All early childhood services in Australia are required to work within the National Quality Framework. This involves regular internal and external assessments against the National Quality Standard, and ongoing continuous improvement. The National Quality Standard provides standards in relation to seven key areas. Quality Area 1 outlines standards that relate to programming and practice in early childhood.
Quality Area 1, the Early Years Learning Framework and the Flinders Philosophy guide programming decisions in all houses at Flinders. Learning programs build on children’s current knowledge, ideas and ways of being, with play as a context for learning.
Educators engage in an ongoing cycle of observing, reflecting, planning and implementing. Experiences, environments, routines, group times and resources are all considered within this cycle according to the children’s changing ideas.
Each house has a programming journal, detailing specific plans, experiences and ongoing projects that children are investigating. The journals also include details of spontaneous play and emerging ideas through stories and photographs of the children at play.
Educators at Flinders take programming seriously; children’s holistic learning is central to everything we do. Educators work together to better understand children’s ideas and support each other through critical reflection.
Have you taken a look at the programming journal in your house? We would love your feedback!