Curriculum
The Early Years Learning Framework:
- Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
- Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
- Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
- Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
National Quality Framework:
- Quality Area 1- Educational program and practice
- Quality Area 2- Children’s Health and Safety
- Quality Area 3- Physical environment
- Quality Area 4- Staffing Arrangements
- Quality Area 5- Relationships with children
- Quality Area 6- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities
Australian Curriculum:
- Understand that language can be used to explore ways of expressing needs, likes and dislikes (ACELA1429)
- Understand the use of vocabulary in familiar contexts related to everyday experiences, personal interests and topics taught at school (ACELA1437)
- Use interaction skills including listening while others speak, using appropriate voice levels, articulation and body language, gestures and eye contact (ACELY1784)
- Practise personal and social skills to interact positively with others (ACPPS004)
- Participate in play that promotes engagement with outdoor settings and the natural environment (ACPPS007)
- Identify actions that promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS006)
- Participate in games with and without equipment (ACPMP009)
- Cooperate with others when participating in physical activities (ACPMP012)
NSW Syllabus:
- Communicates with peers and known adults in informal and guided activities demonstrating emerging skills of group interaction (ENe-1A)
- Responds to and composes simple texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experiences (ENe-11D)
- Uses objects, actions, technology and/or trial and error to explore mathematical problems (Mae-2WM)
- Communicates ways to be caring, inclusive and respectful of others. (PDe3)
- Practises and demonstrates movement skills and sequences using different body parts (PDe-4)
- Explores possible solutions to movement challenges through participation in a range of activities (PDe-5)
- Identifies actions that promote health, safety, wellbeing, and physically active spaces (Pde-7)
- Practises self-management skills in familiar and unfamiliar scenarios (PDe-9)
- Uses interpersonal skills to effectively interact with others (PDe-10)
Other Link/s:
"God loves every person infinitely. ‘Life and physical health are gifts entrusted to us by God and it is everyone’s responsibility to not only take care of oneself but also look to the needs of others."
- Catechism of the Catholic Church – CCC2288
Families
Read
Children’s identities, knowledge, understandings, capacities, skills and relationships change during their childhood years. They are shaped by a variety of different events and circumstances. This reflects a rapid and significant change that occurs in the early years as young children learn and grow. This is a time for young children to begin to learn how to participate fully and actively in society.
A child’s sense of becoming refers to the changes they experience as they grow, learn and develop. Within early childhood, a child’s sense of becoming changes over time as they gain knowledge, extend their understandings, create relationships and develop skills. As children participate in everyday life, they develop interests and construct their own identities and understandings of the world.
Explore
- provide experiences that involve children in the broader community and environment beyond the early childhood setting
- introduce appropriate tools, technologies and media and provide the skills, knowledge and techniques to enhance children’s learning
- value signs of children applying their learning in new ways and talk about this with them in ways that grow their understanding
- support children to construct multiple solutions to problems and use different ways of thinking
- talk with children about their emotions and responses to events with a view to supporting their understandings of emotional regulation and self-control
- engage in interactions with children that promote respect for diversity and value distinctiveness
Teachers
Reflect
Reflect on your knowledge and practice.
Take into consideration the outcomes of the EYLF, Australian curriculum/NSW Syllabus and National Quality Framework (NQF).
Reflective questions for children with diverse learning needs:
- Where have these children come from?
- What are their diverse learning needs?
- What support have they or are they receiving at the moment?
- Where are you taking them?
- What do you expect from them?
- How can you begin to develop them into active and informed citizens?
Think about the pedagogy in your learning environment that builds a sense of becoming for children with diverse learning needs.
This is an opportunity to begin to develop early learners’ participation with the people and world around them by equipping them with the initial skills and knowledge, values and disposition of active and informed members of society.
This is done through having and maintain respectful relationships, recognising their values and skills, allowing them to express themselves and supporting their individuality as well as the individuality of others.
Engage
Engage in a learning dialogue with parents and carers:
- Is there anything in the video that caused you to think different about children with diverse learning needs?
- How can you include and best cater for students with diverse learning needs?
- How can you get to know a family’s children socially, emotionally and cognitively by asking the family particular questions? What questions could you ask of them about their child?
- How are the children showing inclusive practices towards children with diverse learning needs and what can you do to support this?
- Are there any practices for the support of children with diverse learning needs that families are successfully using that you can apply to your learning environment?
Some ideas for activities to support children with diverse learning needs:
- Do a walking tour of their local community. Get to know some of the landmarks and popular shopfronts and shopkeepers. Learning about those in the local community and perhaps some of its history too.
- Talk and discuss how children can be a part of, contribute and make their world a better place
- Have a chook pen for children to look after and learn about.
- Have and maintain a vegetable garden.
- Discuss, write and draw about their hobbies and interests.
- Share stories about their lives and families.
- Share and draw about events and milestones in their lives. Discuss and draw comparisons to others, i.e. classmates/friends.