July 2013 NQF & NQS Tips from SCR

National Quality Standards & National Quality Framework  

QA 1.1.6 Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions and influence events and their world.
 
We want children to be confident within their environment and be able to choose activities based on interest. Promoting a child's agency means letting them self select, giving them the wonderful skill of independence is a key quality needed to prepare them not only for school but life as well.

Make sure items are at child height (of course you need to make the environment safe but don’t restrict them too much) so they can select what they want to play with.
Be aware of the age group you are working with – they are capable of much more than we think so let them wash their hands and faces, put their sunscreen on, select foods, dress themselves etc.

Slow down and have realistic expectations! What does it matter if the children take half an hour to put their shoes on?? When you take over you rob them of experiencing the wonderful feeling of achievement and pride that comes with completing a task all by themselves.

The children will let you know usually with a rather big tantrum if you are not promoting their sense of agency!!

 

Quality Area 1.1.5 Every child is supported to participate in the program.  

This ties in well with our EYLF Tuesday tip! By providing activities that encourage a child’s sense of agency we support them to participate in the program. Provide an environment in which children can be curious, ask questions, extend their learning and feel as though they BELONG!

Some handy hints:

• Within the older groups – ask the children what they want do for the day. Encourage this by asking ‘is there anything else you need?’ ‘Can some of your friends help you with this?’ ‘Have we got the resources you need?’ etc. Within the younger groups provide a range of activities and resources that the children can naturally select based on their interest. If you have had some family involvement make sure that has been incorporated into the program as well.

•   Belonging displays assist in making the child feel as though they are supported and nurtured.

• When documenting – be sure to include each child – have you spoken to each child today? Have you observed every child interacting within their environment and with their peers? Have you given some of your time to each child?

In the end it is not what we provide for children but the time we have given them that they remember!