“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Program learning opportunities.
Element 1.1.3: All aspects of the program, including routines, are organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child’s learning.
Has your team recently reflected on how educators intentionally design and extend responsive programs and routines, informed by each child’s strengths and interests, to maximise learning opportunities?
Program learning opportunities aren’t limited to planned experiences within the educational program. They occur:
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- across the day, during play, routines, transitions and interactions
- in both planned and unplanned moments and experiences
- when educators are alert and responsive to extend learning in each moment and interaction.
Quality programs are flexible and holistic, ensuring children and young people have the time, space and flexibility to be curious, explore their interests and ideas in depth.
Meaningful learning opportunities are grounded in what educators know about each child and strengthened through intentional, responsive teaching. Educators draw on observations, and assessment of learning (1.3.1) to plan from children’s identified and communicated interests, strengths and ideas (1.1.2), ensuring opportunities are relevant, engaging and connected to children’s identity.
At the same time, educators are deliberate in their decision-making (1.2.1) and responsive to children’s cues and thinking (1.2.2), actively extending learning through questioning, modelling and the introduction of new concepts. This means the program is not static, it evolves as children’s interests, abilities and understanding develop.
The outcome of these quality practices is educators enriching play and learning rather than directing it, knowing when to step in, when to step back, and how to intentionally deepen learning in meaningful ways.
Element 1.1.3 also requires programs and learning environments to be organised in ways that support the participation, engagement and inclusion for all children.
This includes:
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- adjusting ensure access, participation and engagement
- considering diverse needs and abilities, cultures, contexts and barriers to learning.
When assessing your quality practices for standard 1.1 and more specifically element 1.1.3, consider some of the below reflective questions to guide your team in identifying strengths and areas of improvement:
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- How are children’s evolving interests, strengths and ideas shaping the program?
- Where are we intentionally extending children’s thinking, and where might opportunities be missed?
- How do we intentionally design learning opportunities that support children to develop skills in both independent and collaborative contexts?
- In what ways do we critically reflect on the effectiveness of our program to ensure it remains flexible, intentional, relevant and meaningful, rather than routine or repetitive?
- How do we seek, value and utilise family insights about children’s interests, culture and strengths to shape the program and leaning opportunities?
- How do we identify which learning opportunities are genuinely engaging children and young people and plan follow up experiences to scaffold learning?
- In what ways are family perspectives meaningfully reflected in our learning opportunities?
- How does our program reflect the cultural, social and community context of the service?
- What strategies do we implement during routines and transitions to support positive and meaningful learning opportunities for children and young people?
- How do we ensure children and young people experience a strong sense of belonging through the educational program, experiences and routines?
- How do our learning opportunities support children’s agency and decision-making?
- In what ways do we create opportunities and provide support for children and young people to confidently participate and take appropriate risks in learning and recreational experiences?
- How are everyday experiences, transitions and routines used to build children and young people’s independence and confidence?
- How do we intentionally design the program to enable meaningful participation and engagement for every child, including through reasonable adjustments for children with a disability?
- How do we intentionally and consistently identify, challenge and remove attitudinal and practical barriers to support equitable access, participation and engagement for all children?
- What strategies do we consistently implement to gather and incorporate children and young people’s contributions into program planning and the organisation of routines and transitions?
Exploring the exceeding themes for standard 1.1:
Practice is embedded in service operations:
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- How do all educators ensure, and can they articulate how curriculum decisions are consistently aligned with the service philosophy and the approved learning framework/s?
- How confidently do all educators make curriculum decisions throughout the day to maximise each child’s learning and development?
- How effectively and consistently does the team collaborate to ensure the program and learning opportunities (including routines and transitions) are responsive to children’s knowledge ideas, abilities and skills to consistently maximise learning opportunities for every child across all contexts?
Practice is informed by critical reflection:
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- How is the service’s approach to curriculum decision-making reflective of ongoing debate and professional dialogue, encompassing input by all educators and informed by professional inquiry, past incidents, recognised guidance, theories and research?
- How do coordinators, educators and the educational leader individually and collaboratively reflect on:
- and evaluate the effectiveness of the program and broader opportunities to enhance children’s learning, development and wellbeing?
- missed and future opportunities to extend learning?
- the effectiveness of routines and transitions as learning opportunities?
- how children’s evolving interests and strengths are shaping the program?
- issues of equity, inclusion and social justice to ensure all children’s rights and circumstances are considered?
- the cultural responsiveness of the program and learning opportunities, including the inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives?
Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community:
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- How does the service consistently and meaningfully engage with families to inform understandings of each child’s strengths, culture, interests and learning?
- In what ways is family knowledge and input reflected in the educational program and learning opportunities?
- How does the service demonstrate a commitment to meaningful engagement with families and the community to embed Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander perspectives in all aspects of the program to foster learning and sense of belonging?
- How do educators consistently engage with and provide meaningful information to families about children’s knowledge and wellbeing to support continuity of learning across all environments, including online environments?
Resources:
Guide to the NQF: Element 1.1.3: Program learning opportunities, Exceeding guidance for Standard 1.1: Program
EYLF- Continuity and transitions
EYLF- Play-based learning and intentionality
(MTOP) Play, leisure and intentionality
Within System7 go to Quality Area 1/Module 3 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with documenting educational program and practice. These include Educational Program and Practice Policy and procedure, Assessment and Planning Cycle Guide and Procedure, Additional Needs Policy, Multicultural Policy, Observation Record, Program template, Assessment and Planning Cycle audits, Critical Reflection Template, Meeting Minutes templates and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
The Desktop – The Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA1 / Element: 1.1.3- Program Learning Opportunities
National Regulations – 73– Educational program, 74-Documenting of child assessments or evaluations for delivery of educational program , 155– Interactions with children, 156– Relationships in groups
System7 Module – QA1 / Module 3
If you have any questions, send us a note via the Contact page here!
