ABOUT
Get to Know More About EYLF
BACKGROUND
Why is ELYF important?
EYLF is Australia’s first national Early Years Learning Framework for early childhood educators. The aim of the framework is to provide evidence and guidance for the design of education programs to enrich children’s learning from birth to five years and through the transition to school. The Council of Australian Governments has developed EYLF to assist educators to provide young children with opportunities to maximise their potential and develop a foundation for future success in learning. In this way, EYLF will contribute to realising the Council of Australian Governments’ vision that: “All children have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation.” EYLF draws on conclusive international evidence that early childhood is a vital period in children’s learning and development.
EYLF A P P R O A C H
How does it work?
It has been developed with considerable input from the early childhood sector, early childhood academics and the Australian and State and Territory Governments. The Framework forms the foundation for ensuring that children in all early childhood education and care settings experience quality teaching and learning. It has a specific emphasis on play-based learning and recognises the importance of communication and language (including early literacy and numeracy) and social and emotional development. The Framework has been designed for use by early childhood educators working in partnership with families, children’s first and most influential educators. Early childhood educators guided by the Framework will reinforce in their daily practice the principles laid out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention).
Being
Childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world.
Being recognises the significance of the here and now in children’s lives. It is about the present and them knowing themselves, building and maintaining relationships with others, engaging with life’s joys and complexities, and meeting challenges in everyday life. The early childhood years are not solely preparation for the future but also about the present.
Belonging
Knowing where and with whom you belong – is integral to human existence. Belonging acknowledges children’s interdependence with others and the basis of relationships in defining identities. In early childhood, and throughout life, relationships are crucial to a sense of belonging. Belonging is central to being and becoming in that it shapes who children are and who they can become.
Becoming
Children’s identities, knowledge, understandings, capacities, skills and relationships change during childhood. They are shaped by many different events and circumstances. Becoming reflects this process of rapid and significant change that occurs in the early years as young children learn and grow. It emphasises learning to participate fully and actively in society.