DEVELOPING EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM IN AUSTRALIA

I.INTRODUCTION

The formative years of a child's life are challenging. I believe that learning occurs on a
continuous basis and is intertwined with all aspects of development. As an early childhood
educator, I would strive to create a safe and effective environment in which children may
handle new challenges through activities and themes that are valuable to them (Ailwood et
al., 2016). Children should be given options and responsibilities to be in charge of their own
education. As a result, the objective of this paper is to express and demonstrate my personal
philosophy toward early years learning provision, as well as my professional dedication to
early childhood legislation, frameworks, theories, and teaching standards required in
Australia.

II.BODY

1. Regulations, Codes of ethics, Frameworks and educational standards for early

childhood education

In my opinion, early childhood educators must successfully assess the integration of the early
year education frameworks and guidelines in use, illustrating how regulations assist in the
quality of services offered to children and parents. These standards are based on the
framework, procedures, and teaching objectives of Belonging, Being, and Becoming:
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011, The Early Years Learning
Framework for Australia (EYLF) (DEEWR, 2010), as well as the National Quality
Framework (NQF).

 Regulations for Program and Practice

The operating procedures for academic curriculum and practice, as specified in part 4.1 of the
Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (National Regulations), include the
needs for documentation of evaluations related to the educational programs (Sumsion &
Wong, 2011). Each service must choose an approach that is appropriate for their situation.
The evaluation should include an examination of children's learning in order to meet the
National Regulations' documentation requirements. Educators can better plan for each child's
learning and growth by gathering this information. Educators can use it to inspire reflection
on their own ideas, beliefs, and teaching approaches, as well as to interact with children and
families about their learning.

 Code of ethics
The Code of Ethics is a collection of principles on how early childhood practitioners should
behave appropriately and appropriately (Early Childhood Australia [ECA], 2021).
Specifically tailored for ECE settings, the ECA Code of Ethics represents pedagogical
practice and research, serving as a basis for reflection on the ethical obligations of early
childhood workers.

From my point of view, teachers that comply with the Code of Ethics serve the greatest
advantage of all children and collaborate to guarantee that each kid thrives and learns. The
essential principles of this Code of Ethics are founded on the profession's most deeply held
beliefs. They serve as a guidance for decision-making about ethical responsibilities. These
fundamental principles necessitate a commitment to uphold and protect the rights of kids,
parents, and communities.

 Teaching Standards
The education standards provide me with tools and advice for improving both my own and
my peers' practices. Additionally, they enable me to be recognized as a highly successful and
competent teaching practitioner and to perform individually and collaboratively on a regular
basis. Seven standards define what educators must understand and proceed. They are
classified as Professional knowledge, Teaching practice, and Professional
involvement (Ailwood, 2016). Teaching, in practice, incorporates elements of all three
aspects. Within each Standard, further examples of teaching knowledge, practice, and
participation are provided. These are then classified into descriptors for four distinct levels of
professional development: graduate, skilled, highly competent, and leader (Ailwood, 2016).

 Framework (EYLF)

The Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is the country's first national
initiative for teachers (DEEWR, 2010). The purpose of this document is to supplement and
enrich students' development from birth to the age of five, as well as during the transfer to
kindergarten. The EYLF is a guide composed of Principles, Practices, and five major
Learning Outcomes, each with its own sub-outcome, focusing on individuality, culture,
wellbeing, education, and communication.

The EYLF enables me to expand and deepen children's learning in an early childhood setting,
to give chances for children to build a foundation for learning, and to assist children in
becoming successful learners.  Some of my strategies to adhere to the EYLF’s three domains:
Belonging, being and becoming are : being polite and embracing diversity, demonstrating
mutual respect, and appreciating children for their uniqueness (Belonging); offering
chances to explore and gain knowledge, building on children's interests, enabling them to
express themselves (Being); implementing school attendance, forming a basis for their
studying and developing relationships (Becoming).

2. Seven quality areas of the NQS

The National Quality Standards (NQS) comprises 7 Quality Areas, 18 Standards and 58
Elements. From 1st Feb 2018, the revised NQS was applied with 7 Quality Areas, 15
Standards and 40 Elements to give clarification on the way quality is rated in education and
care services (ACECQA, 2017).

i) Educational program and practice: the education curriculum and practices are
entertaining and interesting, and they contribute to the learning and development of children.
The program leads to the growth of life skills and supplements children's perspectives,
opportunities, and interactions at school, at home, and in the society through school-age care
services.

ii) Children's health and safety: protect and support the wellbeing of children, minimize
risks, and keep children safe from danger, damage, and illness. Every child is entitled to
receive an education service of the highest quality in a setting that promotes their mental and
physical well-being.

iii) Physical Environment: make sure that the equipment environment is safe and
appropriate for children's growth by giving a diversity of activities. The way in which the
environment is organized impacts how places and resources are utilized, and thus has the
ability to maximize children's involvement, pleasant experiences, and inclusive connections.

iv) Staffing arrangements: guarantee that skilled and experienced educators, coordinators,
and designated supervisors are available who are capable of developing loving, courteous
relationships with children, establishing secure surroundings, and encouraging children's
active participation in the learning system.

v) Relationships with children: foster attentive, polite connections with children and
contribute to children's feeling of safety and connection. These types of relationships allow
kids to discover their surroundings and participate in play and studying.

vi) Collaboration with families and communities: recognize the importance of cooperative
connections with parents in producing high-quality results for children and the importance of
collaborations built on maintaining contact, discussion, and partnership.

vii) Leadership and service management: help in the leadership of the system that leads to
the creation of high-quality learning settings for children. A service's ability to work as a
learning community is dependent on well-documented guidelines and standards, records,
common values, clear plan, and reflective practices.

I would like to commit to and implement my own improvement plan for specific components
of the NQS. One of the meaningful elements for me is element 1.1.3 - Program learning
opportunities. As an early childhood educator, I might need routines and play activities to
engage with children in order to foster connection and teach with intention. Additionally,
opportunities for unstructured learning should be sought within routines. Additionally, to gain
positive outcomes from element 6.1.2 - Parent perspectives are respected, I will provide
parents with chances to participate in the evaluation of policies once they are informed to all
parents and to participate in decision-making about their child's learning and welfare.

3. Theoretical underpinnings

My perspectives as an early year educator are strongly influenced by the Reggio Emilia
approach, which emphasizes the importance of politics, the economics, society, and culture in
early childhood education (Elliott, 2011). Early education in Reggio Emilia was a means of
thinking at and conducting education in a local Italian community. Child-led learning, which
places an emphasis on recording the child's perspective and thought processes over test
scores, is employed in courses that are inspired by this philosophy (Elliott, 2011). This
approach incorporates student-created visual and linguistic materials as demonstrations of the
way learning is documented.

Pedagogical documentation, widely used in Reggio-inspired settings, observes children's and

teachers' learning and thinking (Gray, 2014). Pedagogical documentation is a document of a
child's experiences that enables discussion between kids, parents, and teachers, as well as
research into the child's educational environment-based learning. This also corresponds to the
theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, who created a social economic perspective on
children's development. It was noted that social connection promotes children's intellectual,
communal, and linguistic development (Maidin, 2020). Vygotsky promoted cooperation and
the utilization of mixed-age gatherings of children to facilitate knowledge acquisition.
Generally , early childhood education experts share a common goal: maximizing children's
optimal growth during their early years. Each curriculum's structure dictates how that
objective is accomplished.

4. Curriculum Content

Personally, I consider planning as an ongoing process that incorporates collaboration with

families and children. I am a firm believer that effective planning begins with the acquisition
of good documentation about children, families, the neighborhood, and surrounding
environment (Cole & McCormilla, 2012). The Education and Care Services National
Regulations 2011 and the National Quality Standards make it very evident that teachers are
required to develop an education plan for each kid. Meeting with colleagues and counterparts
to discuss the cycle of planning and verify that each step is handled appropriately and that
everyone understands how it is used to aid children's development is an excellent practice for
ensuring high-quality early childhood education. Individual and group documents might be
associated with planning concepts. These are potential future strategies instructors can
employ to assist them in making decisions about scheduled events.
 Figure 1. The cycle of planning (DEEWR, 2011)

When educators take an ongoing planning framework, I believe they may combine their
particular knowledge of children's learning with sound pedagogical practices that promote
growth and our own continuous advancement. It is one of the most powerful tools available
to teachers, ensuring that we strictly adhere to our own and others' standards that we play a
critical role in the wellbeing of children (Nolan & Raban, 2015). When we collect, evaluate,
and publish data about children's learning, we inform parents, stakeholders, and, most
significantly, the children themselves.

III.CONCLUSION

From my perspective, every child has the opportunities to study and grow. As a future early
childhood teacher, I attempt to help them in any way possible. To accomplish this, I must
create an environment that promotes the child in a range of ways. Reflective practice enables
me to continue my professional development by enhancing my capabilities and skills as an
educator and increasing my grasp of the intricacies inherent in my duties and functions. I
believe that educators who make reflective practice, adhere to ethical norms, respect national
rules, standards, and frameworks will significantly improve the quality of the educational
experience and the results for children and families.
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