Exceeding NQS in Quality Area 1: Child directed learning (Element 1.2.3)

Practical Steps Towards an Exceeding NQS Rating in Quality Area 1: Element 1.2.3

To achieve an Exceeding NQS rating in the National Quality Standard 1.2, specifically in ELEMENT 1.2.3 CHILD DIRECTED LEARNING, you’ll need to ensure that your practices align with the three Exceeding themes provided by ACECQA. Here’s an exhaustive list of practical steps you can take based on each theme:

Theme 1: Embedded in service operations

1. Consistency in Practice: Ensure that child-directed learning is consistently implemented across all programs and by all educators.
2. Regular Training: Conduct regular training sessions for educators to reinforce the importance and methods of child-directed learning.
3. Documentation: Maintain detailed records of child-directed learning activities, ensuring they are frequent and intentional.
4. Collaboration: Encourage educators to collaborate and share best practices related to child-directed learning.
5. Resources: Provide ample resources and materials that support child-directed learning.
6. Environment: Design learning environments that promote exploration, choice, and autonomy for children.

Theme 2: Informed by critical reflection

1. Regular Reflection Sessions: Schedule regular team meetings where educators can reflect on their practices related to child-directed learning.
2. Feedback Mechanism: Create a system where educators can provide feedback on each other’s methods and approaches.
3. Continuous Improvement: Use the insights from reflection sessions to make necessary adjustments to the program.
4. Engage Experts: Occasionally, bring in external experts to provide a fresh perspective on child-directed learning practices.
5. Document Reflections: Maintain a reflection journal or digital platform where educators can record their thoughts, challenges, and successes related to child-directed learning.

Theme 3: Shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community

1. Parent Workshops: Organize workshops for parents to educate them about the importance of child-directed learning and how they can support it at home.
2. Feedback Surveys: Distribute regular surveys to parents and the community to gather feedback on child-directed learning practices.
3. Community Engagement: Partner with local community organizations to enhance child-directed learning opportunities.
4. Open Days: Host open days where families can observe child-directed learning in action and provide feedback.
5. Inclusive Practices: Ensure that child-directed learning practices cater to the diverse needs of all children, including those from different cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds.
6. Collaborative Projects: Engage children, families, and the community in collaborative projects that promote child-directed learning.

Additional Steps for Overall Exceeding NQS Rating:

1. Review Other Quality Areas: Ensure that all other Quality Areas meet the NQS standards.
2. Focus on Key Quality Areas: Prioritize Quality Areas 1, 5, 6, or 7, as at least two of these must be Exceeding NQS for an overall Exceeding rating.
3. Continuous Assessment: Regularly assess your service against the 15 NQS Standards using the three Exceeding themes.
4. Engage with the Guide to the NQF: Regularly review the Guide to the NQF to stay updated on best practices and requirements.

By following these steps and ensuring that your practices align with the Exceeding themes, you’ll be well-positioned to achieve an Exceeding NQS rating in ELEMENT 1.2.3 CHILD DIRECTED LEARNING.

An Example Monthly Schedule

Ready to implement these practical steps in your service? Using the constraints of 4 hours per week to work on improvements, we’ve created an example schedule below.

Given the constraints of 4 hours per week, it’s essential to prioritize tasks that will have the most significant impact on achieving the Exceeding NQS rating in ELEMENT 1.2.3 CHILD DIRECTED LEARNING. Here’s an example monthly schedule for an educator:

Week 1: Focus on Theme 1 – Embedded in service operations

Total Hours: 4

1. Hour 1: Research and Planning – Dedicate the first hour to researching best practices in child-directed learning and planning how to integrate them into the service.
2. Hour 2: Training Session – Spend an hour attending or organizing a training session (even if it’s online) on child-directed learning.
3. Hours 3-4: Environment Assessment – Assess the current learning environment. Identify areas that can be improved to promote exploration, choice, and autonomy for children.

Week 2: Focus on Theme 2 – Informed by critical reflection

Total Hours: 4

1. Hour 1: Reflection Session – Dedicate the first hour to a personal reflection on current practices related to child-directed learning.
2. Hour 2: Team Meeting – Organize or attend a team meeting to discuss and reflect on child-directed learning practices.
3. Hours 3-4: Documentation – Start a reflection journal or digital platform. Document thoughts, challenges, and successes related to child-directed learning.

Week 3: Focus on Theme 3 – Shaped by meaningful engagement with families and/or the community

Total Hours: 4

1. Hour 1: Parent Engagement – Draft a survey or feedback form for parents about child-directed learning in the service.
2. Hour 2: Community Research – Research local community organizations that could be potential partners in enhancing child-directed learning opportunities.
3. Hours 3-4: Planning for Open Day – Start planning an open day or a workshop for families. This includes drafting an agenda, deciding on the date, and listing required resources.

Week 4: Review and Continuous Improvement

Total Hours: 4

1. Hour 1: Review Feedback – Analyze feedback from parents and the community collected in Week 3.
2. Hour 2: Adjustments – Based on feedback and reflections, make necessary adjustments to the child-directed learning program.
3. Hour 3: Engage with the Guide to the NQF – Spend an hour reviewing the Guide to the NQF to ensure alignment with best practices and requirements.
4. Hour 4: Planning for Next Month – Plan tasks and priorities for the next month, ensuring a balance between the three themes and other quality areas.

This schedule provides a structured approach for the educator to work on improving their service in line with the Exceeding NQS rating requirements. Adjustments can be made based on specific needs and feedback.

Reflective Questions

Reflective questions are essential tools to guide educators in their ongoing professional development and to ensure continuous improvement in practice. For Element 1.2.3, which focuses on child-directed learning, here’s an exhaustive list of reflective questions:

1. Understanding of Child-Directed Learning:
   • How do I define child-directed learning?
   • What are the key principles of child-directed learning that I believe in?
   • How do I differentiate between child-directed and educator-directed activities?
2. Implementation:
   • How do I ensure that children have genuine opportunities to lead their own learning?
   • What strategies do I use to facilitate child-directed learning?
   • How do I balance between child-initiated and educator-initiated activities?
3. Environment:
   • Is the learning environment conducive to child-directed learning?
   • How can I modify the environment to better support child-directed activities?
   • Are there sufficient resources available for children to explore and lead their own learning?
4. Collaboration with Children:
   • How do I involve children in the planning and decision-making processes?
   • How do I respond when a child introduces a new idea or interest?
   • How do I ensure that every child, regardless of their abilities or background, has an opportunity to lead?
5. Evaluation:
   • How do I assess the effectiveness of child-directed learning experiences?
   • What feedback have I received from children about their learning experiences?
   • Are there any aspects of child-directed learning that I feel are not working well?
6. Professional Development:
   • What training or resources do I need to better support child-directed learning?
   • How do I stay updated with the latest research and best practices related to child-directed learning?
   • Are there colleagues or experts I can collaborate with to enhance my understanding and practice?
7. Engagement with Families:
   • How do I communicate the value and importance of child-directed learning to families?
   • What feedback have I received from families about child-directed learning experiences?
   • How can I involve families more in supporting child-directed learning at home?
8. Challenges and Solutions:
   • What challenges have I faced in implementing child-directed learning?
   • How have I addressed these challenges?
   • Are there any unresolved challenges that I need to seek solutions for?
9. Future Goals:
   • What are my short-term and long-term goals related to child-directed learning?
   • How do I plan to achieve these goals?
   • How will I measure my progress towards these goals?
10. Reflection on Impact:
    • How has child-directed learning impacted children’s engagement, well-being, and development?
    • Are children more confident and autonomous in their learning?
    • How has child-directed learning influenced the overall quality of the educational program?

Using these reflective questions regularly can help educators critically analyze their practices, identify areas for improvement, and ensure that they are providing high-quality child-directed learning experiences.

Learning from ACEQA case studies

Based on the case studies, here are the 5 most important practical steps that services have taken to achieve Exceeding NQS standards in Element 1.2.3, along with the reasons, tips, and estimated time for implementation:

Case Study 1

At this long day care service, staff meetings are used to share reflections about practice. Successful outcomes and how to build on them are discussed, as well as issues, challenges and possible solutions. Conversations and agreed actions are documented to capture decision-making processes and ongoing actions, as well as to enable review and critical reflection.

1. Staff Meetings for Reflection and Decision-making
   • Reason: Regular staff meetings ensure that reflections about practice are shared, and decisions are made collectively.
   • Tips: Schedule regular staff meetings, have a clear agenda, and document discussions for future reference.
   • Estimated Time: 2 hours per meeting.
2. Promotion of Children’s Agency
   • Reason: Actively seeking children’s input and incorporating their ideas promotes their sense of agency.
   • Tips: Regularly ask children for their opinions, and genuinely incorporate their feedback into the program.
   • Estimated Time: Ongoing, integrated into daily interactions.
3. Family Surveys for Feedback
   • Reason: Gathering feedback from families ensures that the service aligns with their expectations and needs.
   • Tips: Use digital platforms for surveys, ensure anonymity, and act on the feedback received.
   • Estimated Time: 3-4 hours for survey creation, distribution, and analysis.
4. Daily Room Meetings with Children
   • Reason: These meetings provide structured opportunities to gather children’s reflections and ideas.
   • Tips: Make these meetings age-appropriate, document discussions, and ensure a comfortable environment for children to share.
   • Estimated Time: 15-30 minutes daily.
5. Reorganization of Physical Environment Based on Children’s Feedback
   • Reason: Adjusting the environment based on children’s wishes promotes their autonomy and decision-making.
   • Tips: Engage children in discussions about desired changes, and ensure safety while making adjustments.
   • Estimated Time: Varies, but potentially several hours over a week or two.

Case Study 2

This outside school hours care (OSHC) service offers before and after school, and vacation care, in a rural community. It is the only OSHC service in the community and is located on the grounds of the local school. The current team, including support staff, comprises a balance of both experienced educators and those who are newer to the role.

1. Deep Dive into Pedagogical Practices
   • Reason: Understanding and reflecting on pedagogical practices ensures that the program extends children’s learning effectively.
   • Tips: Use resources like the MTOP to guide discussions and reflections.
   • Estimated Time: 2-3 hours per deep dive session.
2. Local Community Engagement
   • Reason: Engaging with the local community, like shopping excursions, connects children with their environment and promotes real-world learning.
   • Tips: Plan excursions that are safe and relevant to children’s interests.
   • Estimated Time: 2-3 hours per excursion.
3. Professional Conversations about Intentionality
   • Reason: Understanding the concept of intentionality ensures that educators’ actions are deliberate and purposeful.
   • Tips: Use guiding questions and resources to facilitate discussions.
   • Estimated Time: 1-2 hours per discussion session.
4. Engagement with Local Aboriginal Cultures
   • Reason: This promotes cultural understanding and appreciation, aligning with the service’s commitment to inclusion.
   • Tips: Engage local Aboriginal Elders, undertake research, and ensure respectful representation.
   • Estimated Time: Varies, but potentially several hours over multiple weeks.
5. Re-establishment of Historical Landmarks (e.g., Murri trail)
   • Reason: Restoring historical landmarks connects children with their cultural heritage and promotes respect for history.
   • Tips: Collaborate with local experts, involve children in the restoration process, and use the opportunity for educational experiences.
   • Estimated Time: Varies, potentially several days to weeks depending on the project’s scope.

These steps, when implemented thoughtfully, can significantly contribute to achieving an Exceeding NQS rating in Element 1.2.3.