Rattler Issue 134 | March 2021 by Community Early Learning Australia

Rattler COMMUNITY EARLY LEARNING AUSTRALIA JOURNAL

THE JOY OF LEADERSHIP ¬ The power of singing with young children

¬ Being in the here and now with children

¬ Educating in remote and complex environments

¬ Authentic community connections

¬ Uncovering the long term value of building quality relationships with children

¬ More

ISSUE 134 | MARCH 2021

Have you heard? Guild Insurance can now also manage your workers compensation insurance.

CELA has been proudly working with Guild Insurance to provide protection for our member centres for many years. But did you know that Guild can also manage your workers compensation insurance?

their tailored Early Learning workers compensation product not only provides best value to centres like yours, but is a product that recognises the unique requirements of our profession.

Across New South Wales, Guild protects over 1,000 childcare centres and their workers, right now. And it’s through this experience, we trust that

Getting a quote is easy, simply visit our website guildne.ws/workers or contact Guild on 1800 810 213 to speak to a dedicated account manager.

Guild Insurance provides your business and staff with: Dedicated case manager that handles your claims from start to finish with direct contact details.

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Lodge a claim anytime with our 24/7 online lodgement system.

Pay by the month at no extra cost.

1800 810 213 guildinsurance.com.au

Better through experience.

Insurance issued by Guild Insurance Ltd, ABN 55 004 538 863, AFSL 233791. Guild Insurance supports your association through the payment of referral fees. This information contains general advice only and does not take into account what you currently have, want and need for your personal circumstances. It is important for you to consider these matters and read the policy and/or the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before you make a decision about an insurance product. Subject to underwriting approval. Terms and Conditions apply (including exclusions and limitations). You can get a copy of the PDS by calling 1800 810 213. EAR79101 Early Learning - CELA Ad 112019

FROM YOUR CEO This time last year, as I wrote my 2020 welcome message, Australia was in the grip of drought and the devastating Black Summer bushfires. Severe flooding followed, and on 25 January, 2020, Australia’s first case of Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was confirmed by Victorian Health Authorities. As the last bushfires were extinguished, urgent efforts began to contain COVID 19. What followed was a confronting year of constant social and economic change. Around Australia we have quickly adapted to the new normal of everyday life in the context of COVID 19. The first vaccinations have been made available under the Federal Government’s vaccine roll-out strategy, and within our sector, we have adjusted swiftly to many new rules and procedures. After enduring 2020, I know that many of us may be starting 2021 changeweary, financially impacted and somewhat uncertain of what the next 12 months may bring. However, from a professional perspective we can take heart that our sector demonstrated incredible resilience, and that ECEC services are in heightened national focus, recognised as essential to economic recovery and community wellbeing. At CELA we are proceeding with confidence. We have seen what is possible, and we see more progress ahead. Working with the NSW Department of Education, we are poised to commence new innovations to meet our sector’s workforce needs and drive quality improvement. The first of these innovations is the ‘Early Education Leaders Peer Network’. We know how important professional learning networks are, how isolating leading a service can be, and we are very aware of the extensive knowledge that exists within our sector. We have been overwhelmed with expressions of interest from leaders in early education

keen to become involved as champions of the Peer Network initiative. The second of these innovations is a ‘Communicating Quality Ratings’ professional learning program, designed to help you have discussions with families about your services' Quality Ratings . This training provides guidance and tools to help you discuss quality and your own rating, so that families in your service can have a deeper understanding and input into your own quality achievements and improvement focus. We are also keen to gauge what families now understand about the process and importance of the Quality Ratings system. In 2021, advocacy will continue to be an even more vital part of our role. CELA will continue to listen to your needs, and to identify areas where additional government action is required. We will continue to provide research and evidence to drive change. Our advocacy will be focussed on the following key areas: ⊲ quality early education ⊲ a stable workforce that is valued and nurtured ⊲ viability for community and small providers ⊲ improved access for vulnerable children ⊲ closing the gap for rural children In the past 12 months, we made progress on these aims, however there is much more to do. Across our sector, Quality Ratings are improving, and we have seen an unprecedented lift in levels of professional learning delivered by CELA. In 2020, we trained over 7,000 professionals, almost 36% increase in

participants compared to 2019. Looking forward, workforce issues remain critical, with a high level of waivers in rural areas and growing shortages of staff across the country. We are seeking solutions to attract more people to join and to stay in our workforce, and ways we can support satisfying career development. Financial viability across our sector remains a key priority as many services continue to draw on reserves to sustain their operations. We saw vulnerable children enter ECEC during the fee-free period in 2020, however unfortunately many left once fees resumed. Our ongoing mission, together with you, is to amplify early learning’s value across Australia, so that all children and families have access to quality, affordable early education and care services. I urge you to think of CELA as an extension of your own team. As a CELA member you never have to face a challenge alone. Our sector specialists are only a phone call or email away. We are here to work with you, and to work for you, so please do reach out to us, if we can help at any time, via our 1800 number or email info@cela.org.au. With kind regards

Michele Carnegie Chief Executive Officer Community Early Learning Australia

WHEN YOU’RE WITH US

you’re always supported Your connection with CELA provides you with the vital professional support you need in order to navigate the ECEC environment during COVID and beyond. By calling our 1800 member support number, you will speak with an early education specialist who can provide guidance around regulatory and funding changes, practice and service delivery. Our suite of member resources will help you find solutions and alleviate the challenges you face on a daily basis. CELA is a not for profit, member-funded peak body for early education and care. We exist to support you, and we wouldn’t exist without you.

We’re here for you

We know times have been tough, we’d love to have a chat to see how you’re going. Please call us on 1800 157 818 and speak to one of our early education specialists. 1800 157 818 | MEMBERSHIP@CELA.ORG.AU | WWW.CELA.ORG.AU

PUBLISHER Community Early Learning Australia EDITORIAL TEAM Michele Carnegie, Wendy Lindgren, Tracey Long, Kerrie Maguire, Louise Black, Lisa Cloumassis, Eliza Doret Community Early Learning Australia CONTRIBUTORS Tracey Long, Keeta Williams, Megan O'Connell, Karthika Viknarasah, Renee Irving Lee, Dr Sarah Powell, Wendy Saeme Lee, Phillippa Yeend, Louise Black. ADVERTISING AND PRODUCTION Traceylong@cela.org.au CONTRIBUTIONS We welcome your stories. Copyright is held jointly by the publisher and the author. COPYING Email for permission to republish any part of this magazine. CELA thanks the children and educators who gave their permission to be photographed. HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Become a member at www.cela.org.au/membership-packages or email info@cela.org.au Membership includes an annual subscription to Rattler magazine plus access to invaluable sector resources, discounts on events, training and consultancy plus a monthly webinar and

THIS ISSUE RATTLER | ISSUE 134 | MARCH 2021

WHAT'S ON

MEET THE MEMBER

Early education sector conferences and events.

How confidence and critical reflection paved the way for Cooks Hill Preschool’s recent Exceeding rating.

THE JOY OF LEADERSHIP

Joy and leadership - is that an oxymoron? Centre Director and CELA ECEC specialist Karthika Viknarasah explores how we can see leadership as a gift and an opportunity, and shares 3 key elements of a joyful team.

NO SUCH THING AS A NAUGHTY CHILD

Children’s book author and former teacher Renee Irving-Lee explores how language can be a powerful tool in promoting positive behaviour.

THE POWER OF SINGING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

Dr Sarah Powell of Macquarie School of Education shares insights from her research project on creative approaches to engaging children and addressing social or learning needs by integrating singing into the ECEC environment.

access to our expert advisory team. Buy a subscription to Rattler at www.cela.org.au/shop/items/rattler DISCLAIMER

BROADSIDE 17 CELA Research and Policy Manager Megan O'Connell explores the challenges and solutions around educating in remote and complex environments.

EARLY EDUCATION RESEARCH FROM AUSTRALIA AND AROUND THE WORLD 20 Insights from Megan O’Connell, CELA’s research and policy advisor.

UNCOVERING THE LONG TERM VALUE OF BUILDING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN IN ECE SETTINGS 23 Wendy Saeme Lee of University of Sydney shares findings from her research study exploring how quality relationships between educator and child set the foundation of a child’s learning trajectory – and how it is the role and responsibility of the educator to ensure that this relationship is built.

BEING IN THE HERE AND NOW WITH CHILDREN

THE VALUE OF BUILDING AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Phillippa Yeend and Louise Black explore the important differences between supervision and engagement and how engaged interaction can benefit children.

Keeta Williams explores why authenticity is important when building community connections, and shares three examples of how services have engaged their local community in authentic ways.

The opinions expressed in Rattler are those of the authors and not necessarily those of CELA. CONTACT CELA 1800 157 818 info@cela.org.au www.cela.org.au Building 21, 142 Addison Road Marrickville NSW 2204

STARTING FROM SCRATCH TOOLKIT NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

ABN 81 174 903 921

An invaluable resource to support you through the process of starting an early education and care service.

@communityearlylearningaustralia @CELAust

@communityearlylearning

RATTLER ISSUE 134 | MARCH 2021 | 1

2021

EDITION

WHAT'S ON EARLY EDUCATION

CONVERSATIONS SERIES - ECA AND THRIVE BY FIVE PRESENTS

ACEL EARLY CHILDHOOD ONLINE CONFERENCE

Leading researchers, policy experts, advocates and educators will discuss one of three major issues facing the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector today: women’s workforce participation. earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/events/ thrive-by-five-conversation-series

A range of Australian and international experts will take the lead in furthering your professional development and showing how this can impact your own context. acel.org.au/ACEL/ACELWEB/ACELWEB/ Events/2021/Early_Childhood_ Conference/About.aspx

5 MARCH | ONLINE

27-28 APRIL | ONLINE

2021 NSW ICPA STATE CONFERENCE

EARLY YEARS DIGITAL SYMPOSIUM AND CONFERENCE

10-11 MARCH | HAY, NSW

25-26 MAY | ONLINE

The 2021 Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association annual conference will be held in Hay on the Murrumbidgee River. Register via: www.surveymonkey.com/r/ ICPAStateConferenceRegistration2021

The theme for the first Early Years Digital Symposium will be “From theory to practice”. earlyyearsconference.com.au

ECEEN CONFERENCE 13 MARCH | ONLINE The NSW ECEEN conference is for early childhood educators, managers and academics focusing on creating sustainable futures with young children and their families, to become active and empowered citizens. eceen.org.au/conference.htm

WORLD FORUM FOUNDATION GLOBAL EXPEDITION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIP SERVICES AUSTRALIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 7-10 JUNE | ADELAIDE The FRSA National Conference is heralded as a highlight event for the Family and Relationship Services network and is one of the largest annual gatherings of practitioners, academics and policy makers working to support children, families and communities. Find out more at frsa.org.au/frsanational-conference-2021

THE ABORIGINAL EARLY CHILDHOOD COLLECTIVE ABORIGINAL ART SUMMIT 2021 21 JUNE - 9 JULY | ONLINE

The Aboriginal Art Summit will explore visual, performing, digital and creative arts in the context of educational and community settings. aboriginalecc.com

DEAKIN STEM EDUCATION CONFERENCE 21-22 JUNE 2021 | GEELONG A forum for schools and educators to share their innovations and join the discussion about how to use STEM education and entrepreneurship to develop the next generation of creative and innovative thinkers. eventbrite.com.au/e/deakin-stemeducation-conference-2021tickets-101012089880

WORLD ASSOCIATION OF INFANT MENTAL HEALTH 17TH WORLD CONGRESS 22-26 JUNE | ONLINE OR BRISBANE (HYBRID CONFERENCE) This year’s conference theme is Creating Stories in Infant Mental Health: Research, Discovery and Regeneration. waimh2020.org

9TH SNAICC NATIONAL CONFERENCE

5-16 APRIL | ONLINE Visit environments where children live and learn, expand your early childhood network, and celebrate a wide variety of cultures. Join the World Forum Foundation on this virtual journey, departing April 2021. worldforumfoundation.org/2021-world-tour

30 AUGUST - 2 SEPTEMBER | GOLD COAST CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE A must attend conference for anyone working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and family services. snaicc.org.au/conference

RATTLER ISSUE 134 | MARCH 2021 | 2

WHAT'S ON COMMUNITY

PLAY OUTSIDE DAY

BANDAGED BEAR APPEAL

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF FAMILIES

playoutsideday.org

bandagedbear.org.au

un.org/development/desa/family/ international- day-of-families.html

HARMONY WEEK

WORLD AUTISM DAY

15-21 MARCH

2 APRIL

harmony.gov.au

un.org/en/observances/autism-day

6 MARCH

1-31 MARCH

15 MAY

FOOD ALLERGY WEEK 23- 29 MAY allergyfacts.org.au/faw

WORLD POETRY DAY 21 MARCH un.org/en/observances/world-poetry-day

WORLD DAY FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH AT WORK 28 APRIL un.org/en/observances/work-safety-day

WORLD WATER DAY 22 MARCH un.org/en/observances/water-day

INTERNATIONAL COMPOSTING AWARENESS WEEK 2-8 MAY compostweek.com.au

EARTH HOUR 27 MARCH earthhour.org

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MINDFUL MAY mindfulinmay.org

NAIDOC WEEK 4 - 11 JULY naidoc.org.au

M EET THE ME MB E R COOKS HIL L P R ESCHOOL

HOW CONFIDENCE AND CRITICAL REFLECTION PAVED THE WAY FOR AN

EXCEEDING RATING BY TRACEY LONG, CELA MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER ooks Hill Preschool is located in the Hunter Region of NSW. 40 children attend across the week, with a team of four permanent educators, including Director Tash Croft, Educational Leader Jenny O'Sullivan, and Educators Nina Graham and Lucy Flook.

Cooks Hill is an inner city suburb of Newcastle, known for its tree lined streets, rows of Victorian terrace housing and turn of the century timber cottages. The preschool recently went through Assessment & Rating, moving from a rating of Meeting in all 7 areas, to a rating of Exceeding in all 7 areas. Tash credits an improved confidence in the team’s capability to talk about the preschool's strengths as a major factor in the success of their latest rating, helped along by the practical tips she received in CELA’s training on A&R and the Self Assessment Tool.

RATTLER ISSUE 134 | MARCH 2021 | 4

PREPARING FOR A&R USING CRITICAL REFLECTION AND A FOCUS ON ‘WHY’ The preschool received a phone call from their Assessor on 19 August 2020 to let them know that the Assessment & Rating visit would commence on 26 August as a Zoom meeting, followed by an in person visit on 27 August. While the notice period for assessment was short, Tash and the team were well prepared. In the period of time since receiving their previous rating of Meeting, Tash says that the team focused on exploring “why we do what we do”. This resulted in a lot of meaningful critical reflection but also supported them to have the confidence to explain the reasoning behind their practices. “After our previous Assessment & Rating we acknowledged that critical reflection was not occurring as frequently as it should, nor were we documenting our process. We set up a critical reflection book, and nominated Thursday afternoons as a time for us to focus on critical reflection as a team. Throughout the week we would note areas of discussion, or our Educational Leader Jenny would prompt us with provocations.”

Carrots harvested from the Cooks Hill vege garden

The team at Cooks Hill have been working to ensure that their practices are embedded - particularly around inclusion, Aboriginal culture and sustainability, and the role of Educational Leader has received additional support. “Between the two assessment periods our service recognised the extra work

required by our Educational Leader,” says Tash. “We supported focused professional development to occur such as regular networking with other Educational Leaders, and time provided to focus on this role.” The team decided to opt in for online Self Assessment, as they had been working on this format throughout the year. “We recognised that it looked like a lot of writing, but felt this would give us the best opportunity to highlight our quality practices,” explains Tash. The document had been created as a team effort, which gave the entire team great confidence to talk about their practices with the Assessor on the day.

RESPECT FOR NATURE AND SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES The preschool has a great outdoor space which supports them to embed a respect for nature as they explore and observe life cycles, the seasons, local wildlife and hands-on sustainable practices. These include a worm farm, compost, rain water tank and vegetable garden.

Newly flowering passionfruit vine above the rock garden

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The team uses this learning as a springboard for further exploration of children’s interests through project work.

“We have a great team of long term educators who enjoy projects and co-researching with the children,” shares Tash. “As a team, educators and children are learning together ensuring each day is a unique experience.” The team makes a point of embedding practices such as rubbish sorting, watering from the rainwater tank and fertilising with worm wee. They promote a strong emphasis on respecting themselves, others and the world around them, and have embedded a respect for the Awabakal country that preschool sits on. They extend their focus on nature and sustainability into the community by joining forces with local groups such as the Cooks Hill Community Garden and Merewether Beach Clean.

COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIPS Tash believes that a key element of their professional practice is to provide a nurturing and personalised education and care environment.

A visit to Newcastle Region Library

They are committed to creating connections with every family as they work together during the two year journey of the child’s preschool education.

“From enrolment we encourage personalised visits, and aim to get to know the child’s family, not just the child,” says Tash. “An Educator is available for daily conversations, and we utilise StoryPark to involve families in feedback. We encourage family involvement in excursions, language activities, cooking experiences and sharing interesting information from family occupations.” This goal of connection extends to their wider community, which has led to partnerships with many local businesses and groups including the library, art gallery, community garden and an elderly respite centre, which they visited regularly prior to COVID.

A FOCUS ON BELONGING THAT SETS THEM APART Tash believes that the key difference that sets their preschool apart from others in the area is the two year program with children attending set days.

Drag storytime at Newcastle Library - “a perfect opportunity to showcase diversity, expression and identity, which fits beautifully with our preschool philosophy: “We believe in building positive relationships within preschool and the wider community.”

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“This format supports children to quickly feel a sense of belonging to our preschool as they are familiar with every other child who attends, and they know the Educators who will be supporting them,” says Tash.

‘Postman Pat’ comes to pick up Christmas cards the children have made for John Hunter Hospital

“We also feel this format has allowed us to extend on group learning opportunities and projects as all children have had the opportunity to be involved.”

GOALS FOR THE YEAR AHEAD Moving forward, the Cooks Hill team are focused on implementing their Reconciliation Action Plan and completing their Inclusion Statement for the Preschool to sit alongside their Philosophy. They will also be continuing to focus on child and educator wellbeing, and formalising an operations manual for the Management Committee.

TIPS FOR OTHERS GOING THROUGH ASSESSMENT & RATING We’re incredibly proud to hear that Tash found CELA’s training session on Assessment & Rating and the Self Assessment process of great benefit so much so that she has included it in her tips for others going through A&R. “I was very fortunate to attend the CELA A&R training in February 2020,” says Tash. “I found that Kerrie was able to explain A&R and the Self Assessment tool in a way that really resonated for me, empowered me to feel confident about the process, and gave me practical tips to start implementing.

“The two most valuable aspects of this training for me included; ⊲ The importance of Educator wellbeing and the ability to cope with the stress that can be felt around A&R. Kerrie highlighted that we need to be practising these skills now so that we have had time and opportunity to practise our calming strategies. ⊲ Consider the point of view of the Assessor. When I stopped to think about the Assessor reading our Self Assessment it really helped me to add greater detail and examples to our tool, as I wanted them to be able to ‘see’ our practices even before they physically came to our service.” Tash also recommends that if you choose to opt into the Self Assessment tool, that you take advantage of the opportunity to work with the ECE Quality Support team. “Our support officer encouraged us to send through some sections from our Self Assessment and she was able to point out areas that we may need to provide further clarity or examples for. This was beneficial as it helped us to see we were on the right track, but also highlighted the importance of examples being provided. This also reiterated Kerrie’s advice that your self assessment tool needs to make your quality practices visible to your assessor.” FURTHER READING: www.cela.org.au/2020/08/04/ integrate-self-assessment-tool-qualityimprovement-plan

Excursion to Newcastle Fire and Rescue

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THE

joy

OF LEADERSHIP

Joy and leadership? Is that an oxymoron? Can these two ideas exist at the same time? Isn’t leadership a burden? A job title that you are given because no one else wanted to do it?

BY KARTHIKA VIKNARASAH, CELA EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE SPECIALIST erhaps leadership and being an educational leader or any other kind of positional leader does have its burdens and negative connotations. But it also has another side - a side that sees the role and responsibilities as an opportunity, as a gift - a joyful experience that we can be grateful for.

So what are some of the most important markers of successful leaders? The ability to empower and inspire others is definitely a useful trait. However, as John Maxwell (2020)

says, “True leaders create more leaders.” Encouraging and fostering leadership in others is truly a hallmark of great leadership. No one can do the important work that we do in early childhood on their own. It requires a team of people, working together to accomplish great things for children and families. Therefore, building the capacity of the individuals that you work with is one of the most satisfying and joyful aspects of leadership.

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3 KEY ELEMENTS OF A

joyful

ADJUST EXPECTATIONS TO THE SITUATION To be a successful leader can mean that you lower expectations at times. During times of crisis, when everyone is stressed, it may mean that the team is not working at peak effectiveness. Let the team know that “it’s okay to just be okay.” Everyone doesn’t have to give 100% all the time – indeed no one can sustain this for very long. So, creating a culture where it's acceptable for people to say “I’m not feeling 100% right now” is important. This is why we work in teams – where one person or some people are not able to perform at their best, the others will step in and support them. Children always deserve our best, but we are only human and it's okay if they only get 70% of us instead of the usual 100% for a short time. Taking the pressure off individuals, especially during times of crisis, is an important factor in creating a peaceful and joyful workplace.

TEAM:

2 PROMOTE A GROWTH MINDSET

Having a growth mindset and looking at the positive side of any given situation is one of the most valuable tools that a leader can have (Dweck, 2015). Even during difficult times, you can either see the difficulties or see the lessons to be learned. The late Kobe Bryant said “Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise.” If you have a positional leadership role, for example if you are a Director or Educational Leader, having a positive mindset is the most powerful way to influence the culture of the organisation. When a positive or growth mindset culture is intentionally promoted, not only are you showing your own professionalism, you are encouraging this in others as well.

ADDRESS BASELINE WORRIES When individuals are worried about pay, hours, shift changes, and other physiological or safety needs, it is difficult for them to focus on higher order thinking such as being a valuable, contributing member of an organisation (Maslow, as cited in McLeod, 2007). If you can alleviate these worries as much as possible, then it is easier to keep everyone motivated and pushing forward. Make expectations and opportunities clear from the beginning. Ensure that each team member knows the conditions of their employment and ensure that the organisation sticks to it. During difficult times, talk through the issues with staff and inform them of what the organisation can do for them and what is likely to happen in different scenarios.

The unknown is often more stressful than bad news, so it is better to be as open and transparent as possible with everyone.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR FACILITATING PEACE AND JOY IN OUR TEAM – A CASE STUDY: One of the tools that I’ve found to be most effective as a leader is to be a good listener and a source of support. When individuals have had a particularly difficult interaction with a parent or have had an argument with their spouse at home, by being available to listen and support them, I have observed a noticeable change in their temperament. In fact, now, when staff are having a stressful day, they will seek me out to speak with either on the phone or in person and they know that I will listen without judgement and provide unbiased advice if necessary or take on some of their responsibility.

They feel like they have unburdened themselves, passed on the problem or just had an opportunity to get it out of their system. They can then refocus on the children and the important work that they are doing. Of course, this means that I also need to have broad shoulders to be able to take on the emotional or physical burdens that are placed on me. I need to ensure that I have my own support and mentoring systems in place so that I can support the colleagues that I work with. I need to be able to take responsibility when necessary. For

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example, in the case of a colleague who had a stressful interaction with a parent, my first priority was to ensure that the staff member felt supported. I then assured them that I would speak to the parent myself and help to address their concerns and come to a solution. After passing this on to me, the colleague felt much better, was able to relax and continue with her work. I spoke with the parent in a calm and collected way and helped them to understand the staff member’s perspective and then addressed their concerns. After this I followed up

with the colleague and shared the approach I took with the parent and the outcome of the discussion. In this way I also empowered the colleague with strategies on how to handle this kind of issue in the future. Seeing the growth in individual team members is one of my greatest joys as a leader.

CELEBRATING PERSONAL GROWTH In the same way that we are proud of the growth in children, we need to role model being proud of our own growth and achievements and the growth of our colleagues. Acknowledging, with gratitude, the lessons that we have learned and noticing our own personal growth can foster similar thinking in our colleagues as well. When I let my colleague know that “I am proud of myself for how I handled that because 12 months ago, I would not have been able to handle it so professionally,” not only

do I acknowledge what constitutes professionalism, I am also helping others to recognise this in themselves or at least provide them with some strategies that they can use. In the same way, it is important to recognise this in others and say “you handled that situation really well – I like that you were able to keep calm and explain your point of view whilst also allowing the other person to have their say – you should be very proud of yourself.” With several members of the team, we have come to a point where we often talk about the things that we are proud of in each other. This kind of language – whilst it initially felt a little strange and even forced at times- is now part of our regular dialogue and I can see that it is spreading to other colleagues as well. Building this positive culture not only fills me with a sense of achievement, it also provides great joy and gives purpose and meaning to what I do.

ABOUT KARTHIKA Karthika had a successful career as an accountant before following her passion to the early childhood sector. She has worked as an Educator, Early Childhood Teacher and Director in Long Day Care and OOSH services. She holds a Master of Teaching degree and a Master of Educational Leadership degree and is a NESA Early Childhood Teacher Accreditation Supervisor. Karthika is the recipient of the national “New Voice in Educational Leadership” award from ACECQA and the Australian Council of Educational Leaders. She is also the recipient of the Elizabeth Brennan Scholarship from the University of Sydney.

REFERENCES: Carucci, R. (2018). What not to do when you’re trying to motivate your team. Harvard Business Review, 7. Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education Week, 35(5), 20-24. Maxwell, J. C. (2020). The Leader's Greatest Return Workbook: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders. HarperCollins Leadership. McLeod, S. (2007). Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Simply psychology, 1, 1-8.

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THE DIRECTORS

TOOLKIT

Offered for the first time ever, our popular Directors' Toolkit resource has been reviewed, updated and turned into six two-hour live webinar modules. Participants  can choose the sessions that meet their current needs, dip into one session, or attend all six for a comprehensive look at the role and responsibilities. There's a session to refresh your knowledge about every aspect of the role.

LIVE WEBINAR TRAINING

6 LIVE WEBINAR SESSIONS TO CHOOSE FROM COMPLIANCE AND QUALITY

LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY

PLANNING AND POLICY

3 MARCH | 10:00am

10 MARCH | 10:00am

17 MARCH | 10:00am

You will reflect on the knowledge and skills required to ensure your service is compliant with the Education and Care Services National Law and Regulations. Participants will also explore the meaning of quality and how to focus on quality practices.

What makes a good leader? What does a leadership role in ECEC encompass and what leadership style do you have? In this session you will work through these questions, in addition to discussing current issues of advocacy, before reflecting on your own role as an advocate.

The Director is a key part of the management team. This session will explore how to plan and develop policy including strategic planning, planning for ongoing quality improvement and succession planning.

STAFF RELATIONSHIPS

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

24 MARCH | 10:00am

31 MARCH | 10:00am

7 APRIL | 10:00am

This session will look at team relationships, what makes an effective team, communication and conflict resolution. You will explore strategies to support the wellbeing of your team and provide opportunities for development of team skills and relationships.

Every role has an administrative component, and the Director’s role is no different. In your organisation, which administrative tasks fall to  you? This session will look at time management and help participants prioritise and set plans for achieving administrative success.

Learn how you, as Director, can develop positive relationships  and partnerships with families and the wider community.

FAMILY & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

FIND OUT MORE: WWW.CELA.ORG.AU/LEARNING-AND-DEVELOPMENT/WEBINAR/#36 ARE YOU A PROFICIENT TEACHER DUE TO COMPLETE YOUR MAINTENANCE OF ACCREDITATION HOURS IN 2021? If you have not yet completed your 100 hours of PD, your remaining hours can still be completed and logged to show that you are meeting Elective PD criteria. CELA recommends the following link to the NESA website for further scenario information; Transition arrangement scenarios | NSW Education Standards

Courses being uploaded by teachers as Elective PD must meet the Australian professional teaching standards at the applicable accreditation level and be selected from the list of approved Elective PD activities. Elective PD that you record for your maintenance of accreditation requirements must also address specified Elective PD criteria guidelines.

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Please note you are encouraged to complete NESA Accredited PD as it becomes available.

HOW CELA CAN SUPPORT YOU CELA has reviewed our course offerings against the Elective PD criteria and each of our courses has been aligned to the Australian professional standards for Teachers. Please see our website for specific information for each course offering.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A

NAUGHTY CHILD BY RENEE IRVING LEE

There is no such thing as a naughty child, yet it is a common name ascribed to children who display behaviours of concern.

Children do not wake up in the morning and consciously think to themselves, “I wonder how I can be my most naughty self today?”. Children are falsely given this label after adults have misunderstood their behaviour for naughtiness, disobedience, or troublemaking, instead of a simple means of communication. Calling a child naughty won’t ever result in a positive outcome and often just becomes

a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everyone else around that child then begins to think that the child is naughty too, so they treat and talk to them like a naughty child. It is then reinforced to the child that they are naughty, and their behaviour only intensifies and escalates from there.

LANGUAGE IS A POWERFUL TOOL IN PROMOTING POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR. To modify our language around behaviour, we must understand why children engage in behaviours of

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concern in the first place. Children are complex human beings, and they haven’t been on this planet long enough yet to be able to clearly articulate their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Their self-regulation skills are limited. Their brain has not yet fully developed, and they feel emotions very, very, deeply. Sometimes their actions will be inappropriate, mis-guided, impulsive, melodramatic, ill-timed, and poorly executed. The behaviour they engage in, however is a direct reflection upon their needs. A child’s behaviour is how they communicate in the best way they know.

If you are having difficulty separating the child from the behaviour, I always refer back to this quote by Jane Evans:

“The children who need love the most will always ask for it in the most unloving ways” Children are not naughty. They just don’t know how to ask for what they want or need yet in a socially acceptable way for every waking hour of their day. Through my experience in special education, I have come to realise that after you exclude hunger, tiredness and illness, children will engage in challenging behaviours for 3 reasons:

TO GET WHAT THEY WANT This could include seeking a connection with an adult, being able to stay in the play area longer, get whatever toy/food/ object that they desire, control over a game, fulfilling an unmet need.

As educators, if we understand the reasons that often cause challenging behaviours in the first place, we are better equipped to reframe our language to focus on the behaviour rather than the child. We can concentrate on supporting children to replace those challenging behaviours with more pro social behaviours and can seize the opportunity to teach important life-long learning skills needed for healthy emotional development. We can be more positive and supportive when we understand their triggers, motivations, temperament, and challenges.

TO AVOID OR ESCAPE SOMETHING Examples include to get out of doing work, avoid going to a certain place/ activity, avoid a certain person or escape social demands, or responding to an activity that isn’t engaging or appropriate to their developmental needs.

CHANGE THE SENSORY INPUT/OUTPUT OF SITUATION Reactions may include screaming to block out loud noises, sucking on fingers, rocking back and forth during mat time, hiding from teachers and always touching others. Sensory reasons are usually overlooked as a cause to challenging behaviour, but are often the cause for children that are highly sensitive and those with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders.

ABOUT RENEE IRVING LEE Renee Irving Lee is passionate about writing children’s books that promote life-long learning, social inclusion and improve self-esteem. She has always loved working with children, so writing for children has been a natural progression from her work as a teacher and educational freelance writer. Her diverse background in education extends to teaching primary school-aged children, young adults, and children with special needs. Renee was awarded the Young Achiever of the Year Award by TAFE Queensland for her work as a dynamic, student-focused teacher who is highly respected for her skills, intellect and dedication. Renee was also inducted into the International Golden Key Honour Society while studying for her Bachelor of Education (Special Education) where she graduated with a Distinction.

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TIPS FOR EDUCATORS 9 Remove the word naughty from your vocabulary altogether. 9 Replace the naughty steps or time-out mat with a chill-out space or calming down area. 9 Welcome, respect and acknowledge all emotions in children first. 9 Focus on the child’s behaviour and how you can support them to replace that behaviour with a positive one. 9 Use positive language – tell children what they can do instead of what they can’t do. 9 Maintain a positive relationship with children. This can be very difficult if a child has ongoing challenging behaviours and if you feel like your whole day is spent intervening, responding, and supporting. How can you connect in other ways? 9 It can be very demanding and emotionally draining to respond to challenging behaviours in children. If possible, take a moment to calm yourself before you speak to the child. 9 Ensure that your tone of voice, facial expressions, and posture match your positive language. 9 Share the positive language strategies you use with their families. 9 Role model positive language in all interactions in your day with parents, teachers, and visitors. 9 Using positive language effectively takes time, practice, and awareness. Allow yourself time to reflect on your own vocabulary and teaching practices.

THE POWER OF SINGING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN Teacher Skill and Confidence BY DR. SARAH POWELL, MACQUARIE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY. inging is a natural form of communication and selfexpression for young children. They sing as they play, make up songs with nonsense words, create repetitive chants as they sit in the sandpit or run around outside. Babies are soothed by

a lullaby, they hear their mother’s voice as music with its sing-song quality, and they respond to singing by moving and imitating (1). For the adult, however, singing can be daunting. A lack of confidence and a sense that they ‘can’t sing’ inhibits them, and yet

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singing with young children is a powerful tool that encourages a sense of belonging and wellbeing, and contributes to enhanced learning outcomes across a range of domains.

‘They love it… they really respond.’ My research project focused on creative approaches to engaging children and addressing social or learning needs by using singing as an integral part of the learning process and environment, and recognising its significance in early years learning. Teachers, educators, and children (aged 4-6 years), from two preschool rooms and four primary school kindergarten classes, participated in this exploration of the impact of regularly singing with children. Teachers were asked to identify an outcome to focus on, relevant to their specific group of children, and this outcome formed the basis of their planning, activities, and observations of children’s responses. For example, one teacher wanted to strengthen the sense of group cohesion and the participation of particular boys. Another teacher chose to focus on listening to instructions, and another wanted to demonstrate the capacity of children to engage in more complex musical activity. Outcomes also included using singing for transitions and ‘brain-breaks’. Another aim of the project was to provide professional learning for teachers by developing their skills and confidence in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of singing activities. A two-day program of NESA-endorsed professional development was designed for this purpose and was presented by two early childhood music education specialists from the NSW Orff Schulwerk Association. During the program, teachers learned a variety of songs, activities, and singing games; they were provided with

resources, including a class set of percussion instruments, and a book of songs, called ‘Catch a Song’ (2); they also participated in focus group discussions about their level of skill and confidence, and plans for their group of children.

sunscreen, and devised new lyrics that told the story of what they were doing (applying sunscreen). The focus for the teachers here was to build a sense of group cohesion and to navigate the impact of some big personalities.

‘For us it was about becoming a team and so singing in unison has been really important’. The teachers noticed the way these children became involved, were focused, enjoyed themselves, and contributed to the group as a recognized member of the group.

‘One of our boys, who never joins in, sang all by himself the other day… it was amazing…’ ‘What we noticed was so much more engagement… and it was particularly our boys… the boys really loved it…’ The preschool teachers noticed a significant improvement in the participation of the children, especially a small group of boys who were reluctant to be involved in a number of different activities during the day. These boys were observed to join in enthusiastically with singing activities and on one occasion they were seen to invent new words to a tune they had just been singing with the group. They stood in front of a mirror, applying

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Teachers also noted the improvement of the children in terms of their capacity to listen and respond to instructions. They talked about their willingness to be involved, to sing, and to move to music. One teacher described how each day her class begged to sing all the songs they had learned and how much they enjoyed themselves. Teachers also grew in skill and confidence in singing with their children. They described varying levels of skill and confidence before the program started (3), ranging from low to high levels, but they all reported a significant improvement in skill and feeling much more confident by the end of the program. The teacher attributed this to feeling ‘more confident to source new things and actually try them out’ as well as being ‘more purposeful and realising that that’s [singing] is valuable learning’.

It is important to point out that what these teachers learned and implemented was not simply sitting down and singing a song; it was not singing to a recording or YouTube clip on a screen. The approach was active, led by the children, led by the teacher; it involved singing while moving or dancing, singing and playing simple percussion instruments; singing stories and singing games; and it involved building understanding and vocabulary of musical elements, such as pitch, beat, tempo, and rhythm. In other words, children were engaged in embodied, active learning, that developed listening and coordination, collaboration and enjoyment. Professional development played a significant role in building teacher skill and confidence. It gave them understanding and confidence, as well as the opportunity to try songs and activities, and build a repertoire of possibilities. In addition, it was the ongoing practice and implementation that also developed these aspects for the teachers.

"Studies show that language development at age three predicts not only reading ability at ages 10 to 11 but achievement in learning overall."

Remember, children are very forgiving and will often take over, so just get in and give it a go! See what happens!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr Sarah Powell is a Lecturer in Creative Arts (Music/Movement) in the Macquarie School of Education and is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (FHEA). She studied Music and Education at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney, and has taught for over 15 years in preschool, primary, secondary and tertiary education settings.

REFERENCES:

(1) Welch, G. F. (2006). The musical development and education of young children. B. Spodek & O. N. Saracho (Eds.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (pp. 251-267). Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. (2) Hoermann, D., & Bridges, D. (1985). Catch a Song. Educational Supplies Pty Ltd. (3) Powell, S. (2019). Singing with young children: Empowering early childhood teachers to sing Orff-style. Musicworks: Journal of the Australian Council of Orff Schulwerk, 24(1), 23-30.

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Her research is in the areas of singing, movement, and music with children; developing teacher and preservice teacher skill and confidence in Arts pedagogy; and effective practice in the online delivery of Creative Arts teaching and learning.

Broadside

EDUCATING IN REMOTE AND COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS Challenges and solutions RATTLER ISSUE 134 | MARCH 2021 | 17

BY MEGAN O’CONNELL, CELA RESEARCH AND POLICY MANAGER

Amongst the many Government reports and inquiries conducted in 2020, one released in late 2020 received little attention. The Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training released a report into Education in remote and complex environments: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_ Business/Committees/House/ Employment_Education_and_ Training/RemoteEducation/Report This report builds on two previous reports, the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education (Halsey review, 2018) and the National Regional, Rural and Remote Tertiary Education Strategy (Napthine review, 2019), and seeks to provide clear recommendations to progress the findings of these reports. The report has a focus across education, from early childhood education through to university education, but importantly acknowledges that what happens in early education can set children up for a lifetime of learning.

INQUIRY HIGHLIGHTS FOUR MAIN CONCERNS The committee raises concerns that “children in regional, rural and remote communities are more likely to experience disadvantage and developmental vulnerability than those in cities; are less likely to access early childhood education; that the quality of early childhood education is lower than in metropolitan areas; and, that early childhood education providers in regional, rural and remote locations struggle to recruit and retain quality staff.” The report covered a range of issues affecting early childhood education in regional, rural and remote communities including cost, access and workforce issues. Access to culturally appropriate and accessible early childhood education is crucial for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The report draws on evidence from the AEU that 4 year old Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have a lower rate of enrolment in preschool than other children. Attendance rates for Indigenous children fall as remoteness increases.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR SOLUTIONS INCLUDING TRAINING, SUPPORT AND FUNDING FOR UNIVERSAL ACCESS A range of submissions received by the committee call for cultural competency training, support for wraparound services and greater support for Aboriginal controlled organisations to deliver early childhood education. They also call for increased access to early childhood education by providing amending the activity test to enable 30 hours per week of early childhood education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children to support closing the gap. The report notes that a variety of models of delivery are needed in rural, regional and remote communities, and that these need to be underpinned by ongoing, adequate funding. This should commence with making Universal Access to 600 hours of quality early education in the year before school ongoing – the current annual renewal process provides no certainty for staff and management committees, and does not enable long term planning or employment security. Services such as mobile preschools and playgroups ensure provision in remote and very remote communities but struggle to maintain viability as they do not fall within funding criteria.

WORKFORCE CHALLENGES HIGHLIGHTED The significant challenges of attracting and retaining staff are amplified in rural and remote services. Some services are small and have fluctuating enrolments, so do not have the economies of scale to sustain a full time educator. Other services are located in high cost centres, such as mining towns, where the salaries paid to early childhood educators are insufficient to cover the cost of living.

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A workforce strategy needs to be developed with a focus on strategies that can attract, retain and develop the early childhood education workforce in regional, rural and remote Australia. Strategies need to have funding attached to them in order to attract staff to areas, and to support the cost of living in high cost centres, including providing accommodation where necessary. A focus on workforce is vital to lift the quality of early childhood education and care across rural and remote areas.

HOW CELA IS HELPING, AND HOW YOU CAN SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS All children deserve to access quality early childhood education and care. The gap in provision between our cities and our most remote areas is acute. We must start in the early years to reduce the city-country education divide. Throughout 2021 CELA will be actively advocating for these issues to feature prominently in policy reviews, including the forthcoming ACECQA Workforce Strategy. We are part of the solution – we can tailor and provide training to suit your needs. An upside of 2020 was the switch to online training that made professional learning far more accessible to regional, rural and remote services. We want to know what training needs our regional, rural and remote services have. Please spend five minutes completing our short survey - www.surveymonkey. com/r/3MV22XL

"A workforce strategy needs to be developed with a focus on strategies that can attract, retain and develop the early childhood education workforce in regional, rural and remote Australia."

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EARLY EDUCATION RESEARCH FROM AUSTRALIA AND AROUND THE WORLD INSIGHTS FROM MEGAN O’CONNELL, CELA’S RESEARCH AND POLICY MANAGER

SCHOOL READINESS IS MORE THAN THE CHILD: A LATENT CLASS ANALYSIS OF CHILD, FAMILY, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY ASPECTS OF SCHOOL READINESS This article provides new insights into the role played by family, school and the community in contributing to school readiness. We know that school readiness - the capabilities children possess at the start of school including social and emotional wellbeing and early literacy - support children to engage well in school. What has not been widely researched is whether the capacity of a family, school and community to support a child to enter school makes a difference. The research found that children could be grouped into four categories; developmentally enabled, parenting risk, emotionally immature risk and language and development risk. These groupings were based on individual, child and community factors that are mapped to outcomes on entry to school and grade three NAPLAN.

Children in the developmentally enabled group were likely to be on track across all AEDC indicators. Children in the parenting risk group were distinguished by factors such as not being read to, parent psychological distress and low neighbourhood social capital. Interestingly this group did not have a greater likelihood of being vulnerable at entry to school, but were more likely to be behind by the age of 8. Children in the emotionally immature group were more likely to be vulnerable on the AEDC social and emotional maturity domains and have poor teacher-child relationships. Children in the language and development risks were more likely to be vulnerable on all AEDC indicators, and had elevated family, school and community risks.

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The study confirms that many factors inform child outcomes, and that parenting, school and community risks need to be factored into an analysis of school readiness. It suggests that school readiness should be refocused from the capacity of an individual child to include outside elements that support school readiness. Success in school is linked to child capacity, but supported by wider environmental factors including parent support. This also means that considerations of when to start school, and which school to attend, should include matching children, and their families, to the right programs and services to meet their needs. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/ajs4.138

NATIONAL LANGUAGE AND LITERACY STRATEGY DISCUSSION PAPER The discussion paper is focused on how to support children aged five years and under to develop early language and literacy. It has been developed as a coordinated strategy targeting language and emergent literacy for children prior to commencing compulsory schooling. The paper uses a broad conception of literacy, aligning with multiliteracies around how individuals make sense of the world around them, in attrition to reading and writing.

language and literacy outcomes which include executive functioning, home literacy and composite skills. The paper suggests that a focus on the early years is vital to ensuring children’s skill development, citing evidence that children who have language problems at school entry are more likely to stay behind, and that reading to young children is a protective factor.

The paper includes a national and international scan of approaches Early language skills include receptive to early literacy and language and expressive language. development, and finds effective Emergent literacy includes written approaches include dialogic reading, language awareness, phonological exposure to early childhood education awareness and composite skills. especially for at risk children and early Additionally, there are secondary literacy programs.

The paper will be drawn on to frame a draft strategy, with consideration of key questions including the role of governments, communities, families and services providers, potential for setting targets and identifying resources needed. Draft priorities for early education and transitions relate to building evidencebased approaches to language and literacy into professional learning and initial qualifications, providing two years of early education before school and developing measures to support children’s transition. earlylanguageandliteracy.org.au/wpcontent/uploads/2020/10/NationalEarly-Language-and-LiteracyDiscussion-Paper-2020.pdf

FAMILIES, DISADVANTAGE & EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE IN COVID-19 The Front Project has released a new report on the effects of COVID-19 on disadvantage. The report notes that COVID-19 could affect children’s disadvantage for an extended period of time, but we cannot estimate the size and scope of the effect due to data limitations. The report references key affects COVID-19 has had on children’s development, ranging from impacts on children’s physical development due to reduced access to playgrounds, social and emotional development stemming from reduced social interaction and language and cognitive development with closures of facilities and withdrawals from early childhood education and care. The impacts vary across the country, with many parents in Victoria in particular commenting on their children’s increased vulnerability following an extended period of missing early childhood education. Additional issues compounded by

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COVID-19, such as an inability to access services due to COVID-19 related closures, to living in confined spaces where parents work at home, and job losses increasing financial pressures, have also contributed to a likely increase in children’s disadvantage. Families that were already vulnerable were more likely to experience additional stressors, and in particular to suffer job losses. The report highlights the centrality of investment in early childhood education to the economic recovery, both in the short term to support children’s development with a particular focus on children experiencing vulnerability, and over the longer term to ensure a consistently high quality early childhood education and care workforce is nurtured that has the skills and knowledge to support children and families. www.thefrontproject.org.au/ changing-disadvantage-in-covid-19

THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING STRATEGY The National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is aimed at providing a framework for investment in mental health and wellbeing for children and families. The strategy focuses on four areas: family and community, service system, education settings and evidence and evaluation, with individual objectives set to improve access and quality. Strategy Principles Child-centred

Respecting and promoting the role of communities, parents, families and carers

Strengths-based

All services have a perspective that builds on child and family strengths, to inform a holistic and family-centred approach

Equity and access

Ensuring that all children and families have access to health, education and social services

Prevention-focused

Both universal and targeted prevention of mental illness by promoting mental wellbeing

Universal system Programs and services are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive and treat children in the context of families and communities. Evidence-informed best practice and continuous quality evaluation The use of data and indicators to create a continuous feedback loop between research and clinical practice. Early intervention

2.2 Wellbeing continuum

Early intervention for those in need, while addressing the impacts of trauma and social determinants

Needs based, not diagnosis driven Service delivery based on individual needs and reduced focus on requiring a diagnosis to access services

To support the cultural shift this Strategy aims to achieve, we have adopted a continuum-based model of mental health and wellbeing, with non-stigmatised language characterising the various Figure 2: National Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with description of the foundational principles. experiences of wellbeing (see Box 1 below). 1: A mental health wellbeingabout continuum The strategy aims for aBoxcultural shift inand thinking mental health, with a 21 Children’s emotional experiences cannot always be distinctly defined as healthy or unhealthy, as there are continual approach to identify opportunities to improve rather than varying levels of mental health and wellbeing. Therefore, it is more accurate towellbeing, describe emotional experiences as falling along a continuum. The figure below outlines the continuum model of mental health a clinical and diagnostic focus. used to guide this Strategy. Children experience challenges to their mental health, and are not managing these effectively and need additional support.

Children experience a state of positive mental health and wellbeing.

Healthy

Coping

Children experience challenges to their mental health, but are equipped with the mental resources to manage these effectively.

Struggling

Unwell

Children experience mental illness and considerable challenges to their wellbeing. They need additional support to manage and recover.

The continuum approach highlights that there are opportunities to promote improved wellbeing and

The continuum refers to how a child functioning, witha child themay aim ofamoving possibly intervene before a child becomes unwell. is It also acknowledges that have diagnosed mental illness, but healthy function well socially (i.e. ‘coping’). Similarly, a child who is ‘struggling’ children to the end of and theeducationally continuum. would not require a diagnosis, but would be experiencing a decline in their usual functioning or anticipated

developmental trajectory.on education settings as providing a unique non-stigmatising The report focuses way support health. It includes thethat objective ofremain building Theto optimal mentalchildren’s health system mental includes universal services and programs help children in, or a move to, the healthy end of thededicated continuum. Instaff addition, it would provide targeted supports and servicesculture, for wellbeing culture, with that can assist educators to build children who are struggling.34 This Strategy proposes that children should be able to access funded services and wellbeing forming parttoofstruggle, the curriculum. would build and at the point that they are beginning rather than onlyWellbeing once they are staff unwell and have received a diagnosis. relationships with other service providers. maintain description of mental health and wellbeing also introduces terminology is morebe approachable AsThis part of a commitment to wellbeing, a wellbeing planthat would in placethan to the traditional language of ‘mental health’ and ‘mental illness’, which can be stigmatised and not well meet the needs children, witharound clearthisactions to support understood. As such,of structuring a system continuumand offersapproaches a common language to help families, health professionals educatorsend to discuss children’s emotionalThe wellbeing. children to move to theand healthy of the spectrum. report acknowledges Consultations also found that this continuum approach aligns well with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vii this will require difficult conversations with parents and carers, and that concepts of social and emotional wellbeing , which focus less on mental illness and more on holistic approaches to supporting wellbeing. professional learning in mental health and clear guidelines would support educators to know how and when to act. Educators should also have support to vii Socialon and their emotional wellbeing is generally the preferred term for both physical and mental health for Aboriginal and focus own mental health and wellbeing. Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities. This holistic concept includes but extends beyond conventional western

concepts of mental health and is mental illness. It recognises theformat importancefor of cultural determinants of health such as The strategy, which currently in draft feedback, will be finalised relationships with family, kin and community, and connections to land and sea, culture, spirituality and ancestry, as well as insocial thedeterminants first quarter of 2021. housing consultation.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/ such as employment, and education. policy-projects/childrens-mental-health-and-wellbeing-strategy/supporting_ documents/The%20National%20Childrens%20Mental%20Health%20and%20 22 Wellbeing%20Strategy.pdf

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CARE: DO WE NEED TO DEVELOP THE PHYSICAL LITERACY OF EDUCATORS? E. Jean Buckler; Eli Puterman, Guy E. Faulkner This study examines whether early childhood educators with greater physical literacy, for example competence in exercising, knowledge and motivation to undertake physical activity, enable children in their services to engage in higher levels of physical activity and to build their own physical literacy. The study looks at the levels of movement of educators and their motivation to exercise, and compares this with educators’ intention to provide physical activities for an extended period of time and energetic play. The study findings were mixed – educators who reported an intention to provide energetic play were likely to understand the importance of this, and have an intention to build physical literacy. Skill levels of educators was related inversely to physical literacy – individuals with lower object control skills reported higher intentions to provide physical literacy daily. A lack of skill in completing a task did not seem to dissuade educators from teaching it to children, for example modelling kicking a ball. The study reveals that to grow levels of physical activity and literacy in early childhood education, which is vital for children’s physical skill development and healthy functioning, we need to focus on building educator’s motivation and understanding. Skill development may help educators to model a better technique but may not necessarily increase the amount of activity undertaken. link.springer.com/article/10.1007/ s11125-020-09476-z

UNCOVERING THE LONG TERM VALUE OF

BUILDING QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN IN ECE SETTINGS REPORT ON RESEARCH STUDY FINDINGS BY WENDY SAEME LEE, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY

or many children, enrolling in an Early Childhood (EC) centre will be the first time they will be cared for and taught by an adult other than a primary and consistent adult figure, such as the child’s parents. The implication of such major social change for children in the early years means that children’s relationship with non-familial adults should be explored and reflected on with great care.

I have been working as an EC educator and teacher for over 12 years, and in that time, I have consistently observed the impact that quality relationships built between educators and children have on the children’s learning, interests, and milestones.

I truly believe that a quality relationship between the educator and child sets the foundation of a child’s learning trajectory – and it is the role and responsibility of the educator to ensure that this relationship is built. On a more personal note, having migrated to Australia from South Korea at a young age with no English speaking ability, my first teacher at the time had a profound impact on my early development. Despite having close to 30 other children in the room, she managed to build an incredibly strong relationship with me, ensuring that I felt a sense of belonging.

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Her presence, warmth, and appropriate pedagogical approaches were so impactful, that even after three decades, my memory of her was so deeply embedded that she became my role model (as an ECT). She inspired me to undertake my PhD, investigating the long term value of building quality relationships with children in ECE settings. My PhD included a research study designed to explore the nature and dynamics of quality relationships that are formed (or not formed) between educators and children, for which I developed a new tool that can be used to measure these relationships.

Image of Wendy and her school friends dressed in Korean costumes. Wendy’s teacher asked her mum to teach Korean-related songs, dances, cooking, and other cultural activities to help bridge her culture with the educational setting as she was the only Asian child at the time.

STUDY AIMS My main aims for the study were threefold: To uncover what constitutes a quality relationship between an early childhood educator and a preschool aged child and what factors are dynamically involved when developing such a relationship. To understand the role played by emotion in building and maintaining quality relationships in ECE settings and in what ways an early childhood educator could enhance and refine the emotional content of relationships, such that they impact young children’s development and learning. To understand in what ways the notion of emotional sensibility might be incorporated into EC teacher training programmes in order to enrich the National and State EC frameworks and standards.

DEVELOPING A NEW TOOL FOR MEASUREMENT OF QUALITY RELATIONSHIPS There are several factors that may contribute to how one builds relationships with another; such as the environment, interests, needs, background knowledge or experience. An EC educator would be aware that each relationship built with each child within the group setting is dynamic and unique. In order to conduct this study, I reviewed existing tools and instruments that aim to measure or capture the quality of relationships between adults and children in various settings, but soon discovered that they had had their limitations. Limitations with existing instruments included: ⊲ Lack of context-sensitivity (for example, the same tool could be used to observe an adult-child dyad in both professional and in non-professional settings).

⊲ Focus on limited age groups (for example, heavy focus on infant/toddler stages with little ability to capture relationships in preschool aged children). ⊲ Inability to eliminate subjectivity and the possibility of internal biases from the observer. Thus, I wanted to ensure that an instrument tool was available that takes into account the dynamics of a relationship, using a contemporary scale would build on what EC educators already know and value, incorporating what many do tacitly in their everyday practice. With the contribution of my two research supervisors, I developed a 5-point observation scale called the ‘Emotional Sensibility Observation Scale’ (ESOS) which is how I measured the relationship of the educator-child dyads in my study.

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EMOTIONAL SENSIBILITY OBSERVATION SCALE (ESOS) Each point has an accompanying descriptor that aims to measure quality relationships with children in ECE settings:

PERPETUAL ACUTENESS

Is the educator able to perceive positive and negative emotional cues of the child, both in a 1:1 interaction or within a group setting?

EMPATHETIC DISCERNMENT

Does the educator have discernment and move in harmony and pace with the child? Does the educator act sensibility when responding to challenging behaviours?

MORAL INTENT

Does the educator display a strong moral disposition in her/ his relationship with children, acting with caring judgment and placing high value on each child’s autonomy and agency? Is the educator able to exercise a high-level of sincerity and considerable empathy, care or compassion in her relationship with children?

USING EFFECTIVE VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION WITH THE CHILD

Does the educator effectively and fluently use non-verbal communication (e.g. eye-gaze, positioning, physical proximity) in order to direct and maintain the child’s attentional engagement?

FACILITATING CHILDREN’S EMERGING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN A QUALITY RELATIONSHIP

Does the educator augment teachable and learnable moments by acutely perceiving possible learning opportunities as they arise and facilitate the child to extend her/his inquiry? Does the educator create an emotionally and physically safe environment for learning? Does the educator encourage children to share their different knowledge, skills and understanding with others in order to achieve a shared goal? Although it was my hope and aim to address the limitations of existing tools, I recognise that over time this scale will need to be continually revised and further developed, drawing on research, policies, frameworks, and other existing tools. Most importantly, it is hoped that EC centre directors and educators will contribute to its development, as a result of using it in their day-to-day interactions with the children in their care. For a copy of the full ESOS scale, please contact Dr Wendy Lee www.sydney.edu.au/arts/about/our-people/academic-staff/wendysaeme-lee.html

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STUDY FINDINGS My study showed that regardless of the educator’s years of experience, level of qualification, gender or age, the educators noted the relevance and the significance of building quality relationships with children in their care.

What constitutes a quality relationship between an early childhood educator and a preschool aged child and what factors are dynamically involved when developing such a relationship? Varying terminologies have been used to describe educator-child relationships in EC educational settings. For example, Jools Page (2011; 2014) adopted the notion of ‘professional love’ to describe educatorchild relationships, whilst Zeynep Biringen uses the term ‘emotional availability’ to measure the quality of a child-adult relationship (Zeynep Biringen and M. Ann Easterbrooks (2012).

Emotional sensitivity plays a role in building and maintaining quality relationships in ECE settings. When emotionally sensitive and perceptive educators build professional quality relationships, it helps the children feel a sense of belonging and an awareness that their educators will be there to respond to, and support their needs. It is crucial for children’s learning and development that children are encouraged to freely explore their learning environment, socialise with peers, and are given opportunities to participate in the many learning programmes. It is through these everyday participations in both spontaneous and structured engagements that children are able to further develop their emotional and social development (Mikulincer, Shaver & Pereg, 2003; Mosier, 2013; Volling et al., 2002). A child is not able to fully engage with their physical environment and learn new skills, unless they feel secure in their setting.

SUMMARY It is through the formation of quality relationships, in which children learn the ability and capacity to understand, experience, and regulate their emotions and build social relationships, that children acquire the essential skills they need in order to participate successfully and fully in their educational settings. Recording educator-child interactions may serve as a useful method for educators to undertake professional development. Although it may be intimidating or even ‘embarrassing’ for an educator to watch themselves in a video, viewing oneself from a third perspective can give the educator an insightful opportunity to analyse their own approaches, languages used, teaching methods adopted. Discussing their interaction with a mentor or a colleague as to how practices can be improved can be a strong professional development strategy. Reviewing our interactions with children can also give us the chance to ‘observe’ the moment from the child’s perspective, which in turn, will enable us to become more effective and efficient educators.

About the author Wendy is a Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of Sydney. Wendy's research area is in the field of emotional development in the early years. Wendy holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Early Childhood, a Masters degree in Early Childhood, Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood, and Diploma in Children's Services. She has worked as an Early Childhood Educator and Teacher for over twelve years in Australia, Germany, and in South Korea and has a strong interest in child-adult relationship/attachment studies.

REFERENCES: Biringen, Z., & Easterbrooks, M. (2012). Emotional availability: Concept, research, and window on developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 24,1-8. Mikulincer, M., Shaver, P., & Pereg, D. (2003). Attachment theory and affect regulation: The dynamics, development, and cognitive consequences of attachment-related strategies. Motivation and Emotion, 27(2) 77-100. Page, J. (2011). Do mothers want professional carers to love their babies? Journal of Early Childhood Research, 9(3), 310–323. Page, J. (2014). Developing “professional love” in early childhood settings. In L. Harrison & J. Sumsion (Eds.), Lived Spaces of Infant-Toddler Education and Care. International perspectives on early childhood education and development, vol 11 (pp. 119- 130). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. Volling, B., McElwain, N., Notaro, P., & Herrera, C. (2002). Parents’ emotional availability and infant emotional competence: Predictors of parent-infant attachment and emerging self-regulation. Journal of Family Psychology, 16(4), 447-465.

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TRAINING WEBINARS HAVE YOU LOCKED IN YOUR TEAM'S TRAINING? CELA's Learning & Development webinars equip educators with knowledge that changes practice and underpins quality early education.

NEW SESSIONS

RETURNING FAVOURITES

⊲ 5 ways to better conversations with children ⊲ Compliance in Everyday Practice ⊲ Dealing Effectively with Complaints ⊲ How the Exceeding themes influence your practices ⊲ So Now You Are On The Committee

⊲ Acknowledging and Celebrating Aboriginal Australia A Starting Point

⊲ Loose Parts Play

⊲ CHCPRT001 Identify & Respond to Children and Young People at Risk

⊲ OOSH Active Supervision

⊲ Understanding Play Theory

⊲ Childrens Rights Childrens Voices

⊲ The Directors Toolkit – Leadership & Advocacy

⊲ Demystifying Critical Reflection

⊲ The Directors Toolkit – Working with Management; Planning & Policy

⊲ Do You See What They See?

⊲ The Directors Toolkit – The Team: Staff Relationships

⊲ ECE Active Supervision

⊲ The Director’s Toolkit – Family and Community Partnerships

⊲ Inquiry Based Learning ⊲ Leap into Leadership

⊲ Play Theory and Behaviour ⊲ Practical Approaches to Programming ⊲ Research and Theory in Behaviour ⊲ Self Assessment 1 ⊲ Self Assessment 2

⊲ Educator Wellbeing: Filling an Empty Bucket

⊲ The Directors Toolkit – Administrative Responsibilities

⊲ Neuroscience and Behaviour

⊲ The Law and Regs for Nominated Supervisors ⊲ Theory Basics of Behaviour ⊲ Vulnerable and Valuable

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION VISIT

CUSTOMISED TRAINING

www.cela.org.au/learning-and-development/webinar

We are flexible to your needs. FIND OUT MORE: 1800 157 818

ARE YOU A PROFICIENT TEACHER DUE TO COMPLETE YOUR MAINTENANCE OF ACCREDITATION HOURS IN 2021? If you have not yet completed your 100 hours of PD, your remaining hours can still be completed and logged to show that you are meeting Elective PD criteria. CELA recommends the following link to the NESA website for further scenario information; Transition arrangement scenarios | NSW Education Standards

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Please note you are encouraged to complete NESA Accredited PD as it becomes available. HOW CELA CAN SUPPORT YOU CELA has reviewed our course offerings against the Elective PD criteria and each of our courses has been aligned to the Australian professional standards for Teachers. Please see our website for specific information for each course offering.

BEING IN THE

HERE & NOW

WITH CHILDREN hen the subject of supervision arises, often the accompanying thoughts are not particularly positive.

This is due to supervision sometimes being perceived as too structured, managerial, or as having the potential to impede upon the play of a child. However, when conducted properly and effectively, supervision is indeed the gatekeeper to engaging with children, both in times of teaching and during play.

UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUPERVISION AND ENGAGEMENT BY PHILLIPPA YEEND AND LOUISE BLACK

Understanding the differences between supervision and engagement is critical to grasping their intricate connection and their unique value. According to the NSW Department of Education, “Supervision of children is an active practice that helps to protect children from harm or hazards that may arise during play, activities or routines.

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“Adequate supervision requires the maintenance of ratio requirements. Educators should always know where each child is, monitor their activities and be in a position to respond if necessary.”1

ADEQUATE SUPERVISION CONSISTS OF SEVERAL ELEMENTS Working as a team and carefully considering the variety of experiences for children are just two critical aspects of supervision. These will ensure that all areas of the environment have been considered, that different educators are assigned to each, and that there is a balance of experiences that need close supervision and those that do not. Additionally, an awareness of the time of day and personal placement are also significant. Be mindful of the varying needs of a child, whether they are tired, hungry, or even if the sun is shining after a rainy day and they need to burn energy, as the experiences to match these desires will need predetermined supervision. Alternatively, engagement is a more active and involved process. The dictionary defines it as, ‘to attract and hold the attention of, engross, to win over or attract, to draw into or involve’. Perhaps the best way to determine the difference between supervision and engagement is considering that the latter can only occur when the former is effectively practiced. Listening, encouraging and participating in play with a child will be extremely difficult if supervision strategies are not in place. This is because other issues that arise will take priority. With adequate supervision in place, educators can then focus on their interactions with children becoming more meaningful leading to engagement.

HOW MOVING FROM ADEQUATE TO EFFECTIVE SUPERVISION ENABLES ENGAGED INTERACTION Moving from adequate to effective supervision involves all of the above being in place and practiced along with an additional element; empowering children. Allow children to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for boundaries and guidelines by collaborating and developing them together. This will help the children to understand why rules are so important. Implementing effective supervision will allow educators to shift their focus and have the capacity to invest their time and attention to growing a relationship with the children through engaged interaction. This engagement is far greater than just increasing a child’s enjoyment of play time. It has numerous benefits, including those from the perspective of the Early Years Learning Framework which states, “Childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world. Being recognises the significance of the here and now in children’s lives. It is about the present and them knowing themselves, building and maintaining relationships with others, engaging with life’s joys and complexities, and meeting challenges in everyday life. The early childhood years are not solely preparation for the future but also about the present.” (Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia page 7).

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“Childhood is a time to be, to seek and make meaning of the world. Being recognises the significance of the here and now in children’s lives. It is about the present and them knowing themselves, building and maintaining relationships with others, engaging with life’s joys and complexities, and meeting challenges in everyday life. The early childhood years are not solely preparation for the future but also about the present.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS LOUISE BLACK is CELA’s Early Childhood Education Learning & Development Specialist. With a background in local government as a teacher director, and as a validator and trainer with the National Child Care Accreditation Council, Louise brings many years of sector experience.

Engagement provides educators with an opportunity for intentional teaching. Learning appears in all social contexts, and so educators should strive to engage with children’s thinking and learning through conversations that employ open questions, speculating, demonstrating, problem solving, and other strategies. This deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful engagement is the beginning of intentional teaching, an invaluable aspect of their early education.

THE POWER OF INTENTIONAL ENGAGEMENT Curriculum specialist Pam Schiller believes that every educator or caregiver has the power to shape a child’s entire future. Whether they develop a desire to learn and appreciate information is shaped by the intent of a teacher.

“An intentional teacher will help develop intentional students. Intentional teachers make thoughtful choices about the classroom environment, curriculum activities, and student interactions. Intentional students make thoughtful choices about their participation in the classroom. They model the thoughtfulness demonstrated by their teacher. They think before they act,” Pam Schiller, The Intentional Teacher.2 To ensure that children are granted the opportunity to value their education, begin first with effective supervision which opens the door to engagement. Then, be engaged with a child’s interests to know how to intentionally add something purposeful and meaningful to their learning.

She has been an integral part of the Learning and Development team at CELA and specialises in quality assurance and training needs analysis across all service types. Louise designs customised training to meet the specific needs of individual educators and teams and leads the CELA Little Scientists program.

PHILIPPA YEEND is a qualified Early Childhood Teacher with over 25 years’ experience working in the Early Childhood sector. Her experience includes working across a range of different State and Federal government funded programs, including at Gowrie NSW and the Preschool Growth Program at CELA. She also spent time at Children’s Services Central as a Trainer and Assessor delivering the Cert III and Diploma qualifications.qualifications. Philippa is currently employed as a Student Liaison and NESA Teacher Accreditation Supervisor for SDN Children’s Services. Her passion lies in supporting and mentoring to early childhood educators to continue their everyday inspirational work with children.

Source: https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/operating-an-early-childhood-education-service/regulation-assessment-and-rating/ regulatory-framework/children-above-preschool-age-at-oshc/staff-ratios-and-adequate-supervision

Exchange magazine, 2009 (www.childcareexchange.com/library/5018557.pdf)

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THE VALUE OF BUILDING AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS FOR OUR YOUNGEST CITIZENS BY KEETA WILLIAMS

uilding a sense of belonging and children's interdependence with "family, community, culture and place" is fundamental to the Early Years Learning Framework.

Children benefit when they belong to a community, which is why the National Quality Standard requires services to build relationships and engage with their community. Keeta Wiliams writes about why authenticity is important when building community connections, and shares three examples of how services have engaged their local community.

THE BENEFITS OF BELONGING "Community connections build resilience in children,” says Kerrie Maguire, early childhood education sector specialist and training facilitator at Community Early Learning Australia. "No one learns in isolation and knowing you are part of a community enables children to have protective factors and enables the reduction of any risk factors the child may be experiencing within the family unit."

Strong social connections help children to: ⊲ gain knowledge and learn new skills ⊲ form their own identity ⊲ become aware of diversity ⊲ know who to ask for help during life's challenges ⊲ contribute to their world with a sense of agency ⊲ feel loved and appreciated.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF AUTHENTICITY AND PROMOTION OF CITIZENSHIP Community engagement should always be purposeful, positive and authentic. That means that connections, activities and engagement should have a reason that is beyond ticking a box. The engagement should aim to achieve something in the process.

ACECQA’s National Education Leader, Rhonda Livingstone says: “When educators make connections within the wider community, they advocate for children’s rights to be seen as active citizens who contribute to society. Children’s understanding of citizenship and stewardship develops and the community is reflected in

the service program, practice and operations.” (Source: wehearyou.acecqa.gov.au) Early Childhood Australia’s Code of Ethics includes a set of statements related to engaging with the community, advocating for children’s rights, and promoting shared aspirations for children’s learning, health and wellbeing. These statements also emphasise the value of learning about the community to: ⊲ enhance practice and the educational program, ensuring it is reflective of the context and community priorities

THREE EXAMPLES OF AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Your community includes children, teaching and non-teaching staff, parents and carers, and the broader community. Every community is unique and as such, there’s no magic list of activities that early education services should follow in, in order to build community connections. However, it’s always great to be inspired by and learn from what others are doing, so we spoke with three services who were happy to share the way they authentically connect with their local community.

⊲ promote community understandings of how children learn.

CHILDREN ENGAGING WITH THEIR COUNCIL - STANMORE KINDERGARTEN The children at Stanmore Kindergarten in NSW are waiting to see the results of an upgrade to nearby Bain Playground, after they submitted feedback to their local council. "It is located just across the road from our kindergarten, so many children visit regularly with their families after they are collected," says Ngaire Stevens, the director of Stanmore Kindergarten. The council invited community feedback on a proposed upgrade by posting public notice signs in the park and distributing flyers. Community members could contribute via an online survey or by contacting the council. "We sent the survey link to our families in our newsletter encouraging them to have their say and over the next two weeks. We also encouraged the children to draw and talk

about what they would like to see at Bain Playground. We then collated the children's responses and drawings and submitted a report via email to the parks project manager at council," explains Stevens. The council published an engagement outcome report summarising the community's response, with a section dedicated to opinions and drawings from the children at Stanmore Kindergarten.

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DRAWING BY MATTHEW "Cubby house, big slide, swings, a big wheel that spins, big climbing slide with a tunnel, big cliff with a path and hand things for washing hands".

DRAWING BY HUNTER "Waterslides with big ladders"

The playground improvements requested by the children were a slide, swings (including a wheelchair swing), a cubby house, monkey bars, climbing walls, an obstacle course, water play and a flying fox. Stevens says the children and their families were very proud that their ideas had been listened to: "We printed the report and included it in a booklet with the original drawings that the children could access as well as sharing it in our newsletter with families."

DRAWING BY EVE "Monkey bars with swings and a round swing you can lie in, a slide and a climbing frame".

Stanmore Kindergarten's community connection was authentic because Bain Playground was a prominent part of the children's daily lives. It was a place that all of the children were familiar with and had strong feelings about. By engaging with the council, the children developed a sense of agency. They learned their ideas were important and their voices could be heard. They used different communication methods, including drawing, to make positive changes in their world.

When the upgrade commences (it’s been postponed because of COVID-19), the educators plan to extend the learning. This will involve regular visits and observations of the upgrade, so the children can see their suggestions realised.

BOOKS AND BICKIES – LITTLE LEARNERS CENTRE

While many services visit aged care facilities, Little Learners Centre in West Ryde, NSW, found an alternative way to connect with older generations. At the start of COVID-19, the leadership team were saddened by living in lockdown. Alisha Reavell, the director of Little Learners Centre, reveals how they heard stories from families who were feeling disconnected too: "Many of them were working from home and that small moment at collection time was the only snippet they had to the outside world. They were looking to us for answers, for stories, for hope." “As many children were not seeing their grandparents, fearful they would pass COVID on to them, educators invited the grandparents to join in a Books and Bickies program via Zoom.”

Grandparents chose a popular story book which they read to their grandchild and their friends, whilst drinking milk and eating bickies. Reavell describes the event as ‘enjoying the age-old ritual of tea time’. Educators refrained from providing direction and let the children and their grandparents lead the experience. The initiative was a success. It met the needs of various community members during an unprecedented period of loneliness, and fostered authentic relationships between children and their grandparents.

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"The children absolutely loved the way they could speak into the computer and it would hear their voice, or the way they could see themselves on the screen," says Reavell. "Some grandparents introduced costumes and props and others gave up on the book entirely and just had a chat. "The grandparents wanted to reschedule another book reading after their first session. They wanted to be involved and loved being able to meet their grandchildren's friends. The moments we captured were so sweet and a real joy for so many grandparents who would otherwise be missing out." This community connection was authentic because it considered the current context of living in lockdown and met the needs of the children and their grandparents. The children benefited as different areas of learning were integrated into one enjoyable social event. The children developed a love for literacy and storytelling, utilised technology, and strengthened relationships with family and friends.

COMMUNITY, LAND AND RELATIONSHIPS – KU PENINSULA All KU centres are encouraged to develop an area of specialisation. KU Peninsula in Tanilba Bay NSW specialises in connection to community, land and relationships. Their program incorporates engagement with local groups and services, and the children learn respect for the surrounding natural environment. KU Peninsula's director, Mark Taylor, says, "there's a habitat a couple of minutes from the centre that has boardwalks, vegetation and wildlife. The children visit quite regularly and spend a lot of time there. "The waterfront is only a couple of minutes away as well. They'll often talk about how they went down to the waterfront or how they've been to the habitat and seen koalas. These visits have had a great impact on their life in terms of learning about our flora and fauna and caring for the environment.”

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The service commenced a relationship with The Men's Shed when the organisation agreed to fix the boat in the children's playground. Taylor describes how educators discussed the problem with the children: "We had conversations around the fact that the boat was broken and needed fixing. We discussed the issue of how we could go about getting it fixed and who could fix it." The Men's Shed fixed the children's boat and some toys, and refreshed their dirt pit. Several of the children had grandfathers who were part of the program and were incredibly proud of their family's connection to rebuilding the boat.

BUILDING AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

"The grandfathers would come in to collect their grandchildren and would ask about the boat and check in on it," says Taylor. KU Peninsula also helps families connect with each other, especially those that have relocated to Tanilba Bay. "Sometimes over the years we have helped families find each other, to help them find a place in the community," says Taylor. Educators have introduced families to each other so their children can play together. They have also accompanied families to support groups and playgroups in the local area, so they've got a familiar face to make them feel more at ease.

UPCOMING EVENTS Find out how these national events are being celebrated in your local area

WHERE TO START The first step to building community relationships is brainstorming possible connections: charities, not-for-profit organisations, the local council, government services, and locations like beaches and nature reserves. It’s a good idea to involve children and families in these idea sessions where possible. "Identify the needs of the families and children attending and reach out to those services that can support," says Kerrie Maguire, early childhood education sector specialist at Community Early Learning Australia. “Approach organisations by making phone calls. Ask families, friends and colleagues if they can introduce you to people. Write emails or involve the children in writing letters of introduction.” Maguire says services should aim for a reciprocal relationship that benefits both the service and the organisation, and "recognise that sometimes these relationships are organic and they take time." Educators need to be proactive and find new opportunities for community connection, but they also need to be patient and let the relationships grow.

Play Outside Day (6 March)

Children’s Week (3rd week October)

playoutsideday.org

childrensweek.org.au

International Day of Families (15 May)

Book Week (21 - 27 August)

un.org/development/desa/ cbca.org.au/cbca-bookfamily/international-day-of- week families.html

NAIDOC Week (4 - 11 July) naidoc.org.au

Science Week (15 - 23 August) scienceweek.net.au

Educators can also take advantage of community celebrations in order to build relationships and teach children respect for culture and diversity.