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Early Years Exchange

Latest news and features on research, policy and practice to support implementation of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF) .

Speech Pathology Australia: VCAA resource is professional collaboration at its best

April 2019

The Communication Practice Guide supports engagement with key concepts of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF), in particular the Learning and Development Outcome 'Children are effective communicators'.

The guide provides scenarios and learning activities to help educators better understand the development trajectory of communication skills. It highlights the importance of communication in enabling children to access and participate meaningfully in a diverse range of learning opportunities. It enables educators to understand that the observational data they hold about a young child’s communication skill development is meaningful and valuable assessment data.

Mary Gornik, Senior Advisor Education, Early Childhood and Projects, Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), spoke to the VCAA about the Communication Practice Guide.

Conceptual Playworlds: Intentional teaching in action

February 2019

The Conceptual Playworlds project, underway at Monash University, encourages early childhood educators to create narratives and settings for children to explore science, engineering and technology (SET). The project encompasses integrated teaching and learning approaches, one of the practice principles of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). The practice principle involves being attuned to children, active engagement by and with children, sustained shared thinking and conversations, and intentional teaching.

The project is led by Professor Marilyn Fleer, who was recently awarded the prestigious Kathleen Fitzpatrick Australian Laureate Fellowship for her research into early childhood education. This is the first time the fellowship has been awarded for research in early childhood education. The five-year study will investigate how children form SET concepts in both educational and home environments, which will lead to developing an Australian evidence-based model of teaching SET in play settings.

Read the Early Years Exchange archive.