EYLF Superstars!

Learning Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world

 

•2.1 Children develop a sense of belonging to groups and communities and an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation,

Understanding their role within the room, the service, their family, the wider community.  Help them BELONG..

•2.2 Children respond to diversity with respect,

We are all different and that’s what makes us uniquely perfect!  Celebrate what makes the children the wonderful individuals they are!

•2.3 Children become aware of fairness,

Sharing, turn taking, respecting each other, conflict resolution.

•2.4 Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  This is more than a poster or display, this should be part of your day to day routine.

Excellence in EYLF

Your Actions Speak Louder Than Words..

Learning Outcome 1: Children have  a strong sense of identity.

Here are some tips to help your Educators be EYLF stars!

•      1.1 Children feel safe, secure, and supported,

Give the children lots of cuddles, use positive words and tones, smile, create belonging areas in rooms, encourage the children to succeed.

•      1.2 Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense of agency,

Intentional teaching techniques are understood and used, Educators consistantly develop positive self concepts of children, build confidence in every child's abilities, understand children can lead their learning and enjoy where it takes you!

•      1.3 Children develop knowledgeable and confident self identities,

Respect every child and family, show love, be kind, encourage all attempts, assist children to develop friendships.      

•      1.4 Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy & respect.

Children need to understand what conflict resolution is and to best way resolve their problems, Educators understand the unique personalities and behaviours of every child in their group, children have an understanding of actions and consequences.

Green Mum

Meet Green Mum Deb

Some of Deb's ideas...

Introducing a new piece for you “Green Mum” Deb is a childcare professional who is taking some time out from her career to raise her beautiful Son and Daughter.  Deb is a green Mum if ever we saw one and her tips to green up your home are easy, cost effective and fun.  This months great piece of advice – 

“Are you always buying spring onions?  With the prices of fruit and veg rising the way they are here is an idea that is simple, quick and easy and will mean more money in your pocket!   Next time instead of throwing the root ends in the bin or the compost heap, pop them into a pot close to your kitchen where they will get some sun and before you know it you will have your very own home grown spring onions, simply cut the tops off as you need them.” - Deb

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Nothing say's Summer in Queensland like sweet juicy slices of pineapple.

Fast food companies have jumped on the Pineapple bandwagon and are adding them to hamburgers some are even deep frying them. There are pineapple flavoured slushies and smoothies and there are even pineapple flavoured iced doughnuts on the market at the moment!!

But why would you bother with any of these when the real thing is so easy to grow at home?  All you need to get started is a fresh pineapple and a spare patch in the garden!

Simply cut off the top so you are left with the spiky leaves, no skin or flesh, then just plant the spiky top out in the garden or into a large pot. 
Pineapple plants will take up about 1/2 square metre of space.  You could also pop the top in a container of water for a few days before planting it out into the garden, and before you know it you'll have little roots growing. This is quite fun to do with kids as they can actually see something happening.

Pineapple plants are quite slow growing, taking up to 2 years to fruit and each fruit takes about to 6 months to ripen, but it is truly worth the wait.  So next time you're out and about at the local farmers markets grab a pineapple and have a go at growing some at home.

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Home made goodies are always such a delight to receive.

   So this year, get creative in the kitchen and treat your family and friends to a gorgeously presented home made gift.

This is one of my favorite recipes. It is quick and easy to make and you should have all the ingredients at home already.

Tangy Lemon and Passionfruit Butter

90g organic butter

1/2 cup organic raw sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice (2 - 3 lemons)

2 organic free range eggs

2 tbs passionfruit pulp

Place all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and place on top of a saucepan of simmering water.

Stir for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture thickens.

Then pour your gorgeous tangy butter into some funky jars.

That's it, done, easy peasy!

This recipe makes 2 cups and will keep for several weeks in the fridge.

Intentional Teaching

What is Intentional Teaching: 

By definition, to be intentional means to act purposefully with a goal in mind and to have a plan for accomplishing it. 

Intentional teaching means that Educators act with specific goals in mind for the children in their care and set up the environment accordingly. Intentional teachers have a vast understanding of child development. They must also have a wide range of instructional strategies and know which strategies work best to teach which academic or developmental concept.

Children learn best through child-guided activities, where the children are free to explore and manipulate materials and acquire skills through their own experiences. It is also vital that a fair amount of adult-guided experiences are necessary. In adult-guided experiences, Educators set up experiences where they present information, model skills, and guide the learning toward a specific academic goal. We strive to achieve a good balance between these two types of learning.

Intentional Teaching Tips:

• Understand the developmental abilities of the age group you are with (make sure you have realistic expectations).
• Design your environment in such a way as to encourage curiosity including a large range of natural products. 
• Plan some goals you would like the children in your group to achieve before they move to the next room.
• Incorporate these goals into your curriculum gently guiding the children and flow on from their interest.

Meeting Quality Area 3 Physical Environment:

Quality Area 3

3.1.3 Facilities are designed or adapted to ensure access and participation by every child in the service and to allow flexible use, and interaction between indoor and outdoor space. 

Suggestion: Take photos of all the resources/equipment you have for your outside space, laminate them and then create a ‘child directed outside program’ at child height.  If you use a felt board and attach velcro dots to your photos the children have a visual to choose which items they would like to have outside that day.  The photos assist with language barriers of younger children and ensure the children are crating the outdoor space they want to play in.

Suggestion: Create free flowing indoor and outdoor environments by having activities set up on verandah with an Educator outside and other inside so that children have more space to move, create and learn.  This is an important aspect of the NQS as Officers want to see how easy it is for children to move between in and outdoor playspaces.

So much beauty can be found in nature.  Take the children for a walk outside and ask some questions:

“What shapes can you find?”

“What colours can you see?”

“What trees can you name?”

“What does that feel like?”

Each child’s current knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program

Quality Area 1.1.2 

Each child’s current knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program.

It is important when developing your curriculum that you consider how this is going to happen.  How are you going to ensure EVERY child has been represented within the daily program?  Are their ideas, interests, verbal and non-verbal cues actually being used and extended?

Tip: Make sure your Educators are part of the curriculum development process.  Hold Educator meetings that only focus on your curriculum development.  Try different methods until all Educators are confident and happy with outcome.  Create a small page which is included in your daily program which ensures every child’s voice is heard, this will ensure you are covering the element as long as you extend from here! 

Example Below

Quality Area 1.1.2 Each child’s current knowledge, ideas, culture, abilities and interests are the foundation of the program.

Throughout each day the children are asked what they would like to do and this is recorded below.  Please see the curriculum board/folder for extensions on these activities.  For our younger ones who communicate through gestures, sounds and body language we note below the activities/resources they are currently enjoying or some information from Families regarding needs and interests.

Date:_________________________________________ 

Room:____________________________________________

www.scresources.com.au

Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and use intentional teaching to scaffold and extend each child’s learning.

Quality Area 1

1.2.2 Educators respond to children’s ideas and play and use intentional teaching to scaffold and extend each child’s learning. 

Suggestion: Make a poster with the definition of intentional teaching on it and some examples of how to extend activities further within each age group.  This can be placed near your programming area so that both Educators and Parent can see it and understand it a little better.

Help the children feel as though they belong – do they have a pet? Would they would like to bring a photo in and display in a frame?  Use this pic to start a story: one day I went walking……..