Abstract
INTRODUCTION
It is widely accepted that the first two years of life are critical to positive life trajectories, yet there is much room for improvement in the provision of education and care (EC) services for infants and toddlers. To provide a high-quality EC program requires specialist knowledge and skills to observe, reflect on and interpret very young children’s behaviour and communication; effective planning to consolidate and extend learning; facilitation of children’s engagement with the social and physical environment; and accurate documentation to track and communicate learning progress. High-quality EC is supported by well qualified staff, but in Australia educators only require a Certificate-level qualification.
AIM
The Observe, Reflect, Improve Children’s Learning (ORICL) digital tool was co- designed to enhance the capacity of infant-toddler educators to notice, record, and interpret the day-to-day interactions, relationships, and learning experiences of very young children in EC settings.
MATERIAL and METHODs
The ORICL digital tool includes 118 stimulus items to prompt assessment of children’s behaviour and interactions across six domains that are aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia: 1 Identity, Belonging, Sense of Self, Family and Culture; 2 Connectedness with Others; 3A Emotional Wellbeing; 3B Physical Wellbeing; 4 Constructing Knowledge and Understandings; 5 Communication. Its use in EC settings is being facilitated by 11 Partner Organisations and funding from the Australian Research Council. Educator provided child data records and interviews about the effectiveness of ORICL to support program planning will be presented.
CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation of educators’ use of the ORICL in a recurring cyclical process of observation and planning for individual children will provide the groundwork to trigger significant and sustained improvement in pedagogy and practice for infant-toddler education and care.
It is widely accepted that the first two years of life are critical to positive life trajectories, yet there is much room for improvement in the provision of education and care (EC) services for infants and toddlers. To provide a high-quality EC program requires specialist knowledge and skills to observe, reflect on and interpret very young children’s behaviour and communication; effective planning to consolidate and extend learning; facilitation of children’s engagement with the social and physical environment; and accurate documentation to track and communicate learning progress. High-quality EC is supported by well qualified staff, but in Australia educators only require a Certificate-level qualification.
AIM
The Observe, Reflect, Improve Children’s Learning (ORICL) digital tool was co- designed to enhance the capacity of infant-toddler educators to notice, record, and interpret the day-to-day interactions, relationships, and learning experiences of very young children in EC settings.
MATERIAL and METHODs
The ORICL digital tool includes 118 stimulus items to prompt assessment of children’s behaviour and interactions across six domains that are aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia: 1 Identity, Belonging, Sense of Self, Family and Culture; 2 Connectedness with Others; 3A Emotional Wellbeing; 3B Physical Wellbeing; 4 Constructing Knowledge and Understandings; 5 Communication. Its use in EC settings is being facilitated by 11 Partner Organisations and funding from the Australian Research Council. Educator provided child data records and interviews about the effectiveness of ORICL to support program planning will be presented.
CONCLUSIONS
The evaluation of educators’ use of the ORICL in a recurring cyclical process of observation and planning for individual children will provide the groundwork to trigger significant and sustained improvement in pedagogy and practice for infant-toddler education and care.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 320 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Jul 2023 |
| Event | 18th World Congress for the World Association for Infant Mental Health - Convention Centre Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Duration: 15 Jul 2023 → 19 Jul 2023 https://www.waimh2023.org/ https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/admin/files/349102430/waimh_2023_abstract_book_sunday_16th_july.pdf (Abstract book - Sunday) https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/admin/files/349102835/waimh_2023_abstract_book_tuesday_18th_july.pdf (Abstract book - Tuesday) |
Other
| Other | 18th World Congress for the World Association for Infant Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | Early relationships matter: advancing practice, policy and research in infant mental health |
| Country/Territory | Ireland |
| City | Dublin |
| Period | 15/07/23 → 19/07/23 |
| Other | The Irish Association for Infant Mental Health (I-AIMH) is delighted to invite you to Save the Date to participate in the 18th World Congress of the World Association for Infant Mental Health (WAIMH). Scheduled for 15-19 July 2023, it will be held at the Convention Centre Dublin, situated in the heart of Ireland’s beautiful capital city. The COVID pandemic has brought significant changes across the world and also denied WAIMH members those much desired reunions. However, we are a strong, resilient international community, and as the Irish proverb goes, ‘Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine’: through the shelter of each other, people survive. The Dublin Congress aims to provide an in-person stimulating and engaging environment for WAIMH delegates – it will be a truly memorable experience. Following in the footsteps of previous WAIMH congresses, mutual exchanges that cross interdisciplinary boundaries will be at the heart of the 2023 programme. We look forward to extending a warm invitation to our infant mental health colleagues across the world to share the latest scientific research, clinical experiences, scientific knowledge and cultural perspectives on a global scale. Register your interest on the Congress website and we will make sure you are kept updated with the latest Congress news, programme information and links to submit abstracts and register. |
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