In Quality Area 5: Relationships with Children, early learning services are tasked with fostering strong, responsive, and respectful relationships that are central to children's emotional development, learning, and sense of belonging. This quality area emphasizes the importance of creating an environment where children feel safe, valued, and understood, which is fundamental to their overall well-being and ability to engage in learning.
5.1 Respectful and Equitable relationships are maintained with each child
5.2 Each child is supported to build and maintain sensitive and responsive relationships
What are we trying to achieve?
Our goal is to ensure that all children in our care are properly supervised in order to ensure child safety.
What are we doing?
Read theory-based research on behaviour in early childhood, in particular, research by Louise Porter and 'needs-driven' behaviour as advised by Melissa Taylor-Handsford.
Acquire and share resources surrounding needs-drive behaviour with all educators so that they can develop a better understanding of the benefits of said approach, and the needs to make changes within our service.
ELE5.1.1 - Positive educators and child interaction: Responsive and meaningful interactions build trusting relationships which engage and support each child to feel secure, confident and included.
Our service believes role modelling respectful and meaningful relationships with each other and actively engaging with families as this helps to shapes ongoing relationships with children.
A meaningful relationship between educators and children is built through meaningful, positive and respectful interactions. This allows educators to better understand and support each child's individual needs, which allows them to plan meaningful learning experiences accordingly.
Regular staffing and having same educators in each room ensures children and families can build trusting relationships.
Management recognises educators strengths, personalities and rapport with each other and allocate room educators accordingly. Management give educators choices or room allocations yearly.
Evidence: Observations of interactions, Rostering arrangements, Kidsoft documentation, Enrolment form
ELE5.1.2 - Dignity and rights of the child: The dignity and rights of every child are maintained.
The centre networks with support agencies to foster inclusiveness of every child. Our educators are confident and capable of completing referrals to QLD health, ACCS referrals and to make reports to various child protection agencies. We also work in partnerships with external professionals and services such as speech, occupational therapists, and local school.
We have a strong relationship and work closely with our Gold Coast inclusion officer who provides us with completing referrals, provides us with strategies to support children in the classroom and educational resources for educators to use to support learning and development if required.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights Of the Child guides curriculum decision making across the service.
Children and encouraged and supported to make choices and participate in the decision making process.
Evidence: The service referral processes, Curriculum documentation, parent conversations children’s file documentation, parent meetings. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child guides curriculum decision making across the service, Program routines and practices
ELE5.2.1 - Collaborative learning : Children are supported to collaborate, learn from and help each other.
The daily routine is flexible and allows for opportunities for uninterrupted play. We have taken on the slow pedagogy approach. No rooms have clocks and the daily routine flows according to children readiness.
The morning routine outside allows opportunities for children to freely explore their environment and join in our progressive morning tea when they are ready. Educators observe children in play and consider their interests and will use this information to plan for daily transitions.
We provide morning and afternoon groupings, where children interact with different age groups, siblings and children at different developmental milestones. This enhances children social, cognitive, language and motor development.
Educators model collaborative behaviours through their interactions with children and colleagues and provide experiences that encourage children to work together within their environments.
Evidence - Curriculum documents, Daily Routines, Educator and child engagement, Flexible indoor/outdoor routine, Daily routines – multi-age groupings
ELE5.2.2 - Self Regulation: Each child is supported to regulate their own behaviour, respond appropriately to the behaviour of others and communicate effectively to resolve conflicts.
Children are encouraged to listen to one another as well as discuss feelings and emotions, fair and unfair behavior, bias and prejudice. In order to support individual children's behavior, educators observe, record, and implement strategies.
The service works in collaboration with various support services, the Department of Education and Inclusion Support to develop individual plans and strategies to support the inclusion of all children. The service welcomes therapists into the service who work to support individual children.
Evidence: Everyday routines and group times, Curriculum documents, Service Inclusion Plan, Policies and procedures
Observations and records.
Practice is embedded in service operations
5.2.1 Collaborative Learning Children are supported to collaborate, learn from and help each other:
We have whole group times where the children can contribute to discussion and share their opinions. We also have small group times where we practice skills such as taking turns, sharing, and fine motor skills. We encourage children to use common signs and language when responding to other’s behaviour and children are encouraged to share with educators any problems or concerns they are having.
Practice is informed by critical reflection
Practice is shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or community