Early Learning Outcomes: revolutionising learning

Youngacademics, 16 Aug 2018

Sending your child to childcare means giving them an opportunity to learn prior to and beyond school-based learning, which involves reading, writing and understanding numbers. In alignment with the Early Years Learning Framework, childcare centres act as the driving force in allowing your child to belong, to be, and to become, the best version of themselves.

What are Early Learning Outcomes?

Early learning refers to any educational program prior to the commencement of Kindergarten. For many, learning refers to reading, writing and understanding numbers. However, dare we say, this is not the case. Learning is ongoing and is now, more than ever, multifaceted.

“All children have the best start in life to create a better future for themselves and for the nation.” - Dept. of Education and Training, EYLF.

Outcomes for all stages, from pre-kindergarten to Year 12, are set by the Department of Education and Training. Unlike school-based outcomes (K-12), early learning outcomes are focused on the cognitive, emotional, physical, social and academic development of children. This means that preschool learning has stemmed away from the ‘textbook’ and has taken many forms, even through playing, shifting the focus towards the progression of skills and behaviour throughout each stage of a child’s development. Early Learning Outcomes include:

Outcome 1: Identity

Outcome 2: Community

Outcome 3: Wellbeing

Outcome 4: Learning

Outcome 5: Communicating

A detailed explanation of these outcomes can be found via the DET website: EYLF

Alike the ideology behind them, early learning outcomes shift the conventional ‘teacher-centred’ learning process to a ‘play-based’ approach. Although this shift may seem confusing (childcare staff are not glorified babysitters), what is at focus is the alignment of the purpose of childcare and education - how do they work together?

Early Learning Outcomes and education: what is the connection?

Education is a concept difficult to define. In simplest terms, education is learning. What learning involves is even more arduous to describe. Traditionally, the establishment of childcares was mainly focused on gaining the necessary life skills relating to hygiene; sleeping, feeding, using the bathroom, etc. Therefore, the positioning of childcare in relation to education and learning is still disputable.

Today, early childhood education and teaching philosophy has shifted. Early childcare in Australia is now synonymous to education, bringing early learning outcomes to the forefront of a child’s learning journey:

"Our childcare and education systems must be high-quality, affordable and accessible for families. They are vital to Australia’s future successes." - Malcolm Turnbull

The common ground between education and childcare is that ‘real’ learning is learning for the success in the ‘real world.’ Early learning is the avenue and is considered to expose and enrich skills which can be practically obtained by children, without the pressure of the ‘classroom.’ Early learning outcomes are creating a new agenda and purpose for learning; relevance in the 21st century.

Enquire now to see how Young Academics preschool learning activities can help your child achieve Early Learning Outcomes

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