Safe, secure and supported. Is your child ready for school?

Safe, secure and supported. Is your child ready for school?

All early childhood educators and many parents will be familiar with the Australian Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF)*. This important document aims to guide early educators to facilitate children’s learning from birth to five years including the transition to school.

The Framework has a focus on 5 learning outcomes

• • Children have a strong sense of identity

• • Children are connected with and contribute to their world

• • Children have a strong sense of wellbeing

• • Children are confident and involved learners

• • Children are effective communicators.

The framework is readily available – click here to view the document.

The EYLF provides guidance and support to ensure that the children attending early years services and centres develop the skills needed to be

• • confident and creative

• • successful learners

and ultimately, active and informed adults.**

Our Sounds good to me programs align with the EYLF and our purpose is to support educators and parents to ensure children are ready for school through engaging, evidence-based learning programs. Throughout our blog and free webinar series we have been discussing a range of topics particularly related to development of pre-literacy skills, articulation and language skills for this age group.

In the webinar this month we will be extending our focus to look at social and emotional skills and milestones. This is such a wide topic we will focus this month on learning outcome 1 – children have a strong sense of identity.

Children develop social and emotional skills in the years leading to the start of school and will continue to develop these skills throughout their life. Giving children a strong start will help them to feel safe, secure, and supported.

Social and emotional skills are how we relate and connect with other people. In preparing for school it is important that children are able to interact with other children and adults with care, empathy and respect. Children will need to be able to express and understand a range of emotions as well as recognise when others are feeling sad. These skills are important for children to gain confidence, make friends and develop a sense of who they are.

Typically by 4-5 years children will be;

• • developing friendships

• • independent with dressing and toileting

• • using language to communicate their needs

• • understanding and following rules though not all the time

• • taking turns and

• • understanding how others are feeling