“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is: Positive educator to child interactions
Element 5.1.1: Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
How does your Service continually implement strategies to learn relevant, detailed information about the interests, preferences, cultures, histories, traditions, beliefs, child-rearing practices, languages and lifestyle choices of children and their families?
Services should ensure that information about the needs and cultures of individual children and their families is maintained and is current to foster respectful, reciprocal, nurturing, positive relationships as well as experience a sense of belonging.
Children who are supported to explore and understand their cultural, social, gender and linguistic identities also experience a sense of belonging that fosters self-esteem. Self-esteem contributes to the development of identity and is critical to children’s capacity to understand their own strengths, capabilities and interests. When children feel safe, secure and supported, they grow in confidence to explore and learn (Early Years Learning Framework; Framework for School Age Care).
Services should ensure that when taking new enrolments and re-enrolling children for the upcoming year, they collect updated information about the individual needs of children to assist in meeting their individual and ever-changing needs, supporting the development of new and fostering pre-existing trusting and nurturing relationships.
Request families to provide this background information about their child before they commence care to allow educators to plan for children’s specific needs. Ensure this is filed in the child’s individual folder or attached to their enrolment form. Collect the same information in a separate form and have parents and children update the form periodically as children’s needs, interests and circumstances change. Information could include:
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- a recent photo of the child
- child’s days/sessions of attendance
- child’s interests, preferences, likes and dislikes
- favourite toys, books, games, sports and foods
- areas of interest: construction, reading, sand play, dramatic play, arts and crafts, music etc.
- patterns of sleeping and resting, including details of any comforters (soft toy, dummy song/music)
- particular words, phrases or visual cues that the parent uses to communicate with their child
- friends or relatives attending the service
- siblings, pets and loved ones in their life
- feeding/eating routines/habits and preferences
- nappy changing, toilet training or toileting routines
- language/s spoken at home
- cultural background, traditions and celebrations
- behaviour management/reinforcement strategies that may be used at home
- goals for their child for the year/semester
Resources:
We Hear You- Creative Positive Meal Times
Autism Spectrum: Positive Mealtimes
Empathetic Educators and Outside School Hours Care
We Hear You- Proactively Promoting Inclusion
Within System7 go to Quality Area 5/ Module 1 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with positive interactions including: Interactions with Children, Families and Staff Policy, All About Me-Child Introduction Form, Philosophy Development and Review Procedure, Behaviour Guidance forms and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 5/5.1.1: Positive educator to child interactions
National Regulations – 155, 156 & 168 (2) (j)
System7 Module – QA 5/ Module 1
If you have any questions send us a note via the Contact page here!
