In this article, we'll explore Belonging, Being, and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), its components, learning outcomes, and how it benefits your child.
An early learning framework centered on the child
Provide positive early years education
Promoting progress over perfection in early learning
What is the EYLF?
The EYLF views young children as capable learners and acknowledges the following:
- That children’s early education starts at home. Their development continues outside their early childhood education and care (ECEC) setting and this learning is also essential.
- That children learn best through play (play-based learning).
- The most successful outcomes are when educators, families, and communities work together around the child.
- The most effective practices support children's rights and growth, get them ready for school and their lives outside formal learning.
The EYLF is an early learning framework centered on the child
At its core, the EYLF promotes and values each child's qualities and the contributions they bring to their learning environments. It recognises that every child is unique, with their own growth and learning patterns. It encourages early childhood educators to create settings that nurture children's interests and strengths by partnering with families and communities. This teamwork gives children the best possible start in their educational journey.
The EYLF aims to create positive early education experiences
The EYLF uses extensive research to highlight the value of positive, age-appropriate early childhood education experiences in shaping a child's future. Many of these studies tell us what makes most children happy and that children learn best when they're content and feel safe. The EYLF contains several principles that guide the early childhood educator's teaching strategies. These principles were designed to make children feel secure and seen (Belonging), and learning, growth and self-confidence will naturally follow (Being and Becoming).
The EYLF is about progress over perfection
Success in early education means every child learns in a way that makes them feel confident in their abilities while accepting and being curious about what they don't yet know. This is key to developing a growth mindset.
The EYLF promotes sustained growth over hitting specific goals. It encourages building pro-social behaviours through respect and curiosity for themselves and others. It also asks educators to do the same using self-reflection.
Belonging, Being and Becoming
The EYLF guides educators in planning and creating positive learning environments where children feel safe and respected. When children feel secure, they explore, discover, and grow. They become confident learners who respect and advocate for themselves and others. This is the concept of Belonging, Being and Becoming.
Belonging
A sense of belonging is essential for children for the following reasons:
- It promotes connection with others
- It shapes their identities.
- It influences the person they become in adulthood.
Being
Once they feel secure, children can:
- explore their identity
- connect with others
- embrace life's ups and downs
- learn lessons when things don't go their way.
Becoming
Children experience enormous changes as they grow up. When they're confident in their abilities and feel good about themselves, they will:
- learn to connect with others
- become active and supportive members in their peer groups
- become respectful and considerate citizens and active in their chosen communities.
The EYLF principles
The EYLF consists of eight principles. These principles guide educators in applying the EYLF into their early childhood education practice. The eight principles are:
- Build secure, respectful and mutual relationships
- Develop partnerships
- Show respect for diversity
- Embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewpoints
- Commit to equity, inclusion and high expectations
- Use sustainable practices
- Use critical reflection and continue professional learning
- Collaborative leadership and teamwork
Build secure, respectful and mutual relationships
Teachers who understand and respond to children's developing feelings help them learn and grow. Key educator relationships and friendships built on trust give children the confidence to explore and form new connections, essential for healthy development.
Develop partnerships
True educational partnerships thrive on respect and collaboration between educators, families, and communities to support children's growth and development.
Show respect for diversity
Educators provide welcoming spaces for children by respecting and celebrating their families' different cultures, values, and beliefs. This ensures everyone feels valued and understood.
Embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewpoints
Australian governments at every level are committed to including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in early years learning and school curriculums. A First Nations perspective is based on the following:
- It recognises the value of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and identity
- It adds balance by including views from the perspectives of First Nations Peoples that are relevant to children's learning.
- What children are learning is inclusive and culturally appropriate.
- Developing respect and appreciation of the diversity and integrity of the world's oldest living cultures; the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Deepening the learning experience of all children and developing an appreciation of and sensitivity to the societies and cultures of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The EYLF aims to ensure all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children see their own cultures reflected positively in back at them in their surroundings.
Commit to equity, inclusion and high expectations
Educators committed to equity believe every child deserves to learn and succeed in a welcoming environment, regardless of background or abilities. They’ll adjust their learning environments to help all children thrive and feel happy while promoting the child’s potential and support them to take on challenges.
Use sustainable practices
Educators and children can work together to build sustainable communities, care for the environment, promote fairness, and support economic growth that doesn't harm others.
Use critical reflection and continue professional learning
Educators work hard to grow their skills and learn from each other. They value local knowledge and different viewpoints while reflecting deeply on their personal teaching practices.
Supportive leadership and teamwork
Educators play a vital role in leading responsibly, working together, and encouraging each other to support children's growth and wellbeing.
The EYLF principles in practice
The EYLF practice is how educators apply the EYLF principles into their early education and care settings. The principles are delivered through the following teaching methods (practice):
Applying a play-based learning approach
Create welcoming learning environments
Show cultural competence and understanding
Provide consistency and help children through transitions
Assess and monitor learning to support growth
Adopting holistic approaches
This looks like paying attention to ‘the whole child’. This includes their physical, social, emotional, family and educational wellbeing.
Being responsive to children
This means responding to children through:
- their strengths and interests
- culturally responsive teaching strategies using cultural traditions and ways of knowing
- the multiple languages some children speak, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children
- strategies used by children with educational needs to navigate their daily lives.
Play-based learning
Children use play to learn, discover, create, try new things and use their imagination. When children play with others, it allows them to:
- build social groups
- try out new ideas
- challenge each other’s thinking
- gain new knowledge that gets refined by the whole group.
Intentional teaching
Intentional teaching asks educators to understand that learning happens thorough relationships and respect. They use skills like:
- modelling and demonstrating
- asking open questions
- speculating (“What do you think happens when…?”)
- explaining
- using shared thinking and problem solving.
Create engaging learning environments
Edcuators should create learning environments that are enriching and engaging and reflect the lives of the children and their families. Their learning environments should:
- respond to the interests and abilities of each child
- allow for different abilities and learning styles
- invite children and families to collaborate.
Show cultural competence and understanding
Educators must show respect for a range of cultural ways of knowing, seeing and living. They see the value in cultural diversity, and they seek to understand differences using curiosity and respect and welcome it in their practice.
Provide consistency and help with smooth transitions
In partnership with families, educators include children in preparing for transitions like moving into kindergraten or preschool and starting school. They help children:
- get used to the new routines
- set expectations for their new settings
- feel comfortable with the move
- deal with changes in their social status or identity, especially when they begin full-time school.
Assess and monitor learning to support growth and achievements
The Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) helps us track and support children's growth, learning, and milestones. We use different tools and strategies to celebrate their achievements and guide their progress.
The EYLF learning outcomes
The EYLF learning outcomes gather all children's combined learning and development across the birth to five age range into five broad goals. Educators use these goals to measure each child's growth and development. They're wide enough to apply to each child and at every stage of their learning and development. The five learning outcomes are:
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children connect and contribute to their world
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children are confident and involved learners
Children are effective communicators
Children have a strong sense of identity
Children feel safe and supported while they grow into confident, caring individuals who respect themselves and others.
Children connect and contribute to their world
Self-confident children want to explore their world, share their opinions, and express their feelings while including and respecting the viewpoints of others.
Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children grow when they have the self-confidence to explore and learn independently, show curiosity, and celebrate their friends' achievements.
Children are confident and involved learners
Children express pride in their achievements and take on new challenges. They celebrate the unique backgrounds of their peers and see differences as necessary to their learning journey.
Children are effective communicators
Children can build relationships by joining in play, sharing feelings, supporting each other, and taking turns.
Conclusion: The EYLF is about getting the best life outcome for all Australian children
We're committed to following the EYLF and it guides practice across in all our centres. If you're curious to know more, book a tour and visit your nearest centre. You can ask the centre directopr any questions you have about the EYLF and what it means for your child.
You can also speak to one of the experts on our family servcies team by submitting a callback form, or you can call them directly.
