Duration: 2:46
The Early Years Learning Framework Planning Cycle by the Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority is reproduced under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
Transcript
Language and communication are the foundations for all learning and social interaction. This domain is connected to many other aspects of cognitive, physical and social development, beginning in infancy.
The Language and communication domain contains 4 sub-domains. Receptive language emerges as children understand verbal and non-verbal communication before they can even talk. Their understanding develops as they grow. Expressive language is the ability to make purposeful sounds, words and gestures to convey thoughts, feelings and ideas to others. Emergent reading describes the early stages of understanding written text. It includes decoding letters and symbols and becoming familiar with written materials. Emergent writing is expression by making marks and using these to convey meaning, eventually learning letters and using them to form words. Many children first develop these skills in a language other than English. By partnering with families, this valuable learning can be nurtured further.
Within each sub-domain, there are strands and indicators. Strands describe the capabilities that change as children learn and develop. And indicators describe the progress you may observe. Educators and teachers can use the learning trajectories to inform their practice.
Let's look at how the learning trajectory for Language and communication can be used alongside the Early Years Learning Framework Version 2 Planning Cycle. An educator or teacher observes an infant listening to the educator's voice. The educator or teacher refers to the learning trajectories. They assess that attending to speech and responding to tone of voice is an indicator of receptive language. Then the educator or teacher uses the learning trajectories to plan opportunities that build on the child's responses to different tones of voice. They record this as part of their programming documentation. The educator or teacher then implements opportunities to support this learning during routines, such as nappy changing or bottle-feeding. The educator or teacher evaluates the plan and further observes the child's learning, recording that the child responds to different facial expressions and vocal sounds. A child's development is influenced by their community, culture and everyday experiences.
The learning trajectories are not designed to be used as a checklist, as each child's development is unique. Rather, they serve as a guide to identifying and extending on children's abilities, knowledge and understandings.
Learn more about the Early Childhood Learning Trajectories and how you can use them to strengthen your practice with children and families. Visit the Australian Education Research Organisation's website at edresearch.edu.au.
For more information about this Early Childhood Learning Trajectory, read our Language and communication practice resource.
Keywords: early childhood education and care, ECEC, EYLF