EYLF PROGRAMMING AND PLANNING DOCUMENTATION

[darmodina]

Hi Lorina,
Thanks for your immediate reply, appreciated very much.
I browsed the editable version of Weekly Curriculum. Could you please explain further the "Current Interest". Is this a "Theme" for the week?? or ??, curious to know about this.
Regards,
Daisy

[Lorina]

Hi Alia,

Welcome to the Aussie Childcae Network forum ! Glad to have you on board...

What exactly is a child initiated activity?

Basically, this means that it's a piece of equipment/resource or an activity a child has requested throughout the day. For e.g. if Little Mary came up to you and said "I want to do cutting with the scissors", this would be child initiated because this would not have been on your program and it's a child request. So on the program you would add "Cutting Using Scissors" and add the icon for child initiated or child input etc...

Last week I put out the Lego letter blocks and waited to see what the children would do with them. When they noticed them, they immediately began to look for the letters in their names and the names of their friends. Although I provided the equipment, I did so because the children have been very interested in the letters in their names

That's a really good experience that your children got involved in.... so the Lego Letter Blocks should be added onto the program as teacher initiated because like you said you provided the equipment however you could add "Using Letter Blocks to Write Our Names" as child interest, then you can expand on this further by using name cards at the writing table, playing name matching game etc...

If the children hazve asked for, selected, requested a piece of equipment/activity/resource that isn't on your program for that particular day then add it onto your program as "Child Initiated". Experiences that they come up with using the piece of equipment can be added as Child Interest if you can extend further upon it...

Hi Daisy,

"Current Interest" is like you said a theme or an interest that the children are interested in for the particular week... It doesn't have to be a specific theme exactly, you can just add what the children are interested in doing. For e.g. "Cooking in HomeCorner".

I hope these clarify your questions and hope you both enjoy the rest of your weekend,

Let me know if you need any further help,

Cheers ,
L.A

[Alisona]

Thanks for your quick response L.A. This certainly clarifies things for me!

Alia

[darmodina]

Thanks Lorina, now i apprehended much.
Daisy

[Alisona]

Hi everyone,
This is just a general query on applying the EYLF outcomes. I have been working in early childhood education for many years using the developmental areas to program, observe and document. I am finding it difficult at times to relate the development skills and concepts I have been using to the EYLF outcomes. The outcomes are so wordy, repetitive and jargon-filled that I seem to spend too much time trying to work out which EYLF outcomes to relate to different activities, skills or concepts. A trainer at a session I went to said the authors of the framework didn't want to 'dumb it down', but I for one would have liked a more user friendly document.
Has anyone else found this? Does anyone know of a 'plain English' version of the outcomes?

Al

[Lorina]

Hi Al,

I understand you are use to using the developmental areas to program, observe and document but since the EYLF has been introduced, there is no need to use the developmental areas just stick to the EYLF Learning Outcomes... It's not about what a child can achieve by a certain age anymore it's more about what the child learns (in reference to the Learning Outcomes). I actually find it easier. Anyways, yes I agree the outcomes are so wordy but you will begin to understand it once you start familiarizing yourself with it. I find the best thing is to have a read through "Understanding the EYLF". For each learning outcome, the EYLF provides examples of evidence to look for and ideas about how to promote learning related to each particular outcome. You can use these examples to get an idea of what Learning Outcome goes with the experiences/activities you set up.

I don't think you will be able to find a simplified version on the Learning Outcomes... they are what they are... however I do have a document I can share with you which has simple definitions of each of the EYLF learning Outcomes.

[attachment=0]EYLF Learning Outcomes Simplified.pdf[/attachment]
I hope this helps you out!

Let me know if you need any further help and I'll try and help you out...

Cheers ,
L.A

[Alisona]

Thank you L.A. I appreciate your help.
Al

[dulciean]

THANkYOU for this simplified information -it's wonderful!

[Lorina]

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you found it easy to understand...

Let me know if you need any help in regards to the EYLF and I'll try to help you out,

Cheers ,
L.A

[Daycare 21]

Hi,
Thank you for allowing me to join this awesome network. We are just starting to implement a curriculum plan similiar to yours and also reflections that are similiar. Just wondering which you feel is more important for the parents to be seeing and getting involved in? We are trying to decide how to display teh plan in our service.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Ta x

[Lorina]

Hi BBear,

Welcome to Aussie Childcare Network! Great to have you on board!

Just wondering which you feel is more important for the parents to be seeing and getting involved in?

Throughout the EYLF it mentions the importance of family involvement which helps to shape each child's individual learning. I also feel that parent involvement is more important to support a child's learning. For example, a parent talks to you about her child's current interest of reading books about dinosaurs. You take that information and add it to your program by providing an experience based on this info and the parent can see how they contributes to their child's learning. I understand that at times it can be hard to get parents involved but by frequently asking them and showing that they are being heard will allow them to contribute more frequently. It is also important for the documentation to be displayed for others to see, however most of the time this goes unnoticed by busy parents. I say designate a wall for all documentations such as programming, reflections etc which can be easily viewed...

Cheers ,
L.A

[ksicky]

I work in the toddler room, where the children don't speak, and often want to do the same activities each day. Is it possible to have an example of a curriculum plan for this age as my research only finds information for pre-school rooms.
Many thanks
Kat

[Lorina]

Hey Kat: I am a room leader in the toddler room so I kinda know what you're saying when you mention that they choose the same activities each day. In this case, I would add extra equipment to the activities that they choose. For example: if your toddlers are very fond of building with lego and they always seem to choose the same lego to play with, you can download and print pictures of lego creations and put them on the table, you could also add people figurines, sea creatures, cars etc... Instead of lego, maybe you could use bigger lego pieces or small blocks... in my opinion if that's what the toddlers are interested in then by all means go with it.

In regards to a curriculum plan you can use the one available on this site, (EYLF Planning Documentations). This works well with any room, especially as it focuses on a play based learning approach.

Let me know, if you need any further assistance and I'll try and help you out!

Hey Everyone: Just wanted to update you all on what I am currently working on. I know there has been alot of discussions in the forum about how to write a learning story or what details to include in a learning story so I'm currently in the process of writing up an article on Learning Stories and designing a template which you could use. I should have it finished over the next couple of weeks and once it goes live on the site I will let you all know.

Enjoy the weekend,

Cheers ,
L.A

[LindyT]

I am so confused with all this. I understand EYLF but just dont seem to get all my paperwork done every day.
I dont know how as 1 person working with 5 children everyday (In FDC) I can get all this achieved!!

[Alisona]

I agree. I am 1 person working with 40 children every day. My assistant doesn't do any paperwork. It overwhelms me.

[Lorina]

Hey Alisona & Lindy: I absolutely agree with your comments! I think centres are so caught up in adjusting and making sure all the new requirements fit in that it causes so much paperwork to get our heads around. I thought I had alot to do... However without the help of my assistants I wouldn't be able to get it done! Try and include all staff within the room to complete paperwork...

Cheers ,
L.A

[LindyT]

I wish I was centre based. Unfortunately as a 1 person operation I am it!

I'd love to discover a 1 page doc that 'ticks' all the boxes. (Nothing wrong with pipe dreams lol)

[cathiek]

Just wanted to say it is great to able to join a forum with ppl who have all the same ?'s as me and not really sure where to direct them!
Thanks LA for all the documents and templates that really give me a starting point for my own documentation.
I say the more people share, the better for all of us implementing the EYLF>
Thanks again.

[cathiek]

Displaying info:
I was just wondering - does each centre/room have do display their weekly plan and philosophy? What else do we have to display to meet EYLF?NQS requirements? I know I have read it somewhere but I have read so much I am lost in paperwork.
Cheers
Cathiek

[fifi31]

Hi Cathiek
I have included everything to do with EYLF. My assistant and I have have our profiles, personal philosophy, photos of children, daily diary/reflection which includes photos, centre philosophy. We also have group learning stories on the board for the week as well as an input poster on the wall for parents. These are just some of the things we have on display.