ECA Learning Hub

The process of acquiring language is complex and language learning is considered a key developmental milestone in early childhood. Understanding the process and supporting young children in learning language is integral to the role of early childhood education and care professionals.

This module explores how language develops between birth and the age of six years. It focuses largely on ways to support the language learning journey of children who speak two or more languages, in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The module also examines current theories of language learning and provides practical examples of ways to facilitate language development in the early years.

Leading others is a sophisticated process and leaders often have to straddle two worlds. They have to nurture their team’s sense of belonging and security while inviting them to leap into new arenas and take on previously unimaginable practice challenges. They also have to consider different perspectives and encourage a lively exchange of ideas but, when necessary, make clear and non-negotiable decisions. In the landscape of children’s education and care, effective leaders are indispensable and play a pivotal role in delivering outcomes for children, families and educators.

If this held true for the ordinary practice of children’s service delivery during the Black Summer bushfires, then what more is required of leaders in the current turbulent times? As the leader of an early learning setting, you might not have imagined having to navigate the uncharted territory of a global pandemic, but it is exactly what you find yourself doing—adopting a day-by-day approach and trying to focus on your purpose. It is timely then to pause and reflect on the art of leading others in challenging times.

This webinar will help you refine the practice of guiding and inspiring others when the going gets tough. By looking at emerging literature, ECA’s Leadership Capability Framework and the ECA Code of Ethics, it will unpack key elements contributing to effective leadership and explore their use in challenging times. It will also invite you to consider practice that continually strengthens your team while maintaining a focus on your core role: enhancing children’s learning. The webinar’s online format will allow you time to reflect on your challenges, strengths and vulnerabilities so you can plan a new and responsive approach for the future.

Play offers children opportunities to engage with the world around them. Being intrinsically motivated and freely chosen, it allows children control over their actions and their learning. Play also helps children develop their self-regulation and problem-solving capacity, and it enriches their vocabulary and language skills. Today, nearly 200 years after Froebel first argued for its importance in children’s lives, play remains an essential part of effective early childhood learning. This is reflected in the Early Years Learning Framework when it describes play as a ‘context for learning through which children organise and make sense of their social worlds, as they actively engage with people, objects and representations’.

This course will examine:

• what play is and why it is important in early childhood
• how significant play is for children’s learning and development
• the role of educators in supporting effective play-based learning
• how educators can balance intentional teaching with play-based approaches in a variety of early childhood settings
• the characteristics of play as well as the many aspects of play to be considered and planned for
• how to develop an argument in support of play-based programs.

This series is suitable for all educators currently working in an approved education and care setting across Australia. This is a foundation course that focuses on essential knowledge to guide children’s behaviour and may be suitable for educators who are new to the sector or embarking on a formal early childhood qualification.

To effectively support and guide young children’s behaviour, it is essential that educators develop an understanding of the form and function of children’s behaviour. Developing an understanding of the meaning of children’s behaviour will in turn support educators in developing strategies and teaching techniques unique for each individual child, with the overall aim of empowering children to take control.

In part 1 of this series, you will:

• understand why behaviour is a form of communication that can help educators to develop a better understanding of each individual child
• learn how children regulate their emotions, thoughts and behaviours.

In part 2 of this series, you will:

• develop strategies to support children in times of stress, frustration or anger
• discover and recognise the signs and meanings behind children’s behaviours and strategies to support young children
• uncover how to understand children’s triggers and what these can look like.

Literacy is a journey. Children make meaning from letters, numbers, and symbols and begin to understand patterns from birth. This module looks at the key elements of literacy and the practical ways it can be woven into everyday moments, rich environments and fostered with children from the earliest years.

After completing this course, you will:

• consider early childhood philosophies that view the development of literacy skills as part of a life-long journey from birth
• understand your role as an educator and the how the environment can support pre-literacy skills and dispositions
• identify the importance of the role of choice and enjoyment in developing literacy skills in the everyday.