Creating a Child-Safe and Engaging Learning Environment
1. The different National Quality Standards are a set of pre- determined rules that are to be followed by all medical professionals in Australia, in order to ensure that the quality of care is superior.
- Designing physical spaces: Quality Area 3 plays a very important role in determining the proper design of physical spaces.
- Collaborating with families: Quality Standard 6 as well as standard 6.1 outlines strategies necessary for this.
- Including children in designing curriculum: Quality area 1 are responsible for discussing this.
- b) The regulation 110 talks about the importance of natural lighting and ventilation for the well- being of the children. The regulation 113 states that having the appropriate outdoor space and natural environment has a positive impact on the child.
- c) Regulation 114 talks about the importance of having shades in the outdoor space.
- The practices enlisted in ELYF are being outlined below.
- Secure, respectful and reciprocal relationships
- Partnerships
- High expectations and equity
- Respect for diversity
- Ongoing learning and reflective practice
1. Responsiveness to children’ as outlined within the EYLF indicates helping build on children’s existing skills and strengths. This helps the child learn faster. A child often becomes responsive when they are included as a part of different activities, as well as their choices and opinions are being taken into account. In order to incorporate responsiveness in a child, the following strategies might be used.
The needs of a child are to be met as per the ELYF guidelines, thus the physical appearance of the place where they are playing or learning should be determined to help them in the process of learning. Child- safe furniture along with sun light is helpful in this regard. However, if major changes are to be made within the same, the children are to be included in the decision- making process for the same.
1. The Early Years Learning Framework (ELYF) aims to educate and assist children and their family members in understanding their learning outcomes at different stages of their growth, and aiding better incorporation of the same, by collaborating with the families of the students.
1. a) The learning environment plays a very important role in the education process of young children. The same should be designed in accordance to the necessities of a young child. The space should be open and clean. The different supplies necessary for the proper implementation of their learning outcomes should also be available within a safe learning environment.
2. b) A number of different things need to be taken into consideration when designing and developing a proper learning environment for young children. The same are being listed below.
- Being aware of the cultural necessities of the young students
- The safety and the well- being of the children are also to be monitored
- Adding age -appropriate engaging activities to promote cognitive and analytical thinking
3 c) The three questions an educator might ask of themselves while designing a learning environment are being listed below.
- Will this environment safe for the children?
- Are they engaged while studying within this space?
- Are their cultural and social needs being upheld in the design?
- d) The different aspects of the physical environment for different age groups are being outlined below.
- Babies and toddlers: Safety, growth, better motor functions that help in strengthening their muscles, proper nap time and place.
- Children aged three to five: Proper interaction with other children, collaboration, safety, development of motor skills and easy puzzle like activities.
- Children aged six to ten: Independent activities, group activities, creative thinking skills, cognitive skills training with toys and other short problem- scenarios.
1. a) A holistic approach to learning is defined as the method of learning that fulfils all the different needs and wants of a child. For example, their intellect, emotions, imagination as well as their physical well- being are to be addressed with proper developmental strategies that are to be implemented by the educator.
2. b) The family members of a child are a very important part of the learning process of a child and therefore, educators need to collaborate them in order to ensure that the child was able to retain the skills that they have developed, or any issue that they might be facing in their home environment pertaining to education.
The different strategies that an educator might devise and implement to improve parental involvement in the process of learning are being outlined and discussed below.
- Identifying the connection between the parents and the child
- Providing flexible timings to ensure that parents are able to become a part of the process.
- School meeting with the parents can be conducted remotely so that all parents can take part.
- Providing proper instructions to them, so any issues related to learning development can be managed at home without the parents.
- Conducting a monthly meeting with the parents to identify any concerns that they might have.
- Ensuring the child has a positive learning environment at home.
3. The children’s voices are often recorded when trying to introduce a new and engaging topic. It allows the children to become confident in stating their own opinions. They are also made to feel important, which helps promote proper learning. This can be done for a class play or during a show- and -tell class discussion.
- A child’s enrolment form outlines a number of important information regarding a child, which are being listed below.
- Their primary and emergency contact information
- Child’s health history
- Risk of allergies if any
Improving Parental Involvement
1. b) The purpose of collecting information through various forms of observational methods is to be aware of the child’s holistic needs. This helps the educator immensely in customizing the learning process of the child accordingly.
2. c) Three methods of collecting information through observations are being noted below.
- Child enrolment form
- Time samples
- Work Samples
Different methods of observation are used as it allows the educator to compare the data from the same, to identify the areas of learning they are struggling with.
The data that has been is collected by the educators through observation and other methods are very useful, as the analysis of the same reveals the different issues that is disrupting the learning process of a child. The ELYF program has its own set of rules and policies that are to be followed at all times in order to ensure that the same are being followed by the educator. The analysis of this data reveals whether or not the students are being taught in adherence to the relevant laws and policies.
1. Pedagogical practices are the method or process that an educator has to follow when teaching young children. Their modes of operation, feedback as well as learning tests are unique to them. However, ELYF framework outlines the basic rules that an educator should follow, irrespective of their own pedagogical practices, to ensure that all processes are being carried out in an ethical manner.
2. Sustained shared thinking is the process of two or more individuals coming together to solve a problem.
Organizing a project or task that the children have to complete in groups is an example of sustained shared thinking.
The strategies that might be used to deal with the same are being outlined below.
- To increase group activities
- Proper environment for learning
- The role of parents
Reflected practices are defined by the process of introspection for the teacher which allows them to analyse the strategies and methods that they use within the classroom. The reflective process reveals the areas where the strategies have to be revised, in order to improve their efficiency as an ELYF educator. This is to be done on regular intervals in order to ensure that reflective process is not discontinued.
- The adherence to the ELYF protocols and policies during the process of learning. This is essential for all educators, as it helps a child slowly understand and then transition into the same. It also helps ensure that holistic care and education is being provided to the student, and their development process is being supported properly.
- Making and keeping better relationship with the relevant child’s parents, and including them as a part of learning process. Strategies implemented in this area is also to be reflected upon. New strategies might be introduced, if necessary.
- Ensuring the students’ safety was the utmost concern as an educator, and implementing the necessary strategies for the same.
Learning environment and the appreciation of natural environment:
As an ELYF educator in Australia, it is my responsibility to ensure that the learning environment has been made keeping up with all the policies and regulations outlined with the ELYF framework, while also ensuring that it meets the need of all of my students. This is essential because in my experience I have observed that students, especially open up more and show additional enthusiasm when they are in an environment that is safe and engaging for them. Without a proper learning environment, a child is often to not able to reach their full potential, and therefore their learning process is being disrupted.
On other hand, I have also observed that engaging with nature and sunlight plays a major role in mood elevation among young children. It is helpful in the creation of the optimistic environment. The observations that I note down from my students, it also helps me in understanding the other features that will be necessary for in order to accommodate the needs of my students.
Analyzing Data to Identify Areas for Improvement
With all of this in mind, I prepare a proper learning experience for the students. I also try to include succulents and other plants in order to incorporate nature into the classroom itself. The play area however, has been located outdoors, in adherence to the safety concerns outlined by ELYF. The cultural needs of each of the students are to be prioritized, and the same should be upheld.
Organisational polices, standards and procedures:
Like every other organization or initiative, ELYF has its own policies and regulations that helps educators follow the same standard rules, anywhere in Australia. The organizational policy here is to ensure that little children are being transitioned into the process of learning smoothly and that all of their needs and wants were to be met. Therefore, helping the engage with the different aspects of their own being, physical, emotional, mental and developmental allows for them to reach their full potential, and that is the organizational policy of ELYF.
The standards that educators have to follow when teaching a class are very strict and straightforward. A few of the standards that have been outlined are that of safety, anti- discrimination policies, curriculum as well a cultural sensitivity. It then becomes the responsibility of the teacher to properly analyse these policies, before implementing the same with modifications for their own students.
Design, educational learning policy and service philosophy:
My learning area needs to be a big room that can fit all my students. There are digital and normal boards, a number of different cognitive toys that will help the children develop at a steady rate. As outlined before, the safety of my students is of utmost importance to me. Therefore, all furniture within the learning environment has to be safe for young children. Having a bright and colourful learning environment is a positive influence on their experience, and encourages them to interact with the same. A nap area is also an essential part of the ideal learning environment for my students.
The main aim as well as the policy of ELYF states that providing a comprehensive or holistic education to the students at their early stages of development. The educational policy also outlines that the child’s creative and innovation related needs should be addressed as well. The policy essentially states that the academic education is not the only aspect for the learning experience of a child.
As an individual who has been trained as an ELYF educator in Australia, I have learnt that all students are an individual, and are unique in their own way. But I have also learnt that knowing and interacting with these children helps an educator truly understand their issues that they are facing. This is helpful for me, as I will be able to identify the issue and implement strategic interventions to help resolve the same. I also believe that my own service philosophy as an educator is to ensure an excellent learning environment, necessary resources and support to a child in order to help them get accustomed to the different basic aspects of education itself. Furthermore, these guidelines developed by ELYF are very effective.