood education and care and the UNCRC. Oxford Review of Education, 49(5), 698-712. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2022.2154202
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
Mitchell Dove, L., & Powers, L. E. (2018). Exploring the complexity of hair and identity among African American female adolescents in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 95, 368-376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.10.043
National quality standard. (2023, June 6). ACECQA. https://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard
Ruming, N., & McFarland, L. (2021). ‘When we sat together, it just worked’: Supporting individual and collaborative reflective practice in a team of early childhood educators. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 47(1), 32-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/18369391211052683
Silo, N., Mswela, N., & Seetso, G. (2024). Children’s concepts of the environment: An opportunity for environmental education as a tool for sustainability in Botswana preschools. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-023-01609-1
Watson, K., & Newman, L. (2023). Children’s voices: Inclusive early childhood placemaking with children. Journal of Early Childhood Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718×231195714
