Mục lục

Reflection Questions for Quality Area 1

by Reflections Educator

Quality Area 1 – Educational Program and Practice

Reflection helps us understand where we are, where we’ve come from and helps us clarify where we’d like to go…

The aim of Quality Area 1 of the National Quality Standard is to ensure that the educational program and practice is stimulating and engaging, and enhances children’s learning and development. In school age care services, the program nurtures the development of life skills and complements children’s experiences, opportunities and relationships at school, at home and in the community.

____________________________________________________________

Standard 1.1 – Program: The educational program enhances each child’s learning and development.

Element 1.1.1 – Approved learning framework:

Curriculum decision-making contributes to each child’s learning and development outcomes in relation to their identity, connection with community, wellbeing, confidence as learners and effectiveness as communicators.
Element 1.1.2 – Child-centred: Each child’s current knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program.
Element 1.1.3 – Program learning opportunities: All aspects of the program, including routines, are organised in ways that maximise opportunities for each child’s learning.

Questions to help guide reflective practice for National Quality Standard 1.1

• How do we develop our understanding of the approved learning framework that we use in our service to foster learning outcomes for all children?
• How do we support all children to progress towards the learning outcomes?
• How do we learn about each child’s knowledge, strengths, ideas, culture, abilities and interests?
• How do we make decisions about children’s daily experiences and routines, and who is involved in making these decisions?
• How do we use the learning outcomes to guide our goals and subsequent planning for individual children and groups of children?
• How do we plan and implement educational programs that are relevant and engaging for children?
• How do we ensure that experiences and routines are child-centred rather than adult-directed or clock-driven?
• How do we support every child’s participation in the program?
• What experiences do we provide for children to work independently and collaboratively?
• How do we use conversations and interactions with children to make routine times enjoyable and meaningful learning opportunities?
• How do we develop a shared understanding of the learning outcomes and their importance to families?
• How do we ensure that children develop strong attachments and a sense of belonging in our service?
• How do we apply our knowledge of learning and development, and the content of the learning framework to this age group?
• How do we incorporate learning outcomes into leisure opportunities and the everyday experiences we provide?
• How do we provide problem-solving, inquiry and challenge-based learning experiences for children to support their prior learning?
• How do we provide a differentiated curriculum that supports children’s varying capabilities, learning styles and interests?
• How do we incorporate the learning outcomes into everyday activities that children experience in the residence?
• What other activities or experiences can be incorporated into our program to ensure a range of learning opportunities for all children?

____________________________________________________________

Standard 1.2 – Practice: Educators facilitate and extend each child’s learning and development.

Element 1.2.1 – Intentional teaching:

Educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions.
Element 1.2.2 – Responsive teaching and scaffolding: Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and extend children’s learning through open-ended questions, interactions and feedback.
Element 1.2.3 – Child directed learning: Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions that influence events and their world.

Questions to help guide reflective practice for National Quality Standard 1.2

• How do we demonstrate intention in our practice and how does this impact on outcomes for children?
• How do we reflect on the range of intentional strategies suggested in the approved learning framework/s to support children’s development and learning (for example, modelling and demonstrating, open questioning, speculating, explaining, engaging in shared thinking and problem-solving?
• How responsive are we to children’s ideas, thinking and interests?
• How do we demonstrate that we value children’s ideas, thinking and interests?
• How do we extend the program and experiences being offered to each child and/or groups of children?
• How can we improve the ways in which we engage children in making decisions about their own learning?
• How do we arrange activities, routines and the physical environment to support children to make choices about what they would like to do and how they will do it?
• Do we provide children with the opportunity to make choices in circumstances where we promote their agency?
• How do planned or intentional aspects of the program support spontaneous play and leisure experiences initiated by children?

____________________________________________________________

Standard 1.3 – Assessment and planning: Educators and co-ordinators take a planned and reflective approach to implementing the program for each child.

Element 1.3.1 – Assessment and planning cycle: Each child’s learning and development is assessed or evaluated as part of an ongoing cycle of observation, analysing learning, documentation, planning, implementation and reflection.
Element 1.3.2 – Critical reflection: Critical reflection on children’s learning and development, both as individuals and in groups, drives program planning and implementation.
Element 1.3.3 – Information for families: Families are informed about the program and their child’s progress.

Questions to help guide reflective practice for National Quality Standard 1.3

• How do we ensure that the way we document and plan for children’s learning aligns with current approaches?
• How can we work collaboratively with each family to share information about children’s learning, development and participation in the program?
• How do we recognise and support continuity of learning at the service, and how does information gathered from each child’s home, school or other support service inform planning for continuity of learning?
• What do we do to critically reflect on and evaluate the program, how is this documented and how are our evaluations used to make informed curriculum decisions to improve outcomes for children?
• How do we use critical reflection when discussing programs with colleagues?
• How do we critically reflect on all aspects of pedagogical practice so that quality improvements occur?

____________________________________________________________

References for Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice + Further Reading

The Guide to the NQS chapter, within the Guide to the NQF, draws from a number of useful resources and publications. These are listed below for further reading.

Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice

Ailwood, J., Boyd, W., & Theobald, M. (Eds.) (2016). Understanding Early Childhood Education and Care in Australia: Practices and Perspectives, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, Australia.
Arthur, L., Beecher, B., Death, E., Dockett, S. & Farmer, S. (2015). Programming and Planning in Early Childhood Settings (6th ed.), Cengage Learning, Melbourne, Australia.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (2011). National Quality Standard Resource List, retrieved 14 September 2017 from

http://www.acecqa.gov.au/nqf/national-quality-standard/quality-area-1-e…, last updated 2016.
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (2016). Occasional Paper 1, retrieved 19 September 2017 from

http://www.acecqa.gov.au/resources/research#OP, last updated 2017.
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2016). The Arts, retrieved 16 August 2017 from

https://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/learning-areas-subjects/the-arts
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority & Early Childhood Australia (2011). Foundations for Learning: Relationships Between the Early Years Learning Framework and the Australian Curriculum, retrieved 14 September 2017 from

https://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/ECA_ACARA_Foundations_Paper_FINAL.p…
Australian Early Development Census (2014). Our Children, Our Communities, Our Future, retrieved 14 September 2017 from

http://www.aedc.gov.au/

, last updated 2015.
Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2009). Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2010). Educators Belonging, Being and Becoming: Educators’ Guide to the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia.
Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2011). My Time, Our Place: Framework for School Age Care in Australia.
Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2012). Educators My Time, Our Place: Educators’ Guide to the Framework for School Age Care in Australia.
The Australian Human Rights Commission and Early Childhood Australia (2014). Supporting Young Children’s Rights: Statement of Intent, retrieved 16 September 2017 from

https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/supporting_young_chi…
Berk, L. (2013). Child Development (9th ed.), Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA.
Campbell, C., Jobling, W. & Howitt, C. (2015). Science in Early Childhood (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Cheeseman, S. & Fenech, M. (2012). The Early Years Learning Framework: Essential Reading for the National Quality Standard, Early Childhood Australia, Canberra, Australia.
Chng, A. (2015). Documenting Children’s Learning, Early Childhood Australia, Canberra, Australia.
Cologon, K. (Ed.) (2014). Inclusive Education in the Early Years: Right from the Start, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (2013). The Art of Awareness: How Observation Can Transform Your Teaching (2nd ed.), Redleaf Press, St. Paul, MN.
Degotardi, S. & Pearson, E. (2014). The Relationship Worlds of Infants and Toddlers: Multiple Perspectives from Early Years Research and Practice, Open University Press, Maidenhead, England.
Donohue, C. (Ed.) (2014). Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years: Tools for Teaching and Learning, Routledge & The National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, DC.
Early Childhood Australia (2017). Research in Practice Series, retrieved 18 September 2017 from

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-publications/research-pra…
Ebbeck, M. & Waniganayake, M. (Eds.) (2016). Play in Early Childhood Education: Learning in Diverse Contexts (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Ewing, R., Callow, J. & Rushton, C. (2016). Language and Literacy in Early Childhood, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Farrell, A. & Pramling Samuelsson, I. (Eds.) (2016). Diversity in the Early Years: Intercultural Learning and Teaching, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Australia.
Fleer, M. (2013). Play in the Early Years, Cambridge University Press, London, England.
Fleer, M. & Raban, B. (2007). Early Childhood Literacy and Numeracy: Building Good Practice, Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Canberra, Australia.
Fleet, A., De Gioia, K. & Patterson, C. (2016). Engaging With Educational Change: Voices of Practitioner Inquiry, Bloomsbury, London, England.
Fleet, A., Patterson, C. & Robertson, J. (2012). Conversations: Behind Early Childhood Pedagogical Documentation, Pademelon Press, Kiama, Australia.
Fleet, A., Patterson, C. & Robertson, J. (2017). Pedagogical Documentation in Early Years Practice: Seeing through Multiple Perspectives, Sage, London, England.
Giugni, M., Mundine, K. (eds.) (2011). Talkin’ Up and Speakin’ Out: Aboriginal and Multicultural Voices in Early Childhood, Pademelon Press, Kiama, Australia.
Gowrie Australia (2010). Assessment in the Early Years: A Resource from Gowrie Australia, Lady Gowrie Child Centre, Adelaide, Australia.
Harvard University Center on the Developing Child Resource Library (2017). Resource Library, retrieved 19 September 2017 from

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources
Knaus, M. (2013). Maths is all Around You: Developing Mathematical Concepts in the Early Years, Teaching Solutions, Melbourne, Australia.
Kolbe, U. (2014). Children’s Imagination: Creativity under Our Noses, Peppinot Press, Ballina, Australia.
Lynch, S., Pike, D. & áBeckett (eds.) (2017). Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Play from Birth and Beyond, Springer, Singapore.
McArdle, F., Gibson, M. & Zollo, L. (2015). Being an Early Childhood Educator: Bringing Theory and Practice Together. Allen & Unwin, Sydney, Australia.
McLachlan, C., Fleer, M. & Edwards, S. (2013). Early Childhood Curriculum: Planning, Assessment and Implementation (2nd ed.), Cambridge University Press, London, England.
Millikan, J. & Giamminuti, S. (2014). Documentation and the Early Years Learning Framework, Pademelon Press, Kiama, Australia.
O’Connor, A. & Diggins, C. (2002). On Reflection: Reflective Practice for Early Childhood Educators, Open Mind Publishing, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
Ollhoff, L. & Ollhoff, J. (2012). Keys to Quality Afterschool Care: Environments, Relationships and Experiences, retrieved 18 September 2017 from

https://www.pakeys.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Keys-to-Quality-After…
Page, J. & Tayler, C. (Eds.) (2016). Learning and Teaching in the Early Years, Cambridge University Press, London, England.
Patterson, C. & Fleet, A. (2011). Planning in the Context of the Early Years Learning Framework: Powerful, Practical and Pedagogically Sound, Early Childhood Australia, Canberra, Australia.
Pelo, A. (2016). The Language of Art: Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings (2nd ed.), Redleaf Press, St. Paul, MN.
Scarlet, R. R. (Ed.) (2016). The Anti-Bias Approach in Early Childhood (3rd ed.), MultiVerse, Sydney, Australia.
Sims, M. (2013). Program Planning for Infants and Toddlers (2nd ed.), Pademelon Press, Kiama, Australia.
South Australian Department of Education and Children’s Services (2008). Assessing for Learning and Development in the Early Years Using Observation Scales: Reflect, Respect, Relate, Department of Education and Children’s Services Publishing, Adelaide, Australia.
Tucker, K. (2014). Mathematics through Play in the Early Years (3rd ed.), Sage, London, England.
Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (2016). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework, retrieved 19 September 2017 from

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/childhood/providers/edcare/ve…
Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (2017a). What, Why and How? Pedagogy with Very Young Children, retrieved 19 September 2017 from

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/earlyyears/whatwhyhow_booklet_Web…
Victorian Curriculum Assessment Authority (2017b). Babies and Toddlers: Amazing Learners, retrieved 19 September 2017 from

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Pages/earlyyears/video/babies-and-toddlers.a…
Western Australia School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Pre-Primary to Year 10 Western Australian Curriculum, retrieved 19 September 2017 from

https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home

_______________________________________________________________

Want to learn more? Head over to our next blog: Reflection Questions for Quality Area 1

References for this Publication:

Quality Area 1 – Educational program and practice | ACECQA

The Guide to the National Quality Standard