Frequently Asked Questions
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The Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (the Victorian Framework) is a document developed by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in partnership with the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. It advances all children’s learning and development from birth to eight years. It does this by supporting all early childhood professionals to work together and with families to achieve common outcomes for all children.
The Framework:
- identifies five Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes for all children
- identifies eight Practice Principles for Learning and Development categorised as collaborative, effective and reflective. The Practice Principles describe the most effective ways for early childhood professionals to work together and with children and families to facilitate learning and development
- emphasises the importance of supporting children’s and families’ transitions as they move within and across services throughout the early childhood period.
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Early childhood professionals are informed by a range of discipline specific resources, for example the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards and the Maternal and Child Health Service Activity Framework. The Victorian Framework complements, rather than replaces these resources. Early childhood professionals will continue to use these resources and will also use the Victorian Framework to support common understandings and shared conversations with other professionals and families to support children’s learning and development.
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Everyone who is involved in supporting children’s learning and development from birth to eight years will use the Victorian Framework. The Victorian Framework uses the term ‘early childhood professional’ to describe any person who works with children between the ages of birth and eight years. It includes, but is not limited to, maternal and child health nurses, all early childhood practitioners who work directly with children in early childhood settings (educators), school teachers, family support workers, preschool field officers, inclusion support facilitators, student support service officers, primary school nurses, primary welfare officers, early childhood intervention workers, play therapists, health professionals and teachers working in hospitals, and education officers in cultural organisations.
The Victorian Framework advances children’s learning and development from birth to eight years by supporting a partnership between all early childhood professionals and families.
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The Victorian Framework identifies eight Practice Principles for Learning and Development, which describe the most effective ways for early childhood professionals to work together and with children and families to facilitate learning and development. The Practice Principles are arranged into three categories:
Collaborative
1. family-centred practice
2. partnerships with professionals
3. high expectations for every child
Effective
4. equity and diversity
5. respectful relationships and responsive engagement
6. integrated teaching and learning approaches
7. assessment for learning and development
Reflective
8. reflective practice.
These Principles are based on the pedagogy of the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia and the P–12 Principles of Learning and Teaching, and on the latest international evidence about the best ways to support children’s learning.
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The learning outcomes describe the knowledge, skills and dispositions that we want for all children.
The Victorian Framework uses five Learning and Development Outcomes to describe the key elements of children’s learning and development. These are:
- Children have a strong sense of identity
- Children are connected to and contribute to their world
- Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
- Children are confident and involved learners
- Children are effective communicators
The five Outcomes link the learning outcomes from the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) Levels 1 and 2. The Outcomes provide a shared language for all early childhood professionals and families to use when planning for children’s learning and development.
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The Victorian Framework acknowledges that play is crucial for children’s learning and development. The Framework has been developed to encourage play, fun and the enjoyment of learning. Early childhood professionals recognise that learning is an active process that must involve children’s engagement and interactions with adults and peers to support children’s learning and development. Play is essential to stimulate and integrate a wide range of children’s intellectual, physical, social and creative abilities.
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Birth to eight years is the internationally recognised period of early childhood development. The first eight years of life are a critical time for learning and development, when children acquire essential foundation skills and knowledge and when brain development is at its peak. Children within this age range are characteristically different from children at older ages.
Children learn actively from birth. Infants are motivated to learn, and play is crucial for their development. Babies’ and toddlers’ learning is strongly linked to their physical health and growth, as well as language and cognitive development.
Early childhood professionals recognise that a gradual shift in emphasis should occur over the first eight years of a child’s life, along a continuum from free play to more structured learning. These strategies are supported by sustained and shared interactions with children through play to more focused experiential learning.
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A range of resources will be offered to support implementation of the Victorian Framework, more information about each of these resources, they will include:
- regional information sessions in Term 1, 2010
- professional development from Term 2, 2010
- a conference in June 2010 for all early childhood professionals
- case studies about how the trial sites ‘got started’ when first using the Victorian Framework
- simple information brochures in plain English and other languages about the Framework and how learning can be supported
- Implementation Guides which will be developed in partnership with the early childhood profession. They will provide detailed practice examples, case studies and guidance about how the Practice Principles for Learning and Development can be used to support children’s learning and development; and more detailed descriptions of children’s learning and development in the five Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes. They will be developed for a range of audiences, including families, early childhood educators working in a range of settings, and early childhood professionals more broadly.
These resources, and information about professional development and information sessions will be published online, so check the website regularly for information.